Keyword mapping

Four columns are enough: the cluster of searches, the intent the results page shows, the one page that answers it, and whether that page exists, needs writing or needs a refresh.

1. 1

   Start from the searches you already have

   Export the queries from the Performance report in Search Console. Those are real, they are yours, and they cost nothing.

2. 2

   Group by the results page, not by the words

   Two searches whose top ten share several URLs are answered by the same page. That is the reliable test for a cluster.

3. 3

   Assign one page per cluster

   Write the URL in the table. If two pages want the same cluster, one of them is wrong and the table has just told you.

4. 4

   Mark the gaps

   A cluster with no page is the build order. Sort those by demand and by how close the intent is to buying.

5. 5

   Review it when Search Console disagrees

   When two of your URLs trade places on one query, the map needs a decision, not the pages.

• Cannibalisation: two pages on one search, each holding the other back, neither ranking.
• The page nobody planned: written because someone had an idea, answering a search that already had a page.
• The gap nobody noticed: a search with demand and no page, invisible until you list them side by side.
• The refresh that never happens: a map with a state column shows what has gone stale.