Topical authority
Topical authority is whether the web treats you as a serious source on a subject, not a one-off article farm.
Models infer this from how often you are cited, how consistent your entity is, and whether you cover the cluster or just one keyword. Backlink counts still whisper. They are not the whole conversation.
A thin “ultimate guide” on twenty unrelated topics is the opposite of authority. One cluster, updated, with original tables, wins more AI quotes in practice.
Reddit topical authority is different: the subreddit is the authority, not your account, unless you are a known regular.
Examples
- An HVAC manufacturer that publishes failure-rate tables gets cited. A content mill rewriting those tables does not, except when the mill outranks them in Google and retrieval is lazy.
Related terms
The published set of related pages that together say “we cover this subject.” Models notice coverage more than a lone post.
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness — Google’s quality lens. AI search borrows the vibe even when it does not use the rubric.
Entity SEO is making sure machines can tell who you are: one name, one home URL, same facts everywhere.
What your page adds that wasn’t already on the SERP or in the model’s memory: a number, a method, a counterexample.
FAQ
Can I buy topical authority? +
You can buy links and guest posts. Models still trip over thin identity. Original measurements beat a rented byline.
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