Semantic SEO and topical authority are critical to succeeding in modern search, but they can be hard to fully grasp without understanding the terminology and theories behind them.
Semantic SEO is about optimizing for meaning rather than isolated keywords. It focuses on how search engines interpret entities, relationships, and context, so your content aligns with the intent behind a query.
Topical authority is the expertise and trust you build by covering a subject thoroughly and consistently, connecting related content so search engines see you as a go-to resource for that topic.
Koray Tuğberk Gübür put together an excellent course around these topics, but it admittedly is a lot to get through and is pretty complex.
However, there is a guide that has been put together based largely off this course.
If you want to go deeper into these concepts, Faheem Iqbal and Aleem Iqbal, founders of Big Techies, have put together one of, if not, the most comprehensive resources I’ve seen: Semantic SEO Encyclopedia.
It’s not just a definition list. It’s a detailed glossary of concepts and theories tied to:
- Lexical semantics
- Query parsing and processing
- Topical maps
- Content briefs
- E-E-A-T
- Semantic SEO algorithms
- N-grams
- Semantic content writing rules
- Google patents
- Technical SEO
- …and much more
Whether you’re building a topical map, refining your content briefs, or just trying to keep up with how Google understands meaning, this is worth a read and a bookmark.
I highly recommend anyone with more than a casual interest in SEO check it out. Take a look at the Semantic SEO Encyclopedia.
