build-clusters

Build Clusters

Build a topical authority cluster from a seed keyword using pillar-spoke structure, coverage scoring, and interlinking plans.

What is a Topic Cluster?

A topic cluster is a group of interlinked pages that collectively cover a subject area. Google evaluates topical authority at the cluster level — ranking a single page is harder if the site has no supporting content around the topic.

Structure:

• Pillar page — comprehensive overview of the broad topic (targets head term)
• Spoke pages — focused articles covering subtopics (target body/long-tail terms)
• Internal links — every spoke links to the pillar, pillar links to all spokes, spokes cross-link to siblings

Before You Start

Gather this context (ask if not provided):

1. Seed topic. The broad subject area to build authority around.
2. Existing content. Does the site already have pages on this topic? List them.
3. Business relevance. How does this topic connect to the product or service?
4. Content capacity. How many pieces can the team produce per month?

Step 1: Subtopic Discovery

From the seed topic, generate subtopics using these methods:

Search-derived:

• People Also Ask questions for the seed keyword
• Related searches at the bottom of SERPs
• Autocomplete suggestions (seed + a, b, c...)
• Competitor content analysis — what subtopics do top-ranking sites cover?

Intent-derived:

• Awareness: "what is [topic]", "why [topic] matters"
• Consideration: "best [topic] tools", "[topic] vs [alternative]"
• Implementation: "how to [topic]", "[topic] tutorial"
• Troubleshooting: "[topic] not working", "common [topic] mistakes"

Audience-derived:

• Beginner questions about the topic
• Advanced practitioner concerns
• Decision-maker evaluation criteria

Aim for 8-20 subtopics per cluster.

Step 2: Cluster Map

Organize subtopics into a structured cluster:

Pillar: [Broad Topic] (head term)
│
├── Spoke: [Subtopic 1] (body term)
│   └── Intent: informational
│
├── Spoke: [Subtopic 2] (body term)
│   └── Intent: commercial investigation
│
├── Spoke: [Subtopic 3] (long-tail)
│   └── Intent: transactional
│
├── Spoke: [Subtopic 4] (long-tail)
│   └── Intent: informational
│
└── ... (8-15 more spokes)