How to build a topical map that Google can actually follow

Most websites are built page by page: someone finds a keyword, writes an article, and moves on to the next one. After a year there are fifty posts, no structure, and very little to show for it in search.

A topical map fixes that. It is a plan of every topic your site needs to cover, how those topics relate, and the order to publish them in. When Google can see that your site covers a subject completely and clearly, it starts to treat you as an authority on it.

What a topical map is, and what it isn’t

A topical map is not a keyword list. Keyword lists tell you what people type; a topical map tells you what your site needs to know. It is built around entities, the real-world things your business is about, and the attributes and questions connected to them.

A good map answers three questions:

• What is the central entity of this site?
• Which topics are core to the business, and which are supporting?
• How should the pages link to each other?

Step 1: Define your central entity and source context

The central entity is the main thing your site is about. For a self storage company, it’s self storage. For a CBD brand, it’s CBD. Everything on the site should connect back to it.

The source context is how your business relates to that entity. A storage facility and a storage review site share a central entity, but they need very different maps, because one sells units and the other compares providers.

Write one sentence that describes your central entity and source context. If a page doesn’t support that sentence, it probably doesn’t belong on the site.

Step 2: List the attributes buyers care about

Next, list the attributes of your central entity: the properties, types, comparisons and questions that come up when people research it. For self storage, that includes unit sizes, climate control, pricing, access hours, security and vehicle storage.

Good sources for attributes include Google’s “People also ask” boxes, competitor navigation menus, your own sales calls and customer emails. You are looking for the questions buyers ask before they choose a provider.

Step 3: Separate core and outer sections

Not every topic deserves the same weight. Split your map into two parts:

• Core section: topics that lead directly to a sale, such as service pages, location pages and pricing.
• Outer section: supporting topics that build authority and catch buyers earlier, such as guides, comparisons and FAQs.

Build the core first. Outer content works best when it has strong core pages to link back to.

Step 4: Turn the map into pages and briefs

Each node in the map becomes a page with one clear search intent. For every page, write a short brief that includes:

1. The main question the page answers.
2. The headings, in order, from most to least important.
3. The entities and attributes the page must mention.
4. The pages it should link to, and the pages that should link to it.

Briefs keep writers focused and stop two pages from competing for the same search.

Step 5: Connect pages with purposeful internal links

Internal links are how Google understands the structure of your map. Link from outer pages to the core pages they support, and between closely related pages. Use descriptive anchor text that tells Google what the target page is about.

A worked example: self storage

Here is a simplified part of the map I would build for a self storage operator with several facilities:

• Core: a page per facility, unit sizes and prices, climate-controlled storage, vehicle storage.
• Outer: “what fits in a 10x10 unit”, “how to pack a storage unit”, “storage vs. moving pods”, “storage during a home renovation”.
• Links: every guide links to the unit-size page and the nearest facility page; every facility page links to the unit-size guide.

The result is a site where every page has a job, and Google can see exactly how they fit together.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Publishing outer content before the core pages exist.
• Writing several pages that answer the same question.
• Covering topics that have nothing to do with your source context, just because they have search volume.
• Forgetting internal links, so pages sit on their own.

Where to start

If you only do one thing this week, write the one-sentence description of your central entity and source context, then list twenty questions your buyers ask. That list is the start of your topical map.

If you’d like a second pair of eyes, request a free audit and I’ll show you the biggest topical gaps on your site.