What Is a Topical Authority Map (TAM)?

A topical authority map (TAM) is a strategic approach to organizing and structuring a website’s content around specific topics to establish expertise and improve search engine rankings.

TAMs are useful for several reasons, including strengthening authority and how search engines such as Google rank your knowledge of your niche. Another upside to creating a topical authority map is the opportunity to internally link your content by providing links within your content to other relevant content you have written. This is a technique search engines view positively while also getting exposure to your content from your content. 

While topical authority maps are certainly good for SEO purposes and increasing content visibility, they are also useful tools to keep your content organized and create a posting schedule that keeps you organized and fresh content coming out regularly. 

Fundamentals

The tiered structure of a TAM  makes these maps great for writers starting with a broad topic and intending to branch out into specifics related to the subject matter. The creator would then begin linking relevant content with everything flowing together. This approach helps search engines understand the proficiency of a site's content on featured topics recognizing knowledge and gaining authority.

Topical Authority Maps can look intimidating, however, once you get used to structuring your map (and familiarize yourself with the benefits of a topical authority map) the process of constructing your TAM will feel much more worthwhile, and building it will become second nature.   

Anatomy

Despite the intricate way TAMs present, they are easier to understand than they initially appear, the first step to getting the most out of your Topical Authority Map is understanding the anatomy of the map itself and what builds it. 

Topical Authority Maps consist of three tiers, each representing a more detailed element of the main subject. Here are those three tiers and what they should include:

Tier 1: Main Subject

This is the central point of the Topical Authority Map, everything that follows directly relates to this concept.  The first tier sets the groundwork for more specific concepts to follow. 

Tier 2: Key Concepts

While the topics in Tier 2 are also wide-ranging, they support the main subject and are directly related to it. Each tier in the TAM structure relies on the tier that follows for specifics that all relate back to the main subject.

Tier 3: Specifics Of Key Concepts

The third tier represents more specific subtopics or individual pieces of content that fall under each main subtopic. This is where you dive into the details and provide in-depth information.

Tier 3 is very specfied, providing supporting details for the key concept it branches out from.

Examples

Next, we will look at a few examples of Topical Authority Maps ranging from complex to simplistic. These examples will prove useful when creating your own TAM. 

Because creating a TAM for the first time can be intimidating, familiarizing yourself with how a properly made TAM looks as well as the purpose and benefit behind the strategy itself may make the proccess less stressful and feel more worthwhile.

Complex Topical Authority Map:

The example below shows a complex topical authority map (remember what I mentioned about TAMs being slightly intimidating?). This example covers all bases required of a high-functioning map, your TAM does not need to be as convoluted as this one. In fact, for your first time, I would suggest a layout much simpler, similar to the following example. 

Simple Topical Authority Map

This example shows a much simpler TAM that still adheres to the 3-tier hierarchy structure required to create a topical authority map correctly:

Main Subject: Dentist

Key Concepts:  Restorative, Preventative, Cosmetic

Specific Key Concepts: Cleaning, X-Rays, Exams

The primary topic of this TAM is "Dentist" which leads to specifics relating to the Dentist in the tier below.  In this example, "Preventative" is one of the key concepts that relates to the inclusive "Main Subject" of this TAM. You will notice that the creator used words like "cleaning" and "exam" for the third tier because they correlate with the key concepts in tier 2. Every tier has subject matter relating to the top of the map, in this case, the dentist. 

Looking at a less complex Topical Authority Map makes building a TAM much less formidable and the idea behind the map itself easier to grasp. 

(Example Courtesy of: https://vettted.com/keyword-research/yashsinghblogger/authority-map-x-topical-authority-map-that-actually-helps-you-rank)

Alternative Style Topical Authority Map

This TAM holds on to the fundamental purpose of creating a TAM while using a less overwhelming body style for the information. For many, the arrows help understand where each concept connects and where that concept originated. 

(Example Courtesy of: https://mungfali.com/explore/Acids-Concept-Map)

Alternative Style Topical Authority Map #2

This is the most practical example for a beginner that is considering Topical Authority Maps as an SEO technique to improve authority. I suggest a body style similar to this for your first TAM, but that is up to you! 

Regardless of the style you choose, the more information you add the more complex your TAM will appear; the idea is to make sure YOU understand the information and how you have it laid out.

(Example Courtesy Of: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Remediation-of-Dyes-in-Water-using-Green-(NPs)-Pandey-Shukla/7fa116f7f16499d8cc7191e0dca139dd69823c5e/figure/0 )

Final Thoughts?

The more information your TAM holds the more cluttered it will begin to appear, with this "clutter" also comes value. Knowing how a Topical Authority Map functions is the first step to utilizing this effective strategy in your content writing. By no means am I saying that creating a functional TAM and integrating it into your content delivery will be easy, nothing worthwhile in life is easy. However, effectively utilizing this tool can improve the authority of your content improve visibility and in turn increase organic traffic. I would say its worth a shot!

As always, thank you for Reading! Drop a comment if you have feedback, suggestions, or just want to have an intelligent conversation.