Businesses of all sizes know the power of a good content marketing strategy. In fact, according to a report by HubSpot, 82% of companies use content marketing, and 60% of them say it’s their top inbound marketing priority.
And it’s no surprise—a consistent and effective blog builds relationships with customers, drives sales, and establishes your brand in the market. But with so much content being published each day, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to come up with content ideas that stand out in the crowd.
This is where topic clustering comes in.
Within the past decade, topic clusters emerged as a powerful marketing tool. They involve multiple, interlinked web pages covering the same overarching topic. This approach to content marketing boosts engagement and drives traffic—and it’s relatively simple to implement.
This article will discuss what topic clusters in content marketing are, how they work, and some advantages they can provide for your content strategy.
What is Topic Clustering?
Topic clustering includes a central, comprehensive blog post—or “pillar” post—that contains cross-links to subtopic blog posts that fall under the same theme. This interconnected web of content establishes authority and improves search engine rankings.
It’s a bit different from other content marketing approaches. For instance, traditional keyword-based content strategies rely on specific keywords to show up on the search engine results pages (SERP). But a few years ago, search engines began to recognize and prioritize search intent. As a result, content clusters became increasingly effective.
While keywords certainly have their place, sticking solely to a keyword marketing model can make your blog post disorganized. That’s where the topic cluster model comes in. It gives your site a solid architecture with a main blog that cross-links to informative subtopics.
Topic clusters also help with readability and search engine optimization (SEO). When visitors access your pillar post, they have a vast resource for the topic at hand. This is helpful because search engines prioritize and boost comprehensive content.
Over time, as the cluster grows, it strengthens your site’s authority on the core topic, increasing its chances of ranking well in search results and attracting more organic search traffic.
How Does Topic Clustering Work?
Topic clustering is a formidable content marketing approach. By creating authoritative pillar content with various related subtopics, your content marketing strategy will flourish. But how do you actually create a content cluster?
Start by identifying a core topic or theme that aligns with your business and audience interests. Then, create a well-researched “pillar page” that offers a complete and in-depth overview of your main topic. Your pillar page should be longer in length, typically including anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 words.
Next, delve into the subtopics. Identify specific long-tail keyword phrases within your main post and create separate articles for them. There’s no magic number for how many subtopics you should use; just create as many as you see fit.
When it comes time to cross-link your subtopic blog posts to your pillar post, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Effective internal linking within content clusters relies on using descriptive and relevant anchor text. Link to a phrase that accurately and succinctly relates to the subtopic you’re referencing. It’s important not to force it: links should naturally fit within the flow of the content.
This ensures that readers understand the connection between articles. For instance, a pillar post about the best SEO practices could link to a detailed guide on keyword research using the anchor text “mastering keyword research.” What’s important is that the anchor text is clear, accurate, and concise for the reader.
Advantages of Topic Clustering for Content Marketing
Topic clustering can be a game-changer for your content marketing plan. Here are just a few of the benefits of content clusters:
Improved SEO
Topic cluster in content marketing is a sure way to increase your website’s SEO strategy. That’s because pillar blog posts, with their depth of information, are more likely to rank at the top of the search results.
When all necessary information on a topic is grouped into one comprehensive cluster, it’s much more readable and easier to navigate for visitors to your site. In turn, this reduces bounce rates and increases dwell time, which are factors search engines consider when ranking websites.
Search engine optimization efforts for content marketing can be tricky. Search engines frequently change their methods for ranking content, but well-researched and high-quality topic clusters are much more likely to stand the test of time.
Increased Engagement
Deciding to create one (or many) content clusters is a great way to boost overall user engagement on your website.
First, when a topic is neatly organized into cluster content, it enhances user experience. Visitors are more likely to stay longer, consume more content, and subscribe to your cause.
What’s more, clustered content can have a ripple effect on engagement. This ultimately can lead to higher traffic on multiple blog posts. That’s because when one post performs particularly well, the entire cluster will benefit. This is especially helpful for recent startups, giving them an immediate increase in authority.
More Efficient Content Creation
Without having a structured plan, blogs can be disorganized or confusing. Topic clusters provide well-needed structure and hierarchies to your content.
Not to mention, it can be difficult to decide on topics to write on. A content clustering plan takes one topic and easily expands it into 5, 10, or even 20 more topics.
Creating a topic cluster also allows you to repurpose and update existing content while developing new pieces. This efficient approach maximizes the value of your content and reduces the time and effort required for creation. It also ensures consistency in messaging and branding across all related content.
Conclusion
Topic clustering is a great way for businesses to take their content marketing strategy to the next level. By implementing this method, your website will be seen as the authority of a topic—boosting engagement and SEO over time.
Are you excited by the idea of implementing a topic cluster model, but don’t know where to start? Let’s talk! Ayokay specializes in helping large and small businesses alike stand out and grow their authority.
Reach out to us today to get started.
Jack Shepler is a Marketing and Search Engine Optimization expert. He founded Ayokay, award-winning marketing, and web design firm in Indianapolis, Indiana that has built brands, increased sales for businesses, and helped nonprofit organizations fulfill their missions since 2011. He uses his decades of experience to educate through the Ayokay blog and through public speaking. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
