What is a topical map?
A topical map is a plan of the pages a website needs to cover one subject, such as a service, and the links between them, from the main service page to the guides, comparisons and proof pages that support it.
Cited from the66th.com/glossary/topical-map
How a topical map works
Topical map is a working term from SEO practice, and the name we use for our own plans; Google does not use it. The map is drawn before any page is written. It starts with the service page, the page that takes the booking or the sale. Around it sit the pages for each question a buyer asks on the way there, grouped by funnel stage: top (learning), middle (comparing) and bottom (ready to buy). Trust pages, such as case studies, and the business's own data complete it. Each page has one job and links to the service page.
| Page | Stage | Links to |
|---|---|---|
| /drain-cleaning/ (the service page) | Bottom: ready to book | Each page below |
| /drain-cleaning-vs-pipe-replacement/ | Middle: comparing | The service page |
| /why-drains-clog/ | Top: learning | The service page and the comparison |
| /case-studies/restaurant-grease-line/ | Trust: proof of past work | The service page |
Why the structure matters to Google
Google's SEO starter guide says Google primarily finds pages through links from pages it has already crawled, that link text tells users and Google something about the linked page, and that links can give users and search engines more context on a topic and may help demonstrate your knowledge of it.
Google's guide to generative AI features in Search marks the limit. Creating separate content for every possible variation of how people search, primarily to manipulate rankings or AI answers, violates Google's scaled content abuse policy, and a high quantity of pages does not make a site higher quality or more relevant.
What it means for your business
A topical map turns a list of keywords into a build order. It shows which pages exist, which are missing, and which two pages would compete for the same search if both were written. It matters for a business that sells several services and wants each one found. A business with one service and a short list of searches needs a short list of pages.
The map comes out of our keyword research, which matches each keyword to one existing or proposed page.
Common mistakes
- Planning a page for every keyword variation. Searches with the same intent belong on one page.
- Drawing the pages and skipping the links. Link every supporting page to the service page, and the service page to the guides a buyer needs next.
- Writing the top-of-funnel guides first while the service page is weak. Build the page that sells first, so the guides have somewhere to send buyers.
- Filling the map with pages any site could publish. Give each page something from your own work: photos, figures or lessons from real jobs.
Related terms
Sources: Google Search Central, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide, 10 December 2025; Google Search Central, Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search, 10 July 2026.