Keyword mapping template: plan one useful page per search intent

Download the CSV and open it in your spreadsheet tool. It includes three fictional planter-store rows to show how the fields work. Replace them with your own pages and queries. The sample demand and difficulty cells are intentionally blank: these examples are not validated keyword opportunities.

Primary keyword,Related queries,Search intent,Page type,Existing URL,Proposed slug,Keyword difficulty,Monthly searches,Market,Metrics checked,Action,Owner,Status
how to choose an indoor planter size,what size pot does my plant need,Informational,Guide,,how-to-choose-an-indoor-planter-size,,,US/en,,Research before drafting,Editor,Needs metrics and SERP review
ceramic plant pots,indoor ceramic pots,Shopping,Collection,/collections/ceramic-planters,,,,US/en,,Review existing collection,Merchandising,Needs metrics and SERP review
ceramic vs plastic plant pots,plastic or ceramic planter,Comparison,Article,,ceramic-vs-plastic-plant-pots,,,US/en,,Check whether a distinct page is needed,Editor,Needs metrics and SERP review

• Primary keyword and related queries: one main phrase and the searches that share its reader need.
• Intent and page type: the task and the kind of page that can satisfy it.
• Existing URL or proposed slug: the destination that owns this topic.
• Difficulty, demand, market, and date: verified research inputs, with unknowns left visible.
• Action, owner, and status: what happens next and who is responsible.

Start with your catalog, support conversations, store search, and product questions. What do buyers ask before ordering? What do they misunderstand after delivery? Those details help you identify meaningful qualifiers that a generic seed keyword misses.

For our planter store, useful subjects might include drainage, indoor placement, dimensions, material, and how to choose a size. The team could learn that shoppers say ‘pot with a hole’ more often than ‘drainage vessel.’ Use the customer’s vocabulary without making every article sound like a list of keywords.

• Catalog: product types, materials, sizes, compatible accessories, and genuine differentiators.
• Customer questions: fit, care, comparison, setup, and limitations.
• Existing site data: queries in Search Console and terms used in your store’s search.
• Research tools: related searches, demand estimates, and topics you have not considered.

Keep factual product information separate from the keyword list. A query about outdoor durability is a reason to investigate a topic, not evidence that every planter you sell is suitable outdoors.

Open the search results for each promising group. Look for the dominant page type and the reason someone would choose it. A collection of products answers a different need from a tutorial. You are checking the work the page needs to do, rather than copying the first result’s headings.

Treat these assignments as hypotheses until you inspect the actual results in your target market. If product listings dominate a query, an educational article may be the wrong primary landing page. If a question needs explanation, a thin collection description may not answer it.

Google’s ecommerce site-structure guidance explains why discoverable links between categories and products matter. Your topic map should complement that store structure instead of creating a separate content island.

‘Choosing a planter size’ and ‘what size pot does my plant need’ might belong to one guide if they need the same explanation. ‘How to clean a ceramic planter’ has a different job even though the product noun is the same. Put together the queries one strong page could satisfy without changing its purpose halfway through.

For each group, write a one-sentence answer promise. For example: ‘Help an indoor-plant owner compare their plant and nursery pot with the manufacturer’s planter dimensions before ordering.’ That promise is more useful to a writer than a dozen near-identical keyword variants.

Record search volume and keyword difficulty when available, but keep their limits visible. They are provider estimates for a market, language, and time period. A missing metric does not prove that no customer asks the question. Closely related variants may share estimates, so do not add them together and label the sum your addressable audience.

• Relevance: Can your business genuinely help with this question?
• Page fit: Do you have a suitable product, collection, or editorial angle?
• Evidence: Can you supply details or examples that make the page useful?
• Opportunity: Is the search demand and competitive landscape reasonable for your site?
• Maintenance: Can someone keep the product details and advice current?

For a new site with little authority, start with specific queries that fit your business and have a verified low difficulty estimate. A conservative initial shortlist can use KD 0–10, preferring 0–5, followed by a manual result check. Leave an unknown KD marked as unverified; low advertising competition is a different metric. Even a low KD does not remove the need for useful evidence and a suitable page.

Add the existing URL, proposed URL, responsible person, and status to your real planning sheet. Use a content inventory to check what already exists. If an existing page answers a group well, improve it rather than automatically opening another draft. Assign one primary page per decision so you can explain why each article exists.

Then turn the next topic into a content brief. Include the answer promise, evidence, relevant product URLs, and the sections that belong in scope. Use the internal linking workflow to connect that article to the rest of the store.

After publishing, review the actual queries and landing pages in Search Console. Did the comparison attract comparison searches? Did a sizing guide mostly attract care questions because its introduction drifted? Use those observations to adjust the page assignment and future briefs.

Search Console shows how your site appears for observed searches, not the total market volume for every keyword. Combine it with discovery research when you need topics your site does not yet appear for. Our Search Console guide explains a review process that keeps those two jobs distinct.