If you’re involved in marketing or running a small business, you’re likely familiar with the idea of keyword research. For search engine optimization (SEO), it means finding keywords related to your offerings that people are searching for on Google and optimizing your website to rank higher in search results.
Simple, right? It is. However, keyword mapping is a bit different from research, but equally crucial. This post explains keyword mapping, its implementation for quality traffic, and provides a template to begin your journey.

Table of contents

• What is keyword mapping?
• Why is keyword mapping important?
• How does keyword mapping work?
• How to do keyword mapping
• How to use keyword mapping for on-page SEO
• Keyword mapping template

What is keyword mapping?

Whether you’re a keyword research novice or a seasoned pro, you’ve probably encountered these issues:

1. Finding related keywords and struggling to decide if they belong on the same page or which one should be your primary target.
2. Having existing pages aligned with discovered keywords but lacking full optimization or inclusion of all relevant terms. Keyword mapping solves both these common dilemmas. Simply put, it’s about identifying keyword clusters for optimization on specific site pages. These clusters consist of semantically similar keywords, implying that someone searching for one term might also seek information related to others within the same cluster. Need help finding the right keywords before getting started with keyword mapping? Try our Free Keyword Tool!

Why is keyword mapping important?

Keyword mapping offers several advantages:

1. It helps prioritize target keywords within a cluster for a content piece and understand their optimal arrangement.
2. It guides the structuring, restructuring, and optimization of existing content based on user search behavior.
3. It boosts your pages’ search engine ranking by the Google algorithm, driving significantly more traffic through the first two benefits. With a basic understanding of keyword mapping and its significance, let’s explore some practical examples.

How does keyword mapping work?

Imagine you’re a roofing contractor noticing that many customers inquire about metal roofing costs. You decide to create content addressing these questions to attract prospects. Using your preferred keyword research tool, you discover that the keyword “metal roof cost” has high volume (9.9K) and moderate competition (57).

Great! You’re ready to write. However, digging deeper into the “parent keyword” (due to its high volume) reveals that searches for “metal roof cost” often involve semantically related terms.

This adds complexity. Should you create separate content for each keyword? Which one should be the focus of your planned blog post? The answer lies in search intent, which we’ll discuss next. But first: Looking for more ways to drive people to your site? Free guide » 25 Ways to Increase Traffic to Your Website

How to do keyword mapping based on intent and ranking opportunity

Keyword mapping helps organize these semantically related keywords and develop a content strategy that maximizes traffic. In our example, “metal roof cost” is the parent keyword with high volume and our domain possesses decent authority, giving us a decent ranking chance. A quick Google search confirms that “metal roof cost” blog posts also answer queries like “how much does a metal roof cost,” “average cost of metal roof,” and “1,500 sq ft metal roof cost.” Furthermore, search results for these queries often feature the same posts as “metal roof cost.”

Since no posts specifically target “average cost of metal roof,” we can safely include it as a “secondary” or “ancillary” keyword in our “metal roof cost” post. Given its strong search volume, we should use it as an H2 heading, along with the other secondary keywords. Examining our cluster, “metal roof vs shingles cost” also has significant search volume (3.6K). Should it be a secondary keyword? Let’s consult the search results.

Google indicates that dedicated blog posts on “metal roof vs shingles cost” are more beneficial than a sub-topic within a broader metal roofing cost post. Therefore, it deserves its own post. The same applies to a keyword like “standing seam metal roof cost” from our initial cluster.

Google predominantly displays content specifically optimized for standing seam roofs for this query. Hence, it warrants its own dedicated post. Does this mean you can’t mention standing seam roofs or shingles in your “metal roof cost” post? Absolutely not. Including them adds value for readers and expands your post’s ranking potential. However, they shouldn’t be the primary focus. And, if you want to drive as much traffic as possible, you should prioritize creating high-quality, unique content around those specific keywords.

How to use keyword mapping for on-page SEO

We’ve discussed “optimizing” content for mapped keywords, but what does it entail? How do you rank for targeted keywords with new content after grouping them by intent? On-page SEO is crucial. Ranking on page one requires adhering to Google’s content structure and guidelines. The most critical on-page SEO elements for ranking mapped keywords are:

Keyword optimization

Keyword identification is just the beginning. Ensure its presence throughout your page: title tag, meta description, H1, H2s, and body content. Including keywords in these elements signals relevance to Google for specific search queries.

Optimize meta tags

Keep your meta title under 60 characters for full display in search results. Meta descriptions should be around 150-160 characters with a compelling call-to-action. Both should contain your target keyword, be relevant, and engaging.

Optimize URL structure

Use clear, descriptive URLs that accurately reflect the page’s content. Avoid lengthy, complicated URLs with unnecessary characters. Use hyphens as word separators and keep them concise. The keyword mapping template image below provides effective examples. While other on-page SEO aspects exist, these are key for ensuring your content aligns with targeted keyword searches.

Keyword mapping template

Let’s discuss the promised keyword mapping template. As you group keywords from your initial cluster by intent, add them to a template like this:

Want to use this same template? Simply open this link and click “Make a copy.” Keywords identified as needing their own content become separate cluster topics with their own secondary keywords for inclusion. This template not only sparks new content ideas but also helps align existing content with customer searches. Want more tips and ideas? We’ve got 130+ for you! Get the guide » 130+ of the Best Online Marketing Tips for Generating More Traffic, Leads, & Sales

Do keyword mapping for SEO to rank higher

It’s that straightforward. Keyword mapping is more than just organization; it’s a tool for ranking for a wider array of relevant keywords. As we’ve seen, it’s also an effective way to approach content creation systematically, which is crucial for maximizing reach and driving traffic through SEO and content marketing. Need help with your SEO? Reach out to get a demo.