Keyword mapping • Editorial operations
Keyword-Led Content Strategy for UK Schools: Entity-First, Seasonality-Smart & MAT-Ready
Published by SEO for Schools • Author: Paul Delaney
Most schools have pages; few have a
Mindset: entities, intents and tasks
Think “entities”, not strings
Anchor the strategy on named things (Admissions, Term Dates, Absence, SEND, Uniform, Ofsted, Sixth Form). Each entity owns a hub, with spokes for sub-entities (e.g., Admissions → In-Year, Appeals, Open Evenings).
Intent before volume
Volume is directional. The deciding factor is task importance and seasonality. A low-volume query like “report absence [school]” can be high-impact if it reduces calls.
Plain English & accessibility
Write like GOV. UK: short sentences, front-loaded nouns, no jargon. Pair on-page HTML answers with optional PDFs. This boosts mobile comprehension and reduces bounces.
Inventory: what you have vs what parents need
Page & query inventory
- Export all live URLs by section (Admissions, Curriculum, Policies, News).
- GSC → Performance → export queries per section. (GSC performance)
- List top tasks from office emails/phones and site-search logs.
Gap spotting
- Term Dates only PDF? Add an on-page HTML table + optional printable.
- Admissions hub missing Open Evening info? Create an Event spoke.
- Absence page is a paragraph? Add form + phone + policy excerpt.
Entity & intent clustering (parents, students, staff)
| Entity (Hub) | Audience | Core intents | Synonyms | Context entities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admissions | Parents | apply year 7, admissions process, deadlines | secondary transfer, application form | open evenings, catchment, oversubscription, appeals, LA portal |
| Term Dates | Parents/Staff | term dates 2025/26, inset days, calendar | school holidays [town] | bank holidays, exam windows, early finish |
| Attendance & Absence | Parents | report absence, reasons, penalties | attendance policy, illness guidance | DfE guidance, medical appointments, fines |
Keep clusters tight. If two clusters share most intents, merge them and use sub-sections. One canonical hub wins the query family; spokes are for depth, not for duplicating the hub’s keywords.
Hub-and-spoke architecture (canonical control)
Hub rules
- Answer the main task on the page (no PDF-only basics).
- Clear sections; jump links for mobile scanning.
- Prominent actions (LA portal link, form, event booking).
- Breadcrumbs on all spokes pointing home → hub → spoke.
Spoke rules
- Each spoke covers a sub-task (Appeals, Open Evenings, Sixth Form).
- Canonical is the hub unless the spoke is standalone (e.g., an Event).
- Link back to the hub in the first paragraph via descriptive anchor.
Anti-cannibalisation: avoid creating multiple pages called “Admissions” or “Latest News” that target the same queries. Prefer an evergreen hub with unique event pages linked in.
Title/H1 systems that survive rewrites
Patterns
- Admissions: Admissions: How to Apply for Year 7 | [School]
- Term Dates: Term Dates [YEAR/YEAR+1] & INSET Days | [School]
- Absence: Report a Pupil Absence | Attendance Guidance | [School]
- Open Evening: Open Evening [Month Year] — Book a Visit | [School]
Practical guard-rails
- Lead with the task; brand last unless it clarifies.
- Front-load nouns; use sentence case; aim for ~50–60 core characters.
- H1 must reflect the same task (not necessarily identical).
Google may alter the title link if your title is low quality or misleading. See Control your title links.
Seasonality: admissions, roll-over, exams & attendance
| Window | Entity focus | Actions | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| July–Sept | Term Dates roll-over | Update tokens in titles/H1s; verify INSET; add printable PDF; homepage link | CTR for “term dates [year]”; site-search exits down |
| Aug–Nov | Admissions & Open Evenings | Refresh hub; publish event pages with Event schema; add FAQs; internal links from news | Admissions CTR; click-outs to LA; event bookings |
| Sept–Jan | Attendance & Absence | Inline form; policy excerpt; illness guidance; phone/email in first screenful | Call volume down; GSC impressions for “report absence” up |
| Apr–June | Exams & Results | Exam timetables; revision guides; results day instructions | Time on relevant pages; PAA presence for Q&As |
Briefs, component content & schema that help
Brief template (copy & adapt)
- Target cluster, audience, primary task
- Title/H1 pattern + token rules (years, months)
- Sections outline with entity prompts (Core/Synonyms/Context)
- Components: table (dates), callouts (contacts), form (absence), event card
- Internal links (hub ↔ spokes), breadcrumb
- Schema if visible on page (FAQ/Event/HowTo)
Helpful schema only
- FAQPage for genuine Q&As you display
- Event for open evenings (date, time, location)
- HowTo for step-by-step “How to apply” if steps exist
Follow Google’s structured data policies; don’t mark up hidden content. Search appearance.
Internal link governance (anchors, breadcrumbs, cards)
| Anchor type | Example | Where to use | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Descriptive | Book our Year 7 open evening | Admissions hub → event page | Prefer plain, action-led phrasing |
| Partial-match | Admissions and how to apply | Related pages/news | Vary wording; avoid repetitive exact matches |
| Branded | [School] Admissions | Navigation/breadcrumbs | One brand mention is enough |
| Exact-match | term dates 2025/26 | Occasionally in tables/lists | Use sparingly; keep it natural |
MAT governance: pattern libraries, tokens, QA cadences
Pattern library contents
- Approved titles/H1s for core templates (Admissions, Term Dates, Absence, SEND)
- Anchor taxonomy examples
- Academic year tokens (
[YEAR/YEAR+1]) + roll-over dates - Components catalogue (dates table, absence form, event card)
Operating cadence
- Monthly: GSC CTR by cluster; duplicates per query
- Termly: Pattern review; add new FAQs from support inbox
- Annual: Roll-over tokens in July; audit PDFs and on-page summaries
Measurement: CTR, duplicates, task completion
Leading indicators
- CTR ↑ for hub queries after title/H1 alignment
- Duplicate URLs per query ↓ (fewer competing pages)
- Rich results appearances (FAQ/Event) where applicable
Lagging indicators
- Office calls/emails about basics ↓
- Event bookings / LA portal click-outs ↑
- Form submissions (absence, contact) ↑
Use GSC for search behaviour and GA4 for on-site actions. (GSC Performance)
Print-screen matrices & checklists
Entity → Hub/Spoke Matrix (Example)
Screenshot or print| Entity | Hub URL | Spokes | Components | Tokens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admissions | /admissions/ | In-Year, Appeals, Sixth Form, Open Evenings | Steps list, LA link, event card, FAQ | [MONTH], [YEAR] |
| Term Dates | /term-dates/ | Calendar (optional) | HTML table + PDF | [YEAR/YEAR+1] |
| Absence | /attendance-absence/ | Form | Inline form, phone, policy digest | — |
| SEND | /send/ | Provision, Contacts | Contacts card, Local Offer link | — |
Content QA — 14 Tests
Screenshot or print- Title leads with the task; brand last
- H1 reflects the same task
- Intro explains “what you’ll find/do”
- On-page HTML answers (PDF optional)
- Clear actions (form, LA link, booking)
- Breadcrumbs and hub ↔ spoke links
- Descriptive, varied anchors
- Academic year tokens correct
- Mobile scan passes (first screen helpful)
- No duplicate pages for same query family
- Schema used only for visible content
- Accessibility basics (contrast, link text)
- Updated date shown where time-sensitive
- Change logged with owner & review date
FAQs
Do we need separate pages for each year group?
Only where content differs significantly (e.g., Sixth Form vs Year 7). Otherwise use sections on a single hub and internal anchors from navigation.
Should we create “SEO articles” for every synonym?
No. Synonyms inform wording within the hub. Multiple thin pages dilute authority and confuse parents.
How do we manage PDFs?
Keep statutory PDFs, but pair them with on-page HTML summaries. This helps mobile users and improves indexing.
What about multi-campus schools?
Keep one hub when the policy/process is shared. Add campus sections or parameterised components if details vary (contacts, open evening dates).
Need practical SEO support?
Speak With Paul Delaney
Paul Delaney helps schools turn complex SEO into simple, effective actions. As a guest writer for SEO for Schools, Paul shares step-by-step playbooks and evidence-based guidance that busy teams can apply immediately. With three decades’ experience working with UK and international institutions, he understands the challenges school teams face and is well positioned to offer support and guidance.
For our readers, Paul offers free 30-minute sessions for institutions exploring how to raise visibility, strengthen brand trust and streamline admissions. Sessions are practical, jargon-free and free from sales pressure. You can contact him using the buttons below—please mention SEOforSchools.co.uk.
