01Framework vs. methodology
The framework defines what a semantic SEO strategy is made of; the methodology defines the order those parts get built in.
The Semantic SEO Framework covers four conceptual objects — central entity, source context, query network, topical map — as things to understand. This page covers the methodology: the concrete, ordered process for turning those objects into a working strategy and, eventually, published pages.
02Step 1 — Establish the central entity and audit source context
Before any content work begins, the methodology starts with two diagnostic questions: what is the site’s central entity, precisely and unambiguously — and what source context does the domain already have to speak on it (existing coverage, established expertise, current trust signals)? This determines both scope and ambition: a domain with strong existing source context can credibly target more competitive territory than one starting from zero.
03Step 2 — Build the query network into a topical map
With the entity and context established, the query network gets researched and structured — not as a keyword list, but as a network of related questions grouped by how they relate to the central entity and to each other. That network is then converted into a topical map: specific sections split into core (commercial) and outer (supporting) content, each mapped to the parts of the query network it should own.
04Step 3 — Brief, produce, and link
Execution follows the four-layer system: Map (steps 1–2 above) → Brief (each mapped section becomes a specific content brief naming the entities, sub-questions, and internal links it must include) → Produce (content is written to the brief, judged on topical completeness rather than word count) → Link (each new page is connected into the existing map, both receiving links from relevant outer content and sending links to reinforce core pages).
05Step 4 — Measure and iterate
The methodology treats measurement as ongoing, not a one-time checkpoint after launch. Coverage against the topical map is reviewed periodically — what’s published, what’s still missing, what’s outperforming or underperforming its expected query set — and the map is revised as competitive coverage and query behavior shift. This is also where new gaps get surfaced and fed back into Step 2, making the process cyclical rather than linear in practice.
For the underlying conceptual objects this process operates on, see The Semantic SEO Framework. For a more compact, practical walkthrough of the same process, see How to Build a Semantic SEO Strategy. For the complete model and case for why this approach works, see the full Semantic SEO guide.