The Role of Topical Clusters in Your SEO Strategy

Did you ever think about a way to structure your website in a certain way that will increase your rankings and will make it easy for visitors to find the information they are looking for?

Well, that is what topical clusters can do for your website.

Topical clusters can strengthen your website’s authority and position as an expert in your niche, improve SEO performance, and improve the user experience.

In this article, we will discuss what a topical cluster is, why you need it, how to build one, and how important it will be in the future.

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What is a topical cluster?

A topical cluster is a content strategy where you start with a pillar page where you will organize your content around. Then, you support it with connected subtopic pages that link to the pillar page and back (linking between subtopic pages is recommended if relevant). 

This way, you cover one main subject in depth and you show search engines that you are an expert. Linking them together with internal links ensures that readers and search engines see them as one clear theme.

Why do you need topical clusters?

With topical clusters you build a clear content structure that shows readers and search engines you are an expert on this subject. It makes it easier to understand what your website is about. 

The pillar page will answer all the related questions of the user in one article. When readers want to know more about a certain subtopic, they have the possibility to click the internal links which will guide them to the subtopic pages. This way you keep them on your website, instead of them going back to the search results.

Here are the benefits of using topical clusters in your SEO strategy:

• You build topical authority and you’ll be seen as an expert on that subject.
• You rank for a wide range of related keywords and search intent.
• You create a clearer site structure.
• You improve user experience, because they can easily navigate between related articles.
• You make content planning easier.
• You increase your chances of earning backlinks to your pillar pages and lifting the whole cluster.

How to build a topical cluster

Now, it’s time to learn how to actually build a topical cluster. We will break it down into 5 steps:

Start with a core topic

Define the subtopics

Create a solid pillar page structure

Map out the internal linking architecture

Publish and optimize

Start with a core topic

The first step to building a solid topical cluster is choosing your main subject that matters to your audience/website. You want to keep this broad so that many subtopics can support the pillar page.

Start by asking yourself questions like:

What problems do my visitors want solved?

Where does my product or service show real value?

Which topics could bring sales or leads, not just clicks?

Then, do your research on the topic you have in mind. Check if there is demand for this topic and if it’s possible to compete with the already ranking websites.

This step is absolutely crucial, as every later decision depends on this core topic. If you pick the wrong one, you waste time writing content that you can’t link to or won’t even be seen.

Define the subtopics

Once you have made a decision on your core topic, it’s time to break this broad, large topic into smaller, more focused topics and questions your audience actually asks. You can check this with tools like Answer The Public or with Google’s “People Also Ask” feature.

Each subtopic should cover one specific angle, problem or stage in the journey. Ensure this subtopic is an addition to your pillar page, not a vague repetition your audience will waste its time on. A good start is listing out “how,” “why,” “what,” and “which” questions related to the core topic.

Then, you will do keyword research to validate and maybe make some changes to your list. The balance between volume and competition is important here. You need to have a chance to rank for these topics. Look for pieces of content your competitors have missed, or long-tail phrases.

Each subtopic should be strong enough to be a solid article on its own, but clearly connected to the pillar. Doing this well, protects you from thin, overlapping content that confuses search engines.

Create a solid pillar page structure

Your pillar page is the most important page of your cluster. The structure must be logical and built in a way to keep the reader interested, yet be valuable. You start by outlining all the major sections your reader needs to know about to understand the topic at a high level. Each section should introduce an idea that links naturally to a deeper subtopic page.

You can use definitions and fundamentals, key benefits, tools, examples, and next steps. In every section, you give enough information that the page could stand alone. But you do not write every detail, that’s where the subtopic pages come in. You link to these pages from the section.

Optimizing all the on-page SEO elements is key here. Make sure you have skimmable headings that are logically structured, images (screenshots and visuals often work well), trustworthy external links, relevant internal links to the subtopic pages, a click-worthy meta title and meta description, and a solid keyword density (with LSI-keywords).

Building out this kind of structure will turn your pillar page into a true “central hub.” Search engines will see this as a well-organized page that connects to many relevant, detailed resources. This will improve your topical authority.

Map out the internal linking architecture

With your pillar page and subtopic pages planned, you will now map out how you will link everything together. The core rule is that you link from your pillar page to every subtopic page and from every subtopic page to your pillar page. If you have the possibility to link between subtopic pages, you should certainly do so. But do not force an internal link between these pages.

If one page mentions a concept that is explained on another subtopic page, you should link to it. 

Use descriptive anchor text for your internal links, not generic phrases like “click here.” As with everything that is SEO related, only place internal links where they genuinely help the reader. Google is always putting its users first, if you don’t provide value for them, your rankings will decrease rapidly.

Creating a strong internal linking network supports crawling, indexing, and ranking for the whole topical cluster. Additionally, when your pillar page gets a backlink, that SEO juice will benefit your linked subtopic pages too. 

Publish and optimize

After you have created this strategy, it’s time to start writing and publishing your pieces of content. Always write for humans first, using simple language (no jargon), clear headings and strong introductions that explain what the reader will get out of that piece of content.

Make sure your keyword fits naturally in the content’s text and headings without forcing it. Your users will notice it, and so will search engines.

Once you have published your articles, keep track of how people use your topical cluster. You should track impressions, clicks, and engagement through analytics and search tools. For example, when a page has a lot of impressions, but just a few clicks, change your meta title and description. 

Update your content regularly, so it remains fresh. Google loves that. When something changes around that topic, make sure you update it in your article too. 

Why topical clusters will matter even more in the future

Topical clusters will become a must in every SEO strategy. Search engines will only become even better at understanding context, and they reward sites that cover a whole subject in-depth. 

User behavior is changing too. People don’t just type in one query anymore, with all the available information online they do thorough research. 

Their search journey usually involves multiple related questions. They compare options, look up definitions, explore subtopics, and refine their query as they understand the topic better. With a solid topical cluster, they can find all the answers to their questions on your website. This strengthens trust in your content and make their journey smoother.  

On top of that, there is AI which will play a big role in the way people search. Conversational search will become even bigger. AI models are trained to scan patterns in content, content with strong topical cohesion is more likely to be used as a source. With strong clusters, you’ll demonstrate that you’re an expert on this topic. 

Conclusion: Start building topical authority today

You don’t need a huge website to build your first topical cluster. Start small, with one meaningful core topic and some subtopic articles to support it. Every new piece of content will then become another brick in your topical authority. 

Below, you can find the steps you need to take once again.