Effective Topic Clusters for SEO
Structure your content like a pro and boost organic growth.
James Allsopp
Unlock AI-Powered Tools
Get access to 50+ AI tools for content creation, marketing, and productivity. Start creating amazing content today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about this topic.
What’s a topic cluster?
A hub-and-spoke system: one comprehensive pillar covering the core intent, supported by focused spokes for sub-intents. Unlike category pages, the pillar is built to rank; spokes interlink to the pillar and each other.
How do I choose pillar topics?
Score candidates on business value, search demand vs. difficulty, your unique expertise, and cluster depth. Prioritize where you can ship 10–20 meaningful spokes.
How many spokes and which formats?
Target 12–20 over time—enough to cover the journey without filler. Use guides, comparisons, tool roundups, walkthroughs, and FAQs matched to intent.
What’s the internal linking playbook?
Predefine anchors (primary + semantic variants). From every spoke, link early and late to the pillar, add contextual cross-links, and leverage breadcrumbs/related modules.
How do I measure success and prevent cannibalization?
Track pillar ranks/clicks, spoke coverage, internal CTR, and crawl frequency. If pages target the same intent, consolidate, refocus, and update anchors.
James Allsopp is the Founder of AskZyro, where he explores the intersection of AI, search, and digital strategy. With more than a decade of experience in SEO and content marketing, he helps businesses stay ahead of industry shifts and thrive in the rapidly evolving AI-driven landscape.
Related Articles
Join 1,000+ professionals using our AI tools to boost productivity by 300%
✨ Free to signup • No credit card required • Cancel anytime