Content Optimization: Understanding Mentions, Topic Depth, and Topic Breadth

I’ve always believed that content is king. But it can’t be just any content – it needs to be authoritative content – rich with details, valuable insights, and showcasing expertise.

This is often referred to as content depth. And if you are scratching your head wondering what exactly “content depth” means, you’re not alone. It’s a concept that’s often misunderstood, yet undeniably crucial in both search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing. Perhaps for that reason it is now being referred to as Topical Depth. 

There is a lot of chatter right now about whether or not it’s still worth it to optimize for SEO or even do blogs at all, as organic traffic is waning. Two things can be true; you can be getting less organic traffic from search engines than in the past  – and your blog content can be just as important as ever. Topical depth is the secret. Too, going deep in one article is not enough – which is why you need topic breadth to showcase your topical authority. Here’s how MarketMuse can help with both.

First let’s walk through all these distinctions.

Understanding Topical Depth and Topical Breadth

In the simplest terms, topical depth refers to the thoroughness and richness of information in both a content piece – as well as across a topic cluster. It’s what separates a shallow, surface-level article (and site) from a comprehensive, insightful one. So, let’s take a closer look at content depth, how it relates to high quality content, how you can actually measure topical depth (and breadth), and how you can (more easily) achieve it in your own content strategy.

Think of topical authority as providing nutrition for your family. It’s not enough to eat protein – you need a balance of all food groups. For both topical depth and topical authority you are showcasing your acumen of a subject through your lexicon or vocabulary. 

In the past, we counted how many times a given keyword appeared in a piece. But keywords alone didn’t mean you had expertise on a given subject. Understanding a subject means using semantically related keywords. And thus, Semantic SEO was born. Semantic SEO involves optimizing content to improve meaning and context – based on who your target audience is. 

For example, this piece is geared to content marketers and SEO specialists. My assumption is that you are interested in: 

• learning how topic depth differs from keywords, 
• how to build topical authority, 
• best practices, 
• how this will impact SEO, 
• how this may impact funnel conversions.
   

In other words – I need to go deep into this core topic. But writing a single article is not enough. To show breadth of knowledge you will want to create topic clusters on your site. This means not only going deep – but also going broadly. If one article talks about why you need to follow best practices – you need a second one that explains what the best practices are. This comprehensive content across many articles is called a topic cluster. A single article with strong topical depth will draw a reader in. But several high quality articles clustered around your main topic, will keep them there. It provides your target audience with a comprehensive viewpoint, offering nuanced details not readily available in more cursory posts. To achieve high topical authority, topical depth and topical breadth each play a significant role.

How Strong Topical Authority Impacts SEO

SEO takes a shining to websites offering rich content depth. Google’s algorithms tirelessly trawl the internet world, giving a thumbs up to those sites that boast convincing answers to search queries. When a page’s content satisfies a user’s query, it strikes a positive chord with search algorithms — leading to higher SEO rankings. As such, a boost in content depth can markedly improve a page’s SEO performance. Content depth functions as SEO’s reliable sidekick.

How Topical AuthoritBuilding Topical Authorityy Improves the User Experience

Ever get to a store to look for an item and find out they only have one option? It’s not a very good experience. Same thing goes with content on your site. A single content piece will rarely satisfy the reader. Often you are trying to attract different personas to your site. Having multiple articles with internal linking that provide different perspectives – as well as differing content depths on a topic will keep your readers interested. As a best practice, when building topical authority, I always link to other relevant content within the blog post – as well as offer continued reading as a final thought. You can also consider offering an “ad” in a post to take people to yet another piece. In essence, a topically relevant piece becomes a quasi landing page to other semantically-linked, existing content.

Building Topical Authority

Building topical authority starts with keyword research. I use MarketMuse to help me determine the lexicon I need to use around a particular topic. For example, let’s say I want to do a piece on “topical authority.” By using MarketMuse’s research tool, I can see the vocabulary – and the number of instances for each – used by the highest ranking articles. 

By using semantically associated words and phrases, I can show my deep knowledge on a specific topic.

I know that to win this phrase in search results I have to include these other terms. The Blue boxes show the terms being used 10 or more times, green is 3-10, yellow is 1-3, and red is not at all. 

Boost Engagement With Internal Linking

As I noted above, internal linking to other semantically-associated pieces is crucial. Let me explain. Optimizing for search engines is like winning a popularity contest. The most authoritative site is the one that people choose the most. When that site links to another – it is passing on that popularity juice. Getting backlinks is less important today than it used to be – but do think in terms of passing on that juice within your own site by using an internal link. 

When a member of your target audience comes to an article – you want to lead them to other relevant, high quality content. Ostensibly you want to move people through both their knowledge funnels – as well as your sales funnels. 

Evaluating Content Depth

Evaluating content depth isn’t as daunting as it may appear. In this section, we’ll explore the various techniques one can apply and the tools that can assist.

Tools to Help Measure Topical Depth

Diverse online tools aid in assessing content depth, making the task easier:

1. MarketMuse: It provides a suite of advanced tools to elevate content quality. MarketMuse’s Content Score, for example, quantifies the quality and depth of a piece by comparing it with high-performing content on the same topic.
2. SurferSEO: This analyzes content depth by evaluating keyword variations, content structure, and rich media usage, turning the task into a breeze.
3. SEMrush’s SEO Content Template: This tool offers key recommendations on content length, readability, and backlinks to help users create SEO optimized, in-depth content.

Remember, evaluating content depth isn’t merely an SEO task; it’s a way to provide readers with valuable, comprehensive information, fostering a loyal reader base.

Improving Topical Depth

In effectively enhancing content depth, one must consider what others are doing and adhere to your own editorial guidelines and content strategy. Both approaches, when used in concert, can drive highly-engaging content that brings about significant impacts on SEO performance.

MarketMuse provides a suggested usage distribution score.

In the platform, you’ll notice we use the term Mentions and Suggested Mentions, along with a range of numbers. The Mentions column refers to your content – how many times a given keyword is currently being used by you. Suggested Mentions refers to the number of instances those same related topics have occurred in competitive sites. According to the MarketMuse metrics, mentions fall within a certain range: 0, 1-2, 3-10, and 10+. 

You don’t necessarily have to match it to suggested mentions one for one. It’s really an artform — because you want to use these semantically associated terms naturally and not look like you are shoehorning them in. 

Strategies for Deeper Material

Diving into deeper material requires charm, engaging the interests of the reader, and luring them further into the heart of the content you’ve crafted. Three crucial factors come into play: distribution, topic depth, and breadth, and the content score.

For topic breadth, under “Research”, MarketMuse provides a list of commonly asked questions.

These questions can help you do a topical map of relevant keywords and content around your topic. 

Editorial Guidelines for Comprehensive Content

When crafting wholly comprehensive content, specific editorial guidelines come into play. They form the bedrock of in-depth content, ensuring your work doesn’t just scratch the surface but goes beneath it. Some of these necessary rules include a profound understanding of the subject matter, an extensive exploration of the topic, and to present clearly articulated arguments, points or facts.

A deep dive into editorial guidelines will further reinforce providing an effective analysis, thanks to the use of multiple reliable sources such as SurferSEO or the SEO Content Template by SEMrush. These helpful tools ensure you don’t just tell a story; you create an immersive experience that provokes engagement and encourages impressive SEO performance.

Topical Depth and Topical Breadth in Practice

When I was head of content for an enterprise search company – “headless search” was becoming a big deal. We only had a single asset on that particular topic – a webinar created with a partner, that would be way down the funnel. We were missing a piece that answered the fundamental questions of what it is, why it’s important and what are the benefits. We used MarketMuse to find sites with external topical authority. There were so many articles that addressed headless in the same fashion. We decided to gear it to the business buyer – not the tech buyer. We acknowledged that the tech side of the house was probably chattering about headless – and said – so what does this mean – and why you should care. 

That new asset became our pillar page. A pillar page is a broad topic that is usually related to a particular topic for which you want to be recognized as an expert. A topic cluster is the sum of relevant content pieces around that main topic. 

We redirected the technical side to an article that would offer more of what they were looking for. In all, we ended up having a topical breadth of 5 content assets – including a webinar – around the core topic of “headless.” It became one of our most successful lead nurture and lead generation programs. 

And that’s the opportunity. When you are creating topical depth and breadth around a niche topic – you likely won’t have high traffic volume – but you will have great engagement. 

This approach can be applied to B2B or B2C content creation. To show topical authority, create a content cluster that relates to the pillar page. Your cluster should have 5-6 pieces of high quality content that is germane to the main topic. Use internal links to show the relationship between all your articles in your cluster. 

Pitfalls of Over-Emphasizing Content Depth

There are some potential setbacks that can stem from over-prioritizing content depth in your material, and to avoid them you need to keep your reader, and their experience in mind. 

One major concern with too much information around a given topic is the obfuscation of the key point(s) you are trying to make with your article. The main takeaways need to stand out, and shouldn’t be accidentally buried under an avalanche of information. 

You also don’t want to get so deep in the weeds that you end up alienating your intended audience. Always keep your persona in mind to avoid getting side-tracked into interesting but unnecessary information. 

Balancing Content Depth and Quality

Striking the right balance between content depth for SEO and the quality of your articles isn’t always easy. It’s important to learn to use SEO and content depth tools effectively, and to keep your reader in mind; you want to provide them with comprehensive insights, without overwhelming them.

Using the suggested usage distribution score of an SEO tool like MarketMuse can be a great content depth tool, as described above, but it should be combined with the content score and word count. These two gauges will help you keep the article you’re writing readable and focused, and not sounding like a list of related keywords turned into sentences.Finding the perfect equilibrium of depth and quality in content is not just beneficial—it’s necessary. It provides comprehensive insights on relevant topics, hooks readers’ interests, keeps them engaged, and ultimately boosts your SEO standing. Evidently, succeeding in this feat means winning in both reader satisfaction and search engine favor.

Conclusion

With the right balance, it’s possible to create content that both search engines and readers love. Tools like MarketMuse, SurferSEO, and SEMrush’s SEO Content Template can help measure and optimize content depth. Always keep your intended reader in mind, and focus on delivering value for them, and keeping them moving through your articles. Strive for a balance between depth and quality. That’s the secret sauce to winning over both your readers and search engines.