Keyword mapping • Intent clustering
Organising Keywords by Relevance & Intent: A Practical System for UK Schools (Hubs, Clusters, Governance)
Published by SEO for Schools • Author: Paul Delaney
Stop juggling long lists of terms. This guide shows how to turn messy keywords into intent clusters that drive your site architecture: hubs for Admissions, Term Dates, Absence, SEND and more. You’ll prioritise by impact, design titles and internal links that match real parent tasks, and scale the system across a multi-academy trust. Everything is UK-focused and aligned with Google’s Search Essentials and plain-English content design.
Principles: intent over keywords, tasks over tricks
Intent first
Parents search to do something: apply, check dates, report absence. Clusters reflect these tasks. Google rewards helpful, descriptive content— not keyword stuffing. See Search Essentials.
Relevance bands
Within a task cluster, group terms by relevance: Core (primary phrasing), Synonyms (natural variants), and Context (supporting entities like “INSET days”, “catchment”).
Seasonality
Admissions and open evenings peak Aug–Nov; term dates spike each roll-over; absence queries rise in Sept/Jan. Prioritise content when demand is highest.
Write in plain English per GOV. UK style: short sentences, task-first headings, and front-loaded nouns. GOV. UK: Content design.
Collect queries the right way (GSC + SERP + site search)
Sources to use
- Google Search Console → Performance → Queries (filter: admissions, term dates, absence, safeguarding, uniform, ofsted)
- Live SERPs (incognito, mobile & desktop) for your town and nearby LAs (observe PAA, local packs, sitelinks)
- Site search logs and inbound emails/phone logs for phrasing used by parents
- LA/GOV. UK portals for official terminology (e.g., in-year admissions, appeals)
Reference: GSC Performance report.
What to ignore
- Keyword lists with no intent labels
- Unvetted volume estimates (treat as directional only)
- Temptation to create “SEO pages” that duplicate hubs
Cluster by intent & relevance (parents, students, staff)
| Cluster (Task) | Audience | Core terms | Synonyms | Context entities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admissions (Year 7) | Parents | apply year 7, year 7 admissions, school admissions [town] | secondary admissions, application form, transition | open evening, catchment, oversubscription, deadlines, appeals |
| Term Dates | Parents/Staff | term dates [year], school holidays [town] | inset days, school calendar | bank holidays, exam dates, early finish |
| Absence | Parents | report a pupil absence, absence line | attendance policy, illness guidance | DfE guidance, medical appointments, penalties |
Keep clusters tight. If two clusters share 80% of terms and intent, combine them and use sections (e.g., Admissions hub with In-year and Appeals subsections).
Design hubs and spokes from clusters
Hub rules
- One canonical hub per task (answers on the page; no PDF-only basics)
- Sections for sub-tasks: In-year admissions, Appeals, Sixth Form, Open Evenings
- Prominent action links (LA portal, forms) and internal links to spokes
Spoke rules
- Spokes cover a specific sub-task in depth (e.g., Appeals)
- Use breadcrumb and clear return link to the hub
- No attempt to rank for the hub’s core keywords
Google’s guidance is to help people complete their task and provide descriptive titles—not to repeat keywords. See SEO Starter Guide.
Prioritise with an Impact × Effort model (seasonality-aware)
| Cluster | Impact | Effort | Season | Priority | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admissions hub refresh | High | Medium | Aug–Nov | 1 | Peak demand; improves CTR and conversions |
| Term dates roll-over | High | Low | July–Sept | 1 | Tokenised titles; big query volume |
| Absence form & policy | Medium | Low | Sept–Jan | 2 | Reduces calls; task completion |
| SEND and Local Offer | Medium | Medium | All year | 2 | Clear public duty; trust |
Write titles/H1s from clusters (brand last)
Patterns (copy & adapt)
- 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]
- SEND: SEND Information & Support | [School]
H1 & intro
- H1 reflects the task: “Term dates 2025/26”
- Intro explains what’s on the page and any action required
- Avoid copy-pasting the title; keep both natural and clear
Google may change the title link if your title is low quality or misleading. Title link best practices.
Internal links that reflect intent (anchor taxonomy)
| Type | Anchor example | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Descriptive | Book our Year 7 open evening | From Admissions hub to event page |
| Partial-match | Admissions and how to apply | Contextual links in relevant pages |
| Branded | [School] Admissions | Navigation and breadcrumbs |
| Exact-match | term dates [town] | Occasionally; avoid repetition |
Governance for MATs (patterns, roll-over, QA)
Pattern library
- Approved title/H1 patterns per template
- Anchor examples for internal linking
- Entity dictionary (Admissions, Term Dates, Absence, SEND…)
Quality gates
- Unique per URL; no boilerplate
- Tokenised academic years
- FAQ/HowTo schema only if content exists
Measure lift in Search Console
Workflow
- Group URLs by cluster (Admissions, Term Dates…)
- GSC → Performance: filter by page group or regex
- Compare matched months (e.g., Sept vs Sept)
- Track impressions, CTR, average position and duplicate URLs per query
Expected outcomes
- Higher CTR for task queries
- More PAA/FAQ appearances where you add Q&As
- Fewer pages per query (reduced cannibalisation)
Print-screen matrices & checklists
Intent Clustering — 8 Rules
Screenshot or print this card- Start with tasks (Admissions, Term Dates, Absence, SEND).
- Split by audience (Parents, Students, Staff) only if wording differs.
- Label Core / Synonyms / Context entities.
- Design one hub per task; spokes for sub-tasks.
- Write titles from the cluster; brand last.
- Use descriptive anchors; avoid generic “click here”.
- Tokenise academic years; plan roll-over.
- Measure cluster CTR and duplicate URLs in GSC.
Cluster → Page Matrix (Example)
Screenshot or print this card| Cluster | Hub URL | Spokes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admissions | /admissions/ | /admissions/in-year/, /admissions/appeals/, /admissions/open-evenings/ | Link to LA portal |
| Term Dates | /term-dates/ | /calendar/ (optional) | On-page table + printable PDF |
| Absence | /attendance-absence/ | /attendance-absence/form/ | Phone, email, policy |
FAQs
How many clusters should a small school have?
Start with 6–8 core tasks (Admissions, Term Dates, Absence, Safeguarding, SEND, Uniform, Ofsted, Contact). Add spokes only when needed.
Do I create separate pages for each synonym?
No. Synonyms inform headings and body copy. Keep one hub per task and avoid duplication.
What if parents use the LA portal?
Keep an Admissions hub explaining your process and linking to the LA. Parents still search your brand; your page sets expectations and reduces calls.
Can we add campus-specific admissions pages?
Only if content differs (contacts, catchment, open evening details). Otherwise use one hub with campus sections.
How often should clusters be reviewed?
Termly and at academic year roll-over; also after major updates or new programmes (e.g., Sixth Form changes).
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.
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