This is the August 2026 edition of the Topical Authority Map benchmarks. Every figure below comes only from scans run inside that month, and none of them will change again — a rate you quote today will still be at this address years from now. For the current picture, go back to the tool's own page: that one is refreshed at every revision, and this one never is.
How the scores fell
This is how 1,414 scans spread across the five score bands in August 2026. The spread is wide and fairly even, which is what a measure looks like while it is still being adopted unevenly.
- 0–19
- 20–39
- 40–59
- 60–79
- 80–100
| Score band | Topical Authority |
|---|---|
| 0–19 | 29% · 416 |
| 20–39 | 16% · 230 |
| 40–59 | 38% · 540 |
| 60–79 | 10% · 136 |
| 80–100 | 7% · 92 |
| Total runs | 1,414 |
Where sites got stuck
The checks that did not pass in Topical Authority Map scans during August 2026. What each check means and what to do about it is on the tool's own benchmark page; this page is the record of the month.
| Check | Did not pass | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Covers the topic’s subtopics | 91% | Hard fail |
| Structured data present | 56% | Partial |
| Topic reinforced in headings | 54% | Partial |
| Topic present in the homepage title | 44% | Partial |
| Enough supporting pages | 37% | Partial |
| Internal linking depth | 31% | Partial |
The weakest areas that month
This month’s sample
In August 2026 the Topical Authority Map recorded 1,414 successful scans across 1,230 unique domains. Across the whole series that month there were 34,236 scans covering 5,586 sites.
How the sample is collected, how it is anonymized and where the method's limits lie govern the whole series, so they are set out once in the methodology on the hub.
| Tool | Domain endings in the sample |
|---|---|
| Topical Authority | .com 60% · .io 8% · .org 7% · .net 3% · other 21% |
Frequently asked questions
What was the median Topical Authority Map score in August 2026?
In August 2026 the median was 42/100 and the mean was 41.2. 7% of scans reached 80 or above. These figures are frozen and will not change.
Which check failed most often in August 2026?
“Covers the topic’s subtopics”, which did not pass in 91% of scans, followed by “Structured data present” at 56%.
Why is this page never updated?
Because a dated record is only useful if it stays put. Someone citing the August 2026 figures today has to find the same numbers at the same URL years from now. For the current picture, see this tool's own benchmark page, where the figures are refreshed at every revision.
Citing this edition
The figures on this page are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Suggested citation: SeoMods — Topical Authority Map benchmarks, August 2026 edition, https://seomods.com/seo-score-benchmarks/topical-authority-map/august-2026.