Topical maps

For the analysis I need access and input materials that make it possible to assess the current content reliably and plan the topical map. In practice this covers visibility and traffic data, a list of existing URLs and information about the current site structure. If content plans exist, they are also a valuable input for comparison with the current topic coverage. Information about conversions and leads is helpful too, because it makes it possible to link content priorities with business goals.

The lack of this data limits the scope of the conclusions, especially in the part concerning the inventory and audit of existing content. A content audit requires in particular a list of URLs and basic performance/indexing data, so that the roles of pages can be assessed meaningfully and problems such as keyword cannibalisation or duplication can be detected. The input materials are also the basis for further steps, including assigning topics to existing or new addresses (URL mapping).

• Visibility and/or traffic data
• List of existing URLs
• Site structure
• Content plans (if any)
• Information about conversions and leads

Intent analysis and page type analysis consist of matching topics to what the user is really looking for, and then indicating the right page format in the topical map. I classify topics by intent — informational, commercial or navigational — so that the later assignments to URLs are consistent and do not cause conflicts. On that basis I recommend the page type that will best serve a given topic: an article, a service page, a category, a guide, a definition or an FAQ. This brings order both to the plan for new content and to the decisions about updating existing pages.

In practice, this stage combines the conclusions from the audit with planning the target layout of content in topic clusters. If a current page serves a different intent than it should, I flag the need to change its role or scope before the topic is assigned as the target URL. When a topic requires several levels of explanation (e.g. from a definition through use cases to comparisons), the recommended page type helps to maintain a clear division into pillar and supporting content. As a result, the topical map can indicate not only “what to write about” but also “with which page type” a given topic is best implemented.

• Matching topics to intent: informational, commercial and navigational
• Recommending the page type: article, service page, category, guide, definition, FAQ
• Bringing the role of existing pages into line with their intent within the map

Grouping topics into clusters consists of combining the collected topics into coherent sets based on shared intent and semantic proximity. In practice, I organise the list so that a single cluster contains threads that logically complement one another and guide the user through a given topic area. I then designate the pillar topics and the supporting topics, which helps to define the role of the individual elements in the map. This division simplifies planning the further work on the relationships between topics and the later assignment to URLs.

The result of clustering is a structure that can be transferred directly into the working topical map as organised groups of topics. With pillar and supporting topics defined, it is easier to check whether a given cluster is complete and whether it is not scattering into parallel threads with the same intent. It also prepares the ground for subsequent decisions about which topics should be developed as separate elements and which as support for the pillar topic. Grouping keeps the topic scope consistent before we move on to further planning work in the map.

• Combining topics into clusters based on shared intent and semantic proximity
• Designating pillar topics and supporting topics
• Organising the input material for further mapping in the topical map