SEO Map & Sitemap
Sitemap + SEO Map: Setting your content up for ranking success.
One of the biggest money sucking challenges I have seen for clients with customer facing websites is having their content mapped out in a way that helps SEO before design and development begins.
So this is what happens. They don’t have a detailed site map or seo strategy. They hire a designer, copywriter and developer, get all of the content created and implemented, and then try to fiddle with the SEO to make it work, or decide they need to hire an SEO strategist.
BUT THIS DOESN’T WORK.
It only works if you have a budget to redesign and develop the whole thing.
Whats the solution?
Some people call it the site architecture, some people call it a sitemap, it depends who you talk to. I am going to call it your SEO Map. You can integrate your SEO Map into your sitemap for optimal workflow and cost reduction.
The bottom line is, if you want your website to have higher chances of ranking for your choosen SEO keywords and phrases, you need to think strategically about your SEO Map and Sitemap from the very beginning.
Setting this structure is the first step to figuring out what your website will be about and how content will be organized. It helps you, you copywriter, your SEO strategist, and designer plan content. It is essential for the designer and writer to know what the focus keywords and phrases should be on each page before the design process even begins, that way they can name image files and set heading tags to optimize your SEO for the best. If your map is solidified before starting the copywriting or design, the process will be smoother and faster saving you time and money.
Below I will give you an example of how to create a detailed Sitemap with the SEO Map integrated. Again, include the keywords or phrases that you hope each page will rank for in your SEO Map so when the copywriter looks at it, they will have a clear idea of what words should be used in headings, body copy etc.
The more detailed and thought you put into this, the better your website will be! You won’t have to try and scratch your brain while inputting your keywords and metadata into Yost.
BASIC SITEMAP/SEO MAP EXAMPLE
(these are all just examples, please replace pages and section with your own).
- Basically, each line is a page section including a chunk of copy, a specific image or a video that you will expand with the actual content later.
HOME PAGE
PAGE SECTIONS:
PAGE KEYWORD/ KEY PHRASE YOU HOPE TO RANK FOR
- PROBLEM/ NEED CUSTOMER HAS (HEADLINE)
- SOLUTION WE OFFER (SUB-HEADLINE)
- INTRO TEXT
- VALUE ADDING CALL TO ACTION
- INTRO VIDEO
- WHY WE ARE BETTER
- IMAGE OF TEAM
- IMPORTANT LINKS
- TESTIMONIALS
- RECENT BLOG POSTS
ABOUT PAGE
PAGE KEYWORD/ KEY PHRASE YOU HOPE TO RANK FOR
PAGE SECTIONS:
- HEADLINE: (SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR UNIQUE CUSTOMER’S CONCERNS, CARES & NEEDS) / SUB-HEADLINE (SOLUTION YOU PROVIDE)
- INTRO TEXT
- VALUE ADDING CALL TO ACTION
- ABOUT OUR COMPANY
- WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WORK WITH US
- IN THE MEDIA
- VALUE ADDING CALL TO ACTION
- PAGE KEYWORD/ KEY PHRASE YOU HOPE TO RANK FOR
OFFERINGS PAGE
PAGE KEYWORD/ KEY PHRASE YOU HOPE TO RANK FOR
PAGE SECTION:
- HEADLINE / SUB HEADLINE
- INTRO TEXT
- OFFERING 1
- OFFERING 2
- CALL TO ACTION
- PAGE KEYWORD/ KEY PHRASE YOU HOPE TO RANK FOR
FREE DISCOVERY SESSION PAGE
PAGE KEYWORD/ KEY PHRASE YOU HOPE TO RANK FOR
PAGE SECTIONS:
- HEADLINE / SUB HEADLINE
- INTRO TEXT
- CALL TO ACTION
- PAGE KEYWORD/ KEY PHRASE YOU HOPE TO RANK FOR
RESOURCES PAGE
PAGE KEYWORD/ KEY PHRASE YOU HOPE TO RANK FOR
PAGE SECTIONS:
- HEADLINE / SUB-HEADLINE
- INTRO TEXT
- IMPORTANT TOPICS
- RELEVANT BLOG POSTS
BLOG LANDING PAGE
PAGE KEYWORD/ KEY PHRASE YOU HOPE TO RANK FOR
PAGE SECTIONS:
- HEADLINE / SUB HEADLINE
- INTRO TEXT
- CATEGORIES
- CATEGORY A
- CATEGORY B
- CATEGORY C
- CALL TO ACTION
- PAGE KEYWORD/ KEY PHRASE YOU HOPE TO RANK FOR
CONTACT PAGE
PAGE KEYWORD/ KEY PHRASE YOU HOPE TO RANK FOR
PAGE SECTIONS:
- INTRO TEXT
- ETC…
THANK YOU PAGE
PAGE KEYWORD/ KEY PHRASE YOU HOPE TO RANK FOR
PAGE SECTIONS:
- THANKS FOR SIGNING UP FOR…
- YOU CAN EXPECT…
- IN THE MEANING CHECK OUT THIS VALUE ADDING OFFER…
SIDEBARS
- NEWSLETTER CTA
- FREE DOWNLOAD
- UPCOMING EVENTS
- MEET THE FOUNDER
- ETC…
Want to turn your SEO Map into something more visually interactive?
Remember when you were in school and you would draw mind-maps to plan out an essay or organize a big event? Expanding your sitemap into a mindmap can not only help you add more detail to your sitemap, but it can help you figure out the flow you want the user to take on your website. In UX world this is called user flow. Coggle is a great FREE & FUN online resource to create a mindmap that you can share with anyone.
Thank you and I hope this is helpful to you!
~Tara
I hope this tutorial has been helpful and will help inspire you on the road to content organization.
Want more? Here are more resources on building a detailed sitemap:
http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/articles/how-to-architect-a-better-site-map–webdesign-14180