Keyword Mapping for SEO

Keywords are more than just words, they carry meanings. If you want to boost how well your ads perform in PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising, it’s crucial to understand how phrase match works in Google Ads. In PPC, keywords and match types are super important. They decide how closely someone’s search needs to match your chosen keywords for your ad to show up.

There are different types, like broad match, phrase match, and exact match. Especially, paying attention to phrase matches in Google Ads. It means your ads can appear for searches that include the exact phrase you’ve chosen but with extra words before or after. Tech stuff changes a lot, and PPC is no exception. Even if you’re good at Google Ads, keep in mind that how Google Ads handles phrase matching has probably changed from when it started to now. So, staying updated is key, even for experienced people.

What is Keyword Mapping?

Keyword mapping is a strategic process in search engine optimization (SEO) and digital marketing that involves associating specific keywords or phrases with particular pages on a website. The goal of keyword mapping is to optimize the relevance and visibility of a website’s content for search engines, making it more likely to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Keyword mapping is a strategy in SEO where you connect specific words or phrases to certain pages on your website. This helps search engines like Google know what each page is about. By doing this well, your pages are more likely to show up when people search for related things. It’s an important part of making your website visible and successful in search engine results.

Why is Keyword Mapping Important in SEO?

Keyword mapping is like a helpful guide for your website in the online world. It’s a bit like using the right signposts so that Google understands what your pages are all about. Google is like a detective looking for clues (keywords) on your pages to figure out if they match what someone is searching for. If it doesn’t find those clues, it might be trickier for your pages to show up in search results. Imagine you have similar pages talking about the same stuff – Google might get a bit confused and not know which one to show. This is where keyword cannibalization happens, and it’s not great for your website’s ranking.

But, with keyword mapping, you can be a smart organizer with the following steps below:

• Perfectly set up for the right keywords
• Avoiding the confusion of similar pages
• Finding and fixing any gaps in your website content

How to Do Keyword Mapping?

Keyword mapping is a structured process that involves connecting specific keywords or phrases to individual pages on your website. Even though it might seem a bit complex, keyword mapping is quite easy to do. The only drawback is that it takes a bit more time when you start including it in your work routine. But the good thing is, that having all your content details in one place saves you effort in the long run, which is a plus. By following these steps, you can effectively map keywords to your website’s content, enhancing its visibility and relevance in search engine results.

Prepare Spreadsheet

The primary step in establishing a strong keyword map is to create your spreadsheet document. Whether you choose Excel or Google Docs depends on your preference, but if you’re working with a team, we suggest the latter. Depending on whether you’re mapping an existing website or creating a new one, you might need sections indicating current items and proposed optimized changes.

Include these categories:

• Page ID: A quick reminder of the page’s subject.
• URL: The published page’s web address.
• Page Title: A title for the page containing keywords.
• H1 Tag: The main title tag used, incorporating your central keyword.
• Primary Keyword: The main focus keyword for the entire page.
• Secondary or Supporting Keywords: Other keywords that complement the main one, including variations.
• Page Summary: A brief one or two-sentence description of the page’s content.

Depending on whether you’re mapping an existing website or creating a new one, you might need sections indicating current items and proposed optimized changes.

Conduct Keyword Research

Begin by researching and identifying relevant keywords for your website. Consider your target audience, industry, and business goals.

Understand User Intent

Analyze the intent behind each keyword. Are users looking for information, products, or services? Understanding user intent helps in mapping keywords to the most appropriate content on your website.

This article may interest you: What Is Search Intent & How to Optimize for It?

Audit Your Existing Content

Review your current website content to identify which pages are already optimized for specific keywords. This audit helps you avoid duplicate content and ensures that each page has a distinct focus.

Group Keywords by Theme

Organize your selected keywords into themes or topics. Grouping related keywords makes it easier to map them to specific pages that cover those topics comprehensively. Furthermore, Once you create a list of words, review them and remove any that you don’t think are crucial, aren’t searched much, or are too challenging. After that, in a spreadsheet, organize and group similar words that discuss the same thing. For example, you might group words like “healthy recipes,” “easy healthy recipes,” “benefits of healthy eating,” and “how to eat healthily” since they all revolve around the same topic, which is Healthy Eating.

Assign Primary and Secondary Keywords

Choose a primary keyword for each page based on its main theme. Additionally, identify relevant secondary keywords that support the primary keyword and provide additional context.

Map Keywords to Specific Pages

Assign each keyword or keyword group to a specific page on your website. Ensure that the content on the page aligns with the chosen keywords and provides valuable information to users.

Update On-Page Elements

Optimize on-page elements such as title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and content to include the mapped keywords naturally.

Consider URL Structure

If possible, incorporate relevant keywords into the URL structure of each page. A user-friendly and keyword-rich URL can contribute to better search engine visibility. Also, if you have a bunch of words about one thing, and there’s already a page on your website about that, link the main word to that page’s web address. Keep doing this for all the pages you already have. But for the groups of words that don’t match any existing pages, you’ll need to make new web addresses. Then, you can use those new addresses to make new pages on those topics.

Internal Linking

Create internal links between related pages using anchor text that includes targeted keywords. This helps search engines establish connections between different pages on your website.

Regularly Review and Update

Keep your keyword mapping strategy dynamic. Regularly review and update it based on changes in search trends, user behavior, or updates to your website’s content.

Monitor Performance

Use analytics tools to monitor the performance of each page in terms of search engine rankings and user engagement. Adjust your keyword mapping strategy as needed to improve results.

How to Avoid Keyword Cannibalization with Keyword Mapping?

Keyword cannibalization happens when you have different pages talking about the same or very similar things. This confuses search engines like Google, making it hard for them to decide which page is the most important to show in search results. This confusion can harm your rankings and visibility. That’s why, when planning keywords for your website, stick to the rule of having one page for one unique topic. This helps avoid the problem of keyword cannibalization. If you need similar pages, use canonical tags to tell search engines which page is the main one to display.

To steer clear of keyword cannibalization through keyword mapping, follow these steps:

• Identify target keywords: Clearly define the primary keywords you want each page to focus on.
• Assign unique topics: Make sure each page has a distinct and unique topic or theme. Avoid duplicating content across different pages.
• Create a keyword map: Organize your chosen keywords and assign them to specific pages based on relevance and uniqueness. Ensure that each keyword aligns with the content of its assigned page.
• Check existing content: Review your website to identify any pages that might be competing for the same keywords. If you find such pages, consider consolidating or reorganizing content to eliminate duplication.
• Use canonical tags: If you have similar pages that can’t be avoided, employ canonical tags to indicate the preferred or main page for search engines. This helps them understand which page should be prioritized in search results.
• Monitor and update: Regularly check your website for any changes or additions that might lead to keyword overlap. Update your keyword mapping as needed to maintain clarity and prevent cannibalization.

By carefully planning and organizing your keywords, along with monitoring your content, you can effectively avoid keyword cannibalization and enhance the overall performance of your website in search engine results.