What is Topical Authority?

Topical authority is the degree to which a website or entity is recognized by search engines and AI systems as a credible, comprehensive source on a specific subject area. Topical authority is established through consistent publication of depth-first content that covers a topic's full semantic scope, supported by structured data, internal linking, and external corroboration from trusted sources. In traditional SEO, topical authority influences rankings by signaling that a site has earned the right to appear for queries within its domain of expertise. In AI search optimization, topical authority influences whether LLMs associate an entity with the queries and problems where it should be cited. A business with strong topical authority in "AI search optimization" is more likely to be retrieved and recommended when an LLM answers related questions than a generalist site covering the same term superficially.