Anyone who has built and grown websites using organic search traffic knows that endlessly publishing content without a goal in mind is not the answer. The real game changer is when you map<\/em> your list of keywords to<\/em> your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So what is keyword mapping all about?<\/strong> And how can it help you get better results with less time, less cost and fewer articles?<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, I\u2019ll cover everything you should know about mapping your keywords so that you can produce content effectively and get your business in front of the right people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before we look at the many ways keyword mapping can benefit your visibility with search engines and people, let\u2019s talk about the basics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In simple words, keyword mapping is assigning specific keywords to specific pages of your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Say you have a list of keywords that you want to structure your articles around. Will you write three different posts that all talk about the same thing? Definitely not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only is it time-consuming, it can result in keyword cannibalization<\/a> where you\u2019re competing against yourself<\/em> before you compete against your competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, your best bet is mapping or \u201cmatching\u201d certain keywords to certain blog topics. From there it\u2019s all about creating a kickass article that covers everything about your topic of interest. Knowing how to create a keyword map can help you to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When designing a website from scratch, keyword mapping gives you a bird\u2019s eye view of what your content structure is going to look like. Not just for a single post \u2013\u2013 but your entire website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For successfully mapping your website pages to certain keywords, your first step should be finding those keywords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keyword research lets you analyze all the popular keywords around your blog post topic. These can either be simple words or short sentences and phrases also known as long-tail keywords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When done correctly, keyword research can throw light on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re short on time, Ahrefs<\/a> should probably be your go-to keyword research tool. If you\u2019re even shorter on time, you can always pay to have it done for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If there\u2019s just one thing you take away from this article, let it be this\u2014create for your readers, not search engines<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of the day, your content should help <\/em>your readers and potential customers or clients. Simply by understanding the real intent around their search query, you\u2019ll be one step closer to creating valuable content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Long-tail keywords can prove to be a boon in such cases. Since they\u2019re usually in the form of short sentences and phrases, you can figure out the \u201cwhy\u201d behind a search query and not just the \u201cwhat\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, it\u2019s pretty clear what a user wants if they look up \u201ccars for rent in Ohio\u201d. Yet, if you look at a keyword like \u201ccars Ohio\u201d, the intent is vague.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you know what your users are looking for, it\u2019ll be easier for you to create topics that \u201cmatch\u201d their intent. It\u2019s a sure-fire way to let customers and search engines know that you value user experience above all else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that you have all your keywords and blog topics ready, it\u2019s time to organize them into a keyword mapping spreadsheet. Think of this as a document that reminds yourself and your team which keywords are the best \u201cfit\u201d for a certain topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having this information right before your eyes makes structuring your blog posts a whole lot easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To create a keyword mapping document, use a simple spreadsheet like Excel or Google Sheets. You can start by creating a row for each of your topics and blog post ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similarly, fill up the columns with your keywords and other on-page optimization elements like page URLs, keyword search volume, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take a good look at your keywords and you\u2019ll notice that many of them are either similar or link to one another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From here, it\u2019s all about grouping these keywords. The way I like to do this is by choosing one primary<\/em> or focus keyword<\/em> and matching them to more long-tail keywords. Honestly, sometimes there are 20 or more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of it, you\u2019ll be looking at a rough structure that will go on to shape your content and help you to write some impressive blog content<\/a> that both search engines and people will love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If search engines have taught us anything over the past decade it\u2019s that our first goal should be to create quality content over quantity. Many marketers and bloggers forget this. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is Keyword Mapping and How Does it Help?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Start With Finding the Right Keywords<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Match the User\u2019s Intent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nCluster Keywords that Answer the Same Query<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Keyword Mapping for New and Old Content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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