⭐Authoritative Writing Guidelines

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Authoritative Content Writing Guidelines

Outline

This document provides guidance on writing authoritative content that aligns with the topical authority content strategy being implemented on your site. The main aim of authoritative content is to write from a place of authority and expertise. You are trying to inform users about the topic, not trying to sell a product or push a brand.

Here are some examples of exemplary Authoritative Content that has been structured using a Topic Cluster Model:

• Instagram Marketing: The Ultimate Guide
• What is cryptocurrency and how does it work?
• Beginner's Guide to buying coffee beans online [2020 Edition]
• How to Start Investing in Stocks: A Beginner's Guide

Topical authority can be defined as ‘depth of expertise’ and is achieved by regularly writing original, high-quality content that fully covers the topic/query it revolves around. For instance, the topic ‘movies’ is very broad, but there are many subtopics within the topic – like ‘romance’ or ‘scary’ movies. Since the topic of ‘movies’ is so broad, the number of subtopics is vast.

In this document, we have created guidelines for creating authoritative content. Following these guidelines when creating authoritative content will encourage Google to use your excerpts from your content to answer popular queries.

Content Guidelines

Avoid Keyword Stuffing

Write naturally without focusing on keywords. The optimisation of keywords and interlinking will be done by us after the content is written.

Do NOT Write To ‘Sell’, Write To ‘Inform’

Using informative language in these articles is key. Don’t write with the sole intent to sell a product or service. You want to position yourself as an authority on the subject so that Google uses your articles for featured snippets to answer specific queries.

Keeping this in mind, writing a response that answers the question directly and concisely is ideal.

Remember, you are trying to be an authority on a particular topic. You are NOT trying to sell/market your product or service through the pillar page.

Content Should Be As Short As Possible And As Long As Required

The content should not be written to hit a specific word count. It should be written to the point.

The answer should address the question and include all necessary information while being as concise as possible.

Use A “Source” As An Authority Before Giving A Statement

Google respects links coming in but also looks at the links going out. When you are stating something as a fact, try to source a website with a lot of authority, like a .gov or .org site. Google will take it as an indicator that the website citing the ‘authoritative’ site understands the topic and thus it can be seen as a credible source for the information.

Make sure that you are using factual information. If Google does not think your information is real and accurate, it will fail to see your page as an authority on the topic.

This is especially important for YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics as they can substantially affect the health, financial security, safety, or overall well-being of readers. Finance, medicine, legal advice and current events are some common YMYL topics.

Content For The Core Topic/Pillar Page Should Be Evergreen

Content for the core topic/pillar page should try to stay relevant over time.

Avoid using time-sensitive phrases such as "last month" or "this week". Instead, use evergreen language such as "recent studies show” or “new strategies include”.

Content Structure

The formatting and presentation of the content are just as valuable as the content itself. There are a few ways to optimise page structure, which we have detailed below.

Heading Structure (H1 & H2)

The content should have a clear heading structure for each new subtopic/section of the page.

Each page should be structured with one clear H1 heading, i.e. the page title.

H2 headings should be used for each question or topic on the page. Use headings and subheadings (H3s) to organise and categorise information. Most people skim over a page, so you want to make the important information on your page stand out and be easy to find.

Example 1: Numbered List

Example 2:

Table Of Contents

Having a table of contents with links to each section on the page, allowing users to jump to specific sections, is highly valuable for both user experience and making it easier for search engines to crawl/index your content.

Example 1:

Example 2:

Grammar

Using proper grammar and spelling that align with the region you operate in, is crucial for both user experience (UX) and search engine optimisation (SEO). Your language should be straightforward, making it easy for users to follow and understand.

Become An Authority

You’re aiming to become an authority within your topic, enhancing your domain authority and ultimately boosting your website's overall ranking.

Creating relevant, evergreen content that other sites can refer to shows that your content is accurate and valuable, making you an authority on the topic.