Keyword Mapping: A Beginner's Friendly Guide

Now that we understand the significance of keyword mapping, let's roll up our sleeves and dive into the practical steps involved in creating an effective keyword map:

STEP 1. Unearth the GOLD: Mandate Thorough Keyword Research

Keyword research is the bedrock of any successful keyword mapping strategy.

It's like panning for gold – you need to sift through the vast riverbed of search queries to find the nuggets that hold the most value for your business.

Make use of keyword research tools to uncover relevant keywords with a healthy balance of search volume (indicating high demand) and low competition (making it easier to rank). Don't shy away from long-tail keywords, those multi-word phrases that are incredibly specific.

While they might have lower search volume, they often attract highly qualified visitors who are more likely to convert into customers.

STEP 2. Curate Your Map: Creating the Keyword Map

With your treasure trove of keywords in hand, it's time to create your map.

This involves strategically organizing your keywords, assigning each one to specific pages or sections of your website. Ensure each page has a primary keyword, along with a few supporting secondary and tertiary keywords that enrich the topical relevance.

This helps search engines understand the focus of each page and prevents keyword cannibalization, where multiple pages compete for the same keyword, diluting their individual ranking potential.

STEP 3. On-Page Optimization is Above Everything Else

Now that your map is laid out, it's time to optimise your landmarks. Seamlessly weave your target keywords into commonly known on-page elements such as:

Title tags: The headline of your page in search results.

Meta descriptions: The brief summary that appears under the title in search results. Headings: The H1, H2, etc. tags that structure your content.

Body content: The main text on your page.

Note that naturalness is key. Avoid keyword stuffing, which is the practice of cramming keywords into your content unnaturally. This can harm both user experience and your search engine rankings.

STEP 4. Build a Strong Narrative: Create High-Quality Content

In the world of digital marketing, content is still king. Craft informative, engaging, and valuable content that resonates with your target audience. Think of it as building a captivating story around your keywords.

Incorporate your target keywords organically within the content, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable reading experience. When your content is both relevant and valuable, visitors are more likely to stay on your page, explore your website further, and ultimately take the desired action.

STEP 5. Chart Your Course: Monitor and Refine

Keyword mapping isn't a one-and-done task.

It's an ongoing journey of discovery and refinement. Consistently check your website's performance using analytics tools to gain insights into which keywords are driving traffic, conversions, etc., and which of them are actually not working. For this to happen in real, pick any underperforming page and run them done with more relevant keywords or fresh, engaging content.

As search trends change and your business grows, your keyword map should be updated with it to make the most of the traffic. The journey is just as important as the destination, so enjoy the process of uncovering valuable insights and refining your strategy along the way.