Keyword-to-Entity Mapping (Onboarding)

Keyword-to-Entity Mapping (Onboarding)

1. 01

   Pull the client's last 12 months of organic landing page and query data before any new keyword list is built

   Export from Search Console and the client's rank tracker of record, then reconcile against analytics sessions so you are mapping real demand rather than a wishlist.

2. 02

   Cluster queries by the entity or topic they imply, not by string similarity

   Group 'commercial roof repair austin' and 'flat roof contractor near me' under one commercial-intent entity even though the phrasing differs; tools like WordLift and AnswerThePublic surface the question variants that reveal the underlying entity.

3. 03

   Score each entity cluster on commercial value and current coverage

   Flag clusters where the client already ranks positions 4 to 15 as fastest-payoff, and clusters with zero existing pages as net-new build candidates.

4. 04

   Map every cluster to a single canonical URL and a named page owner

   Two pages competing for one entity is the most common cause of flat rankings on retainer accounts; assign one URL per entity before content production starts.

5. 05

   Run a technical crawl to confirm the mapped URLs are indexable and internally linked

   Screaming Frog or Sitechecker will expose orphaned pages, noindex tags, and redirect chains that would waste the first 60 days of a retainer.

6. 06

   Document the entity map in the client-facing deliverable with priority tiers and a 90-day sequence

   Tier 1 covers clusters with existing partial rankings, Tier 2 covers net-new builds, and Tier 3 covers long-horizon authority topics.

7. 07

   Get written client sign-off on the entity map before content or link budget is committed

   Sign-off converts the map from an agency assumption into a shared plan, which reduces mid-quarter scope arguments about which pages matter.