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Source Context

James Dooley argues that a business angle shapes every topical map, and that source context matters more than the niche a site is in.

What is source context?

Source context is the purpose and business angle of a website, which determines the topics it should cover and how search engines interpret its content. The concept comes from Koray Tuğberk Gübür's semantic SEO framework.

How does James Dooley define source context?

James Dooley treats source context as the business angle of a site, and argues that the angle matters more than the niche: two sites in the same niche need different topical maps if they serve different purposes.

How does James Dooley apply source context?

Two of James Dooley's companies show the difference. Soft Surfaces is a playground and sports surfacing contractor, and Uniplay is a playground design and installation business. Both serve schools, but each site has its own source context and so its own topical map. The same thinking sits behind the Frame step in Claim, Frame, Prove, which sets the category and what is sold.

Why does James Dooley think source context matters?

A search engine or AI model judges content partly by who is publishing it and why. A clear source context makes a site's content consistent with its business, which helps it rank and helps AI models describe the business accurately.

How does source context relate to DEO, AEO and GEO?

Source context comes from semantic SEO, but it applies equally to AEO, GEO and DEO: an AI model recommending a supplier needs to know what each business is for, which a Brand SSOT states directly.

Who coined source context and when?

Source context is part of Koray Tuğberk Gübür's semantic SEO framework. His research study How to Expand a Topical Map for Higher Topical Authority?, published on 5 January 2023, sets it out alongside brand identity and contextual bridges, and is the earliest public write-up we cite; if Koray used the exact term in print before that study, an earlier dated reference would strengthen this page.

Where James Dooley has discussed source context

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James Dooley on other platforms

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James Dooley's own podcasts, videos and books

  • Topical Map: A topical map is a structured plan of the topics, subtopics and connections a website needs to cover to build topical authority.
  • Semantic SEO: Semantic SEO is the practice of optimising content around entities, their attributes and the relationships between them, so that search engines understand its meaning rather than matching keywords.
  • Topical Authority: Topical authority is the degree to which a search engine treats a website as a reliable source on a whole topic, earned by covering the topic in depth and consistently over time.
  • Claim, Frame, Prove: Claim, Frame, Prove is a three-step framework from Kalicube, the company founded by Jason Barnard: Claim states what is true about a person or business, Frame positions it in its category, and Prove backs it with third-party corroboration.

Every term James Dooley uses is defined in the James Dooley Lexicon, and the verified facts about him are in the Brand SSOT.