Be honest for a second.
You’ve published a lot of blog posts.
You’ve done the keyword research. You’ve followed SEO advice. You’ve been consistent (or at least… consistent-ish).
And yet — traffic feels random. Rankings come and go. Some posts do okay, but nothing really snowballs.
So now you’re wondering:
“Do I actually have topical authority… or am I just very busy?”
Good question. And no, post count alone does not answer it.
Let’s fix that.
First: Let’s Clear This Up (Authority ≠ Volume)
This is the biggest misconception in modern SEO:
More posts ≠ more authority.
Google doesn’t reward effort. It rewards clarity.
A blog with:
…can outperform a blog with:
- 300 posts covering everything from pet care to budgeting to bread recipes
Topical authority isn’t about how much you publish.
It’s about how coherent your site looks as a whole.
If your content feels scattered, Google feels confused.
What Topical Authority Actually Looks Like (From Google’s Side)
Search engines don’t read your blog like a human.
They look for patterns.
Things like:
- Are multiple posts covering related subtopics?
- Do those posts reference and support each other?
- Do users stay, click around, and search again less?
- Does this site keep showing up for variations of the same topic?
In other words:
“Does this website clearly specialize in something?”
Topical authority is Google deciding:
“Yeah — this site knows what it’s talking about here.”
Signs Your Blog Does Have Topical Authority
Let’s start with the good news. You might already be closer than you think.
1. You Rank for Keywords You Didn’t Intentionally Target
If your posts start ranking for:
- Long-tail variations
- Related questions
- Secondary phrases you never optimized for
That’s a huge authority signal.
It means Google is trusting your site beyond exact-match keywords.
2. New Posts Get Indexed (and Ranked) Faster
When topical authority is present:
- New content gets indexed quickly
- Rankings appear sooner
- You don’t feel like every post is starting from zero
That momentum doesn’t come from the post itself — it comes from the site.
3. Your Posts Support Each Other (Even Without Perfect SEO)
You may notice:
- Older posts lifting newer ones
- Related posts ranking together
- Multiple URLs appearing across the same SERP
That’s not luck. That’s topical reinforcement.
4. Your Traffic Feels More Predictable
Instead of random spikes, you see:
- Gradual growth
- Fewer dramatic drops
- Traffic spread across multiple posts
Authority smooths volatility.
Signs You Might Just Have… a Lot of Posts
This section isn’t a drag — it’s clarity.
If these sound familiar, you’re not failing. You’re just unfocused (for now).
1. Every Post Lives in Isolation
Ask yourself:
- Do related posts link to each other naturally?
- Or do they feel like standalone articles?
If posts don’t need each other, authority struggles to form.
2. Rankings Are Scattered and Unstable
One post ranks this month.
Another disappears next month.
Nothing compounds.
That usually means:
- Google sees individual pages
- But not a strong topical ecosystem
3. Traffic Spikes Don’t Repeat
If you often think:
“Why did that post rank… but nothing else did?”
That’s a sign Google tested your content — but didn’t commit to your site.
4. You Can’t Explain Your Blog in One Sentence
This is the biggest tell.
If someone asks:
“What is your blog about?”
…and your answer sounds like:
“Well, I write about keto recipes, DIY vintage furniture, van life, personal finance, fashion, mindset, sometimes…”
Google feels that confusion, too.
A Quick Self-Audit You Can Do Today (No Tools Needed)
Open your site and try this:
Step 1: Scan Your Categories
Ask:
- Do these represent topics or just filing cabinets?
- Would each category justify multiple supporting posts?
Step 2: Pick One Core Topic
Now list:
- Every post related to that topic
- Subtopics you’ve covered
- Gaps that clearly exist
If it feels thin or disconnected — that’s your answer.
Step 3: Check Internal Links
Open 3 related posts and ask:
- Do they reference each other naturally?
- Or do they feel unaware of each other’s existence?
- Do they contain forced “you may also like” randomly linking from personal finance posts to dog training posts?
Authority loves conversation between posts.
Not “hey, so you’re training your puppy? Maybe you’ll love this post about how to pay off student loans quickly just because.”
What If You Don’t Have Topical Authority Yet?
Good news:
You’re not behind.
You’re not doomed.
And no — you don’t need to delete your blog.
Topical authority is often built retroactively.
That means:
- Updating posts
- Consolidating similar content
- Strengthening internal links
- Narrowing focus going forward
- Building from the content mess you’ve already published
Most blogs gain authority after publishing — not before.
Authority Isn’t About Hustle — It’s About Alignment
Publishing more won’t fix a lack of authority.
Publishing with intention will.
Once your blog clearly answers:
“Who is this for, and what problem does it specialize in?”
Google (and readers) can finally trust it.
And that’s when growth stops feeling random.
FAQ: Topical Authority Questions (Quick Answers)
There’s no fixed timeline, but most blogs start showing authority signals after covering a topic deeply and consistently over several months.
Yes. Publishing unrelated content or diluting your focus can weaken authority over time.
Absolutely. Smaller sites often build authority faster because they’re more focused.
Only if they reflect real topic groupings and are supported by strong internal linking.
Yes — but only if each topic has enough depth and clear separation.
Read next: How to Keep Your Blog Updated & Growing (Without Burnout)
