Three layers. Internally linked. Built in order.
Why this mattersCore 30 is not just "build 30 pages." It is a three-layer architecture where each layer does a different job. Build them in the right order and they reinforce each other. Build them in the wrong order and you spend six months on content that does not move the map.
Read this once. Sit with it before you answer.
When you map out 30 pages for your business, what specifically are those 30 pages, and how do they connect to each other to create topical authority?
Where you stand right now.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- 1Identify the three layers of Core 30 architecture (service hubs, neighborhood pages, topical depth).
- 2Map service hub pages to GBP categories and child service pages to specific services.
- 3Sequence neighborhood pages based on the dead zones from Lesson 9.4.
- 4Plan three to six topical depth pages per primary service from review mining and Ask Maps work.
The whole lesson in a few points.
- 01Three layers. Service hubs are the foundation. Neighborhood pages are geographic expansion. Topical depth pages are authority.
- 02Layer 1: One hub per GBP category. Three to six child service pages per hub. Usually 24 to 36 pages.
- 03Layer 2: Dedicated pages for priority neighborhoods. Dead zones first. Contested zones second.
- 04Layer 3: Cost pages, comparison pages, FAQ pages. Three to six topical depth pages per primary category.
- 05Internal links tie the layers together. Every page connects to at least three or four others.
Layer one — the service hub pages.
The first layer is your service hubs. These are the pages that mirror your GBP categories and services. For each primary and additional category on your GBP, you build a hub page. The hub is the parent. Every specific service that falls under that category gets its own dedicated child page that links back.
Example. A roofing contractor's GBP has six categories: Roofing Contractor (primary), Gutter Cleaning, Siding, Solar, Storm Damage Restoration, Commercial Roofer. That gives you six hub pages. Under Roofing Services you might have Asphalt Shingle Replacement, Metal Roof Installation, Flat Roof Repair, Hail Damage Repair, Tile Roof Repair — each one a separate URL with the service name in the URL, title tag, and H1.
The title tag format matters. Caleb's standard is Service plus City. A hail damage page reads "Hail Damage Roof Repair Clanton AL, Insurance Claim Assistance." Not just "Hail Damage Repair." Six hubs and four to six services per hub gets you 24 to 36 pages. That is the foundation of Core 30.
Layer two — the neighborhood pages.
The second layer is geographic. Specific cities, towns, or neighborhoods you serve. This is where Module 9 directly feeds Module 10. Your dead zones from Lesson 9.4 — the neighborhoods where your heat map showed you invisible — are your priority pages.
For each priority area, you build a dedicated page covering your primary service in that specific location. Title tag, URL, H1, and body all reference the city or neighborhood by name. For a Clanton-based roofer with dead zones in Maplesville and Jemison, you build a Roof Repair Maplesville page and a Roof Repair Jemison page — each linking back to the relevant Layer one service hub.
For small markets you do not need 20 neighborhood pages. Start with 12 to 15 strong service pages in Layer one, then expand. You can also do county-level pages for broader service area businesses — a Shelby County Roof Repair page acts as an umbrella for smaller towns inside the county.
Layer three — the topical depth pages.
The third layer is the authority builder. These are the pages that prove you understand your subject matter deeper than competitors. Three types.
Cost and pricing pages. "How much does a roof replacement cost in Alabama." "Drain cleaning prices and what affects them." These capture customers in the research phase before they call.
Comparison pages. "Asphalt versus metal roofs." "Tankless versus tank water heaters." These help customers make decisions and position you as the expert who can guide them.
FAQ and educational pages. "Signs you need a new roof." "What to do after storm damage." These answer pre-purchase questions and double as content for your Ask Maps surfaces from Lesson 4.4.
Three to six topical depth pages per primary service category. Pull them from the review mining in Lesson 5.6 and the Answer Map in Lesson 4.4 — match the questions your customers actually ask.
How the three layers connect.
The layers are not islands. They are internally linked. Service hub pages link to their child service pages and to the relevant neighborhood pages. Service pages link back to their hub and to relevant topical depth pages. Neighborhood pages link to the services offered there and to topical content relevant to that location. Topical depth pages link to the services they reference and to the neighborhoods where those services are available.
Every page on your site connects to at least three or four other pages. This internal link structure is what Google reads as topical authority. It is also what makes the site easy for AI engines to crawl and pull from for AI Overviews and Ask Maps answers.
Map your three layers now.
Open your workbook to the Three-Layer Architecture page. For Layer one, list one hub for each GBP category from Module 4. Under each hub, list three to six specific services. For Layer two, list priority neighborhoods from Module 9 — dead zones first, contested zones second. For Layer three, list one to two topical depth pages per primary service, starting with the questions you hear most often.
That is your Core 30 page map. Probably 28 to 35 pages depending on your business.
Three layers. Internally linked. Built in order.
The next lesson is where you audit what you actually have on your site today against this map.
The vocabulary that follows you.
- Service hub page
- A parent page on your website dedicated to one of your GBP categories. Anchors a group of child service pages underneath it.
- Child service page
- A dedicated URL for one specific service from your Lesson 4.3 services list, linked back to the parent service hub. Service name in URL, title tag, and H1.
- Neighborhood page
- A dedicated page targeting a specific city, town, or neighborhood you serve. Built first for dead zones from Lesson 9.4, then contested zones.
- Topical depth page
- A cost, comparison, or FAQ page that proves you understand your subject deeper than competitors. Pulled from review mining and Ask Maps Answer Map work.
- Internal linking
- The structural web of links between pages on the same site that Google reads as topical authority and AI engines use to crawl and extract context.