How to Create an SEO Content Cluster

30 Jun 2025Madeline Hoganin SEO Concepts

You just might be writing your blogs wrong.

If you’re not using the topic cluster model (also known as a content cluster model) to organize your content, you’re missing out on a big boost to your SEO.

Using the topic cluster model you can help improve your domain authority while also revamping your internal linking strategy.

What is the Topic Cluster or Content Cluster in SEO?

The “topics cluster” model or “content cluster” model is when a blog or website has several main-topic pillar pages.

Each pillar page then has multiple content pages relating back to each pillar, and to one another within each pillar.

So instead of writing about a wide array of topics and treating each article as equally important individual pieces, in the cluster model you choose a single “pillar” page which acts as the main hub of content for an overarching topic.

Of course, you can have multiple pillars on one site, but the benefit of content clusters is that they create a cohesive content strategy by guiding your focus to your core offerings and expertise.

Usually, this means you’ll have one 3 or 4,000 word blog post on a topic and several other 1,000-2,000 word articles that internally link back to this long form content.

You’ll want to develop content clusters based on the overall topics or product you want your business to compete in, and then use specific keywords in multiple articles under those topics. These cluster article will link to one another and all back to the pillar articles.

Why Use the Content Cluster Model when Developing Your Blog or Website?

Search engines, like Google, have changed their algorithms in response to changes in consumer (searcher) behavior.

Google now favors topic-based content because it helps them determine what you’re actually an expert on, as well as how relevant each of your blog articles are.

Particularly in YMYL categories like medical and personal finance sites, Google wants to show the most authoritative sites on the web to searchers.

Think about it from the searcher’s perspective: Are you more likely to find helpful information about the best laptop to buy on a site that has cluster topics on laptops, computers, and tablets…or a site that has articles about every topic under the sun?

Google (and searchers) will see a website with heaps of articles about all sorts of personal electronic devices to be much more authoritative than a lifestyle blog that happens to have an article about “the best laptop to buy.”

SEO rankings place a heavy emphasis on Domain Authority (DA) and the more you focus on E-E-A-T (expertise, authority, and trustworthiness) the better your DA and therefore article rankings on Google can get.

How to Create the Perfect SEO Content Cluster

Now, how do we create these topic clusters?

Let’s take a look at these 6 easy steps to developing your own content cluster for SEO.

1. Review Your Current or Future Offerings

It’s important to start by taking stock of what products or services you’re selling, and what your offer is. This might seem obvious, but taking a solid account of not only what you’re currently doing, but where you want to be, is important when developing a topic cluster strategy.

2. Create Your Pillar Topics and Articles

Come up with 5-10 pillar articles (depending on how advanced your website and blog is at the moment) that encompass what you’re selling.

3. Brainstorm Article Cluster Topics

You’re then going to come up with blog post topics that provide unmet needs or new niches that aren’t that too hard to rank for. This is where content clusters shine, because they guide your content strategy so you aren’t just choosing keywords that might work.

4. Create Your Content

If you want to have a successful cluster content strategy, you have to keep up with some ongoing content production.
And overall, if your goal is search engine optimization (SEO)—you need to produce great blog posts often.

5. Link Your Pillar Articles & Content Clusters Together

Internal linking is one of the most important things you can do to rank in the search engines.

6. Work on Other Parts of Your SEO Strategy

I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but, SEO doesn’t work in a silo. You could have great pillar posts and excellent cluster articles, but not doing keyword research or strong CTAs doesn’t guarantee high rankings, traffic, or leads.

Content Cluster Examples

Growth Marketing Pro

GrowthMarketingPro covers a ton of topics, and has split them up clearly in their navigation tab, making it easy to see what their expertise is in, and the type of information they’ll cover on their site:

Do Competitive Intelligence

Now it’s your turn. Check out your competition and look at their navigation, home page, blog tag if they have them, or even just direct blog post topics (though that could get tedious). You’ll most likely notice a trend, and chances are you’ll want to cover some of the same topics.

Content Cluster Tools

Planning: Content Cluster Templates & Keyword Research Tools

Pillar page/topic cluster templates are a great way to begin when you’re not sure where to start. Sometimes they can just look like a lot of shapes, because that’s basically what they are!

Production: Content Generators & Services

So you have your pillar pages and keyword clusters you need to rank for. Now you actually have to create the content. You can of course write this on your own, but if you want to create a lot of good content quickly, if you have the means you should use a content generator or blog writing service to help expedite your work.

Evaluate: SEO and Rank Tracking Tools

Now that you’ve produced a bunch of content, you’re not done quite yet. You need to know if this content is working for you in a few different ways to determine the ROI of what you’ve already done, as well as how to improve it in the future.

Content Cluster Templates

Need some help developing your own topic cluster? Check out these content cluster templates that can help out.

Graphic Organizer

For the creatives among us! Grab a pen and paper and go back to the word map days of the past, or create one online.

Spreadsheet

Using a spreadsheet is always a great way to create your content calendar and keep it organized, and you can make it as simple or complex as you want.

List Format

Why not just keep it simple? Make a list, with each page a new pillar topic full of your ideas. That simple!

Conclusion: Creating Content Clusters for SEO can be Easy

If you can make a list to do it, it’s something that can get done. The most challenging part is following through with the production, and allowing these pillar topics to guide your strategy.