Topical Authority
Topical Authority
used extensively by Jason Barnard since 2021.
Factual definition
Topical Authority is the algorithmic trust granted to a recognized entity (a brand, website, or person), confirming it as an expert and comprehensive source of information on a specific subject.
Jason Barnard definition of Topical Authority
Jason Barnard explains that a comprehensive body of work is essential for Topical Authority, but it is meaningless without a critical prerequisite: entity understanding. Before algorithms can evaluate a brand's expertise on a topic, they must first know with confidence who the brand is. Without a clear, understood entity anchor, even the best content is just authorless information in the "mind" of a machine. Therefore, Topical Authority is not a measure of content in isolation; it is the result of a trusted, recognized entity producing a deep and interconnected body of work. The algorithm's confidence in the entity acts as a powerful amplifier, giving significantly more weight to the content and cementing the brand's position as the definitive source.
How Jason Barnard uses Topical Authority
At Kalicube, building Topical Authority is a sequential outcome of The Kalicube Process, Kalicube's proprietary methodology for implementing a holistic, brand-first digital marketing strategy. We first dedicate our efforts to Phase 1, Understandability, to ensure machines develop a high-confidence understanding of the client's entity. Only with that foundation in place do we focus on Phase 2, Credibility, where we build the body of work that demonstrates expertise. The confidence established in the first phase acts as a powerful amplifier for the authority generated by the content in the second. This ensures that when we reach the Deliverability phase, AI Assistive Engines don't just find the content; they trust the entity behind it and confidently recommend it.
Why Jason Barnard perspective on Topical Authority matters
Marcus Sheridan's "They Ask, You Answer" brilliantly teaches businesses what to say to build human trust: answer every customer question. Jason Barnard's work provides the critical next step for the AI era: ensuring the algorithm first trusts who is speaking. Topical Authority is the result of merging these two philosophies. The Kalicube Process provides the technical framework to first establish the brand as an understood and trusted entity, which then amplifies the value of every answer it provides. In a world where AI Assistive Engines act as gatekeepers, they prioritize answers from credible sources; if they don't have confidence in you as the speaker, they will never trust what you have to say.
Posts tagged with Topical Authority
10 Simple Steps to Analyze Your Brand SERP and Build an Effective Digital Strategy
Published on Search Engine Land (Jason Barnard) Learn the key parts of a brand SERP and ways to guide Google to show the information you want your audience to see. A brand...
Kalicube Tuesdays
Digital Marketing Livestream Event Series “Kalicube® Tuesdays” is a popular series of digital marketing events that livestream to YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. It is organised by Kalicube® and hosted...
The Knowledge Panel Course: Educating the Child That Is Google
Jason Barnard speaking: Hi, and welcome. Google is a child thirsty for knowledge, and you need to educate it. In the introduction to this course, I talked about this idea very...
Fastlane Founders and Legacy with Jason Barnard
Marketing Podcast “Branded Search (and Beyond) with Jason Barnard” is a leading marketing podcast series produced by Kalicube and hosted by The Brand SERP Guy, Jason Barnard.