SEO Tip for 2025: “Focus on one topic to gain topical authority.”

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Since AI gained more popularity, it feels like everyone is publishing more and more content. And let’s be honest—not all of it is great. With so much content flooding the internet, search engines like Google have to rethink how they prioritize websites. That’s where topical authority comes in.

Google wants to find the real experts in every subject and prioritize their content. In 2024, this became clear with updates targeting sites that misused their reputation. Take the Forbes Advisor case: Forbes leveraged its authority in one niche to push unrelated affiliate content, and Google responded with manual penalties.

This is the direction SEO is heading: focusing on covering one subject deeply and proving your expertise. In this article, we cover some questions you might have related to my tip of becoming an authority in a single topic, and how you can use this to your advantage in 2025.

How niche does that topic have to be?

Your topic should be narrow enough to show you’re an expert, but not so broad that it takes forever to cover it. For example, if you own a bike shop, “bikes” is too general to start with. It’s better to focus on something like e-bikes first. Once you’re seen as an expert in e-bikes, you can move on to other types like mountain bikes.

How specific you go also depends on what you sell. But starting with a smaller topic helps you become an expert faster because you can cover it more deeply.

Start with a niche that aligns with your expertise and business goals. Narrowing your focus helps you gain authority faster.

If you have lots of products and services, does that stop you from getting topical authority?

Yes, it does. This tip is more useful for small and medium-sized businesses that can focus on one specific topic. If your website covers a wide range of unrelated products or services, it’s much harder to build topical authority. You need to decide: where do you want to build authority? Do you want Google to see you as an expert in just one topic?

Take a large store like Decathlon, for example. They sell equipment for many different sports, so it wouldn’t make sense for them to focus only on bikes. Their variety is too broad, which makes building topical authority in a single area unrealistic for their business model.

If your business offers a wide range of products and services, this strategy might not work for you. A broad business model makes it harder to focus on a single topic, which is key to building topical authority.

How do you decide which topic to choose?

Choosing a topic should always start with a business decision. If you rank for something that doesn’t align with what you sell, it won’t benefit your business. Why aim to rank for a topic if it doesn’t support your core offerings?

As an SEO consultant, I’ve seen great ideas that don’t translate into business success because the client either can’t sell more of that product or the profit margin is too low. In those cases, optimising for that topic is a waste of resources.

Start by understanding the business: What do they sell? Where do they make the most money? Once that’s clear, you can pick two or three potential subtopics and decide which one has the best chance to rank and drive meaningful results. Some subtopics might be too competitive to tackle right away.

It’s easy to focus on ranking and traffic, but if that traffic doesn’t convert into sales or support the business goals, it’s not worth it. The ultimate goal is to help the business grow, so their investment in SEO pays off and they can continue to invest more in the future.

Always align your chosen topic with your business goals and profitability.

Why is Google focusing more on topical authority?

With AI making it easy to produce endless content, more material is being published than ever before. This makes it harder for search engines to decide what should appear on page one or even be indexed. Google wants to prioritise websites it can trust.

That’s where topical authority comes in. By demonstrating deep expertise on a subject—both on your site and through external signals—you show search engines, users, and clients that you truly know your topic. This builds trust and helps your content stand out in a sea of information.

Google prioritizes trustworthy content from real experts to combat content overload caused by AI.

How does Google determine the topic of your website? 

We can’t know exactly how Google determines topical authority, but insights from the Google leak last year provide some clues. 

There was one module that was especially interesting. It is defining a core topic for your website, but also looks at every specific page, deciding what the main topic of the page would be. It then can compare the page topic to the website topic to decide how close this is and if it is within your expertise. 

Of course we don’t know how this module from the google leaked code documentation is being used today in the algorithm. But it gives us an idea how it might be. 

To decide on the overall topic of your website one thing is for sure: It will take some time and some critical mass of content to position your website on a topic.

Google looks for alignment between individual pages and your overall site topic.

How does focussing on topical authority help a small brand compete with bigger brands?

Focusing on topical authority can give small brands a big advantage. Competing with huge companies like Adidas might seem impossible because they have big budgets and can create a lot of content to dominate search results.

But as a small business, you can focus on a specific niche. For example, if you’re a small sportswear brand, you could specialise in sustainable running gear or clothing for less common sports. Big brands often ignore these smaller topics because they focus on broader, high-traffic keywords. This is your chance to stand out.

When you become known as an expert in your niche, people will start to trust your brand. They might even prefer your content over bigger brands because it’s more focused and helpful for their needs.

Small businesses can often focus on one specific topic, building real expertise in that area. This allows them to outperform big brands, which chase high search volume but rarely go deep into specific topics.

Should you look at the SERPs to see what exists for a keyword, and then try to create something different and unique?

Yes, but I take a slightly different approach. I start by focusing on keywords with the smallest search volume. While this might seem unusual for an SEO, it’s a great way to showcase expertise. By answering specific questions that others aren’t addressing, you can position yourself as an authority in that niche.

Think of the hub-and-spoke model: I build the spokes first, focusing on unique, niche content. Once those are in place, I create the hub. Since the spokes are already distinct from what others are writing, the hub naturally becomes different and unique too.

Start by targeting small, niche opportunities. Build unique, specific content first and expand into broader topics to stand out from competitors.

How do you select long-tail keywords?

When selecting long-tail keywords, I use a few different strategies. First, you can start by typing shorter keywords into Google and checking the “People Also Ask” section. This gives you ideas about what specific questions people have. Just be careful, because after a few suggestions, the questions can get too broad and move away from your focus.

Next, I use tools like Semrush, SE Ranking or Sistrix to find keywords. I don’t just look for the ones with high search volume—I also search for low or even zero search volume keywords. These can reveal very specific questions or problems that aren’t widely covered but are still important to your audience. This helps you find opportunities that bigger brands might overlook.

I also like to use different tools, like Google Keyword Planner, because each tool has a unique set of keywords. Switching between tools helps me catch keywords that I might miss otherwise.

Finally, if you’ve been in business for a while, think about the common questions your clients ask. These are great topics to cover on your website because future customers are likely searching for the same answers.

Use tools and client insights to find low-competition, long-tail keywords. These often reveal valuable opportunities others might miss.

How do you determine the type of content that you need to create?

Start by thinking big. Not everything needs to be published on your website. Consider how you can appear on other websites, collaborate with industry leaders, and explore different formats like also podcasts or events. This helps you build a presence across various platforms, making you more visible in the broader search landscape.

On your website, focus on answering the most relevant questions your audience has about your product or service. Ensure they can find all the information they need, to make a decision.

Finally, diversify your content. Don’t just stick to text—create videos, infographics, and social media posts. By using multiple formats, you can reach more people and make the most out of your chosen topic.

Extend your presence beyond your website to reach a broader audience.

How do you know on which platforms to publish your content so you reach the right audience?

It really depends on your business and where your audience spends their time. For example, I have a client in the luxury jewellery business, and Instagram works best for them because it’s a visual platform. People want to see images of jewellery. LinkedIn, on the other hand, isn’t as effective because it’s more professional and not where people go to find unique engagement rings.

To figure out the best platforms for your business, start by looking at where your competitors and industry leaders are active. See which platforms they’re using and where they get the most engagement. For example, in the SEO industry, brands like Moz and Majestic are active and important. Understanding where they publish and interact can guide you to the right places for your business.

In short, choose platforms based on where your audience is most active and engaged, and where your content will have the most impact.

Choose platforms where your audience is most active. Study competitors to identify the best opportunities for engagement.

Which metrics should you focus on to see if your approach is working?

Yes, there are a few key metrics to watch. Instead of focusing on how individual articles rank, look at how your entire topic performs. When you build topical authority, adding more content around that topic should help all your related articles rank higher. Here Keyword Tracking is really helpful. 

One important metric is brand keyword searches. Especially when someone searches for a keyword and adds your brand name, like “SEO tips Dani Leitner.” This shows they already know your brand and trust your expertise—they’re specifically looking for your opinion on the topic. If you notice more of these searches, it’s a strong sign that you’re gaining topical authority because people value your perspective.

Focus not only on the performance of individual pages, but on the overall performance of your website in your chosen topic. 

What SEO Practices to avoid in 2025?

Stop focusing on high-volume keywords. These are highly competitive and dominated by big brands, making it hard to rank. Instead, shift your focus to long-tail keywords. These lower-volume keywords may not bring as much traffic, but they’re often less competitive and more targeted, which can drive better results.

What counts as high-volume depends on your market. In German-speaking markets, a keyword with 500+ searches per month is already considered high volume, whereas in English-speaking markets, that number might be relatively low. The key is to focus on keywords where you have a realistic chance to rank and can establish authority in your niche.

Avoid chasing high-volume keywords. Focus on realistic, long-tail keywords to build authority and drive meaningful results.

Final Thoughts

Building topical authority is about narrowing your focus, aligning with your business goals, and creating content that truly reflects your expertise. It’s a long-term strategy that pays off by helping you stand out in crowded search results and earn trust from both users and Google. For more strategies and tips, check out my Hub on Topical Authority.

For more predictions about SEO trends and insights on what’s ahead, don’t forget to check out my Annual SEO Letter for 2025. 


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