MeshrBeta
Feature Guide

CSV Upload Guide

Control how our AI generates internal linking suggestions by uploading keyword rules via CSV

What is CSV Upload?

CSV upload allows you to upload a file containing target URLs and keywords to control how our AI generates internal linking suggestions. Instead of letting the AI decide everything automatically, you can specify which pages should be linked and what keywords should be used as anchor text.

Why Use CSV Upload?

  • Control: You decide which pages get linked and with what keywords
  • Priority: Set importance levels (1-10) for different target pages
  • Consistency: Ensure important pages get linked consistently across your site
  • Brand Alignment: Use your preferred terminology and keywords

How It Works

  1. Upload Your CSV: During website setup, upload a CSV file with your keyword rules
  2. Configure Distribution: Set how suggestions are split between exact matches, phrase matches, and semantic matches
  3. Automatic Processing: After crawling, the system uses your keywords to generate link suggestions
  4. Review & Apply: Review the suggestions and apply them to your site

CSV Format

Your CSV file must have three columns:

Required Columns

  1. target_url - The page URL you want to link TO (can be full URL or relative path)
  2. priority - Importance level from 1-10 (10 = highest priority)
  3. keywords - Comma-separated list of keywords to use as anchor text (wrap in quotes if keywords contain commas)

Example CSV

target_url,priority,keywords
https://example.com/guides/,10,"best practices,SEO tips,internal linking,link strategy"
https://example.com/products/,8,"link checker,internal linking tool,anchor text,link analysis"
https://example.com/blog/,5,"content strategy,link building,on-page SEO,technical SEO"
https://example.com/docs/,7,"documentation,technical guide,API reference,developer guide"
/tutorials/,9,"tutorial,step by step,how to guide,beginners guide"

Format Rules

  • • Header row required: First row must contain column names: target_url,priority,keywords
  • • URLs: Can be full URLs (https://example.com/page) or relative paths (/page)
  • • Priority: Must be a number between 1 and 10
  • • Keywords: Multiple keywords separated by commas, wrapped in quotes if they contain commas
  • • File size: Maximum 10MB
  • • File type: Must be a .csv file

Anchor Distribution Settings

After uploading your CSV, you'll configure how suggestions are distributed:

Exact Match

Default: 40%

Matches keywords exactly as written. Highest confidence, most precise.

Example: Keyword "internal linking" matches "internal linking" in content

Phrase Match

Default: 40%

Flexible matching with some word spacing. Still high confidence.

Example: Keyword "anchor text optimization" matches "anchor text and optimization" in content

Semantic Match

Default: 20%

AI-powered contextual matching. Uses similar meaning even if exact words don't match.

Example: Keyword "link building" might match "creating connections" in content

Important: Percentages must add up to 100%

Step-by-Step Process

1Prepare Your CSV File

Create a CSV file with your target URLs and keywords. You can use the sample CSV template provided in the upload interface, create your own CSV file, or export from a spreadsheet tool (Excel, Google Sheets).

2Upload During Website Setup

  1. Navigate to the "Keyword Rules" step during website creation
  2. Click "Download Sample CSV" to see the format
  3. Select your CSV file
  4. Click "Upload CSV"
  5. Wait for validation (you'll see how many rules were loaded)

3Configure Distribution

Adjust the sliders to set your preferred distribution:

  • Exact Match: How many suggestions should use exact keyword matches
  • Phrase Match: How many should use flexible phrase matches
  • Semantic Match: How many should use AI semantic matching

4Complete Setup

Click "Continue" to proceed. Your CSV file and distribution settings will be saved with your domain.

5Processing

After your site is crawled:

  • Your CSV file is processed automatically
  • Only target URLs that exist on your site are used
  • Link suggestions are generated using your keywords
  • Suggestions follow your distribution settings

Best Practices

1. Use Specific Keywords

Good: "internal linking strategy", "anchor text optimization"

Avoid: "link", "page", "click here"

2. Set Appropriate Priorities

  • • 10: Critical pages (homepage, main product pages)
  • • 8-9: Important pages (category pages, key blog posts)
  • • 5-7: Standard pages (regular blog posts, documentation)
  • • 1-4: Supporting pages (archives, tag pages)

3. Include Multiple Keywords

Add 3-5 relevant keywords per target URL to increase match opportunities:

target_url,priority,keywords
/blog/seo-guide/,9,"SEO guide,search optimization,SEO tips,SEO best practices"

4. Use Relative URLs

Relative URLs (/page) are more flexible than full URLs (https://example.com/page)

5. Validate URLs First

Make sure your target URLs actually exist on your site before uploading

Common Questions

Q: What if a target URL doesn't exist?

A: The system will skip that row and continue processing other URLs. Make sure your target URLs exist on your site before uploading.

Q: Can I update my CSV after upload?

A: Yes, you can upload a new CSV file. The new file will replace the previous one for your domain.

Q: What if keywords don't appear in content?

A: The system will skip those keywords and use semantic matching to fill remaining slots.

Q: Can I use the same keyword for multiple targets?

A: Yes, but the system will prioritize based on the target URL's priority setting.

Q: How many keywords should I include?

A: We recommend 3-5 keywords per target URL for best results.

Q: What happens if I don't upload a CSV?

A: The system will use 100% semantic matching (AI-powered suggestions) for all pages.

Troubleshooting

Upload Failed: "File must be CSV format"

  • Ensure your file has a .csv extension
  • Check that you're not uploading an Excel file (.xlsx) - export it as CSV first

Upload Failed: "File size must be less than 10MB"

  • Reduce the number of rows in your CSV
  • Remove unnecessary columns
  • Compress the file if needed

Upload Failed: "CSV must have header row"

  • Add a header row as the first line: target_url,priority,keywords
  • Ensure there are no blank lines before the header

Upload Failed: "priority must be 1-10"

  • Check that all priority values are numbers between 1 and 10
  • Remove any text or decimal values in the priority column

No Suggestions Generated

  • Verify target URLs exist in your crawled pages
  • Check that keywords appear in page content
  • Review your distribution settings (might be set to 100% semantic)

Wrong Anchor Text Selected

  • Ensure keywords appear in body content (not just headings)
  • Use more specific keywords
  • Check that keywords aren't in existing links

Example Use Cases

E-commerce Site

target_url,priority,keywords
/products/,10,"shop,products,buy online,product catalog"
/category/electronics/,9,"electronics,tech products,electronic devices"
/blog/buying-guide/,8,"buying guide,purchase guide,how to buy"

Blog Site

target_url,priority,keywords
/blog/,10,"blog,articles,posts,content"
/blog/category/seo/,9,"SEO articles,SEO content,SEO tips"
/about/,7,"about us,our story,company information"

Documentation Site

target_url,priority,keywords
/docs/getting-started/,10,"getting started,quick start,beginner guide"
/docs/api/,9,"API documentation,API reference,API guide"
/docs/tutorials/,8,"tutorials,how to guides,step by step"

Need Help?

If you're having trouble with CSV upload:

  • Download the sample CSV to see the correct format
  • Check that your file matches the format exactly
  • Verify your URLs exist on your site
  • Ensure keywords are relevant to your content

For technical support, contact our support team with:

  • Your CSV file (if possible)
  • Error messages you're seeing
  • Domain URL you're working with

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