Topical authority, cluster, hub, semantic distance, intent: the 5 terms you must not mix

Topical authority, cluster, hub, semantic distance, intent: the 5 terms you must not mix

Topical authority is the site-level result: Google sees enough depth to trust you on a subject. A cluster is the group of supporting pages built around one broad theme. A hub is the central page that connects those pages and sets the structure. If you swap these terms, your plan gets messy fast.

Semantic distance is how far two topics are from each other in meaning. Close topics can live in the same cluster; distant ones need a different home. Intent is the search goal behind the query: learn, compare, buy, or solve. One keyword can look similar on the surface and still belong elsewhere because the intent is different.

A simple test: ask whether a page answers the same user problem, not just the same keyword. If yes, it belongs in the cluster. If it supports multiple related pages, it may be a hub. If it needs a separate audience, separate intent, or a different content angle, keep it out. That decision protects topical clarity.

Use the glossary this way: authority = outcome, cluster = group, hub = connector, semantic distance = separation rule, intent = matching rule. When these roles are clear, your map stops being a list of articles and starts becoming a system.