Did you know that savvy search engines like Google prioritize websites that demonstrate expertise and authority on specific topics? That means your content strategy requires more than just throwing a few keywords on a blog or webpage and hoping for the best.
To build an effective modern content strategy, building topical authority is critical.Topical authority is your website’s credibility and expertise on a specific topic. So, how can you craft a strategy to build authority for your website, take your Inbound Marketing Program to the next level and climb the SEO rankings? We’ll take a deeper dive in this blog.
What is Topical Authority?
Imagine topical authority as your website's reputation for being the go-to source of information on a particular subject. It's not about having a single, high-performing blog post (although that's a great start).
Instead, it's about consistently creating in-depth, informative content that covers every nook and cranny of a topic. Think of it as building a knowledge fortress on your website, brick by informative brick.
It’s about creating valuable content that answers the key questions - and targets the keywords - associated with an overarching topic. Going one step further by building topical authority links in the backend of your website - such as HubSpot’s backend SEO tool - can help search engines easily crawl your website and recognize you as an authority on a specific subject.
This way of structuring the content on your website typically begins with pillar page type content (a long-form piece of content that serves as the cornerstone of a specific subject), which then links out to more specific pieces of content that fall under that topic area.
Why Topical Authority is Important
Topical authority strengthens your website's foundation in the ever-evolving SEO landscape. By establishing yourself as a trusted authority, you attract a loyal audience, boost your brand reputation, and achieve your long-term SEO goals.
Benefits of strong topical authority for your website, include:
- Enhanced Credibility and Brand Reputation: As you establish yourself as a thought leader, your website garners trust and recognition within your industry. Think of it as building a strong brand reputation – other websites start seeing you as a valuable resource, and your buyer personas perceive you as a reliable expert.
- Increase Your Organic Traffic: Strong topical authority positions your website for higher rankings in search results for relevant keywords. This translates to a steady stream of organic traffic – potential customers actively seeking information you provide.
- Generate More Leads: Authoritative content acts as a magnet, converting website visitors into leads. By showcasing your expertise and addressing their needs, you provide exceptional value. Think of it as offering valuable solutions instead of a flimsy sales pitch – visitors are more likely to convert into leads when they see you as a trusted advisor.
- Achieve Long-Lasting Results: Building topical authority is a long-term strategy that yields long-lasting results. Unlike short-lived fads, in-depth content with a strong topical focus remains relevant for extended periods, attracting consistent organic traffic over time.
How to Build Topical Authority
1. Keyword Research
Conduct thorough keyword research to identify relevant keywords with high search volume. But don't just settle for generic terms – focus on long-tail keywords that are more specific to your niche topic. When doing this, make sure to keep your buyer personas in mind. You'll want to make sure that the keywords you target are hitting your buyer's specific pain points and challenges.
2. Content Depth Matters
It's crucial to go beyond surface-level content. Create comprehensive pieces that explore your topic in detail, addressing subtopics, providing valuable insights, and answering those burning questions your audience has. The more questions and long-tail keywords you cover, the more search engines will see you as an authority on that topic - as long as the content you're creating is high-quality and valuable!
3. Create Different Types of Content
Experiment with different content formats. Don't just stick to blog posts! Infographics, videos, eBooks, and case studies can cater to various learning styles and keep your audience engaged. These different types of content also serve a purpose in helping to move your buyer personas through their buyer's journey towards converting them as a lead and making the sale.
4. Content Clustering in the Backend of HubSpot
Organize your content around a central theme or "pillar page" to establish a strong topical connection and demonstrate your comprehensive knowledge. Imagine your content as a web, with the pillar page as the central hub and all the other content branches connecting back to it for a unified knowledge base. HubSpot makes this easy to organize in their SEO tool.
5. Internal Linking
Link to relevant internal pages within your website. This improves user experience by guiding visitors on a knowledge journey and distributes "link juice" throughout your content, which helps search engines crawl your website and recognize you as an authority on a specific topic.
6. External Link Building
Earning backlinks from high-quality, authoritative websites in your niche can also help your SEO. This signals to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy. Think of backlinks as votes of confidence from other websites, boosting your reputation.
7. Stay Fresh, Content Never Sleeps
Regularly update your content to ensure it remains relevant and reflects the latest industry trends. Search engines love fresh content, so think of it as keeping your website's knowledge base evergreen and ever-evolving. The best way to do this is to analyze your data regularly. Content that isn't performing well should be repurposed and re-written to improve rankings, while content that is performing well should be updated regularly to ensure it's fresh.
Learn more about the importance of data in our blog, 8 Reasons Why Data is Key to a Successful Inbound Marketing Strategy.
Remember: Building topical authority is a marathon, not a sprint. By consistently creating high-quality content, optimizing for relevant keywords, and earning backlinks, you can establish your website as a trusted authority in your specific topic areas. This, in turn, helps increase organic traffic to your website and drive lead generation.
Not sure how to create a content and Inbound Marketing strategy that builds topical authority? SummitBound’s experienced Inbound Marketing and HubSpot experts can help you develop and implement a data-driven content strategy that drives organic traffic and improves your lead generation initiatives.
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