Congratulations! You’ve created topical maps that address the needs of your target audience and are ranking on search results for their related keywords.
But what do you do from here? Monitoring your maps and assessing their performances to identify areas of improvement in one thing. After all, creating topical maps is never a set-and-forget thing.
But here’s another: finding ways to expand on each map to create even more comprehensive and in-depth maps that users and search engines love!
In this post, you’ll learn how to take your SEO topical map to the next level with advanced tips and strategies for continuing to create a topical map with good content for your users and Google.
Initial Topical Authority Performance Assessment
Before expanding your topical map, you need a clear picture of its performance.
A thorough assessment helps identify strengths and weaknesses in your existing content structure, providing valuable insights for strategic growth.
Start by implementing tracking systems for key metrics that indicate topical authority. Monitor organic traffic patterns across different topic clusters and examine how search engine crawlers interact with your content.
Tools like Google Analytics and Search Console reveal which topics drive engagement and which need improvement.
Set concrete benchmarks based on your current standing. Compare your topical relevance scores against industry standards and analyze how competitors structure their content hierarchy. This data-driven approach ensures your expansion efforts target the most impactful areas for improvement.
Expanding Your Topical Map
To create topical maps that are well-structured, strategic expansion while retaining the their logical structure requires both vertical and horizontal growth.
Vertical expansion involves diving deeper into your core topics and creating detailed content that addresses specific user search intent. Consider your central theme as the trunk of a tree, with each major topic forming primary branches that support increasingly specific subtopics.
For instance, a subtopic of your comprehensive topical map can be its own topical map with supporting articles of its own.
At the same time, topical maps can progress horizontally. Instead of branching deeper into subtopics, you can create even more and new subtopics relevant to the existing pillar page.
Start by identifying relevant keywords and subtopics that naturally connect to your main themes. Use keyword research tools like Answer the Public to uncover new opportunities and analyze search volume data.
This process helps in creating pillar content that establishes topical authority while serving your target audience’s needs.
Implement a holistic SEO approach by connecting topics through strategic internal linking. Each piece of content should support your website’s structure while maintaining logical connections between related subjects. This connectivity helps search engines understand your expertise across broader subject areas.
Using a tool like Screaming Frog SEO Spider or Website Auditor by SEO Powersuite where you can view the visual representation of the topical maps you’ve created is a good way to help expand your maps the best way possible.
From here, you also need to analyze your map instead of just attracting organic traffic. You need to ensure that all pieces in a map have a logical structure, allowing visitors to become aware of your business, consider your products and services for their needs, and actually purchasing them from your site.
This content journey map is crucial for your business if you want to make money off your marketing efforts. So, consider how to plan on converting visitors into customers upon visiting your site pages.
Creative Methods for Topical Map Expansion
Developing fresh approaches to topical mapping keeps your strategy innovative and competitive. Study successful competitors’ content strategies to identify content gaps in your market. This analysis often reveals overlooked opportunities and helps refine your topical hierarchy.
Performing competitor analysis using tools like Semrush helps you identify keywords they’ve covered in their map for the same topic but you haven’t covered in yours.
Plug in your website on the tool’s Keyword Gap feature and list your top competitors to help you find these keywords.
You can also leverage user-generated content to expand your well-structured topical map naturally.
Monitor industry forums, social media discussions, and customer feedback to understand user preferences and emerging topics. These sources often provide keyword ideas that align perfectly with actual user intent while expanding your content creation process.
Finally, consider implementing AI-powered tools for topic discovery. These systems analyze vast amounts of data to identify relevant subtopics and create comprehensive topic clusters.
For instance, you can ask ChatGPT for relevant content ideas to add to your topical map.
While technology assists in gathering data, ensure that people are actually interested in the topic suggestions AI provides. A quick keyword research using tools like Ubersuggest or SE Ranking should help you validate if the topic keywords has sizeable monthly searches and are worth including in your topical map.
Advanced Topical Map Optimization
Increasing your topical authority requires simple but highly effective optimization techniques that go beyond basic content creation.
For one, monitor pages that are underperforming on your topical map and determine whether to redirect these pages to similar pages in the map or optimize them again in the hopes of improving their search engine visibility.
To do this, go to Google Search Console and check for pages with high impressions and low clicks. Then identify search queries that these pages are ranking for.
Optimize these pages using a tool like Surfer SEO or Marketmuse. Enter the NLP keywords suggested by either tool to improve its optimization score, potentially increasing its search traffic in the process.
Partner with industry experts to develop collaborative content that deepens your topical relevance. These partnerships add credibility to your existing content while opening doors to new audience segments. Establish regular guest posting arrangements allowing both parties to showcase expertise across related subtopics.
Focus on synchronizing your content strategy across all topics and subtopics. Create a detailed content calendar that maps out how different pieces connect within your topical hierarchy. This synchronization ensures your internal links form a cohesive network that helps search engines understand relationships between topics.
Measuring Long-term Search Engine Rankings Success
Effective measurement of your topical map structure requires tracking specific indicators that reflect true topical authority.
Beyond basic user engagement metrics, monitor how your content influences broader SEO performance and search engine algorithms.
Implement comprehensive tracking systems that measure both individual topic performance and overall topical relevance. Key metrics should include:
- Changes in organic traffic for specific topic clusters
- Improvements in search engine rankings for target keywords
- Growth in topical authority scores from industry tools
- User engagement patterns across related content pieces
Develop a systematic approach to content evaluation that considers both quantitative and qualitative factors. Regular content audits help identify areas where your topical map needs reinforcement or updating. Pay special attention to how users navigate between related topics, as this behavior indicates the effectiveness of your internal linking strategy.
Conclusion and Content Strategy
Expanding your topical map strategically positions your website as an authoritative resource in your industry. Through our Topical Map SEO Services, we help businesses like yours create and maintain comprehensive topic structures that drive sustainable organic growth. Our expert team analyzes your existing website content, identifies opportunities for expansion, and implements proven strategies to enhance your topical authority.
Ready to transform your content strategy with an expertly crafted topical map? Contact us to learn how our Topical Mapping Services can help increase your keyword rankings and drive meaningful organic traffic growth through a strategic, data-driven approach.