🧭 Overview
Topical Maps in Search Atlas is designed to help you organize and cluster content ideas into pillar categories and supporting topics. It is a strategic planning tool — not a metrics tool. This means search volume, keyword difficulty (KD), and CPC data are not displayed directly inside Topical Maps.
To validate your topics with real keyword metrics before committing to content production, you need to follow a two-step workflow: build your structure in Topical Maps, then validate your keywords in the Keyword Magic tool. This article walks you through the full process.
🗂️ Step 1 — Build Your Topic Structure in Topical Maps
Start by generating or reviewing your topical map to establish your content hierarchy.
- In the left sidebar, click Content, then select Topical Maps.
- Create a new topical map or open an existing one by entering your main subject or seed topic.
- Search Atlas will generate a structured map of pillar categories (broad, high-level themes) and supporting topics (subtopics and long-tail ideas) grouped beneath each pillar.
- Review the generated clusters and identify the pillar keywords and long-tail topics you want to prioritise.
- Copy or note down the specific keywords and topic phrases you want to validate — focus on your primary pillar keyword per category and the most relevant long-tail topics beneath it.
Tip: Treat this step as your content blueprint. The goal here is structure and relevance, not metrics. Metrics validation happens in the next step.
🔍 Step 2 — Validate Keywords in Keyword Magic
Once you have your list of pillar keywords and long-tail topics from Topical Maps, transfer them to the Keyword Magic tool to retrieve search volume, KD, and CPC data.
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In the left sidebar, click Keywords, then select Keyword Magic.
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Enter one of your pillar keywords into the search bar and run the search.
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Review the results table, which displays:
- Search Volume — the average monthly searches for that keyword.
- Keyword Difficulty (KD) — a score from 0–100 indicating how competitive the keyword is to rank for.
- CPC — the estimated cost-per-click, useful for gauging commercial intent.
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Use the filters at the top of the results to narrow by KD range, search volume threshold, or keyword type to surface the most actionable opportunities.
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To validate long-tail topics, enter each supporting keyword from your Topical Map into the search bar individually, or use the Related and Questions tabs to surface long-tail variations automatically.
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Repeat this process for each pillar category in your topical map.
📊 How to Structure Pillars and Long-Tail Topics Using Both Tools
The most effective way to use Topical Maps and Keyword Magic together is to build a validated content hierarchy. Here is the recommended approach:
- Identify your pillar keyword — In Topical Maps, note the broad keyword that defines each pillar category (e.g., "content marketing strategy").
- Validate the pillar in Keyword Magic — Search the pillar keyword and confirm it has sufficient search volume and an achievable KD score for your domain.
- Validate supporting topics — For each long-tail topic listed under that pillar in Topical Maps, search it in Keyword Magic to confirm search demand and CPC data.
- Prioritise by opportunity — Focus first on long-tail topics with moderate search volume and low-to-medium KD, as these are typically the fastest to rank.
- Build your content plan — Once validated, move prioritised keywords into Content Planner (Left sidebar → Content → Content Planner) to manage your production schedule.
This approach ensures every piece of content you plan has a verified keyword target backed by real data — before a single word is written.
✅ Quick Reference — Tool Roles
- Topical Maps (Left sidebar → Content → Topical Maps) — Generates and organises content clusters into pillars and subtopics. Use it for structure and ideation.
- Keyword Magic (Left sidebar → Keywords → Keyword Magic) — Provides search volume, KD, and CPC for any keyword. Use it for metrics validation.
- Content Planner (Left sidebar → Content → Content Planner) — Manages your validated keyword targets as a production schedule.
⚠️ Common Questions
Why does Topical Maps not show search volume or KD directly? Topical Maps is purpose-built for semantic clustering and content architecture. Keeping metrics in a dedicated tool (Keyword Magic) gives you more filtering flexibility and richer data than embedding limited metrics inside the map view.
Can I search multiple keywords at once in Keyword Magic? Yes — use the bulk search option in Keyword Magic to paste multiple keywords at once and retrieve metrics for the entire list in one query, saving significant time when validating a full topical map.
What KD range should I target? This depends on your domain authority. As a general guide, newer or lower-authority sites should target KD scores under 30, while established domains can compete for scores up to 60 or higher.
💬 Need Help?
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.