Keyword mapping is the process of pairing keywords to specific landing pages on a website. An SEO analyst might group a list of keywords by topic, and then “map” certain keywords to the pages that are most relevant to a topic. This mapping is often documented in a keyword map, which is essentially a list of the keywords, their parent topics, and the target landing page.
Keyword mapping is an effective way to optimize site content. Creating pages with no guidance on topics to address or pages to create can lead to problems. If you don’t keep track of which topics your site has already covered, you might create near-duplicate pages that serve similar purposes, which makes it harder for search engines like Google to identify the best result. And if you don’t work to identify new potential topics to write about, there may be content gaps on your website that are never filled. Keyword mapping helps SEO professionals avoid these issues, and create high-quality pages that discuss the topics that high-volume keywords revolve around.
Generate a List of Keywords
Use a tool like Ahrefs’ keywords explorer or your historical keyword data to generate a list of keywords. Filter through them to make sure these are all terms you would like to rank for, and discard any terms that are too unrelated to your website.
Create a List of Topics
You probably have a good idea about the types of topics your website should focus on, content-wise, especially with a list of keywords in hand. Still, it’s a good idea to sit down and really think about your products, your industry, and your niche, to create a list of topics around which you can create content.
Map Keywords to Topics
Once you have your topics and your keywords, it’s time to match them! Map keywords to related topics; if you ever find yourself stuck, consider consolidating or discarding topics as needed to ensure that you’re focusing on the most optimal topics for your site.
Create Content Around Your List of Topics
Now it’s time to really get to work, and fill the content gaps on your website! Take stock of the topics you currently cover on your site. For each topic that isn’t covered, start drafting content, being sure to focus on the keywords that you previously mapped to those topics. This content should be informative, unique, and related to your business. For content that may be covered but hasn’t been optimized, work on editing these existing pages to reflect your keyword mapping.
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