Today we are going over creating a semantic SEO topical map and its strategy.
Semantic SEO is an advanced content strategy that focuses on understanding user search intent and creating intentional content that fulfills those needs .
It’s no longer just about keywords; instead, it’s about structuring your site around a central entity (the site’s main purpose), with core pillar pages (main topics), supporting inner sections (detailed, related topics), and broader outer sections (informational topics) to fully cover user interest and search intent.
By leveraging semantic SEO, you build topical authority and relevance in the eyes of search engines, ensuring your site ranks higher and attracts the right audience.
This guide will walk you through a structured approach to creating a successful semantic SEO strategy, complete with detailed examples.
Let’s explore what makes an effective semantic SEO topical map and how you can build one to improve your overall SEO.
Remember, the goal of semantic SEO is to align your content with user needs while improving your site’s authority and search engine visibility.
The central entity is the core product, service, or topic around which your entire website's content will revolve. The central entity is the foundation around which every other idea is built.
For example, if your business is focused on selling mobility aids, 'wheelchairs' may be your central entity. This central entity will guide how you structure your content strategy, with core, inner, and outer sections expanding on it to address both user needs and search intent.
We’ll discuss this below by outlining all the components of creating topical authority with Semantic SEO.
This Aids for Elderly People example provides a detailed illustration of how to create a semantic SEO topical map, breaking down core, inner, and outer sections. Below is a table that summarizes the structure, followed by a visual site map to demonstrate how it could look in URLs.
Homepage
Pillar 1: Wheelchairs
Core : Types of Wheelchairs
Inner Sections :
Outer Sections (Broader Topics) :
Pillar 2: Walkers & Canes
Core : Types of Walkers & Canes
Inner Sections :
Outer Sections (Broader Topics) :
This ice cream example provides a second illustration of how to create a semantic SEO topical map, breaking down core, inner, and outer sections. Below is a table that summarizes the structure, followed by a visual site map to demonstrate how it could look in URLs.
Homepage
Pillar 1: Ice Cream Flavors
Core : Types of Ice Cream Flavors
Inner Sections :
Outer Sections (Broader Topics) :
Pillar 2: Making Homemade Ice Cream
Core : Best Ice Cream Makers
Inner Sections :
Outer Sections (Broader Topics) :
Before you build these pillar pages, have a firm understanding of your website’s overall purpose and central entity. Once you’ve identified the central entity, your pillar topics should be based on the search intent of your audience. Search intent refers to the purpose behind a user’s search—whether they’re looking to buy a product, compare options, or gather information.
Content should be tailored to address both immediate needs (buying guides, comparisons) and informational queries (how-tos, tips).
For example, if your audience is looking to buy wheelchairs , you’d create a pillar page that provides a comprehensive guide to wheelchair types, features, and prices. If they’re in the research phase, you might create content around how to choose the right wheelchair for specific needs.
Step : Identify the different search intents your audience may have by using these three terms:
Differentiate and create pillar content that meets these needs.
Another thing before building pillar pages, think of all of the supporting topics that will reinforce your core pages. These supporting topics will act as inner sections , expanding on the details of your pillars. For example, once you have a pillar page on wheelchair types, you’ll need inner content on specific wheelchair features, customization options, or accessories.
Without these supporting topics, your pillars will lack the depth needed to build topical authority and rank well in search results.
Step : Outline all related topics (e.g., customization, features, accessories) that will provide depth to your pillar content. These supporting topics will help you create a more comprehensive structure.
After understanding your central entity and search intent, you can now create pillar/root pages . These pages are the core of your content structure and should offer comprehensive coverage of the main topics tied to your central entity.
Start with defining the core sections that directly relate to your central product or service, such as detailed content on wheelchair types or features.
Step : Build root pages that align with your main service or product categories, such as a guide to types of wheelchairs or a page focused on their health benefits. Ensure these root pages directly address your audience’s transactional or informational needs.
In summary, your semantic SEO strategy should follow these clear steps:
1. Identify the central entity of your website and define your main product or service.
2. Create pillar pages based on audience search intent—whether they are looking to buy, compare, or learn.
3. Build root pages that align with your business’s core topics, and ensure you have supporting content for each.
4. Understand audience needs by focusing on their search intent and creating content that guides them through their journey.
These steps will help ensure your content is structured for both clarity and authority, aligning perfectly with the audience’s needs.
These are the core pages that target the primary search intents . Each pillar page provides comprehensive information about a key aspect of the central entity (wheelchairs):
1. Types of Wheelchairs
· URL: example.com/wheelchairs/types
· Content: Overview of manual, electric, and sports wheelchairs.
· Search intent: Learn and Compare
5. Wheelchair Buying Guide
· URL: example.com/wheelchairs/buying-guide
· Content: Step-by-step guide to choosing a wheelchair.
· Search intent: Buy
9. Wheelchair Features
· URL: example.com/wheelchairs/features
· Content: Details on important features like durability, comfort, ease of use.
· Search intent: Compare
These sections provide in-depth content that supports the pillar pages. They expand on specific details and help guide the user further in their decision-making process.
1. Wheelchair Customization Options
· URL: example.com/wheelchairs/customization
· Content: Customization features (e.g., adjustable seats, footrests).
· Related to: Wheelchair Features page.
· Search intent: Learn and Compare
2. Wheelchair Accessories
· URL: example.com/wheelchairs/accessories
· Content: Popular accessories like cushions and footrests.
· Related to: Types of Wheelchairs and Features pages.
· Search intent: Buy
These topics are broader, informational content that support your topical authority and attract traffic. They are related to the niche but not directly tied to buying.
1. Elderly Mobility Tips
· URL: example.com/elderly/mobility-tips
· Content: General advice on mobility for aging individuals.
· Search intent: Learn
2. Home Modifications for Wheelchair Users
· URL: example.com/home-modifications-for-mobility
· Content: Ideas for making homes more wheelchair-friendly.
· Search intent: Learn
Pillar Pages :
· Types of Wheelchairs
· Wheelchair Buying Guide
· Wheelchair Features
Supporting Pages (Inner Sections) :
· Customization Options
· Wheelchair Accessories
Broader Topics (Outer Sections) :
· Elderly Mobility Tips
· Home Modifications for Wheelchair Users
· Start by pinpointing the main product, service, or topic your website focuses on. This is your central entity. For example, if your website sells mobility aids, "wheelchairs" might be your central entity.
· Define the overarching theme or purpose that encompasses all your content efforts.
· Analyze and list the primary user intents associated with your central entity. Typical intents include "buy," "learn," and "compare."
· This understanding will direct the structure of your content to meet specific user needs effectively.
· Create pillar pages that comprehensively cover the central entity. For "wheelchairs," core content might include detailed guides on different types of wheelchairs, their features, and usage benefits.
· Ensure each pillar page targets primary transactional keywords related to purchasing or comparing options.
· Develop inner sections that offer more specific, in-depth information linked to your pillar content. Examples include customization options for wheelchairs, in-depth features, and comparisons of different models.
· Each inner section should focus on enhancing the core content, often targeting "compare" or "learn" intents.
· Add broader topics that are relevant but not directly linked to the central entity. For a wheelchair-focused site, this might include general mobility tips, elderly care advice, or home modifications for accessibility.
· These sections help build your site’s topical authority and cater to broader informational needs.
· For each section (pillar, inner, outer), assign specific keywords that best represent the user intent and search volume. This will optimize your content for search engines and ensure it meets user queries effectively.
· Label each piece of content by type—informational, transactional, or comparison—to align with user intent.
· Design SEO-friendly URLs for each page that are simple, descriptive, and aligned with the content’s keyword focus. For example, example.com/wheelchairs/customization-options for a page on wheelchair customization.
· Create content that addresses the defined user intents, ensuring it is rich in information and easy to navigate.
· Strategically interlink between core, inner, and outer pages to facilitate user journey and enhance SEO by showing content relevancy and depth.
· Regularly review and update your content to reflect new insights, user feedback, and changes in user behavior or search engine algorithms.
· Add new sections or topics as needed to maintain topical authority and relevance.
The core section is the foundation of your site’s content and topical map. It focuses directly on your central entity and covers the most important topics related to that entity. These topics address primary intents , which usually have commercial or transactional goals (e.g., buying or selecting a product).
Example : If your central entity is "wheelchairs," your core section will focus on:
In this section, your content is closely tied to your main product or service. The goal here is to capture users who are actively looking to purchase or compare products, satisfying transactional intent .
The inner section includes additional but closely related content that expands on the core section topics. These can also be informational but still support the product or service, offering more depth.
Example for wheelchairs :
These topics supplement the core content, and while not directly transactional, they guide users toward purchasing decisions . The inner section helps establish authority by answering deeper questions about your product or related services.
The outer section expands on broader or supplementary topics that may not directly relate to your product but are still relevant to the larger context of your niche. The goal here is to build topical authority and attract additional traffic by addressing a wider range of user intents , especially informational intent .
Example for wheelchairs :
While these topics may not directly push users toward purchasing a wheelchair, they build topical authority and relevance for your site in the wider niche of elderly care or mobility aids.
An effective internal linking strategy plays a crucial role in your semantic SEO approach. Internal links help guide users through your content, improving their experience, while also signaling to search engines the relationship between pages on your website. Here's how you can structure internal links between your core, inner, and outer sections:
By following this internal linking strategy, you will not only enhance user navigation but also boost SEO by improving your site’s topical authority and content relevance. Search engines will better understand the hierarchy and depth of your content, rewarding you with better rankings.
Core Section :
· Wheelchairs (Main category)
· Types of wheelchairs (Manual, Electric, Sport)
· Features of wheelchairs (Durability, Comfort, Ease of Use)
· Wheelchair Buying Guide
Inner Section :
· Wheelchair Customization Options
· Wheelchair Accessories (Cushions, Footrests)
· Choosing the Right Wheelchair for Different Health Conditions
Outer Section :
· Elderly Care Tips
· Home Modifications for Mobility Needs
· Tips on Maintaining Mobility as You Age
By starting with the core section , you directly target high-converting keywords . As you build your inner section, you add depth to your core content, while the outer section helps expand your topical relevance and authority .
· This column represents the central entity of your content, like "Wheelchairs" or "Walkers & Canes." The pillar is the overarching topic around which you build the core content and all supporting sections (inner and outer).
· Each category should target the primary product or service your audience is interested in.
· This column focuses on the main pillar page for each category. Core pages should be broad and comprehensive, targeting high-intent, transactional keywords. They typically answer questions related to "buy" or "compare" and provide a strong foundation for the rest of your content.
· Core pages drive the most direct user actions.
· The inner sections provide more specific and detailed information about sub-topics that support the core section. These pages dive deeper into aspects like customization, features, or accessories.
· They are designed to help users compare options and learn more about specific features, enhancing their decision-making process.
· Outer sections cover broader, informational topics related to the central entity, but not directly tied to a specific transaction. These pages help build your topical authority by covering general advice or tips (e.g., "Elderly Care Tips" or "Mobility Exercises for Seniors").
· They target informational user intent , providing value to users at the top of the funnel.
· This column identifies whether each piece of content is transactional , informational , or comparison-based .
· Knowing the content type helps you align your SEO efforts with the user’s needs and optimize the page for the appropriate search intent .
· This column lists the primary keyword each page targets. These keywords should align with the user intent outlined earlier (buy, learn, compare).
· Ensuring your content matches the right keyword helps you rank effectively for different stages of the user journey. Focus on one primary keyword per page for maximum relevance.
· Clearly defining the user intent behind each page (whether users want to buy, learn, or compare) is crucial.
· This column ensures that every page aligns with the correct stage of the decision-making process, helping you target the user’s specific needs with the right content.
· This column outlines the SEO-friendly URL for each page. Keeping your URLs simple, descriptive, and reflective of the content ensures better indexing by search engines and improves user navigation.
· Consistency in your URL structure also helps users understand the content hierarchy on your site and enhances internal linking opportunities.
Best Practices for Optimizing URL Structure:
· Keep URLs short, descriptive, and consistent across the site.
· Use relevant keywords in the URL, but avoid keyword stuffing or excessive length.
· Maintain a clear hierarchy that reflects the content structure.
· The notes section provides extra context or reminders for each page. This could include details about the features or accessories covered, or additional guidance on what should be included in each piece of content.
· Use this column to add useful information that helps in content planning and development.
Traditional SEO focuses on targeting specific keywords to rank individual pages. In contrast, semantic SEO focuses on understanding the intent behind user queries and creating content that addresses broader topics in a cohesive, interconnected way. This approach helps build topical authority , ensuring search engines recognize your site as an expert source on a given subject.
Your central entity should represent the main product, service, or category that your website revolves around. To determine this, ask yourself: "What is the primary focus of my business?" and "What do I want my site to be known for?" For example, if your business sells mobility aids, your central entity could be "wheelchairs." All supporting content should branch off this main topic.
It’s recommended to audit and update your semantic SEO strategy every 6-12 months . You should also refresh your content whenever there are changes in user behavior , search trends , or when your business launches new products or services . Keeping content up to date helps maintain topical authority and relevance.
You can track the success of your strategy through a combination of metrics:
Tools like Google Analytics , Google Search Console , and third-party platforms like Ahrefs or SEMrush can help track these metrics.
Some of the most popular tools for keyword research and performance tracking include:
Keeping your topical map relevant requires regular updates. This involves:
If you'd like a copy of the templated SEO Topical Map, download it here.
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