Topic Clusters 101 to Level Up Your SEO (with Examples)

Topic clusters enhance your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) by strengthening site authority, improving the user journey, and helping you rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Still skeptical?

This comprehensive 57-page guide is a powerful resource for anyone eager to learn how search engines work, especially in the context of topic clusters.

The impact?

It has earned more than 158K visits and nearly 165K backlinks while ranking for over 29K keywords—all thanks to its well-structured content and smart SEO strategy.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to create effective topic clusters. You’ll get practical tips, working examples, and insights to get started right away.

What Is a Topic Cluster?

A topic cluster organizes content around one central subject and connects supporting pages that go deeper into specific subtopics.

At the core is a pillar page, which broadly covers the theme and links out to related subpages—each exploring a distinct angle.

To see this in action, check out Backlinko’s content cluster on YouTube marketing. It dives into areas like launching a channel, optimizing videos, and creating content that performs.

Each of these areas forms a mini-cluster with multiple pages that target SEO keywords related to YouTube.

One such example, “Optimize Your YouTube Videos,” includes insights on engagement signals, title and description strategies, and keyword research—elements that support crawling, indexing, and ranking.

Its success is clear: this single cluster ranks for over 17K keywords and boasts close to 7K backlinks, proving how powerful a smart content strategy can be for SERPs visibility.

Pillar Pages

Pillar pages act as central hubs, pulling together various cluster articles under a broader theme. They guide readers by offering a comprehensive overview while linking out to detailed subtopics.

To set up a pillar page, you might start with an introductory section that frames the topic. This high-level summary serves as an anchor for readers, pointing them to each relevant cluster article.

You can organize these subtopics like chapters—listed in a side panel or table of contents. Alternatively, develop an in-depth guide where each subsection connects to additional internal resources from the cluster.

Core Components of a Topic Cluster

There are three essential parts to every effective topic cluster strategy:

• Pillar page: A comprehensive page covering the main topic, linking to related subtopics
• Cluster articles: Focused content on individual subtopics and keywords
• Internal links: Navigation pathways between the pillar and cluster articles to support search engine crawling and indexing

Picture a topic cluster like a subway system.

The central station represents your main topic, while each smaller station is a cluster article. Internal links serve as tracks, connecting all stations to each other and the central hub—helping Googlebot and other web crawlers navigate efficiently.

What Is a Topic Cluster?

A topic cluster is a network of content organized around a central theme. Each individual article within the cluster explores a specific angle or keyword in-depth.

A “pillar” or main page serves as the gateway, connecting to all subtopics and giving search engines clarity on the content structure.

To illustrate, Backlinko’s high-performing YouTube marketing cluster is a great example.

This cluster features subpages on everything from starting a channel to video optimization techniques—forming a complete content network.

Within the “Optimize Your YouTube Videos” cluster, articles cover ranking factors like engagement, keyword use in titles, and metadata best practices.

The success of this strategy is clear.

This single cluster ranks for more than 17,000 keywords and attracts nearly 7,000 backlinks, giving it solid authority in search engine results pages (SERPs).

How Do Topic Clusters Help Your SEO Efforts?

Topic clusters enhance your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy and elevate user experience at the same time. It’s beneficial on both fronts.

By exploring all angles of a subject through multiple focused articles, you demonstrate expertise. This helps search engine algorithms and users recognize your authority on the topic.

For instance, MoneyHelper built clusters within the “Everyday Money” category, addressing personal finance topics like banking, credit, and insurance. These clusters strengthen its authority.

Thanks to this, their content appears in the “People also ask” section of search engine results pages (SERPs) for more than 1,500 keywords.

Each article in a cluster targets different keywords, improving your site’s chances of ranking across various terms. That means better visibility and more organic traffic.

While the pillar page can answer broad queries, cluster articles fulfill more specific search intents and user needs.

Different intents might include:

• Informational: Overview of types of pools
• Commercial: Features and accessories
• Transactional: Choosing the right contractor

Organizing your content into topic clusters also helps users. Instead of scattered content, they follow a structured path and understand the hierarchy of your site. Internal links guide that journey.

Internal Links

Internal links tie all articles in a topic cluster together. They show how each subtopic relates to the main pillar page and to each other.

These links improve navigation for users and help web crawlers like Googlebot understand your site’s structure.

Think of internal links like train routes—they connect smaller stations (articles) to the main terminal (pillar page) and also to other stations around the city.

This allows readers to continue to related content smoothly without always going back to the beginning.

Cluster Content

A cluster is made up of articles that each focus on one aspect of a broader subject.

These articles are connected through internal links to both the pillar page and each other to form a unified content structure.

This structure helps you gain topical authority by covering subtopics in detail, which supports stronger crawling, indexing, and ranking.

For example, a mattress-related cluster may include reviews, comparisons for sleep types, and purchase guides—giving users all they need to choose the right product.

4 Topic Cluster Examples to Show You How It’s Done

Here are four real-world topic cluster examples to help you see how they function in action:

1. Maze’s Guide to UX Research

Articles included: 13

Notable element: A playbook layout with progress tracking

Maze’s UX research guide stands out as a well-executed topic cluster example.

Rather than relying on a traditional single pillar page, each article features a list of all chapters in the cluster.

This allows readers to dive into any topic they choose. Every article is comprehensive enough to offer context about the rest of the cluster’s subjects.

Each piece also links out to additional related content across the Maze blog, strengthening the internal link structure of the cluster.

One standout UX feature is the progress tracker.

As users move through each article and click “next,” a sticky table of contents on the left updates to reflect their reading progress. This enhances the experience and shows users how far they’ve come.

According to Semrush’s Organic Research data, the UX research cluster ranks consistently for nearly 930 keywords.

2. Hotjar’s Complete Guide to Heatmaps

Hotjar’s heatmap guide is structured as a multi-part topic cluster.

Each article within the cluster tackles a specific aspect of heatmaps, including:

• Use cases
• Real-life examples
• Click maps
• Scroll maps
• Move maps

3. Creative Live’s Ultimate Guide to Photography

Creative Live’s photography guide is structured like an introductory course for beginners.

Every article focuses on one essential concept—like exposure bracketing, aperture, lighting, and other core photography topics. Each page ends with helpful resources for readers who want to go deeper.

A table of contents appears on the right side of the screen, offering easy navigation across the cluster.

This topic cluster ranks well in the “People also ask” SERP feature, with over 300 keywords targeted through question-based content.

4. Chameleon’s Guide to Digital Adoption Platforms

Chameleon’s guide is another strong example of topic cluster organization using chapters.

Framed as a “buyer’s guide,” it contains four key sections, each explaining a different aspect of digital adoption platforms.

Several of the cluster articles feature quick-read TL;DR summaries, and others include videos with insights directly from the founder—making the content more engaging and informative.

How to Create a Topic Cluster in 6 Steps

There’s no universal formula for building topic clusters.

Your method will vary depending on the kind of website you’re working with—whether it’s a fresh launch or already well established.

Another important factor is how much time and resources you can commit to executing this content strategy.

With those considerations in mind, here’s a flexible six-step process to help you build topic clusters from the ground up.

1. Create a List of Topics

Most SEOs kick things off with keyword research while creating topic clusters.

However, instead of starting with keywords, focus first on the topics where you aim to build authority.

Reflect on:

• The core problems your audience is trying to solve
• The solutions your product or service provides
• Direct insights from your customers, if possible, about their top concerns

You can also align your offerings with customer challenges to surface valuable topics that truly matter to your audience.

Here’s an example from Hotjar’s perspective:

User Challenges	Hotjar’s Tools	Target Topics
Can’t see how users behave on-site	Heatmaps and surveys	Website UX, behavior analytics
Don’t know why users drop off	Session recordings	Customer experience, cart issues
Need to improve site conversions	Click maps and scroll maps	Conversion optimization

After collecting your topic ideas, filter them based on business relevance. Avoid overly broad or generic ideas—zero in on subjects that appeal to high-intent visitors.

2. Find Target Keywords

Once you’ve identified your main topics, the next step is to gather keywords you can rank for under each one.

Look for long-tail keyword variations that let you approach the topic from different angles.

So, how do you uncover these keywords?

Begin with Backlinko’s free keyword research tool to quickly explore keywords related to your core topics. Enter your seed term, and the tool returns 20 keyword suggestions at no cost.

For more in-depth analysis, try Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool. It’s useful for getting tailored keyword data with a variety of metrics.

Start by entering a broad seed keyword linked to your cluster idea. This will help you surface a wide pool of relevant terms.

(You can also input your domain to generate keyword suggestions personalized to your authority level.)

The tool will then display keywords along with key insights, such as:

• Intent: Labels each keyword as commercial, informational, transactional, or navigational
• Volume: Shows average monthly search figures
• Keyword Difficulty: Predicts ranking difficulty (higher scores mean more competition)

Now, how do you determine which keywords are best for your website?

Try these techniques:

• Filter by intent: Match keywords to your content strategy. For example, go for informational keywords when building how-to content, or commercial ones for lead-gen pages.
• Set volume ranges: Pick a keyword volume range based on your authority and publishing capacity. Blend low- and high-volume keywords for balance.
• Consider difficulty: New sites should begin with low-difficulty keywords. Over time, as authority builds, you can pursue tougher ones.

Take the keyword “home renovation contractors,” for instance.

With 4,400 monthly searches and a difficulty score of 59%, it’s a strong seed term to build out a cluster of articles around contractor selection.

Click the window icon beside the keyword to open an overview panel.

Here you’ll find related questions, variations, and competing SERPs—all helpful for building supporting articles within your cluster.

Once you shortlist this term (along with its variants and related phrases), run the same process again using “home renovation contractors” as your new seed.

Repeat the method with other keywords from your original list—like “home renovation lenders”—to start planning additional clusters.

3. Document Your Pillars and Clusters

A simple spreadsheet can be one of the most effective ways to organize your pillar pages and supporting cluster topics.

Use this format to track your planned clusters with columns for keywords, topics, search volume, difficulty, and other key metrics. You can always tweak the spreadsheet to suit your specific needs.

You can also map out your clusters visually with tools like Miro or Whimsical to get a more dynamic view.

If you’d prefer to combine steps 2 and 3, Semrush’s Keyword Strategy Builder helps automate this. It generates pillar and cluster suggestions based on a single seed keyword.

Just input your chosen keyword—like “home renovation contractors”—and hit “Create list.”

The tool then delivers several cluster recommendations. Each includes a central pillar topic and a group of subtopics.

For instance, one cluster might focus on “renovation loans,” with subpages about “personal loan for home improvement” and “renovation lending options.”

You’ll also get keyword ideas for each article and see which sites currently rank highest, which helps with competitor research.

4. Create Pillar Pages and Cluster Content

Structure your pillar content based on the subtopics identified in your cluster. This is the ideal point to decide on formatting, layout, and user flow for your main page.

Start by outlining the major headings and subheadings. Plan where internal links to your cluster pages should appear within the content.

To design a more intuitive pillar page, try these approaches:

• Link all cluster articles near the beginning of the page
• Add a sticky table of contents to guide navigation
• Use consistent styling, with clear section headers
• Keep formatting clean and uniform across all content

One excellent example is Slite’s pillar page. It sets the scene with useful context, then lists all related articles with short descriptions for each.

Finally, don’t forget to optimize each cluster article with one primary keyword to help with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and improve visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs).

For example, let’s say your cluster topic is “pour-over coffee.” You could break it down like this:

Subtopic	Primary Keyword
Top 10 Pour-Over Coffee Makers You’ll Love	best pour-over coffee maker
Complete Guide to the Right Grind Size	grind size for pour-over coffee
Step-by-Step Pour-Over Coffee Instructions	pour-over coffee recipe
Best Accessories for Pour-Over Brewing	pour-over coffee accessories

Check the search engine results pages (SERPs) for each keyword to analyze competing content. Then aim to craft something more detailed, helpful, and optimized to outrank those pages.

5. Build an Internal Linking Structure

Internal linking connects the entire topic cluster—from the pillar page to its supporting content and between each related article.

These links offer two essential advantages:

• Enhance user experience: They create logical pathways between related articles so users can naturally explore more in-depth content within the cluster.
• Distribute authority: By linking from higher-ranking cluster articles, you help boost lower-performing pages through SEO (Search Engine Optimization) value transfer.

Additionally, linking to pages outside the cluster helps increase dwell time and keeps readers engaged longer, potentially leading to more conversions.

Always use meaningful anchor text to make internal linking more effective.

Let’s say you’re linking to: www.brand.com/blog/how-to-make-pour-over-coffee

• Weak anchor text: click here
• Effective anchor text: learn how to make pour-over coffee with our step-by-step guide

6. Measure Cluster Performance

Publishing your topic cluster is just the beginning—ongoing analysis is crucial for long-term success.

Here’s what tracking performance allows you to do:

• Refine your content: Identify which cluster articles aren’t performing well based on rankings and traffic. Improve them by adding data, enhancing internal links, or refreshing outdated content to climb in search engine rankings.
• Expand your strategy: Once your content starts ranking, look at related queries to uncover more subtopics. These insights help you continuously grow the cluster around what your audience cares about.

To monitor performance, use Google Search Console. Go to the “Search Results” tab and set filters by query or URL to isolate your cluster pages. Review their impressions, clicks, and keyword positions.

You can also track progress with Semrush’s Position Tracking tool.

Enter your selected keywords and monitor how well your pages rank on Google over time. Use tags to group and assess performance by cluster using the “Tags” tab for a streamlined view.

Strengthen Your Strategy with Topic Clusters

Now that you’ve got a 6-step framework, you’re set to build impactful topic clusters.

You can adapt this playbook based on your goals and resources, but everything starts with choosing the right topics and uncovering the right keywords.

Keep user experience front and center—organize your pillar and cluster pages so visitors can find relevant info quickly and easily.

Want to take it a step further?

Check out our in-depth SEO performance guide to track your clusters more effectively and make data-driven improvements.