In the web industry, there are various specialized terms, among which is “content map.” A content map is essentially a blueprint of a website, visually organizing all the information within the site for clarity.

When multiple people are involved in content marketing , having a content map allows everyone to share the final vision of the project.

It is also crucial for ensuring that when users visit the site, they can easily find what they are looking for without confusion, thereby increasing the website’s conversion rates.

Having a well-developed content map serves as a guideline for managing the site, making it indispensable for anyone running a website. In this article, we will discuss content maps.

What is Content Map?

A content map is like a map that visualizes where various content is located within a site. It is vital to have it well prepared in advance so that users can find their desired pages instantly.

Typically, a content map is created either when building a site from scratch or during a site renewal. Having a thorough content map from the start offers several benefits, such as avoiding confusion about where to add new content and helping users quickly find the content they are looking for when they visit the site.

Moreover, for a website, the conversion rate is just as important as the number of visitors. Even if you attract many visitors, they may leave the site if the appropriate internal links are not embedded correctly. The content map is crucial in guiding users from one internal link to the next, thereby increasing the overall site conversion.

Difference between Content Map and Sitemap

The terms content map and sitemap may seem similar but have different roles. A sitemap is a term mainly used by those managing the site, categorizing and diagramming what content is where within the site.

On the other hand, a sitemap from a user perspective acts like a map of the site. While they may appear similar, their roles are distinct.

Think of the content map as a guide to increase the site’s overall conversion, while the sitemap organizes and categorizes the content.

Reasons Why a Content Map is Necessary

There are four main reasons why a content map is essential.

• To efficiently create effective content
• To oversee the entire site
• To facilitate the sharing of visions
• To design the pathways that lead to conversions

To Efficiently Create Effective Content

One of the significant roles of a content map is to efficiently create effective content while minimizing waste. Those who are planning to create a new site or renovate an existing one can find themselves uncertain about how to organize and display content properly without a content map.

Without a content map, there’s a risk of creating content spontaneously as needs are perceived as unnecessary, which can lead to producing unnecessary content unknowingly, resulting in inefficiency.

On the other hand, having a content map from the start allows you to efficiently incorporate the necessary content into the site without confusion.

To Oversee the Entire Site

A content map is an indispensable guideline for managing a site as it allows for a comprehensive overview of the entire site. Especially during the development phase, it is not uncommon to struggle with what content to incorporate.

With a well-structured content map, you can easily understand what needs to be done next.

To Facilitate the Sharing of Visions

Having a content map makes it easier to share the envisioned outcome of the site among the entire team. When building content marketing strategies, it’s rare for someone to work alone on the site unless they are highly experienced and accustomed to the task. Usually, the site creation is a collaborative effort.

With a content map, the final vision can be shared among team members, making the creation process smoother. The content map also allows for the division of tasks within the content marketing creation, making it possible to assign different sections to different team members.

To Design Pathways Leading to Conversion

A content map is essential for designing efficient pathways that lead to conversions.

While website traffic is crucial for any business site, conversions are even more critical. How well you can engage users to click on links to your products after they visit your site often determines whether they will end up purchasing your services or products.

With a content map in place, users can navigate to the next link without hesitation, which in turn increases conversions.

Key Points for Creating a Content Map

Before creating a content map, there are two essential points you need to consider.

• Set a persona
• Ensure alignment with the content

Setting a Persona

One critical aspect to keep in mind when creating a content map is the persona of the site visitors. A persona includes user characteristics such as gender, age, their needs, and the purpose of their visit to the site, detailed as specifically as possible.

By setting a clear persona, you can create a content map that aligns well with it. Conversely, starting the content map creation without setting a persona might result in not achieving the expected conversion rates or ending up with a map that goes in the wrong direction.

Ensuring Alignment with Content

While related to setting a persona, it’s also crucial to continually ensure that the content map does not deviate from the intended content.

Especially when creating a content map with a substantial volume of content, you must always consider whether each piece of content is necessary for the site. Creating a large amount of content can sometimes lead to losing focus and deviating from the intended direction, so careful attention is needed.

Steps for Creating a Content Map

The process for creating a content map is as follows.

• Set a persona
• Identify all potential content
• Thoroughly review the content
• Design the overall user pathway
• Integrate the content into the map

Set a Persona

The first step in creating a content map is setting a persona. It is essential to clearly define the characteristics of the content marketing users, such as age, gender, and interests, in as much detail as possible.

Identify All Potential Content

Once the persona is set, the next step is to identify potential content. This involves exhaustively listing content that is likely to resonate with the defined persona. It is important to focus on the quantity of content ideas at this stage, considering what the users might find interesting, regardless of the precision of the content details.

Thoroughly Review the Content

Next, review each piece of content thoroughly. You need to objectively consider whether the anticipated users truly need or want this content.

During this review, it can be helpful to search similar topics on Google to see what articles are ranking highly as a reference. Also, reviewing content is more effective when done as a team rather than individually, as this can increase the accuracy and relevance of the content.

Design the Overall User Pathway

After thoroughly identifying all the content, the next step is to design the overall site navigation. The key task here is called grouping, where you categorize similar types of content together. For example, in the health sector, you might group content into categories like methods for staying healthy and healthy eating.

Scattered information throughout the site can overburden Google’s crawling bots, negatively impacting your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and, consequently, reducing visitor traffic. Therefore, it is crucial to group similar items together to avoid such issues.

Integrate the Content into the Map

Once you’ve reached this point, the final step is to actually translate it into content, and then your content map is complete. A practical way to do this is to create a diagram of the groups you’ve just grouped together.

When doing this, a key point to check is whether the people visiting your site will seamlessly transition to purchasing your company’s services or products along this flow. If there are any potential stumbling blocks, review the navigation or the content itself. Once that’s all done, your content map is ready to go.

Tools for Creating Content Maps

The following are three tools commonly used for creating content maps.

• Excel or Google Sheets
• CaCoo
• MindMeister

Excel or Google Sheets. 

When creating a content map, convenient tools include Excel or Google Spreadsheet . Excel is suitable for Windows users, while Google Sheets can be used on MacBook. Both are multifunctional and user-friendly, so unless you have specific preferences, either should work without issues.

Cacco. 

Cacco is a tool that allows you to organize your thoughts and create maps in real-time with others. It offers simple operations and a variety of diagram options, making it easy for anyone to create content maps.

MindMeister. 

MindMeister is a tool developed for anyone using the web, greatly aiding in the creation of mind maps and content maps. It allows you to diagram terms hierarchically, which can be helpful for organizing thoughts.

Summary

Content maps visualize the content within a site, making it clear what content is located where, which is indispensable for those managing personal or company websites. They make it easier for visitors to find content and move to subsequent links, potentially increasing site conversions. Consider creating a content map when building a new site or during site renewal.

Author Profile

Mr. Takeshi Amano, CEO of Admano Co., Ltd.

Mr. Takeshi Amano is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at Nihon University. With 12 years of experience working in the advertising agency industry, he discovered SEO and began his research during the early days of SEO. He self-taught and conducted experiments and verifications on over 100 websites. Using this expertise, he founded Admano Co., Ltd., which is currently in its 11th year of operation. Mr. Amano handles sales, SEO consulting, web analytics (holding the Google Analytics Individual Qualification certification), coding, and website development. The company has successfully managed SEO strategies for over 2000 websites to date.

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