Templates / Keyword mapping
Keyword mapping template. One keyword, one owner page, one reason.
A free keyword mapping template laid out like the page plan SerpDad built for serpdad.com: each keyword, the page that owns it, a verdict, the top 10 URLs it shares, the intent and a note. With a filled example from our own plan. Download it as a sheet or as Markdown. No email, no sign-up.
Free to copy, edit and use on any site.
Free download. Get the keyword map as a file.
Both files hold the same columns, the rule and the example. No gate: click and it downloads.
Sheet (.csv)
For a list you sort and filter. In Google Sheets choose File, Import, Upload. In Excel, open the file or use Data, From Text/CSV. A formula applies the 3 shared URLs rule as you type the counts.
Markdown (.md)
For a map you share as a document, with the verdicts explained and a table for ties. Opens in Notion, Obsidian, GitHub or any text editor.
The template. What goes in a keyword mapping template.
One row per keyword. The columns are the ones our own page plan shows for every decision, so each row carries its reason with it.
| Column | What it holds | Why it is there |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword | One search query | The row is about this keyword only |
| Owner page | The URL that will rank for it, new or existing | So nobody writes a second page for it |
| Focus keyword of that page | The keyword the page is built around | The other keywords are compared against it |
| Shared top 10 URLs | How many URLs the keyword shares with the focus keyword, and which ones | The evidence for putting them together, or apart |
| Verdict | New page, Optimize, Ranks #N, Pages compete or Parked | Tells the writer what kind of work the page needs |
| Intent | The page types in the top 10: guides, tool pages, shop pages | So the page takes the format searchers get today |
| Notes | A section to add, a tie you decided, a merge to make | The decision outlives the meeting it was made in |
A filled example. Four keywords from our own page plan.
From the topical authority hub of the plan SerpDad built for serpdad.com: 62 pages, 224 keywords and 19 H2 sections. The shared counts are real, checked in October 2026. The URLs for new pages and the intent notes are illustrative.
| Keyword | Owner page | Shared top 10 URLs | Verdict | Intent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| topical authority tool | / (homepage) | Focus keyword | Optimize | Tool pages and guides | The homepage owns this group |
| build topical authority tool | / (homepage) | 6 of 10 | Optimize | Tool pages | 6 shared: same page, as a section |
| topical authority | /topical-authority/ | 2 of 10 | New page | Guides | 2 shared: its own page, the hub page |
| topical authority checker | /topical-authority-checker/ | 1 of 10 | New page | Tool pages | 1 shared: its own page |
The rule. 3 or more shared URLs means one page.
The hard part of keyword mapping is deciding which keywords go together. Wording is a poor guide. Two keywords that look alike can need different pages, and two that look different can share one.
The template uses the rule SerpDad's page plan uses: compare the Google top 10 for both keywords. If they share 3 or more of the same URLs, Google is answering them with much the same pages, and one page should serve both. Fewer than 3, and they get separate pages.
3 is a starting point, not a law. A stricter team can raise it. Write the number you chose at the top of the map, so everyone applies the same one.
3 or more shared: same page
Add the keyword to the owner page of the focus keyword. It often becomes an H2 section.
Fewer than 3 shared: own page
Give it a row with its own owner page, or park it if it has no search volume.
Could fit two pages: a tie
Decide it by hand and write the reason in the notes column. Ties are where maps go wrong.
Verdicts. What each verdict tells the writer.
| Verdict | Meaning | Work |
|---|---|---|
| New page | No page on the site covers this group | Write a new page |
| Optimize | A page on the site already covers this group | Improve that page instead of writing a new one |
| Optimize #N | As above, and Search Console shows it at average position N | Improve that page |
| Ranks #N | Your page appears at position N in the top 10 you checked | Improve it, starting from what already works |
| Pages compete | Two or more of your pages earn impressions for this group | Pick one owner page, merge the others into it and redirect them |
| Parked | The keyword stays on the map without a page, for now | Revisit it on the next pass |
The guide. How to fill in the map, step by step.
List every keyword once
Paste your keyword list into the first column and remove duplicates. Add search volumes if you have them.
List the pages you already have
Before you plan new pages, note the URLs on your site that already cover a topic. They become owner pages with an Optimize verdict.
Pick focus keywords
Start with the keyword with the most searches. Make it the focus keyword of a page.
Count shared URLs
Compare each remaining keyword with the focus keywords. 3 or more shared URLs: same page. Fewer: its own row and owner page.
Settle the ties by hand
Where a keyword fits two pages, pick one, and write why. Check which page already ranks first.
Check the sum
Every keyword should sit on exactly one page or be parked. Keywords on pages plus parked keywords should equal the keywords you started with.
Or skip the spreadsheet. Let SerpDad map every keyword from the top 10.
This template takes an afternoon for 50 keywords. SerpDad's page plan does the same job for whole lists. It reads the live top 10 for every keyword, groups keywords that share 3 or more URLs, starts from the pages you already have and gives each page a verdict. Every decision links to the shared URLs behind it.
On serpdad.com, 1,797 keywords became 791 planned pages, with 0 pages competing. 64 contested keywords went to the review queue for a person to decide. Your first plan is free up to 1,000 keywords.
| This template | In a SerpDad page plan |
|---|---|
| Owner page | One owner page per keyword, checked on every run |
| Shared top 10 URLs | A receipt per decision with the shared URLs |
| Verdict | New page, Optimize, Optimize #N, Ranks #N, Pages compete |
| Ties | The review queue: own page, page shape, which page |
| Check the sum | The plan check: every keyword in exactly one place |
Questions and answers.
Can't find the answer? Email us.
What is a keyword mapping template?
A sheet with one row per keyword that names the page that owns it, whether that page is new or already exists, the evidence for the choice and a note for the writer. Every keyword gets exactly one owner page, so no two pages chase the same search.
How do I know if two keywords belong on the same page?
Compare their Google top 10. If they share 3 or more of the same URLs, Google treats them as one topic and one page should cover both. If they share fewer, give them separate pages, even when the wording is almost the same. The free SERP overlap checker counts the shared URLs for you.
What if a keyword could fit two pages?
Mark it as a tie and decide it by hand. Look at which page already ranks, which top 10 it overlaps with more, and which page the searcher would expect. Write the reason in the notes column, so the next person does not reopen the question.
Should every keyword get its own page?
No. Most keywords share a page with others. In our own plan for serpdad.com, 1,797 keywords became 791 pages, plus 94 H2 sections inside other pages and 41 parked keywords.
How do I open the CSV in Google Sheets or Excel?
In Google Sheets, choose File, then Import, then Upload, and pick the CSV. In Excel, open the file or use Data, then From Text/CSV. The Same page column holds a formula that applies the 3 or more shared URLs rule as you type the counts.
Can SerpDad build the keyword map for me?
Yes. A SerpDad page plan reads the live top 10 for every keyword, groups keywords that share 3 or more URLs, gives each group one owner page and a verdict, and links each decision to the shared URLs behind it. Your first plan is free up to 1,000 keywords.
Map 50 keywords by hand,
or 1,000 with SerpDad, free.
Your first plan is free up to 1,000 keywords, with briefs for the top 5 pages. No card needed.