How To Build a Topic Cluster in 5 Steps
To be seen as an expert by users and search engines, you need more than just?useful?content—you?need to?connect your content well.?This?means creating topic clusters.
This guide will show you?what a topic cluster is, how to make one, why?it’s important, and some real-life examples of successful topic clusters.
What is a Topic Cluster?
A topic cluster is a group of related pages about a specific subject. It shows your expertise and helps users find all the?information they need?without leaving your site.
A topic cluster has three parts:
- The main page (pillar page)
- Supporting pages
- Internal links connecting the cluster
Here’s?an example from Ocean Power ltd Agency:
The pillar page, Ocean?Power's?SEO page, covers SEO services in detail. They have many articles on related subtopics like local SEO, SEO audit, and gambling SEO, all linked from the pillar page.?This?helps readers find everything they need about SEO services on Ocean?Power’s?site, making it an authority?on the topic.
You might hear other terms like content hubs, the hub and spokes model, or content silos. These all mean the same thing—linking related content into groups to boost their search engine ranking.
Benefits of Topic Clusters for SEO
Topic clusters group-related content around a?main?theme, making your site easier to navigate and helping establish your authority on the subject.
Being an authority means showing in-depth knowledge on a topic, which tells search engines your content is reliable and thorough.?This?can improve your search rankings. It also makes it easier for users to find what they need, enhancing their experience on your site.
Creating topic clusters helps with a?key?change in SEO: moving from keyword-focused to topic-focused strategies.
In the past, SEO was all about targeting specific keywords.?Writers would?use a keyword repeatedly in their articles to try?to rank higher.?But now, with updates like?Google's?Hummingbird, search engines look more at the overall topic and context.
Modern search engines understand user intent and how different ideas connect. By grouping related content into clusters, you show expertise on a subject, which helps meet?Google's?E-E-A-T?(Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) guidelines and improve your rankings.
6 Steps to Create Effective Topic Clusters
Here’s?how to build an effective topic cluster using a practical example. You can adapt these steps to fit your niche.
Let’s?say?you’re?starting a website focused on SEO services and want to create your first topic cluster.?Here’s?what you would do:
1. Identify Core Topics
Pick core topics that align with your business goals and audience needs.
Ask yourself: What do you want to be known for? What do you want to build authority around?
Think about the products and services you offer to generate initial keywords.
These initial keywords should be closely related to what your audience is looking for.
For an SEO-focused website, some core keywords might be?"local SEO," "SEO audit," "on-page SEO,"?and?"off-page SEO."
Use your knowledge and research to find relevant topics and generate these initial keywords. Tools like Ahrefs can help by suggesting related topics when you input your?main?keyword.
The key here is to choose core topics that are broad enough to allow for multiple articles but still focused on a single concept.
For example, a marketing website could have?"SEO services"?as a core topic.?It’s?specific enough to stay focused but broad enough to cover many subtopics.
2. Create a Topical Map
Now that?we’ve?chosen intermittent fasting as our core topic,?it’s?time to plan the pillar?page?and?the?supporting pages that will form a cluster.?Your topical map is a layout of content clusters for your website.
Start by searching for?"SEO services"?on Google. Check?Google's?related searches to understand what people are looking for.
Note topics like?"SEO services companies," "SEO services list,"?and?"professional SEO services."?These give us several subtopics to cover.
Ignore navigational searches like?"SEO services GoDaddy"?since clusters should focus on informational and commercial searches related to your offerings.
You can also use?Google’s?autocomplete to find subtopics, although they will likely be similar to related searches.
Next, check the related keywords suggested by Keyword Explorer, usually shown on the right side of the search results.
You might find many keyword suggestions, such as:
- Local SEO services
-?Ecommerce?SEO services
These subtopics are good candidates for supporting cluster pages.
Conduct keyword research to find relevant keywords for each cluster page.
Organize this information in a spreadsheet to create your topical map. Include your pillar page, supporting pages, and the keywords for each.
You can search for specific keywords to get more suggestions, helping?to refine the main topics for each article.
Your topical map should be detailed, identifying as many subtopics as possible. This stage requires time and effort but is crucial for a?successful?cluster.
Finally, build your cluster content.
3. Create a Pillar Page
A pillar page is the core of a topic cluster. It offers a comprehensive overview of the topic and directs readers to detailed supporting content.
Using our example, the pillar page could be titled?"Affordable SEO services for small businesses"
This page should give a broad overview of the topic, while the supporting pages dive into specific details.
To start, plan your pillar page carefully. Outline all relevant subtopics and determine how you will link to the supporting pages.
When you begin writing, keep these tips in mind:
- Use header tags (H2, H3, etc.) to organize subtopics and create a clear structure
- Include a table of contents to help readers navigate the article
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- Optimize the title, headings, and metadata with relevant keywords
- Insert internal links naturally and use descriptive anchor text
- Enhance readability with lists, tables, images, and similar elements
Pillar pages are usually longer than regular blog posts, often exceeding 2,200 words, so be prepared to invest significant time in writing them.
4. Create Supporting Cluster Pages
Once the pillar page is ready, the next step is to develop the supporting content.
Supporting pages are for readers who want detailed information and are further along in their consumer journey. These pages dive into specifics that the pillar page only touches on.
For instance, if one of your supporting topics is?"local SEO services,"?the pillar page might list them briefly, while a supporting page would explore their benefits in detail.
There?isn’t?a set number of supporting pages you need. The goal is to cover the topic from multiple perspectives without repeating information.
Each supporting page should focus on a single topic and target a unique set of keywords to avoid keyword cannibalization. Cannibalization occurs when multiple pages compete for the same keywords, which can hurt their search rankings. This is why a well-planned topical map is important.
Choose specific keywords for each article to avoid overlap with other pages. Then, start writing. Creating these pages takes time, but you can streamline the process with tools like AI to help you write efficiently.
5. Link Related Pages Together
After creating your pillar and supporting pages,?it's?time to connect them with internal links.
Here’s?a proven method:
- Link each supporting page back to the pillar page.
- Connect supporting pages in a sequence. For example, page A links to page B, page B links to page C, and so on.
This approach enhances the flow of link equity among the pages and highlights the pillar page since all supporting pages link back to it.
Grouping related pages into clusters and linking them should be straightforward. Make sure each cluster is focused, but?it’s?fine to link to relevant pages outside the cluster if they add value.
Avoid over-linking, which can dilute the?cluster's?focus.
When adding links, use descriptive anchor text. Instead of generic phrases like:
- Click here
- Read more
- Check out this article
Use natural, contextual text that indicates the content of the linked page.
Descriptive anchor text is key for an effective topic cluster strategy. It provides context for your pages and is a significant ranking factor.?Google’s?crawlers use anchor text to understand link relevance, so following these guidelines will yield the best results.
6. Audit Your Existing Content
Our example with a digital marketing website assumes?you’re?starting fresh, but what if you already have content on your site?
If you have existing content, evaluate and organize your pages based on their main topics. This allows you to form topic clusters more quickly.
Here’s?what to do:
- Review your current content and see how it fits into potential clusters.
- Identify if you have articles that could act as supporting pages but lack a pillar page.
- If?you’re?missing a pillar page, create a comprehensive piece to serve as the central hub and link your supporting content to it.
Sometimes,?you’ll?find you need more content to complete a cluster. In that case, return to the research stage to fill in the gaps. Make sure to cover the topic thoroughly and link the pieces together as previously explained.
How Many Topic Clusters Should You Create?
Aim to create 5-10 topic clusters that cover your?website’s?main themes. This is a general guideline; the exact number will depend on factors like:
- The information Google considers relevant to your topic
- The clusters and pages your competitors have
- The availability of topics in your niche and your existing content
Begin with clusters based on long-tail keywords that have lower search volume and competition. This allows you to establish a foothold in your niche, which you can expand as you gain more authority.
As your pages start to rank higher in search results, you can begin targeting more competitive keywords and topics to build additional clusters.
Key Takeaways
Topic clusters are essential for effective SEO and your overall content marketing strategy. They help organize your website, making it easier for both users and search engines to navigate.
Here are the main points:
- Build Around Specific Subjects: Each topic cluster should focus on a subject related to your business. It includes a pillar page and supporting pages that offer detailed information for users further along in the buyer's journey.
- Start with Broad Topics: Begin by selecting a broad topic that can be divided into related subtopics. Develop a topical map to guide your content creation.
- Use Keyword Research Tools: Utilize free keyword research tools to generate content ideas and plan your pillar and supporting pages. Start with less competitive keywords to gain traction in search results, then target more competitive keywords as you grow.
- Create a Comprehensive Pillar Page: Your pillar page should be a long-form piece that provides an overview of the main topic and introduces subtopics covered by the supporting pages.
- Focus on Detailed Subtopics: Each supporting page should delve into a specific subtopic in greater detail.
- Link Content Properly: Use internal links to connect your cluster content. The pillar page should link to all supporting pages, and these pages should link back to the pillar and each other in a sequential manner.
Conclusion
Creating a topic cluster requires time and careful planning, but the benefits are worth the effort. A well-structured site with quality content makes it easier for search engines to index your pages and establish your topical authority.
Start with low-competition topics and be patient as you build your way up. Establish your site's reputation as an expert in your field, and higher search rankings will follow.