How to Get Ranked and Read With a Topic Cluster Model
Getting ranked and read with the topic cluster model is a search engine optimization strategy focusing on topics instead of keywords. The method develops content around one main topic called a pillar page or post. Several supporting blog posts (clusters) are written to explain the sub-topics based on the pillar content. They generate internal links to a pillar page.
After determining the meaning, the following steps help to achieve a ranking using the topic cluster model.
1. Decide on the major topic
When you have a blog, pick a topic cluster that covers an area where you want to be an authority, like education, health, or sports. Stick to the business niche as possible when dealing with a business website. The topic should be a keystone to the business, something you want to rank and broad enough to generate numerous articles under different aspects of a pillar page. Use buyer personas to determine the type of content they are searching for, their challenges that you can address through the content and search queries they use to find competitors.
Digital marketing agencies should consider the following when developing topic ideas:
• Content marketing strategies to get leads
• Blog post promotion through social media
• Email-generated content ideas
The topic that you settle for should be overarching to achieve all the above points.
2. Perform keyword research to define suitable clusters
Keyword researching will help to generate more cluster ideas and evaluate if they fit the content marketing strategy.
Type your overarching topic on a keyword search tool like Answer the Public to find a long-tail keywords list to fuel cluster ideas. For example, you can turn a content marketing strategy into a post by turning it into something like “Tips to Structure Your Content Marketing Strategy.” Keyword explorer tools like SEMrush or Ahref help generate a list of related keywords and their search volumes.
You can also form cluster topics by making Google recommend topics that can form cluster pages. This happens by adding a prefix like when, how, and why to a topic in a Google search. Browse auto-populated suggestions. For instance, adding how before content marketing strategy generates sub-topics that searchers are likely to find “how to measure content marketing strategy.”
There may be hundreds of keywords to target, but all should not become individual topics. Group those with similar search intent and results. It helps to improve a search engine optimization and enables searchers to find what they are looking for instantly.
3. Write cluster pages
Create the subtopics for cluster pages and write them like a blog but do not get into details when writing on another cluster page. The best practice for writing epic blog content is to bring out something unique on the cluster page is to develop long-form pieces with original data and relevant visual content. Maximize the topic cluster approach by creating an internal link in each page linking to the cluster. Include a long tail keyword in the sections below to optimize the page for SEO.
• Meta title and description
• Page title
• Heading tag
• Image alt text
• Body copy
4. Find relevant existing content and update
It is not always that you have to write new content. Polish and republish blog posts in the library. Existing pages can boost rankings for another piece in the cluster after refreshing them to better suit a pillar topic by adding internal links to and from your pillar page. Audit the content by searching your website for “topic related blog posts you could refresh.”
5. Write the pillar page.
Writing a pillar page comes after a collection of topic clusters. Write it like a blog post that makes a broad view on overarching topics (where you add internal cluster links). A pillar page is usually a long-form of 3000 or more words that do not provide too much detail about one aspect of a topic. Link it to cluster pages as it helps to explain subtopics in detail.
A cluster page becomes an overview of everything relating to the customer without exhausting any of the subtopics. A reason for writing it last is that you already know the subtopic clusters and how detailed the topics are to avoid a risk of duplicating points or confusion on sections to add placeholders for the internal links to cluster pages.
6. Add internal links between the pillars and clusters.
The last step to achieve ranking is by adding internal links to all pieces of content. It is the point of the topic cluster model. Go over each topic cluster and find relevant points for linking to the page pillar. The internal links provide Google spiders a simple way for finding, crawling, and indexing your topic clusters. The action creates a stronger SEO power to the pillar page.
For example, if the pillar is content marketing strategy, the topic cluster can be:
• Content marketing strategies examples
• Content marketing strategies strategy
• Content marketing strategies team
• Content marketing strategies statistics
• Content marketing strategies learn
7. Internal links to topic clusters will lead to the pillar.
The topic cluster model is an efficient SEO strategy for users and search engines by simplifying navigation to the content on your site. 1 Source Media Group provides SEO service on creating a topic that attracts your target audience, draft cluster content subtopic, methodically create a pillar page and add internal links to connect each page.
The effort and time contribute to the period it takes to reach the top of search engine results.
