As a digital marketer focused on search engine optimization (SEO), you know that improving rankings requires an effective link building campaign and establishing your website as an authority on your topics. However, with limited resources and time, determining how to allocate efforts between these two strategies can be challenging.
Should you spend more time building high-quality backlinks to your content or publishing additional authoritative content on your site? Read till the end!
Understanding Topical Authority
Topical authority is a concept that has gained prominence in the SEO landscape, emphasizing the importance of becoming an authoritative source within a specific niche or industry. In essence, it involves creating high-quality, relevant content that positions a website as an expert in a particular subject matter. Search engines, such as Google, increasingly prioritize websites with comprehensive and authoritative content, considering them more valuable resources for users.
When developing topical authority, publish content that contains keywords and phrases relevant to your topic. Use synonyms and related terms as well. The content should be comprehensive, covering all aspects of the subject. Provide statistics, facts, examples, images, infographics, and other media to demonstrate expertise.
Keep your content up to date with the latest information. Outdated facts and advice reduce credibility and authority. Update older content periodically and indicate when it was last reviewed.
The Role of Link Building in SEO
While topical authority focuses on optimizing on-page content, link building remains an important off-page SEO ranking factor. This strategy involves acquiring backlinks from external websites, signaling to search engines that your site is a credible and trustworthy source. These backlinks act as votes of confidence, indicating that other websites find your content valuable and worth sharing. As a result, search engines may reward your site with higher rankings. 92% of marketers believe that links will still be a key ranking factor in Google’s algorithm in the next 5 years.
Pros and Cons of Topical Authority
Building topical authority, or establishing yourself as an expert in a particular subject area, has significant benefits for SEO and rankings. By creating high-quality, in-depth content on a focused topic, you demonstrate expertise to both search engines and readers. This authority and trust can drive more organic search traffic and links to your site.
However, focusing on a narrow topic area also has potential downsides. It may limit your reach and ability to rank for a wide range of keywords. It also requires an ongoing investment of time and resources to maintain your status as an authority.
Overall, while building topical authority does require significant work, the potential benefits to your search rankings and organic traffic make it a worthwhile SEO strategy, especially if you have the resources and commitment to becoming an expert in your chosen subject area.
Pros and Cons of Link Building
The primary benefit of link building is its capacity to elevate a website's authority through external validation. Backlinks from credible sources can notably improve your site's credibility in the view of search engines. Yet, the difficulty lies in obtaining high-quality backlinks, as this process can be time-consuming and may result in the inclusion of spammy or subpar links if not executed with care.
Additionally, prioritizing link quantity over quality may lead to penalties from search engines, adversely affecting your site's rankings. It is no surprise that 93.8% of link builders say link quality is more important than quantity.
The Difference Between Topical Authority and Link Building
While both topical authority and link building contribute to SEO success, it's essential to recognize their differences. Topical authority focuses on becoming an expert in a specific field through content creation, while link building centers around building external validation through backlinks.
The ideal SEO strategy often involves a balanced approach, leveraging the strengths of both topical authority and link building. Creating high-quality, authoritative content within a niche and complementing it with a strategic link-building plan can enhance your website's visibility and authority in the digital landscape.
Final Thoughts
As you have seen, both topical authority and link building are important for driving higher rankings in search engines like Google. While link building has traditionally been seen as the key factor in SEO, topical authority is becoming increasingly significant. By focusing your content creation and optimization efforts on establishing your website as an authority on key topics, you can gain more long-term, sustainable rankings. However, link building should not be ignored either, as high-quality backlinks still provide credibility signals to search engines.
For the best results, incorporate both topical authority building and link building into your overall SEO and content strategies. By taking the time to become an authority, providing value to your readers, and earning high-quality backlinks, you can achieve and maintain high search rankings.