What are topic clusters? Their importance for SEO

A solid SEO strategy is essential if you want to stand out from the crowd and compete with your rivals – and topic clusters should be central to your approach. They can help you achieve a better ranking in search results and build your reputation as an expert in your field. 

In this article, we’ll explore what topic clusters are, why they’re important for SEO, and how to create them. 

What are topic clusters?

Topic clusters are a method you can use to organise the content on your website or blog into clusters related to the same subject. This creates a network of content where individual pages, articles, or posts contribute to the main subject and link back to it. The goal is to signal to search engines that you have expert knowledge on specific topics. 

At the core of each topic cluster is a so-called “pillar page,” which is a page with in-depth content on a specific subject. This page is linked to several other articles covering more specific topics related to the main subject. In SEO terms, these pages are called “supporting pages.” 

We can take this article as an example. It’s part of our SEO topic cluster, consisting of a main article on SEO and several other articles on related topics that are important to understand when working with search engine optimisation. 

Topic clusters make it easier for search engines, like Google, to understand your website’s structure and simultaneously signal that you are an expert in your field. Over time, well-developed topic clusters increase your chances of ranking higher in search engines.

Pillar pages

A pillar page is the foundation for a topic cluster. It contains an article or blog post that gives the reader a basic understanding of a particular subject. The more specific parts of the topic are only touched upon briefly, as the idea is for the reader to explore them in detail on the supporting pages you add to your topic cluster. 

Internal links

Internal links connect your pillar page to your supporting pages. You can’t build topic clusters without internal links. All the supporting pages you add to your cluster must be linked to your pillar page, which contains the fundamental information about the subject.  

Your pillar page should also link to your supporting pages. This ensures that Google recognises the content on these pages as related. 

Why are topic clusters important for SEO?

Besides being a smart way to organise your content, topic clusters are part of an effective SEO strategy. By linking related content, you show Google that you are an expert on the topics you write about, which improves your chances of ranking highly in search results. Here are two of the key reasons why this method works:

Topical authority 

In an SEO context, “topical authority” means that your website is a relevant source of information on a specific subject. Google’s algorithm favours websites that provide visitors with in-depth information on topics. When you create topic clusters, you are effectively telling Google that you know a lot about a subject 

For example, if you’ve built a cluster around the topic of “Sustainable fashion” on your company blog, you will have a better chance of appearing at the top of search results than a competitor who has only written a few randomly selected blog posts about fashion trends. 

E-E-A-T

The acronym E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. When Google’s search bots analyse the content on your website, they don’t just register whether you have good keywords and relevant content; they also take E-E-A-T into account. In other words, they assess whether you have experience, are an expert, are an authority, and are trustworthy on specific subjects. Topic clusters show search bots that you have expert knowledge. 

How to build topic clusters

Building topic clusters isn’t complicated; it just requires you to plan your content logically and conduct thorough keyword research. Get started quickly by following the five steps outlined below: 

1. Choose relevant topics 

Start by selecting a broad topic that is relevant to your business and target audience. This topic will be your main subject, which you will cover on your pillar page. Make sure there is enough substance to the subject so that it makes sense to write articles about related topics on your supporting pages. 

2. Do your keyword research

Once you’ve found a main topic for your pillar page, you need to conduct keyword research to discover which related topics people are searching for online. These are the subjects you should write about on your supporting pages. If you’d like to learn more about how to select the best keywords for your website or blog, you can read our article on how to carry out keyword research. 

3. Plan pillar pages and supporting pages

Your keyword research should result in 3 to 4 related topics you can add to your topic cluster. For example, if you run an online shop selling vegan and vegetarian meal kits, it would make sense to have a pillar page on the main topic “Introduction to vegetarian food” and supporting pages covering more specific subjects like “Easy vegetarian meals,” “Vegetarian food in an air fryer,” “Vegetarian Thai food,” and “Protein-rich vegetarian food.” 

If your keyword research shows that there are few or no relevant related topics you can write about, you should consider choosing a different main topic for your pillar page. Of course, you can still write about the main topic, especially if it’s important for your business, but it won’t be part of a topic cluster. 

4. Write content

The next step is to write SEO-optimised content. Make sure your article or blog post provides your target audience with information they actually need or answers their questions. It’s important to use the keywords you found in your keyword research naturally. Remember to link the articles to each other – pillar page to supporting pages and vice versa. The anchor texts, i.e., the texts in your internal links, should clearly tell both readers and search engines what the content you’re linking to is about.

5. Track performance

Once your topic cluster is live, you can track performance using tools like Google Analytics 4 to ensure that they’re attracting a good amount of organic traffic to your website. Keep in mind that most SEO efforts take time to show results. If nothing happens after three months, you can conduct a content audit to find areas for improvement. 

Topic cluster – example

We’ve already shared a few examples of how to build an SEO topic cluster, but let’s go through one more example before we wrap up. 

Let’s assume you have an online health food shop. You’ve just expanded your range of gluten-free flour and now you want to improve your website’s ranking so your potential customers can find you more easily. You’ve already set up a blog. On it, you decide to build a topic cluster around the subject of “gluten-free baking.” 

A model for this topic cluster could look like this: 

• Pillar page: Complete guide to gluten-free baking 
• Supporting page 1: Best types of gluten-free flour 
• Supporting page 2: How to bake gluten-free rolls 
• Supporting page 3: Gluten-free sourdough step-by-step 

By linking the pages in your cluster, you show Google that you have knowledge of gluten-free baking, thereby improving your chances of your content being shown to potential customers. 

Build topical authority with topic clusters

While topic clusters are part of your SEO efforts, they will also help strengthen your brand by showing your visitors that you are knowledgeable in your field. Customers who are looking for a product often need more information before making a final decision and completing a purchase. Therefore, the articles and blog posts you write to create topic clusters can also positively impact your conversion rate and help you gain loyal customers who trust your company’s expertise and industry knowledge.