Keyword mapping is essential to a successful search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. By creating an organized map of keywords, you can efficiently and effectively target the most relevant search terms to boost rankings in search engine results pages. If you take the time to create and adequately maintain a keyword map, you can reap greater rewards from your SEO efforts. Keep reading to learn more about SEO keyword mapping, including what to track to see results.
What is Keyword Mapping for SEO?
As you know, keyword research is a crucial element in search engine optimization. Keyword mapping is a way to track and associate those keywords with existing or new pages on your website. A keyword map identifies the terms potential viewers are most likely to use when they search and connects those terms with relevant web pages to maximize visibility across various search engines.
The Benefit of Keyword Mapping is New Opportunities for SEO Ranking
Essentially, a keyword map is an “official record” of which pages are associated with which keywords. By organizing your website pages based on topic and keyword phrases, you can quickly identify which terms and pages need more or less attention. SEO keyword mapping helps you find opportunities for content creation that can significantly enhance your SEO efforts. You can find keyword gaps, overlaps, and opportunities to streamline internal linking by seeing your keyword strategies written out.
6 Tips for Building a Keyword Map & What to Track
Ready to start SEO keyword mapping for your site? Open a new Google Sheet or Excel spreadsheet and follow these six tips for what to track on your keyword map.
1. Start with Existing Pages
When you start to map keywords, begin with existing pages on your website. Create two columns in your tracking sheet for “Page Name” and “URL.” I recommend starting with your main pages (i.e., Home, Services, About, etc.), in addition to PDP and PLP pages for e-commerce SEO.
2. Identify Opportunities for New Pages
Once you have your current pages listed, identify opportunities for new pages. For example, if you’re an e-commerce footwear company, you’ll want separate pages for each type of shoe. If you currently have a single page that lists “running shoes” and “walking shoes,” this is an excellent opportunity to create a new page for each. That way, you can target SEO keywords relevant to running for the running shoes page and vice versa for the walking shoes page.
Expanding on this example further, if you have men’s and women’s shoes on one page, it’s another opportunity to create new pages for more targeted keyword opportunities. So, rather than one page with men’s and women’s running and walking shoes, you end up with four pages:
Men’s Running Shoes
Women’s Running Shoes
Men’s Walking Shoes
Women’s Walking Shoes
3. Track 1-5 Keywords per Page
Once you have your current and new page opportunities listed in your keyword map, it’s time to assign one to five SEO keywords to each page. These are the keywords you’re targeting and tracking. It doesn’t mean your pages will only rank for those keywords, but they’re the keywords you’ll optimize for in your content.
For example, the keywords for a “men’s running shoes” page could include:
Men’s Running Shoes
Running Shoes for Men
Best Men’s Running Shoes
Men’s Running Shoes on Sale
4. Track SEO Keyword Monthly Volume and Competition
When choosing which keywords to track, it’s essential to perform keyword research and select a grouping of long-tail keywords with high monthly search volume and low competition. Monthly search volume refers to how many people search for that keyword on average each month. Choosing keywords your audience uses to find products and services like yours is important.
Competition refers to how hard it is to rank in the top search results for that keyword. Terms with a high competition score are harder to rank for, especially if you’re a newer website with a low authority score. It doesn’t mean you can’t target these keywords, but choosing phrases with lower competition increases the chances of your pages appearing in search results within a shorter window of time.
5. Include Internal Links on Your Keyword Map
Internal linking is essential for SEO. Not only do internal links help visitors get from one page to another and move through the customer journey, but they allow Google, Bing, and other search engines to understand your website’s architecture. Each landing page in your keyword map should have 2 or more internal links relevant to the content.
6. Map Keywords for Blog Posts
If you have a blog on your website or want to start one to improve SEO with blogging, you can do SEO keyword mapping for each post. Follow the same structure: page name (blog post title), URL, keywords with search volume and competition score, and internal links. This way, you can optimize each post and track how it ranks on search engines for your desired keywords.
Don’t Have Time for SEO Keyword Mapping? Let Me Help!
SEO keyword mapping is a valuable strategy for SEO campaigns and web content writing. It helps you identify the best terms and phrases for connecting with customers from search engines and maintain relevance throughout your content and messaging.
If you want to experience the benefits of mapping keywords but don’t have time to develop and track a keyword map, I can help you maximize your results through monthly SEO services. I’ll research the keywords relevant to your business and audience, create a tailored SEO keyword mapping strategy, and map keywords to identify opportunities for greater optimization.
Interested in learning more about my SEO packages and rates? Let’s hop on a consultation call to discuss taking SEO off your plate.
Comments