Local Topical Authority: How to Win Online With a Crew of One
If you’re trying to grow your business, you know that just having a website isn’t enough anymore.
You don't get points for just being online. You need to be recognized as the trusted expert for what you do.
Here’s the good news: That's not as difficult as you may think it is.
Thankfully, you're not competing with every website on the internet.
You just need to stand out among the businesses you're slinging elbows with locally.
The goal is to show search engines (and future clients) that you’re the one they can trust.
That’s where local topical authority comes in.
In this article, I’m going to walk you through what it is, why it matters, and how you can start building it without burning yourself out, even if you're a team of exactly one.
So What Is Topical Authority?
Topical authority is when search engines, and your future clients, recognize you as the local expert on a specific subject.
If you want to build topical authority (and you do), here’s what you’re not going to do — toss a few random blog posts on your site and hope for the best.
You’re going to create a batch of focused, useful content around your services that makes it crystal clear that you absolutely know what you're talking about.
When you do that, you’re showing Google that you’re not just another business with a website, you’re a trusted source worth recommending.
And that's exactly what you want, because Google’s whole business model rests on getting people the best answer to the question they’re typing in.
When someone searches "best keratin treatment near me" or "how to fix frizzy hair," Google doesn't randomly pick who to put in the first page. It scans the sites it trusts to deliver solid answers and sends traffic to the businesses that prove they know their stuff.
If your website looks thin, scattered, or half-baked, don't expect to get much Google love. You're giving them every reason to pass you by.
But if you consistently answer the right questions, you'll start bumping to the front of the line, both in the search results and in the mind of your future clients.
When someone lands on your site and sees that you’re already answering their questions before they even ask, they'll feel like they’ve come to the right place.
That’s a huge part of what gets them to book with you instead of bouncing to the next option.
To put it simply, topical authority is about being the obvious choice in your local area.
You don’t need to write every day or cover every possible topic.
But you do need to go deep on the questions that actually matter to your future clients, and do it better than the folks you’re competing with locally.
Why Local Topical Authority Matters
If you want more clients coming through the door, you need more people to find you online, and trust you when they do.
That's exactly what building local topical authority does for you.
It helps you show up higher in the search results and makes you the obvious choice once people land on your site.
Here's why it matters even more when you're competing locally:
When somebody types in a search like "best massage therapist near me" or "top hair stylist in Summerlin," Google isn't lining up every massage therapist or hair stylist in the country.
It's narrowing the field based on location and authority.
And when you’re the one who's clearly put in the work to answer real questions and provide real value, you’re the one who stands out.
Do this.
Take a look at a few of your competitors' websites — independents as well as national brands.
I guarantee you're going to see a lot of sites that are thin on content.
Why?
Because most local businesses simply don't do this.
They throw up a website, post a few random updates (if that), and call it a day.
I refer to these sites as online business cards.
They're not that helpful for future clients — and that’s your opportunity.
When you build topical authority, you're stacking the deck in your favor.
You're telling both Google and your future clients:
"I know what I'm doing. I'm serious about what I do. And I'm here to help."
That's what gets you seen.
You need to get seen to be trusted — and you need to be trusted to get to a full book.
Strategies for Building Local Topical Authority
If you want to build topical authority the right way, you need a plan.
Not a complicated one — but a clear one.
Here's the framework you want to follow:
Build a Smart Local Content Strategy
Pick the services you want to be known for — and stick to them.
Don't chase every topic under the sun.
Don't try to be everything to everyone.
Decide what you want to dominate locally, and build your content around that.
When future clients land on your site, they should have no doubt what you're great at.
Create Topic Clusters Tied to Your Services
Once you know what you want to be known for, it’s time to build depth.
You do that by creating clusters — groups of related articles that all point back to your main services.
Example:
If you offer keratin treatments, you don't just write one post called "Keratin Treatments 101."
You build a whole set of supporting content around it:
"How to Make Your Keratin Treatment Last Longer"
"The Best Shampoo After a Keratin Treatment"
"How Keratin Treatments Help with Frizz in Humid Climates"
"How Often Should You Get a Keratin Treatment?"
Each article answers a real question your clients are typing into Google.
Each one strengthens your authority on the subject.
Not sure what questions people are asking?
Good — there’s an easy fix for that.
You can use tools like AnswerThePublic.com or AlsoAsked.com to uncover the exact questions people are searching for around your services.
These tools pull real-world data so you can find topics you might not have thought of — and position yourself to answer them before your competitors do.
As a ballpark, you want at least 5 to 10 strong support articles tied to each main service you want to promote.
More is better, but that range gives you a solid foundation to start building real topical authority.
This isn't about overwhelming yourself.
It’s about creating a focused, steady body of work that proves you’re the local expert.
Stay Consistent
This is where most businesses blow it.
They post once, maybe twice, and call it good.
You can't build authority like that.
Consistency beats intensity every time.
You don’t need to publish something every day — but you do need a steady rhythm.
One strong piece a month is a whole lot better than dumping five articles at once and then disappearing for six months.
We knew this was one of the biggest challenges for busy local businesses, so we baked it right into our Business Growth Automation system.
If you want to see how it works — and how it can keep you consistent without adding more to your plate — click here to check out the quick walkthrough.
Create Strong "Pillar" Content
Think of pillar content as your kitchen sink article — you’re throwing everything in there.
This is the big, deep-dive guide that everything else points back to.
Why is it called pillar content?
Because it acts like a support beam for your website’s authority.
Just like a pillar in a building holds everything up, pillar content holds up the rest of your topic cluster.
It’s the strong, central piece that everything else connects back to.
Without it, your content feels scattered.
With it, you’ve got a solid foundation that Google — and your future clients — can clearly see and trust.
Example: "The Complete Guide to Keratin Treatments in Las Vegas"
Pillar content makes it crystal clear that you know your stuff — and Google loves ranking these strong topic pages higher and sending people to them.
The trick with this is that it’s more broad than deep.
It covers everything that needs to be covered about the topic, but it doesn’t dive into "gnat’s behind" detail.
That’s what your smaller supporting articles are for.
Your smaller articles build around your pillars and point back to them.
This strengthens your entire site’s authority on the topic — and makes you the obvious choice when future clients go searching.
Optimize for Local User Intent
It's not enough to just write.
You need to write for what real people in your area are actually searching for.
When we talk about user intent, we’re talking about the reason behind the search — what the person actually wants when they type in a phrase.
There are a few types of user intent, but here’s what you care about:
Informational intent:
They’re looking for an answer.
("What is a keratin treatment?" or "How to fix frizzy hair naturally.")Commercial intent:
They’re thinking about buying — but still gathering information first.
("Best salon for keratin treatment in Summerlin" or "Keratin treatment vs. Brazilian blowout.")Transactional intent:
They’re ready to book or buy right now.
("Book keratin treatment near me" or "Keratin treatment specials Las Vegas.")
You want to write content around informational and commercial intent first.
That’s where you pull people into your world — where they start seeing you as the trusted expert long before they’re ready to book.
Get this right, and when they do decide to take action, you’re the obvious choice.
Organize Your Site Clearly
Make it easy for people (and Google) to find what they’re looking for.
Group your services and articles logically so it’s obvious how everything connects.
Now, I’m going to go a little geeky here for a second — and I apologize in advance, but it’s important:
You’ll also want to use internal links — which just means linking from one article on your site to another related article.
It helps visitors move naturally through your content, and it shows Google that you’ve built out your topic properly.
If that sounds confusing, don’t worry.
You can always reach out to me and I’ll walk you through it.
It's a lot simpler than it sounds once you see it done.
The clearer and more connected your site is, the easier it is to build authority — and the faster you start climbing the local search results.
How the Right System Helps You Build Local Topical Authority
Everything we just talked about, — building a smart content strategy, creating topic clusters, staying consistent, writing for local intent, organizing your site clearly — it all works.
It works better than just about anything else for filling your calendar with better clients.
But here's the reality: It’s a lot to stay on top of when you’re busy running your business.
You probably don’t have time to spend hours every week figuring out what to write about, publishing blog posts, crafting lead magnets, posting on social, and keeping it all moving.
Not if you’re actually doing the thing you’re great at — the thing your clients pay you for.
But not all Independents struggle with this challenge. They use a simple system that turns this juggling act into a simple few minutes a week task. The best part is, this system is available to anyone.
Here’s a quick walkthrough of how they build authority without staying glued to their laptop.
Making It Work for Your Business
Making It Work for Your Business
You know you need to build a steady, loyal clientele.
No matter what anyone tells you (or tries to sell you) that doesn't require a complicated marketing plan.
You don’t need to become a social media guru and you don’t need to spend your life glued to your laptop.
You don't have time for that anyway, now do you?
You just need to build local topical authority.
Show up online the same way you already show up for your clients: like a pro who knows exactly what they’re doing.
Focus on the services you want to be known for.
Create helpful content that answers real questions.
Stay consistent enough to stay in front of your future clients.
Stack small wins until the momentum starts working in your favor.
It’s not flashy. It’s not instant. But it works — and it keeps working for years after you hit publish.
And remember, if you want a faster, simpler way to do this Local Topical Authority thing check out the quick walkthrough here.
Oh, and if you want to go a little deeper about your specific situation, schedule a quick convo and let's chop it up. I look forward to it.
