Operationalizing topical authority

E925: Most people think topical authority comes from publishing endless blog posts.

That idea is wrong - and it's why so many SEO strategies fail.

I break down what topical authority really is, how Google actually decides who is an expert, and why links, brand mentions, and bottom-of-funnel pages matter far more than informational content.

This episode is built around a real Reddit thread from an SEO agency trying to move beyond "do SEO and hope it works" into a real, strategic model for winning in search.

We go deep into how topical authority is created, how it works for SaaS, ecommerce, and service businesses, and why most people misunderstand it.

What you'll learn: - Why publishing lots of blog posts is not required to build topical authority - How off-site signals like links, brand mentions, and PR shape how Google sees your expertise - How bottom-of-funnel landing pages quietly build more authority than blogs ever do - Why Google cares about the language people use when they mention your brand - How unlinked brand mentions influence topical relevance - What Forbes did to become able to rank for almost anything - How HouseFresh recovered from Google's Helpful Content Update and 4x'd their traffic - Why good marketing builds SEO, even when you stop thinking about SEO - How to use linkable assets, tools, and research to earn authority naturally - How agencies should think about topical authority when working with multi-category clients - Why generalist brands can still build topical authority - just across multiple topics - How to systematize topical authority inside a real SEO playbook

What topical authority actually is:

Topical authority is not something you "do" by writing articles.

It's the result of: - Ranking for searches in a topic - Getting clicks for those searches - Being mentioned by other websites in the language of that topic - Earning links where surrounding text reinforces what you're known for

Google doesn't need a blog to understand what you do. It needs signals from the rest of the web confirming what you're associated with.

How real businesses build it…

I explain why the strongest topical authority comes from:

- Bottom-of-funnel SEO pages that target buyers, not readers - Link building that uses the same language your customers search with - PR, podcasts, and brand mentions that describe you in your niche - Tools, research, and resources people actually want to share

When people talk about you using the words that match your business, Google connects your brand to those topics. That's authority.

If you run an SEO agency…

This episode also covers: - Why "publish more blog posts" is not a strategy - How to build topical authority for clients without content factories - How to decide which topics are worth building authority in - How to align SEO work with actual revenue

Topical authority should always point toward the searches that make money.

⭐️ The Reddit thread: Understanding topical authority - https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/1qac2us/understanding_topical_authority/

⭐️ E832 - From 1,000 to 200,000 Clicks: The INSANE SEO Comeback of HouseFresh.com - https://youtu.be/QewNJ2AgQxM ⭐️ E921 - How Teal Gets 1 Million Google Clicks a Month with AI-Powered SEO - https://youtu.be/8wImHWoQ7C4 ⭐️ E924 - Lars Lofgren & Jacky Chou on the pod - Google Is Easier to Game Than Ever And Black-Hat SEOs Are Winning - https://youtu.be/s8DpBug5w88 ⭐️ E895 - How to Do Blog SEO the Right Way (Using ChatGPT Without Ruining Your Brand) - https://youtu.be/tXgfUcBr8fU

💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/

00:00 Introduction to Topical Authority 00:38 Reddit Question on SEO Strategies 01:33 Building Topical Authority Without Blogs 03:51 Top Comments and Insights 05:09 Effective Link Building Techniques 09:58 Case Studies and Real-World Examples 15:47 Last Thoughts + Ideas and Conclusion

The Edward Show. Your daily generative engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#searchengineoptimization #topicalauthority #seo #linkbuilding