How to draw a SaaS topical map
Written by Olayinka Olayokun·Published ·Updated ·Verified
A topical map is a documented hierarchy that turns one central entity into a publishing plan — 5–8 sub-topics branching from the entity, each with 3–6 supporting pages, all drawn on one page before any content is written.
Summary and key takeaways
A topical map is one page, 5–8 sub-topics, 3–6 supporting pages each — drawn before any content is written. The SERPNAUT map is six sub-topics (technical, on-page, keyword research, topical authority, schema, internal linking) and 30 nodes total. A focused founder draws it in an afternoon; outsourcing it usually produces a generic structure that doesn't compound.
- •The map fits on a single visible page — Notion's collapsible structure hides exactly the gaps the map exists to surface.
- •Branch the central entity into 5–8 sub-topics that cover it exhaustively with no overlap.
- •Each sub-topic gets 3–6 supporting pages, every one tied to a real query in keyword research.
- •A complete SaaS map lands between 20 and 40 nodes — outside that band, re-scope the entity.
- •Peer-review for gaps and overlap before any writing starts.
In plain English ·A SaaS topical map is a one-page hierarchy of 20–40 connected pages that turns one central entity into a publishing plan. The discipline of seeing the whole map on a single page — paper, whiteboard, or flat Markdown — is what surfaces the gaps and overlaps that produce topical authority.
How this compares
| Approach | Artefact | Visibility of gaps | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Editorial calendar in Notion | List of upcoming posts | Hidden — calendar shows time, not structure | Looks like a blog to Google |
| Topic backlog in Airtable | Tagged list of ideas | Partial — overlap visible, gaps hidden | Posts compound unevenly |
| One-page topical map (this playbook) | Static hierarchy on one page | Full — every gap and overlap visible at once | Connected sub-graph Google reads as a source |
Part of the Topical Authority for SaaS (Without 100 Articles) guide
A topical map is a documented hierarchy that turns one central entity into a publishing plan — 5–8 sub-topics branching from the entity, each with 3–6 supporting pages, all drawn on one page before any content is written.
The single biggest cause of failed topical SEO is publishing the first three posts that come to mind and discovering six months later that they don't reinforce each other. A drawn map prevents that. It forces every commit decision to either fit an existing node or be deferred. The discipline of refusing posts that don't fit the map is what produces topical authority — not the posts themselves.
What this chapter covers: one central entity at the top, 5–8 sub-topics, 3–6 supporting pages per sub-topic, connected sub-graph, drawn once, edited rarely.
The artefact: one page, no software required
A topical map is a single page — paper, whiteboard, or a flat Markdown file. Software with collapsible nodes makes it worse, not better, because the discipline is forcing yourself to see the whole map at once.
A topical map is a single page — paper, whiteboard, or a flat Markdown file. Software with collapsible nodes makes it worse, not better, because the discipline is forcing yourself to see the whole map at once.
At the top: the central entity. One line down: the 5–8 sub-topics. Two lines down: the 3–6 supporting pages under each sub-topic. That's it. A complete SaaS map fits on a sheet of paper.
Drawing the sub-topics
Branch the central entity into 5–8 sub-topics that together cover the entity exhaustively. For 'B2B SaaS SEO' the branches are technical SEO, on-page SEO, keyword research, topical authority, schema markup, and internal linking. Six branches that collectively describe the entity with no gaps and no overlap.
Branch the central entity into 5–8 sub-topics that together cover the entity exhaustively. For 'B2B SaaS SEO' the branches are technical SEO, on-page SEO, keyword research, topical authority, schema markup, and internal linking. Six branches that collectively describe the entity with no gaps and no overlap.
Test for gaps: ask a peer who knows the topic to read your sub-topics and tell you what's missing. If they name a sub-topic you can't fit into your existing six, you have a gap.
Test for overlap: ask whether two sub-topics would inevitably produce the same supporting pages. If yes, merge them — they're not actually distinct.
Drawing the supporting pages
Under each sub-topic, list 3–6 supporting pages. Each is a narrow node — one workflow, one comparison, one definition, one tutorial — that earns long-tail traffic on its own while routing relevance back to the sub-topic's pillar.
Under each sub-topic, list 3–6 supporting pages. Each is a narrow node — one workflow, one comparison, one definition, one tutorial — that earns long-tail traffic on its own while routing relevance back to the sub-topic's pillar.
Pick supporting pages that correspond to real queries (verified against keyword research), not topics you find personally interesting. If a node has no measurable search demand, it doesn't earn a slot on the map.
The completeness rule
A map is complete when reading it feels boring to a domain expert — they see every obvious node already drawn and have nothing to add. That's the bar. Anything less is a partial map and earns partial authority.
A map is complete when reading it feels boring to a domain expert — they see every obvious node already drawn and have nothing to add. That's the bar. Anything less is a partial map and earns partial authority.
A SaaS map typically lands between 20 and 40 total nodes. Fewer than 15 rarely produces topical authority; more than 60 usually means the central entity is too broad and should be sub-divided into two adjacent maps.
The checklist for this chapter
- ✓Map fits on one page — paper, whiteboard, or flat Markdown
- ✓5–8 sub-topics that collectively describe the central entity
- ✓3–6 supporting pages under each sub-topic
- ✓Each supporting page corresponds to a real query in keyword research
- ✓Peer review for gaps and overlap before any writing starts
- ✓Total nodes between 20 and 40 — re-scope the entity if outside that band
- ✓Map saved as a static artefact, not a living document that drifts
Where this chapter sits in the guide
the central entity — the map can't exist without it. Read the central entity selection: the first step in topical authority chapter →
the pillar/cluster page structure — the map's nodes become real URLs in that pattern. Read the pillar and cluster strategy for saas topical authority chapter →
the keyword research that confirms each node corresponds to a real query. Read the related guide →
a content calendar — a calendar schedules posts; a map describes the structure those posts have to add up to.
Quick answers about topical map seo: a one-page blueprint for saas
- Should I draw my topical map in Notion, Airtable, or a dedicated tool?
- None of them. The whole point is forcing yourself to see every node at once on a single page. Notion's collapsible nesting hides exactly the gaps and overlaps the map exists to expose. Use paper, a whiteboard, or a flat Markdown file with one heading level per layer.#
- Does the topical map come before or after keyword research?
- After the central entity, alongside keyword research, before page-level keyword targeting. The map's nodes are validated against keyword research — if a candidate node has no measurable search demand and no inbound-sales evidence, it doesn't earn a slot.#
- What does a real SaaS topical map look like?
- SERPNAUT's central entity 'B2B SaaS SEO' branches into six sub-topics — technical SEO, on-page SEO, keyword research, topical authority, schema markup, internal linking — with 4–6 cluster pages each, for 30 total nodes. Every cluster ties to a verified ICP query and links back to its pillar and across to two siblings.#
- How often do I update the topical map?
- Rarely. The map is a static artefact you re-draw only when the central entity itself changes. Adding a node every time a content idea appears defeats the structural purpose — those ideas either fill an existing node or they're deferred.#
Questions about topical map seo: a one-page blueprint for saas
- Neither. The discipline of fitting the whole map onto one visible page is the value — Notion's collapsible structure lets you hide the gaps and overlaps the map exists to surface.
- Google rewards comprehensive, structured coverage of a topic over breadth across many. Google Search Central — Helpful content
- Site structure helps Google understand the relationships between pages. Google SEO Starter Guide
This chapter is one node in the founder-led playbook. To see which nodes your specific URLs are bleeding traffic from, get a founder-grade SEO audit of your URLs. Same six disciplines, applied to the pages you actually own.
Olayinka Olayokun
Founder, SERPNAUT and Invoicemonk
Written by Olayinka Olayokun. I run SERPNAUT, a founder-led SEO service for B2B SaaS, and Invoicemonk, the SaaS I grew from zero to 300+ organic visits and a paying customer in 28 days using the same playbook. Everything below is what worked on my own URLs and on the audits I've shipped since.
More chapters in this guide
The map is the artefact that turns a central entity into a topical-authority project. Without it, publishing is hopeful; with it, every published page either fills a node or it doesn't ship. The pillar/cluster cluster describes how each node on the map becomes a real URL; the publishing-cadence cluster describes the order they ship in.
See the full guide at topical authority for saas (without 100 articles). The commercial bridge above is the canonical path from this chapter to your URLs.