Last Updated on December 10, 2024
Creating content clusters isn’t just about ranking for individual keywords, it’s about establishing topical authority in your niche.
What is content clustering
Content clustering is a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy that helps optimize a website’s structure and internal linking by organizing its content into clusters of related pages around a central main topic.
The “pillar page” is the main page of a website that covers a broad topic in detail and acts as a central hub for a particular topic which provides an extensive overview of the whole topic. On the other hand, content clusters are a group of interlinked content pieces that center on a main “pillar page.” The pillar page acts as a pillar or foundation that supports multiple related pieces of content. A pillar page contains interlinks to all the cluster pages, which cover the subtopics.
For example:
If an individual has a page about “web development”, it would act as a pillar page containing the basic concepts of web development, and interlinks to the cluster pages about specific subtopics like “HTML and CSS Basics for beginners”, “how to style your website?”, “JavaScript in web development” etc.
Why do search engines favor topic-based content structures?
Content structure is very important for on-page SEO because it helps search engines and visitors understand the relevancy of the content on the webpage.
Search engines like Google always show the most helpful results to visitors. So, Search engines favor topic-based content structures since the interlinking action emphasizes that the pillar page covers descriptive information about that specific topic, and is authentic.
These topic clusters impact the search engine result pages (SERPs). In 2016, former HubSpotters Anum Hussain and Cambria did an experiment related to topic clustering. The experiment findings showed that more interlinking in webpages increases their chances of being on top rankings in search engine result pages (SERPs).
The relationship between content clusters and E-E-A-T:
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. These are some crucial elements in Google’s search engine algorithm. The search engines like Google use this as a principle to evaluate the quality of a website’s content. Content clustering helps in the strengthening of Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) by showing extensive information, and supporting internal links related to the webpage content.
Benefits of implementing a cluster strategy:
There are many benefits of implementing a content clustering strategy:
Higher ranking: According to Google’s 2022 helpful content update, websites containing more interlinks and that provide high-quality content to their visitors have more chances of ranking higher in SERPs. Search engines consider content clusters a sign of extensive information on the topic, which consequently leads to higher rankings.
Increase In keyword visibility: As multiple topics are covered within a cluster, the website has more chances to be ranked higher for a wider range of keywords related to one main topic.
Easy Navigation: Interlinking the related content makes it easier for the visitor to find more information on related topics.
Logical Structure: The organization of content into clusters makes it easier for the visitor to navigate and understand the webpage content because it creates a clear and logical flow.
Trust building: The visitor considers a website trustworthy if they find comprehensive content including the interlinks, related to that specific topic.
Increase in Page views: Extensive content and interlinks about a certain topic encourage the visitor to explore more of the website content, which consequently increases the page view.
Decrease in Bounce rates: When a visitor finds a person’s website trustworthy due to extensive details about their intent topic, they keep them on that site for a long time, which consequently decreases the bounce rate.
SEO benefits: Linking the cluster pages to the pillar page boosts the ranking potential of the pillar page.
Easier content: If an individual has to make a change in their website content, they can make changes within a cluster without changing or updating the whole content library. Moreover, the content cluster model is also scalable and allows you to expand clusters with the emergence of new subtopics.
Step 1: Identifying Your Pillar Topics
The first step to build content clusters around your target keyword is:
Choosing the Right Pillar Content:
First of all the person should identify the main products or services that their business offer. The pillar topic should align with their business goals and should attract their target audience.
For example: If the business provides software development services the pillar topics could be “web app development”, “AI and machine learning”, “Mobile app design” etc.
Evaluating search volume and competition:
Search volume: The website owner can use SEO tools like Ranklogs to identify where their business stands in the market online. Moreover, they should keep on checking the search volume of their potential pillar topics. A high search volume on search engines indicates that the topic is popular.
Competition Analysis: The website owner should also keep in mind to have a balance between search volume and keyword competition. For example, sometimes a website owner uses some keywords that are already being used by their competitors to rank for those keywords, so it can be difficult for their content to rank on top of search engine results. So they should always aim for keywords that have good search volume but not too high competition so that they have great chances of attracting the target audience to their websites.
Ensuring topic depth:
Cover enough subtopics: The website owner should make sure that their pillar topic is extensive enough to support multiple related articles and subtopics. When a website owner creates a cluster of content, they start with a pillar page, and then they create several supporting pages related to the main pillar page.
For example: If the pillar topic is “web development”. Its subtopics can be “Introduction to web development”, and “front-end vs back-end development” etc.
Long-term relevance: The website owner should choose the topic with great care. The topic should be broad enough to remain popular over time. For example “how to learn programming” is a broader topic and has potential for many subtopics, while on the other hand if they choose the topic “top programming language in 2024”, it would be a short-lived topic. Therefore, for increasing the audience traffic on the website, choosing the right main topic is very important.
Tools for topic research and validation:
Keyword research tools: The website owner can use keyword explorer tools like Ranklogs to check the search volume and identify related keywords.
Content gap analysis: Through content gap analysis the website owner can identify missing or underdeveloped topics within their content strategy. They can use SEO tools like Ranklogs to identify SEO strategies followed by their competitors. Consequently, they can fill up those gaps and can attract more audiences to their website.
Pillar content characteristics:
Long-term relevance: The user should choose the topic with great care. The topic should be broad enough to remain popular over time. For example “how to learn programming” is a broader topic and has potential for many subtopics, while on the other hand if a user chooses a topic” top programming language in 2024”, it would be a short-lived topic. Therefore, for increasing the audience traffic on the website, choosing the right main topic is very important.
Comprehensive coverage of the main topic: The pillar page should provide an in-depth overview of the topic because it acts as a central hub for the related subtopics.
Clear value proposition:
Unique selling points (USPs): The website owner should clearly state what information visitors would gain from the website’s pillar page content, e.g. is it solving a problem, spreading awareness, or providing insights, etc.? Moreover, the web owner should also highlight the expertise, unique insights, and comprehensive research that make their content unique compared to that of their competitors.
Conversion optimization opportunities: The web owner should include strategic call-to-actions (CTAs) throughout the pillar page to guide the visitors to take desired actions, e.g. downloading a resource, buying something, or taking a subscription to a newsletter.
Capturing lead: The user should use forms, popups, and gated content like webinars that visitors can access only by providing their contact details. In this way, the web owners can follow them up later.
Step 2: Keyword research for clusters:
Identifying main topic keywords:
Keyword research is very important for building a successful content cluster strategy. The web owner must find the words or phrases that best represent the main topic. The keywords should be broad enough to cover the general idea of the main topic. Moreover, keywords should be specific enough to reflect the uniqueness of the content. For example, if the pillar topic is “web development” then the specific keywords can be “full-stack development using MERN stack”, “Best web development practices in 2024”, “tips for frontend development” etc.
Understanding search intent alignment:
The web owner should make sure that their keywords align with the search intent of their target audience.
For example, if a person is looking for a guide on “how to do programming”, their content should be comprehensive enough to provide a detailed overview of the topic. This ensures that the visitors find what they are looking for and makes the website more trustworthy. Moreover, it also increases the chances of a higher ranking in search engine results.
Competitive analysis for pillar topics:
Web owners must search for the main keywords related to their pillar topic, to identify their competitors’ ranking. The user can also have an insight into how informative their competitors’ web content is. Through this way, the web owner can identify the areas where they lack. Consequently, they can follow their competitors’ strategies to improve their business website performance.
Volume vs. difficulty assessment:
The web owner should also keep in mind to have a balance between search volume and keyword competition. For example, sometimes a user uses some keywords that are already being used by their competitors to rank for those keywords, so it can be difficult for their content to rank on top of search engine results. So they should always aim for the keywords that have good search volume but not too high competition so that they have great chances of attracting the target audience to their websites.
Related Keyword Discovery
Finding semantic variations:
The user should identify different keywords and phrases that people use to search for the same topic. Even though people might use different words but are looking for the same type of information. By including variations, the website will be more likely to attract more audiences. For example, if the pillar topic is “web development”, people might also search for terms like “website creation”, “making a website” etc.
Long-tail keyword opportunities:
Long-tail keywords are comparatively longer. They have a lower search volume but have a higher intent. e.g., “organic coffee shops near me.” Long-tail keywords can drive targeted traffic and attract people with specific search intents.
Question based keywords:
These are phrases in the form of a question e.g. “What is frontend development?”, “how to code?” etc. If the person integrates these into their content, it would be easier for the visitor to directly find the answers to their questions and would make the website more reliable and trustworthy.
People also ask (PAA) analysis:
This section displays the related frequently asked questions related to the person’s queries. Web owners can use the “people also ask” section on search engine results pages (SERPs) to identify common questions related to their main keywords. They can monitor how often their content appears in these “ask me question” sections to identify whether their content is good enough to appear in this section or should they change their strategies.
Step 3: Mapping Your Cluster Structure
Content organization:
The website owner should organize the content properly on the website so that the content is easily understandable for both visitors and search engines.
Creating content hierarchies:
The website owner should group the content in the form of a hierarchy or pyramid with the pillar content at the top, and it should be branched out into several subtopics, e.g. if the website’s pillar page is about “digital marketing” then their hierarchy might include subtopics like “content marketing”, “social marketing” etc.
Building relationship matrices:
A relationship matrix helps to map the connection between the pillar page and its related cluster content.
For example: if the pillar topic is “web development”, it might have links to detailed guides on “Introduction to web development”, “front-end vs back-end development” etc.
Planning internal linking structure:
Internal linking means linking related content within the same website which helps the visitors to easily navigate, and help the search engines to understand the relationship between the cluster content and the pillar page, e.g. the website owner can add hyperlinks of cluster content within the pillar page.
Identifying content gaps:
The website owner should identify if there is any gap in there provided information or not. Content gap happens when some related topics to the pillar page have not been covered yet. These content gaps can be identified through different tools like Ranklogs. These SEO tools also help in identifying their competitors’ positions and strategies. Moreover, it helps the website owner to understand in which areas they lack. Frequently auditing the websites helps to boost SEO and provide more value to the audience.
Content types within clusters:
How-to guides and tutorials:
This type of content provides step-by-step instructions on how to perform a specific task or solve a problem related to the pillar topic. These are useful for people looking for solutions to specific problems. For example, if the pillar topic is “web development”, then one of the cluster articles could be “How to create a website?”
Comparison articles:
These types of articles contain comparisons between two or more products or services so that visitors can make informed decisions. These comparison articles contain the pros and cons of either services or products that are being compared with each other. Consequently, it makes it easier for the website visitor to choose the right option. For example: for a cluster around “content marketing”, one can write the cluster article “SEMrush vs Ranklogs: which tool is better for SEO?”
Including Case studies:
The case study states a real-life example of how company’s product or service has resolved several problems or helped the customer. The website owner must include case studies in content clusters to build trust and authority, e.g. a website owner might include a cluster post “how we increased organic traffic by 200% through keyword research” under the pillar page “SEO strategies”
FAQ content:
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) articles answer the common questions related to the pillar topic, e.g. if the pillar topic is “web development”, there might be a clustered article including FAQs like “How to develop a website?”, “How to make the front end of a website?”
Step 4: Creating Your Content Strategy
Content Planning:
Content planning is very important for a website owner since it allows them to align it with seasonal trends, upcoming product launches, and marketing campaigns.
Editorial calendar planning:
An editorial calendar is a schedule that tells the website owner, which content will be published on which date, and who will create it. Editorial calendar planning helps the website owner to stay organized, and track deadlines. Tools like Ranklogs can be used to create editorial calendars.
Resource Allocation:
Resource allocation plays a significant role in the success and efficiency of one’s content strategy. Resource allocation means to allocate or assign time, personnel, and budget for maintaining or creating content. Proper resource allocation means not overburdening any team member, and allotting a balanced amount of time, and budget to content creation. For proper resource allocation, the person has to first identify the resources like personnel (writers, designers, developers, SEO specialists), and the required time and money for each content cluster. For example: some content pieces require less time but more personnel, on the other hand, some content pieces require more time but less budget, etc.
Update schedules:
An update schedule states the plan for reviewing and updating the existing content frequently, to align it with the current trends. Since the content trends change over time, and the search engine algorithms also change it is very important to regularly review and update the content to keep it fresh and competitive. For this, the website owners should set a regular schedule for reviewing old posts at least once in 6 months or on an annual basis.
Content depth Requirements:
Content depth requirements state the depth or details of one’s website content depending on the pillar topic and the cluster content. High-quality and in-depth content is considered more authoritative and is ranked higher by search engines. If one’s competitor is providing high-quality content then it is necessary to provide higher-quality content than their competitors to get a high ranking in search engine result pages (SERPs).
Content Guidelines:
It is important to create clear guidelines for one’s content to maintain the quality of content throughout the website.
Maintaining consistency across clusters:
The website owner should make sure that the whole content within a cluster maintains a uniform tone, style, and structure. They should specify whether the content should be formal, casual, or technical. When there is a Consistency throughout the cluster, it makes the navigation easier for the visitors.
Establishing content standards:
Content standards state the quality and structure of one’s web content. The content should be of high quality because it is significant for both SEO and user engagement. A website having a high level of data is considered reliable and authoritative. It helps the website to maintain a high level of professionalism.
Internal Linking:
Internal linking means linking related content within the same website. According to Google’s 2022 helpful content update, websites containing more interlinks and that provide high-quality content to their visitors have more chances of ranking higher in SERPs. Interlinking also helps the visitors and search engines to navigate the website easily. Search engines consider content clusters a sign of extensive information on the topic, which consequently leads to higher rankings.
Meta Data optimization:
Metadata consists of Meta titles (title of a webpage), Meta descriptions (information about the webpage), and Meta tags, which are essential for SEO and click-through rates (CTR). If the metadata is optimized, it helps the website rank higher in search engine result pages (SERPs). To do that, the web owners must include the target keywords and an accurate title that aligns with the content.
Step 5: implementation and optimization:
Technical considerations:
URL must be created with great care. The web owner should establish a clear and logical URL structure that reflects the content hierarchy followed in the website. A well-planned URL structure helps search engines to understand the hierarchy of the website moreover, it also helps users to navigate easily. The URL structure should follow the structure: example.com/pillar-topic/cluster-topic. Moreover, the URL should be short and should avoid special characters.
Navigation Implementation:
Effective navigation improves the visitor experience because it makes it easier for the visitors to explore the website. Moreover, it also makes it easier for search engines to understand the hierarchy of the website. The navigation system includes internal links, breadcrumb trails, etc.
Schema markup opportunities:
Schema markup is a type of code or structured microdata that can be added to a website’s HTML to help search engines understand the content, and hierarchy of the website. The addition of Schema markup helps to increase the visibility of website content in search engine results.
Choosing the right schema type e.g. article, FAQPage, depends on the type of content they have. For example, if a person is writing a tutorial about a guide to something, the website owner would use the “howto” schema type.
Site architecture alignment:
Site architecture is the structure of one’s website. It shows how the cluster pages are organized and linked together. A well-aligned website makes it easier for the visitor to navigate through the website and it also makes it easier for the search engines to understand its hierarchy.
Content creation process:
Writing brief development:
A “writing brief” is a document that provides detailed instructions for creating content. It tells about the objectives of the content, the target audience, and SEO requirements moreover, it also specifies the style and tone that is required to be used in the content. This document makes it easier for the writers to understand the objectives, target audience, tone style, etc.
Quality control measures:
Quality control measures are the processes that make sure that the content is of high quality. These processes are done before publishing the content. Good quality content increases the trustworthiness and credibility of the website.
Interlinking implementation:
Internal linking means linking related content within the same website. Websites containing more interlinks, and that provide high-quality content to their visitors have more chances of ranking higher in SERPs. Interlinking also helps the visitors and search engines to navigate the website easily. Search engines consider content clusters a sign of extensive information on the topic, which consequently leads to higher rankings.
Media enhancement strategies:
The addition of images, animations, videos, and infographics in the website content makes the content more engaging and informative for the visitor. It can increase the understanding of the visitor.
Step 6: measuring success:
It is important to have an insight into whether the content clusters are working or not. Website owners can use several tools like Ranklogs to track their website’s content position. Some of the main metrics on which the website owners should focus on are:
Organic traffic growth: organic traffic growth refers to the measurement of the number of visitors a website receives through unpaid search engine results. Organic traffic growth can be measured using several SEO tools like Google Analytics, Search Console, and Ranklogs.
Topic authority signals:
Topic authority signals are the metrics that tell us how trustworthy and authoritative one’s website or content is. Backlinks, and mentions from other reputable sites indicate that the website is credible and reliable.
User engagement metrics: User engagement metrics tell how engaging one’s website or content is. High engagement leads to better SEO performance.
Optimization opportunities:
Website owners should frequently track their website performance to stay on top rankings. And should keep their website maintained and optimized.
Content gap analysis:
Through content gap analysis the website owner can identify missing or underdeveloped topics within their content strategy. The user can use SEO tools like Ranklogs to identify SEO strategies followed by their competitors. Consequently, they can fill up those gaps and can attract more audiences.
Performance monitoring:
Performance monitoring is very important to keep the website up to date. Frequent monitoring lets website owners identify the latest trends in the market and consequently, they can make adjustments accordingly.
Update schedule: An update schedule states the plan for reviewing and updating the existing content frequently, to align it with the current trends. Since the content trends change over time, and the search engine algorithms also change it is very important to regularly review and update the content to keep it fresh and competitive. For this, the website owners should set a regular schedule for reviewing old posts at least once in 6 months or on an annual basis.
Competitor tracking: Competitor tracking helps the user see their website’s position compared to the competitors’ websites. It highlights opportunities for improvement and helps the user identify areas where they might need to adjust their SEO approach to stay ahead of the competitors.
Step 7: common challenges and solutions
Every content strategy faces challenges, but identifying and resolving them in the early stages can help us maintain a smooth workflow. Some of the common issues related to building and managing content clusters and the solutions to these problems have been given.
Dealing with overlapping topics:
Problem: Sometimes content pieces may cover similar topics which leads to redundancy.
Solution: To avoid this problem the website should be audited regularly, moreover similar articles should be combined into a single comprehensive guide.
Managing content freshness:
Problem: Sometimes content gets outdated if the website’s content isn’t managed or updated frequently.
Solution: To avoid this problem a schedule should be created to regularly review and update the content. Moreover, the content should be evergreen remain relevant over time, and require minimal changes.
Balancing depth vs breadth:
Problem: Another problem is balancing how detailed or broad a topic should be. If too much content is provided the visitor might lose interest, while too little can leave them wanting more.
Solution: To avoid this issue the website owner should first identify the ideal depth of the topic based on the user’s intent search.
Resource Allocation:
Problem: Assigning the right amount of resources like personnel, time, and budget for each content cluster can be difficult while managing multiple clusters.
Solution: The resources should be assigned according to the content performance, competition, etc. Tools like editorial calendars can be used to keep track of the progress.
Real-world example:
Neil Patel- Digital marketing:
The world’s leading digital marketer Neil Patel uses a content clustering strategy to improve his Website’s SEO performance in digital marketing.
Pillar page: “What is Digital marketing?”
Cluster content:
Some related topics to the main topics are:
“Emails marketing strategies”
“Ultimate guide to social media marketing”
“Content marketing”
Results:
By using a content clustering strategy, Neil Patel’s website has been ranked for a wide variety of marketing-related keywords. Moreover, his website’s online visibility has also been improved because of the presence of interlinks and backlinks.
Case studies:
E-Commerce site cluster implementation:
An example of an E-commerce site cluster implementation is an online grocery platform named “Lit e-commerce” which uses Google Cloud to enhance its operations like automated data analysis, rapid launch, improved communications, etc.
B2B service provider topic authority:
A fintech company “Blend” is also a great example of a B2B service provider company that successfully built topic authority using a keyword clustering strategy.
SaaS company content strategy:
Hubspot is a SaaS (software as a service) company that implemented a content clustering strategy to organize its content around the main topic.
Conclusion
In the present digital era, content clustering is a significant strategy to enhance one’s website visibility, and to increase the organic traffic on it. While following the Content clustering strategy, the person should follow some core steps like, keyword research, identifying the pillar pages, and cluster content. Moreover, the person can also use SEO tools like Ranklogs to do keyword research. After the keyword discovery, the website operator needs to organize the content into hierarchical form, create a URL to their website, and measure some key metrics to have an insight into where they stand. There are also some challenges of doing content clustering but these challenges can be avoided if the person follows the strategy with a keen eye. By implementing these strategies, one can create well-structured, and high-quality content that can attract more organic traffic and engage more users.
