metrics
Topical authority
How comprehensively a site covers a topic cluster — a stronger ranking signal than backlinks for AI citation.
Definition
Topical authority is the measure of how deeply and comprehensively a site covers a subject area: not one page on 'AEO' but 50+ pages spanning every sub-topic, intent, and angle. AI engines preferentially cite sites with high topical authority because they treat them as the canonical source for the cluster — even when individual page authority is lower than a competitor's one-off post.
Example
Backlinko's content footprint on SEO = high topical authority. A single viral post on the same topic = high page authority but low topical authority.How to optimize
Plan content as hub-and-spoke: one pillar page per topic, 10–20 supporting pages covering sub-topics. Cross-link aggressively. Build the entire topic cluster before publishing the next pillar.