Topical Map Builder
Plan a hub page and its supporting spokes with an intent and format for each, catch overlapping topics, and get the internal-link plan the map implies.
How to use the topical map builder
- Name the hub topic. This becomes the pillar page: the broad page that introduces the subject and links out to everything else. If it already exists, add its URL.
- Add supporting pages. Each spoke is a narrower topic that a searcher within the subject would look for on its own. Give it an intent (what the searcher wants) and a format (what kind of page answers it). If you have a list already, use “Paste a list” with one topic per line.
- Watch the map and the notes. The tool flags spokes that duplicate each other or the hub, clusters with no commercial page, and clusters that are mostly sales pages.
- Read the internal-link plan the map implies, then copy the map as text, CSV or Markdown into your content calendar.
What a topical map is for
A topical map is the plan of every page a site needs in order to cover a subject completely, and how those pages connect. It exists because search engines assess sites by topic coverage as well as by individual pages: a site with one strong page on local SEO and nothing around it looks less authoritative than a site with a hub and ten supporting guides that cover Google Business Profile, citations, reviews, city pages and industry variants.
The hub-and-spoke shape does the linking work. The hub links to every spoke, so authority and crawl attention flow outward. Each spoke links back to the hub, so the hub accumulates the relevance of the whole cluster. Commercial pages sit inside the cluster and receive links from the guides, which is how informational content ends up producing enquiries. The content SEO strategy guide walks through building one for a Pakistani business, and the lexical relations builder helps decide what each individual page must cover.
Choosing spokes that do not cannibalise
- Each spoke answers a different question. “Local SEO checklist” and “Local SEO guide” answer the same one; “How to get Google reviews” and “NAP consistency” do not.
- Narrower than the hub. If a spoke’s topic is just the hub with one extra word, it will compete with the hub. Give it a clearly smaller scope.
- Mixed intents. Most spokes are informational; one or two are commercial. A cluster that is all guides has nowhere to send a ready buyer; a cluster that is all service pages has nothing to earn links.
- Formats fit the intent. Comparisons and checklists for people deciding; how-tos for people doing; landing pages for people buying.
- Real demand. Every spoke should correspond to something people search for or ask. Confirm with keyword research before writing.
Frequently asked questions
How many spokes should a hub have?
Enough to cover the subject as a searcher would expect. Five to twelve is typical for a service topic; a large product category may need thirty split across sub-hubs.
Should the hub be a blog post or a page?
Usually a page, because it is permanent and often commercial. Spokes are usually posts. The distinction matters less than the linking: as long as the hub links to the spokes and they link back, the structure works.
Can I have several hubs?
Yes. Most sites have a hub per main service or category. Hubs link to each other where topics overlap, and the home page links to every hub.
Related tools
Background reading: how to turn a topical map into pillar pages and clusters, in the content SEO strategy guide.