# Keyword mapping

Keyword mapping assigns each cluster of searches to exactly one page of your site, in a table you keep. It is the document that prevents two of your pages competing for the same search, and it turns research into a build order. On a small site it fits in a spreadsheet.

Updated 2026-09-15 · Source: https://porteur.ai/glossary/keyword-mapping

## The table

| Cluster | Intent | Page | State |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| invoicing app, best invoicing app | commercial | /alternatives/invoicing-apps | live |
| how to send an invoice | informational | /guides/send-an-invoice | to write |
| yourproduct pricing, yourproduct cost | navigational | /pricing | live |
| invoice template, free invoice template | informational | /tools/invoice-template | to write |

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.

## How to build it

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. **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. **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. **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. **Review it when Search Console disagrees** When two of your URLs trade places on one query, the map needs a decision, not the pages.

## What it prevents

- 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.

> One page per topic is the rule the map enforces. Improve the page that exists rather than create one that competes with it.

## Questions

### What is keyword mapping in SEO?

It is the table that assigns each cluster of searches to one page of the site, with the intent and the page’s state. It turns a keyword list into a build and refresh order.

### How do I know two keywords belong to the same page?

Search both and compare the top ten. If several URLs appear in both, Google considers them the same question and one page should answer them.

### What if two of my pages target the same keyword?

Pick the one with more links and clicks, fold the useful parts of the other into it, and redirect the loser. That is cannibalisation and the map is how you spot it.

### Do I need a tool for keyword mapping?

No. A spreadsheet with four columns is enough for a few hundred pages. The data can come from Search Console, which is free and is your own.

### How often should the map be updated?

When you add pages, and when Search Console shows two of your URLs trading places on one query. A quarterly read is enough for a small site.

## Read next

- [Keyword clustering](https://porteur.ai/glossary/keyword-clustering): Keyword clustering groups queries that one page should answer. Use results-page overlap to form clusters, then build one strong page for each.
- [Keyword cannibalization](https://porteur.ai/glossary/keyword-cannibalization): Keyword cannibalisation is when two of your pages compete for the same search, splitting clicks and weakening both; here is how to find and fix it.
- [Keyword cannibalization: two pages, one search, and how to fix it](https://porteur.ai/guides/keyword-cannibalization): Two pages ranking for one query cost you clicks. See it in Search Console, pick a winner, merge or canonicalise, and know when to keep both.
- [Search intent](https://porteur.ai/glossary/search-intent): Learn what search intent is, how to spot it on a results page, measure fit in Search Console, and fix pages that miss it.
- [Keyword research without a paid tool: five free sources that are enough](https://porteur.ai/guides/keyword-research-without-tools): Do keyword research for free with Search Console, Google’s own pages, rivals’ sites and Bing volumes. A simple method, a worked example, clear steps.
- [Topical map](https://porteur.ai/glossary/topical-map): A topical map is the searches in a category, grouped into clusters, and the pages to answer each. Build it, measure it, and avoid the traps.
- [Keyword research from Search Console alone](https://porteur.ai/guides/search-console-for-keyword-research): Use Search Console alone to find queries you already earn, gaps with impressions and no page, long questions, and pages that compete. Build a plan.
- [Content gap](https://porteur.ai/glossary/content-gap): A content gap is a searched topic your rivals cover and you do not. See how to find gaps, choose the pages to ship, and track results.

The free check names the searches your site is close to winning and the pages that fight each other, in about thirty seconds. Free check: https://porteur.ai/