Authoritative content tips to boost your expertise

Content is the #1 digital marketing medium. Nearly all organizations (90%) incorporate content in their marketing strategy. The reason for content’s popularity is that it simply works.

However, not all content is created equal. Some pieces of content are more impactful than others. You’ve probably heard top-performing content being described as “authoritative.” But what does that mean?

Thanks to social media and search engines, content consumption is at an all-time high. That also means content marketing has become fiercely competitive. Nowadays, you can’t just whip up a blog post or web copy and expect superb results—quality matters, and that’s what content authority is all about.

But content authority goes way beyond just quality writing. In a nutshell, authoritative content is unique, informed, relevant content that both readers and search engines find valuable and credible.

Only authoritative content can appeal to today’s sophisticated search engines and critical readers. If you want your content to rank in search results and resonate with audiences, it must demonstrate authority.

Authority content marketing is clearly a big deal in the modern digital landscape. The question is, how do you make authoritative content?

This guide covers everything you need to know about creating authoritative content. Read on as we answer the following questions:

• What makes a piece of content authoritative?
• What are the various types of authoritative content?
• Why does content authority matter?
• How does Google rank content authority?
• How do you create authoritative content?
• What makes content lose authority?

Let’s dive in.

What is authoritative content?

Let’s get the basics out of the way—what exactly do we mean by “authoritative content”?

Content authority is kind of difficult to define. Authoritativeness is not something you can measure directly but rather a combination of quality metrics. Put simply, authoritative content demonstrates high levels of expertise on the subject matter while being readable, trustworthy, and informative.

These are the key hallmarks of authoritative content:

• In-depth information. The content goes deep into the intricate details and nuances of the subject matter.
• Clear demonstration of expertise. Authoritative content shows the author’s expert-level understanding of the topic.
• Credible. This is content that readers can trust and reference since it’s accurate to the last word.
• Reader-focused. The whole point of creating authoritative content is to provide meaningful value to the target audience.
• Excellent writing quality. Every writing aspect, from word choice and clarity to structuring, is spot on.

Who needs authoritative content? Frankly, anyone in the content marketing business should prioritize content authoritativeness.

Regardless of your industry, be it healthcare, tech, e-commerce, law, or lifestyle, content authority matters. You can boost your content’s authority through in-depth blog posts, white papers, journal entries, or case studies.

Types of authoritative content

Content comes in many shapes and forms. However, not every type of content can be authoritative.

To write authoritative material, you have a choice of the following content formats:

• Long-form blog posts

Blog posts exceeding 1,500 words are considered long-form articles. The good thing about writing such lengthy text is that it gives you room to really delve into the topic. It lets you provide a comprehensive view of the subject matter.

• White papers

A white paper is an in-depth and insightful report on a specific topic. You could base the topic on current events, emerging trends, or recent research. These often lean more on the technical side. They’re great, though, for showcasing thought leadership and industry expertise.

• Buyer guides and user manuals

If you look past the promotional aspects of buyer guides and user manuals, they’re actually pretty authoritative. But only when written with the intent to help readers make informed purchase decisions.

• Case studies

Case studies are essentially real-life examples of success stories. They do have a promotional undertone, but they can be authoritative too. Case studies are packed with useful information for consumers. And as a bonus, they help build trust and social proof around your brand.

• Research reports

Original research is highly authoritative. It does take some doing to gather data and compile accurate findings. But it’s a worthwhile effort. As the primary source, reporters and other researchers will reference your research. That alone scores your content huge authority points.

• E-books

You can’t write longer and deeper than with an e-book. It’s the ultimate long-form content. On there, you can write on just about anything, from brand stories and personal experiences to deep industry insights.

• Webinars

A webinar is a live virtual seminar where you can hold interactive discussions with large audiences. Authoritative webinars focus on sharing ideas, educating participants, and demonstrating solutions to pressing issues.

• Expert interviews

You can draw valuable industry insights from interviewing experts in your niche. These could be in-person or virtual interviews. You may then present these as YouTube videos, podcasts, or even transcripts.

The importance of Google E-E-A-T

E-E-A-T is an acronym for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It’s a key component of Google’s search quality evaluator guidelines (SQEG). These are the specific guidelines that Google’s Search Quality Raters use to gauge search experience.

Although E-E-A-T is not a direct SEO or ranking factor, incorporating E-E-A-T principles into your content boosts authoritativeness and ranking. And those principles are:

1. Experience. Does your content exhibit first-hand experience in the subject matter?
2. Expertise. Is the content written by an author with the relevant skills or knowledge?
3. Authority. Are you or your site well-established and reputable in your niche?
4. Trust. Is the content accurate, honest, and reliable? Also, combining authority, expertise, and experience creates a picture of trust.

You may be surprised to learn that E-E-A-T isn’t something new. The concept of E-A-T has been around since 2012. But it wasn’t until 2018, after a core algorithm update, that Google doubled down on “Trust.” Later in 2022, Google added another “E” for “Experience.” This framework is designed to promote high-value content and weed out low-quality copy.

Here’s what you can do to meet Google’s E-E-A-T standards:

• Create helpful people-first content.
• Source your data, information, and facts from credible sources.
• Provide author info.
• Work on your site and brand reputation.
• Build authoritative backlinks.
• Leverage inputs from experts.
• Think beyond written content.
• Keep your content up to date.

We’ve grossly oversimplified what E-E-A-T is and how it works. For the purposes of this article, think of E-E-A-T as a cheat sheet for how to create authoritative content for Google.

How to write authoritative content

What does it take to write authoritative content?

Well, for starters, you must focus on five key aspects:

• Demonstrating expertise and experience
• Thorough research
• Being insightful
• Proving credibility
• Writing engaging copy

Keep in mind that the goal is to produce high-value content for human readers. Write content that your audience can trust and benefit from. That means it must be information-rich, accurate, and unique.

Follow these simple tips for writing authoritative content:

Conduct thorough research and fact-check your work

Research each topic extensively to widen your content’s breadth of knowledge. Find facts, figures, statistics, and data that support your main points. And don’t forget to cite your sources.

But be wary of where and how you get your information. Some sources out there may be inaccurate or biased. Always check your sources for reliability. An easy way to do that is through the CRAAP test.

The CRAAP test is a quick and easy method for evaluating a source’s credibility and reliability. CRAAP is an acronym for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose—these are the five factors you assess with the CRAAP test: 

Structure your content for clarity

Keep in mind that you’re writing content for human readers. So make it as comprehensible and easy to read as possible. Otherwise, the content simply won’t connect with the intended readers.

Here’s what you can do to improve your content’s readability and clarity:

• Organize the content in a logically flowing structure.
• Write in clear, simple language.
• Include links to related resources.
• Segment the content using captivating headings and subheadings.
• Incorporate storytelling.
• Enrich the content with visuals.
• Encourage readers to share their views, opinions, and concerns on the topic.

Remember who your real audience is

Who are you writing content for?

Your target audience must be at the center of your content strategy. Ensure the content caters to the readers’ interests, preferences, needs, and knowledge level. Write pieces that genuinely resonate with the intended audience.

That’s how you ensure content relevance. And remember, relevance is a big part of authoritative content.

Leverage expert opinions

Quoting experts makes your content more authoritative. Expert insights from interviews or other sources signal experience and expertise. This helps build trust and credibility around your content.

Just make sure the experts you quote know what they’re saying. Associate your content and brand with respected and trusted industry leaders.

Common mistakes to avoid

We’ve covered the dos; now for the don’ts.

Steer clear of these common pitfalls when writing authoritative content:

Overloading content with unnecessary details

While authoritative content is information-dense, there is such a thing as too much information. As much as you’d want to explore topics on a deeper level, there’s only so far you can go with the details. Surely, you can’t expect to cover everything under a particular topic.

Plus, too much detail makes the content windy and unfocused. Too much information can even drive readers away. This is especially true if you get too technical or historical.

Relying on outdated or unverified information

Always check your sources. See that they are all verified and up to date.

Referencing inaccurate or outdated information is a common mistake that only spreads misinformation. And should readers catch that mistake, they’ll definitely lose trust in your content. Search engines, too, regard recent or up-to-date content as more authoritative.

Ignoring the audience’s perspective

Your readers have their own opinions and perspectives on various issues. Ignoring what your readers think or feel completely misses the point of people-first content. This happens when writers force their own views on audiences.

Writing people-first content means considering two main perspectives. See things from your readers’ perspective and, crucially, for what they are (the truth). Then, harmonize these two perspectives in a way that doesn’t offend, misinform, or mislead audiences.

Start writing authoritative content

Content authoritativeness is a big deal. It means creating content that both readers and search engines find valuable and relevant. And doing so involves ensuring the content is information-dense, accurate, and trustworthy.

While that sounds pretty straightforward, it’s often easier said than done. Cookie-cutter content just won’t do. To be authoritative, the content must also be unique and specially crafted for the target audience. Doing all that is not easy.

The good news is you don’t have to do it alone. You can hire professional content creators to help you develop, publish, and update highly authoritative content.

Feb 03, 2025