Basically, a content map gives you a clearer way to plan website content. Instead of treating each page or blog post as a separate task, you can see how everything fits together and make better decisions about what to improve or create next.
And yes, as you may expect, creating one can take some time. However, it isn’t too difficult. You just need to be willing to slow down and take the time to look at your content as a whole.
In this post, we’ll look more closely at what a content map is, why it’s useful, and how to create one.
What Is a Content Map?
A content map is a planning tool, typically in the form of a spreadsheet, chart, or diagram, that shows what content exists on your website, how it’s organized, and how different pages or posts connect to each other.
It usually comes before or even alongside your content plan and content calendar. It helps you understand what’s already on your site and how well it supports the topics you want to build around, so you can make better decisions about what to publish and when.
For example, let’s say you offer website copywriting. Your content map might show your main service page, the blog posts that support it, the keywords each page targets, and which pages should link to each other.
In other words, it turns a loose group of pages into something you can actually plan around.
Why Should You Create a Content Map?
The main reason to create a content map is to help you make better decisions about your website content.
Without one, it’s easy for content to get messy over time. As your website grows, it can get harder to remember what you’ve already published and how well it supports your goals. But a content map gives you a way to step back, look at everything in one place, and catch problems that are easy to miss when you’re planning one page at a time.
Depending on what you include in your content map, it can help you spot issues like:
- Orphan pages that don’t have enough internal links pointing to them
- Keyword overlap between pages that are trying to rank for similar searches
- Content gaps where an important topic does not have enough support
- Outdated content that may need to be refreshed
When these kinds of issues are right there in front of you, your content decisions become less reactive and more grounded in what your site actually needs.
How Do You Create a Content Map?
One of the best things about creating content maps is that you don’t need any expensive tools to do so. A simple spreadsheet is usually enough.
Here are the basics of creating a content map.
1. List the content on your website
Of course, you’ll want to start by adding your existing pages and posts to your map. If you’re using a spreadsheet, have each row represent one page, and each column hold one detail about that page.
For example, if you offer website copywriting, one row in your content map might look like this:
- Page title: Website Copywriting Services
- URL: /website-copywriting-services/
- Content type: Service page
- Main topic: Website copywriting
- Target keyword: website copywriting services
- Publish date: March 12, 2025
- Last updated date: January 8, 2026
- Internal link notes: Link from homepage copy and service page copy blog posts
At this stage, don’t worry about judging the content yet. The goal is to get the pieces into one place so you can see what you’re working with.
2. Group related pages by topic
Next, group related pages together to give your content map a clear structure. The easiest way to do this is to add a “Topic group” column to your spreadsheet and give each page a broader topic label.
For example, a website copywriting site might include a topic group specifically for homepage copy, and include pages like:
- How to Write Homepage Copy
- Homepage Copy Examples
- Homepage Copy Checklist
- Website Copywriting Services
So, you’d just type in “homepage copy” in the “Topic group” column for each of these pages.
The label doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to help you review related pages as a group rather than sorting through a long list of content.
3. Review how the pages connect
Once you’ve sorted related pages into groups, look at how they currently connect. This part is mostly about internal links.
It’s often a good idea to start with the main page in the group and check which supporting pages link to it. For the homepage copy group, that might mean checking whether your homepage copy posts connect to your main website copywriting service page when it makes sense.
Then you can move on to the supporting pages themselves. See which ones link to each other, which ones have no clear connection, and which pages have very few internal links pointing to them.
At this stage, you’re not deciding what to change yet. You’re just reviewing the current internal linking structure to help you make better decisions in the next step.
4. Choose an action for each page
Once you’ve reviewed how your pages are organized and connected, choose an action for each page in your content map. You may find some good content pruning opportunities here.
You can keep this simple by adding an “Action” column to your spreadsheet, and filling out each row with labels like:
- Keep. Leave it as is because it’s still useful, accurate, and connected to the right pages.
- Update. Make small changes to reflect a new offer, better examples, or more current details.
- Refresh. Improve thin content or an older piece that still has value but needs stronger information or clearer writing.
- Combine. Merge duplicate content into one stronger page or post.
- Redirect. Send an old URL to a newer or more relevant page.
- Remove. Take down content that is too outdated, thin, or irrelevant to keep.
- Create. Add a new page or post when a topic group is missing something useful.
Action labels make the map easier to use. Instead of leaving yourself with a spreadsheet full of notes, you’ll have a clearer sense of which pages need attention and which new pieces are worth creating next.
Make Your Website Content Easier to Plan
Once your content map is all said and done, the next step is deciding what to create. You may know which topics need more support, but still need help choosing the right keywords and organizing them in a way that makes sense.
Fortunately, MarketingPal.io’s Topical Authority Content Plans are built for that part of the process. We identify relevant keywords and group them into content clusters to help you create a clearer plan for future website content.
If your content map helps you understand what you already have, a Topical Authority Content Plan can help you figure out what to build next. Contact us to get started today.
