In the wild world of search engine optimization (SEO), it’s not enough to throw up some keywords on your website. You want to be a go-to source for specific topics – in other words, you want to become an authority figure on a certain subject. As a Charlotte web designer, Web Symphonies is an authority on SEO, web design, and internet marketing. That’s why our blogs focus on those topics. We know what we’re talking about and want to educate you.

When you become a topical authority figure, you’ll start ranking higher in search engines because these platforms prioritize content that matches what people are looking for. In all likelihood, you don’t only want to know what web design is, you want to know what makes for a good website. What are the elements? How do you know when you need a Charlotte web designer? How often should you update your website? We cover all these topics and more.

How can you do the same? I’m glad you asked!

Research Keywords Around a Topic

The first rule of writing is, “Know your audience.” You’ll write about different things (and in a different way!) depending on who your piece is for. To become a topical authority, you need to know what your audience is searching for so you can tailor your content to them.

• What questions are they asking?
• What topics do they want to know more about?

You’ll start with a seed keyword, which is a term that sums up your topic. For instance, one of our seed keywords is “web design.” From there, we expand our list to write about:

• What is a good website?
• What are some design elements a good website should have?
• How to build a good website
• A beginner’s guide to web design
• And more

From there, use an SEO tool like Semrush or Moz to identify how easy or difficult it is to rank for that keyword. Given how long the internet has been around, most keywords are difficult to rank for which is why local SEO can be a winning strategy. That’s why we mention being a Charlotte web design company – only saying “web design” generates about a billion hits.

While you’re in Semrush or Moz, you can also learn what articles rank highly for your topic of choice. Read those articles and learn from them: What do they cover, what’s their structure, etc.?

Link Internally

Another way to become an authority on the web for your topic of choice is to link internally. That means referencing different pages on your website, which guides visitors to more relevant content. The hope is that by linking to something like, “How to create an optimized about us page,” that visitors will click on that link and thus enhance user engagement. It’s a win for you (and your visitors) but it also helps search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your content.

As you link internally, use descriptive text that tells the visitor what they can expect at the link. It’s not so useful to say, “click here for cool stuff.” You want to tell them, what, exactly, that cool stuff is. Also, make sure it’s relevant. It may be tempting to link to everything on your website, but that doesn’t work and makes your reader’s eyes glaze over.

Backlink, Baby

In a previous post, I shared that backlinking is only semi-important, meaning you don’t have to backlink to rank higher in search engines but it will certainly help. Especially if you wind up on a roundup list like, “The 10 Best Charlotte Web Designers,” or something similar. And for the topic at hand (how to become an authority on the web), backlinking shows credibility. If some other credible website links to yours, that demonstrates, yes, you can be trusted.

If you want to get backlinks, start by writing articles for other blogs or websites in your niche. You can also use HARO (Help A Reporter Out) and Qwoted, which are platforms that connect journalists with sources. If you answer a journalist’s query, you may get featured in their article and gain valuable backlinks. This feeds into my next point about building relationships. Do you know how most people become bestselling authors these days? They engage with influencers before their book comes out. They build relationships so it feels authentic to say, “Hey, can you read my book?” By commenting, liking, and sharing posts, a relationship is created and not merely a transactional exchange.

So there you have it. To become an authority on the web, research your keywords, write compelling content, link internally, and build relationships with other people.

If you’re looking for help with becoming a topical authority figure, get in touch with us via email or call (704) 336-9113.

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