Are you looking for ways to refresh your content strategy and boost SEO? Or perhaps you’re just getting started and are looking for the best ways to approach a content strategy. In this article, we go into detail about the concept of topical authority, explaining why it’s such a great content strategy, and how to gain topical authority.
Here’s a quick introduction to to topical authority and how to build it:
Topical authority (not to be confused with domain authority) is the concept of becoming the go-to place for a given topic (or multiple topics). Not only is this beneficial for users, but it also tells search engines that you are an authority on that topic, helping to boost your rankings.
To put this into perspective, let’s take the topic of content SEO as an example. Writing just one blog about content SEO isn’t enough to solidify you as an authority on the topic. It’s a huge topic with a lot of competition. Plus, you couldn’t possibly cover everything about content SEO in one blog.
However, you can build topical authority by writing every possible blog relating to content SEO, breaking it down into sub-topics and looking at things from different perspectives. This is often referred to as content pillars or topic clusters.
For example:
You can achieve topical authority by fully covering a topic, rather than just publishing a single blog and targeting individual keywords. This way, you potentially could rank for every single keyword related to a desired niche.
When you create a number of blogs around the same topic and interlink them, in the eyes of search engines, your topical authority increases as you’re showing them that you are literally an authority and a trusted source on the topic.
As such, search engines will recognise the relevance of your content to a given search term and will likely return your content in search engine results pages (SERPS). Even if your website domain authority is relatively low compared to the competition, your topical authority on a given topic will result in your content being returned in SERPS. It is an effective strategy for websites that struggle to compete against high-competition.
No one knows for certain how topical authority actually works, but we know that it relates to two things: relevance and E-E-A-T.
We know for certain that Google likes relevance. Content has to be hyper-relevant to a search term in order to rank well. Gone are the days of keyword supremacy (although, they are still important); content must be well written, relevant and showcase experience, expertise, authority and trustworthiness.
E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authority and trustworthiness; all of which you need to showcase in your content to prove that your content is of a high quality and should be ranked highly for a given topic. Learn more about E-E-A-T in our related blogs:
There are five key steps to start building topical relevance on your website:
Before you start looking at new content, you first need to review your existing content. Sometimes they just need small edits to give them a large boost. We also want to ensure that they will fit within your new topic clusters.
First, bring together a list of all of your existing blogs in a spreadsheet. You’ll need to go through them one by one to determine if they need optimising, and to assign a topic cluster to each one. To determine if they need optimising or not, you’ll need to explore a few methods:
Learn more about how to spot optimisation opportunities in more detail in our blog, Is Blog Optimisation Worth It?
Other related blogs:
(Do you see what we’re doing here…?)
Next, you need to consider new content and how that works alongside your existing content and topic clusters. Take each cluster and conduct keyword research for each.
Choose a good seek keyword for each topic – something that isn’t too vague and clearly focuses on the topic – and explore keywords around that seed. Using a tool such as SEMrush or Ahrefs, you’ll be given a variety of keyword options, but we recommend focusing on the questions provided – these are ready-made blog titles that you know people want answers to. For example, let’s look at Content SEO again.
Using SEMrush, I’m presented with a list of potential topics I could write about, such as:
You can also look at a feature called Keyword Strategy Builder that helps you to build content pillars or topic clusters. The feature works by taking a relevant keyword to your seed keyword and provides other related keywords. Similarly, SEMRush has a Topic Research Tool that works in a similar way, finding related topics based on your seed keyword.
Another great place to find relevant topics is Google’s People Also Ask section. Simply search relevant keywords and it will provide you with related topics that people actually ask. Click the drop down on any of them, and it will provide more.
You can also see what your competitors are doing. You can do this by simply reviewing the pages that appear for your relevant keywords, or by using SEMRush/Ahrefs – take a look at the SERP analysis under the Keyword Overview. Look for sites that have a relatively low Domain Authority (this is called Authority Score in SEMRush) but a good amount of keywords. From here, you can review their site and find some potential content ideas.
Put together a list of as many relevant keywords as possible per topic. Focus on long-tail keywords opposed to short-tail keywords.
Related blogs:
Now that you have finished your analysis and research, you need to put your strategy into a cohesive plan. We recommend first sorting everything by pillar (perhaps each in a new tab) and laying everything out as follows:
You’ll need columns for:
You can of course add or remove from this list, but the information you would input here would give you (or a team member) a good plan of action.
Take your plan and start writing and optimising the content. Start with blogs that could be used as a main pillar piece – something that would link off to other content. These blogs are quite broad (you may often see them as “Everything You Need to Know About XYZ” blogs) and give you the opportunity to write subheadings about each (or a number of) your subtopics, linking off to each of them.
Once the main pillar page is written, you’ll then need to work through the rest of that pillar’s content, remembering to interlink as you go (not forgetting to link from that original main pillar page).
Some key factors to consider when writing your content:
Learn more about writing and optimising blog content in our detailed blog, How Do You Write E-E-A-T Content?
Other related blogs:
Ideally, you will build internal linking as you go, but don’t forget to put time aside to go back through your pillars and add links to newly uploaded content. Blogs in your pillars should all interlink, and ideally link to/from your main pillar page.
Related blogs:
Ready to refresh your content strategy and reap the benefits of SEO? Wildcat Digital’s team of content specialists are here to help with bespoke Content SEO strategies tailored to your business and industry. We’re here to help you punch above your weight online.
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Digital Marketing can be a minefield for many businesses, with many agencies ready to take your money without knowing how to deliver results. I founded Wildcat Digital to deliver digital success to businesses with smaller budgets in a transparent way.
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Outside of work, Rich is a father to three children, which keeps him very busy! He’s also recently started running again to keep fit and loves a bit of DIY.
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Passionate about all things search, Sarah thrives on helping brands grow their online presence.
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Content Strategist Team Lead
With a degree in Marketing and a background in more traditional, offline marketing, Chloe joined Wildcat in 2021 after deciding to move into the digital marketing industry. She joined us as a Content Specialist and quickly moved up the ranks, becoming a Content Strategist and later an SEO Team Leader.
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Team Lead & Senior SEO Account Manager
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In her spare time, Molly loves to get out in nature, hiking and exploring the Peak District. She also loves cooking and likes to unwind with a bit of yoga.
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Libby joined Wildcat in 2021 as our first PPC hire. With a degree in Digital Media Production, a Master’s in Digital Media Management and previous experience in Social Media Management, Libby hit the ground running and has since climbed the ranks to Senior PPC Account Manager and has a particular interest in the eCommerce sector.
Outside of work, Libby likes gaming, and cooking and likes to keep active by lifting weights.
Senior SEO Account Manager
With a degree in Film and TV production, and a varied career history, Jamie made the move to marketing with a Masters degree in Digital Media Management. He has since worked in SEO at Agencies across Sheffield, before joining Wildcat and working his way up to SEO Account Manager. Jamie has a particular interest in backlinks and Digital PR and has recently gained a client a valuable backlink from Forbes!
In his spare time, Jamie is an avid foodie and loves trying new restaurants and cuisines. He also loves to travel and spent a year travelling to Australia after university.
SEO Account Manager
Jasmine joined Wildcat in 2022 with a strong background in SEO and Account Management. At the time, she was finishing up a Level 4 Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and has since worked her way up to SEO Account Manager. Jasmine excels at content writing and promotion, and particularly enjoys finding creative ways to join the dots on multi-channel campaigns.
In her spare time, Jasmine volunteers at a charity, helping combat loneliness & social isolation experienced by older neighbours. Outside of Wildcat, she owns a catering company, Savery Grazing, creating delicious grazing tables & platters for a range of events. She also loves skiing and exploring the Peak District.
SEO Account Manager
Thea has a wealth of experience in SEO, having previously worked for other Digital Marketing Agencies in Sheffield. She has a particular interest and skills in Technical SEO, but is more than willing to get stuck in and give anything a go.
Outside of work, Thea spends most of her time with her children, but also loves reading, photography and gardening.
PPC Account Manager
Masilda joined the Wildcat team in October 2024 with over seven years of experience in digital marketing. She specialises in Google Ads, but is also certified in Google Analytics, YouTube Ads, Google Ads for Ecommerce and Apple Search Ads. She has extensive expertise in performance marketing, display advertising, online lead generation and market planning.
In her free time, Masilda likes staying active, cooking, trying new restaurants and exploring new places.
Senior PPC Executive
Prior to joining Wildcat, Braden founded and ran his own Social Media Management agency where he gained valuable skills in growing brands’ online presence, which has since proven invaluable in his role at Wildcat.
Outside of work, Braden is a big football fan, regularly travelling to Pride Park to support Derby County. He also enjoys watching and playing snooker, hiking in the Peak District, and attending air and car shows.
Senior SEO Executive
After spending ten years managing businesses, restaurants, cafes and event spaces across Sheffield, Jon decided to change careers and joined Wildcat as an SEO Executive in 2022. He especially enjoys the client management side of the job, helping them to understand digital marketing and ways in which they can build their business’s presence online.
Outside of work, Jon likes to keep fit with running, badminton and football, and also loves music.
Senior SEO Executive
Rachel joined us as a graduate, having recently graduated from Sheffield University with a degree in English Literature. Since joining, Rachel has proven herself to be a Content Queen, and particularly enjoys getting stuck into projects that allow her to explore her creative side.
Outside of work, Rachel enjoys a wide range of hobbies, including rugby, singing, reading, and spending time with her family and three labradors.
Senior SEO Executive
Andy joined Wildcat in 2023 after starting his digital marketing career in-house for a local Sheffield company. Since joining, he has developed a strong interest in Technical SEO and has strong skills in Account Management.
Outside of work, Andy loves music and plays in a couple of bands. He also enjoys rock climbing, cycling, photography and good food.
Senior SEO Executive
Kezia joined us in July 2024 after completing a CIM Certificate in Digital Marketing and gaining experience in Content SEO at another Sheffield agency.
In her spare time, Kezia loves to get outdoors, bouldering, hiking and travelling.
Senior PPC Executive
Alex joined Wildcat Digital in December 2024 as a Senior PPC Executive, bringing a strong background in Paid Media, Paid Social, and Programmatic advertising. With a degree in Business & Marketing and Google Ads certifications, she has the expertise to craft high-performing campaigns that drive results.
Before joining Wildcat Digital, Alex worked at two leading agencies in Leeds, honing her skills across various digital advertising platforms. Her analytical mindset and strategic approach help businesses maximize their online presence and advertising budgets.
Outside of work, Alex enjoys spending time with her dog, Lola, and going on walks with her dog walking group. She’s also a keen footballer and loves playing five-a-side whenever she gets the chance. Her enthusiasm and team spirit make him a great addition to the Wildcat Digital team.
SEO Executive
Amy joined Wildcat in 2024 with a background in journalism, having worked as a News Editor and Editor-in-Chief at The Sheffield Tab. She is naturally interested in Content SEO and research, so will no doubt prove to be a content power-house.
In her spare time, Amy loves watching crime shows, listening to music and hanging out with her dog, Eddie!
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