GUIDE · PART OF AI SEARCH CONTENT STRATEGY
Topical maps:
what they are, and how to build one.
A keyword list tells you what people search. A topical map tells you what to build: which subjects to cover, which pages each needs, and how those pages link together. This guide explains what goes on a map and walks through making one, by hand or from a single keyword.
What is a topical map?
A topical map is a plan of the topics a site needs to cover to treat a subject properly. It groups related keywords and questions into topics, assigns each topic to a page, and shows how the pages connect: usually a main page for the subject, with supporting pages around it. Where a keyword list is flat, a topical map has structure, so it shows what to write and also where each piece belongs.
Key facts
- A topical map groups keywords and questions into topics, and topics into pages
- It has a shape: a main page for the subject, with supporting pages linked to it
- One page should answer one topic. Several keywords usually belong to the same page
- Intent decides the page type. A comparison topic wants a comparison page
- A map shows what's missing as clearly as what exists
- SEORCE builds a topical map from one seed keyword, with volume, difficulty, intent and strategic value for each topic
Last reviewed 15 October 2026 by the SEORCE team.
A keyword list is flat. A site isn't.
Hand a writer five hundred keywords and you'll get overlapping articles and gaps between them. The list never said which keywords belong together, or which page should answer them.
Fifty keywords, one topic
Variants of the same search get their own articles, which then compete with each other.
Pages that don't connect
Without a plan for how pages link, each one stands alone and none builds on the others.
When a subject is covered
A list can always get longer. A map shows when the subject has been dealt with.
What's on a map, and how it turns into pages.
Three layers: the topics, the pages and the links between them.
Group what belongs together.
Start from the subject and work outwards. Every keyword and question goes into a topic, and each topic is something one page could answer.
- Keywords with the same intent"Multi-currency invoicing" and "invoice in foreign currency" are one topic.
- The questions around itWhat people ask about that topic, from search and from AI.
- The entities involvedThe concepts and things the topic depends on.
Give each topic one page.
This is the step that turns research into a plan. Each topic gets a single page, of a type that suits what the searcher wants.
- One topic, one pageWith the topic's keywords used across its sections.
- The page type from the intentA guide for how-to topics, a comparison for choosing ones.
- Existing pages firstCheck whether a page of yours already covers the topic before planning a new one.
Connect the pages.
A map is more than a list of pages because it says how they relate. The links are what tell a search engine these pages belong to one subject.
- A main page for the subjectWhich introduces every topic and links to each.
- Supporting pagesEach covering one topic in depth, and linking back.
- Links between neighboursWhere one topic naturally leads to another.
Building a topical map, step by step.
You can do this in a spreadsheet. A tool is faster, and you should still review what it gives you.
Pick the subject
Something you want to be known for, narrow enough to cover fully.
Gather keywords and questions
Search terms, question searches and the things buyers ask AI.
Question keywords →Assign a page to each topic
New or existing, with a page type that fits.
Plan the links
Main page to supporting pages, and back.
Put it in order
Then start with the topics closest to a buying decision.
Content prioritization →Check how a page fits the map.
Once you've drawn the map, each page should cover its own topic and link to its neighbours. The extension shows a page's headings and links, so you can check it does.
The levels of a map, with an example.
| Level | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | The area you want to be known for. | Agency invoicing |
| Topic | A group of searches one page can answer. | Multi-currency invoicing |
| Page | Where the topic lives, and its type. | A how-to guide at /guides/multi-currency-invoicing |
| Keywords and questions | The searches and prompts the page should answer. | "invoice in foreign currency", "can I bill in euros?" |
| Links | How the page connects to the others. | From the main invoicing page, and to the VAT guide |
A map from one keyword.
Enter a seed keyword in Keyword Explorer and it builds the map: numbered topic groups, each with its keywords, volume, difficulty, intent and strategic value. From any topic you can start an article in Content Studio, or send the keywords to AI Beacon to track. The grouping is a starting point, and worth reviewing against what you know of your buyers.
Frequently asked questions.
A topical map is a plan of the topics a site needs to cover a subject properly. It groups keywords into topics, assigns each topic to a page, and shows how the pages link together.
A keyword list is flat: a column of searches. A topical map has structure. It shows which keywords belong on the same page, which pages you need, and how they connect.
Pick a subject, gather the keywords and questions around it, group them by intent into topics, give each topic one page, and plan the links between pages.
As many as the subject needs. A narrow subject might have ten. A broad one can have a hundred or more. It's better to cover a narrow subject fully than a broad one thinly.
Indirectly. Covering a subject completely, with clear pages for each question, gives AI engines more to draw on. Add the questions buyers ask AI when you gather your inputs.
Yes. SEORCE's topical map generator builds one from a single keyword. Review the grouping afterwards, because you know your buyers better than any tool.
Not among the free tools, which check individual pages. SEORCE's topical map generator is part of Keyword Explorer and builds a map from one keyword.
Start a map from one keyword.
Add your site and enter a single seed keyword. You'll get the topics around it, with the numbers for each.
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