Understanding Topic Clusters¶

Topic clusters are simply groups of related content on your website that link to each other.

Think of it like organizing a library. Instead of throwing all books randomly on shelves, you organize them into sections: "Science Fiction," "History," "Cooking." Each section has books that are related to each other, and they're all connected to a main "guide" that helps visitors find what they need.

What Are Topic Clusters? A Simple Example¶

Imagine you have a pizza restaurant website. A topic cluster might look like:

                    ┌──────────────────────┐
                    │   PIZZA MENU (Hub)   │
                    │   /pizza/            │
                    └──────────┬───────────┘
                               │
       ┌───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┐
       │                       │                       │
       ▼                       ▼                       ▼
┌──────────────┐      ┌──────────────┐      ┌──────────────┐
│  Margherita  │      │  Pepperoni   │      │  Veggie      │
│  /pizza/     │      │  /pizza/     │      │  /pizza/     │
│  margherita  │      │  pepperoni   │      │  veggie      │
└──────────────┘      └──────────────┘      └──────────────┘

The Hub Page (/pizza/) links to all individual pizza pages.

Each Pizza Page links back to the hub AND to other related pizzas (e.g., "If you like Margherita, try our Veggie pizza!").

This creates a "cluster" of related content about pizza.

Now imagine a salad section that doesn't link to itself:

┌──────────────┐      ┌──────────────┐      ┌──────────────┐
│   Caesar     │      │   Greek      │      │   Garden     │
│   /salads/   │      │   /salads/   │      │   /salads/   │
│   caesar     │      │   greek      │      │   garden     │
└──────────────┘      └──────────────┘      └──────────────┘
     (alone)               (alone)               (alone)

These pages are in the same folder (/salads/) but they don't link to each other. This is NOT a healthy cluster — it's just pages that happen to share a URL pattern.

Why Do Topic Clusters Matter?¶

When Google visits your website, it's trying to figure out "What is this website an expert about?"

Strong Topic Cluster = Expert Signal¶

Google sees:
"This website has 10 pages about coffee, all linking to each other,
 with a main guide page. They really know coffee!"

Result: Higher rankings for coffee-related searches

Weak/No Topic Cluster = Confused Signal¶

Google sees:
"This website has 10 random pages about coffee, pizza, cars, and gardening.
 Nothing links together. What are they even about?"

Result: Lower rankings, less authority

How to Build Great Topic Clusters¶

The Hub and Spoke Model¶

Think of a bicycle wheel:

                         Spoke
                           │
                           ▼
         Spoke ──────► ╔═══════╗ ◄────── Spoke
                       ║  HUB  ║
         Spoke ──────► ╚═══════╝ ◄────── Spoke
                           ▲
                           │
                         Spoke

Hub (Center) = Your main topic page (e.g., "Complete Guide to Coffee")
Spokes = Supporting pages that cover specific subtopics (e.g., "How to Brew Espresso," "Best Coffee Beans," "Coffee vs. Tea")

Key Rule: Everything Links Together!¶

Good Cluster:

    ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
    │           COFFEE GUIDE (Hub)        │
    │  Links to: Brewing, Beans, History  │
    └─────────────────────────────────────┘
              ▲           ▲           ▲
              │           │           │
              ▼           ▼           ▼
    ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
    │   BREWING   │ │    BEANS    │ │   HISTORY   │
    │ Links to:   │ │ Links to:   │ │ Links to:   │
    │ Hub, Beans  │ │ Hub,Brewing │ │ Hub, Beans  │
    └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘

Every page links to the hub AND to related pages!

Bad "Cluster":

    ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
    │   BREWING   │ │    BEANS    │ │   HISTORY   │
    │ No links    │ │ No links    │ │ No links    │
    └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘

Pages exist but don't connect. Google sees no relationship.

Step-by-Step: Creating Your First Cluster¶

Step 1: Choose Your Main Topic¶

Pick a topic your business is an expert about.

Examples: - Real estate agent → "Buying a Home" - Fitness coach → "Weight Training" - Bakery → "Wedding Cakes"

Step 2: Create Your Hub Page¶

This is your main guide that covers the topic broadly.

Example Hub Page: "The Complete Guide to Buying a Home"

Should cover: - Overview of the home buying process - Brief mention of each step (with links to detailed pages) - Who this guide is for

Step 3: Create Supporting Pages (Spokes)¶

Each spoke covers ONE specific aspect in detail.

Example Spokes for "Buying a Home":

Hub: Complete Guide to Buying a Home
 │
 ├── How to Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage
 ├── Finding the Right Real Estate Agent
 ├── Understanding Home Inspections
 ├── Negotiating Your Offer
 ├── Closing Day: What to Expect
 └── First-Time Buyer Mistakes to Avoid

Step 4: Link Everything Together¶

This is the CRITICAL step most people skip!

In your Hub Page:

"Before you start house hunting, you'll need to [get pre-approved
for a mortgage]. Then, [find a real estate agent] who knows your
target neighborhood..."

(Each [ ] is a link to a spoke page)

In each Spoke Page:

"This is part of our [Complete Guide to Buying a Home].

Related articles:
- [Understanding Home Inspections]
- [Negotiating Your Offer]"

Real-World Examples¶

Example 1: Local Coffee Shop¶

Hub: /coffee-guide/
"Everything You Need to Know About Coffee"

Spokes:
├── /coffee-guide/espresso-drinks/
│   "Espresso Drinks Explained: Latte, Cappuccino, Americano"
│
├── /coffee-guide/brewing-methods/
│   "Home Brewing Methods: French Press, Pour Over, Drip"
│
├── /coffee-guide/bean-origins/
│   "Coffee Bean Origins: Ethiopian vs Colombian vs Brazilian"
│
└── /coffee-guide/caffeine-guide/
    "How Much Caffeine is in Your Drink?"

Example 2: Local Plumber¶

Hub: /plumbing-problems/
"Common Plumbing Problems & Solutions"

Spokes:
├── /plumbing-problems/clogged-drains/
├── /plumbing-problems/leaky-faucets/
├── /plumbing-problems/water-heater-issues/
├── /plumbing-problems/toilet-repairs/
└── /plumbing-problems/pipe-freezing/

Example 3: Fitness Blog¶

Hub: /strength-training/
"Beginner's Guide to Strength Training"

Spokes:
├── /strength-training/compound-exercises/
├── /strength-training/workout-splits/
├── /strength-training/progressive-overload/
├── /strength-training/recovery-nutrition/
└── /strength-training/common-mistakes/

How to Optimize Your Clusters¶

1. Add More Internal Links¶

Every page in a cluster should link to: - The hub page - At least 2-3 other pages in the same cluster

Easy way: Add a "Related Articles" section at the bottom of each page.

2. Use Descriptive Anchor Text¶

❌ Bad:  "Click here for more information"
✅ Good: "Learn about home inspection costs and what inspectors look for"

3. Create a Hub Page If Missing¶

If you have lots of pages about a topic but no main guide, create one!

You have:
- 10 blog posts about email marketing

You need:
- A main "Email Marketing Guide" page that links to all 10 posts

4. Fix Isolated Pages¶

An "isolated page" is one that doesn't link to anything else in its cluster.

Before: Isolated page
/recipes/chocolate-cake  →  (no links to other recipes)

After: Connected page
/recipes/chocolate-cake  →  Links to: /recipes/ (hub)
                             Links to: /recipes/vanilla-cake/
                             Links to: /recipes/frosting-guide/

5. Review Your URL Structure¶

Pages in the same cluster should ideally share a URL pattern:

Good cluster URL structure:
/blog/seo/what-is-seo
/blog/seo/on-page-seo
/blog/seo/off-page-seo
/blog/seo/technical-seo

Messy URL structure:
/what-is-seo
/articles/on-page-optimization
/blog/off-page-seo-tips
/resources/technical-seo-guide

The first example makes it clear these pages belong together.

Common Mistakes to Avoid¶

Mistake 1: Creating Clusters with No Links¶

Just putting pages in the same folder isn't enough. They MUST link to each other.

Mistake 2: Too Many Topics, Not Enough Depth¶

Don't:

1 page about coffee
1 page about tea
1 page about juice
1 page about smoothies
1 page about water

Do:

5 pages about coffee (deep cluster)
OR
5 pages about tea (deep cluster)

Go deep on fewer topics rather than shallow on many.

Mistake 3: Orphan Hub Pages¶

Your hub page should be linked from: - Your main navigation or footer - Your homepage (if it's important) - Related blog posts

Mistake 4: Ignoring the Links¶

The #1 most common problem: Creating great content but forgetting to add the links between pages.

Set a reminder: After publishing any new page, add 3-5 internal links to/from related content.

Quick Start Checklist¶

[ ] Identify your main topics (3-5 topics you want to be known for)
[ ] Create a hub page for each main topic
[ ] Write 3-5 supporting pages (spokes) for each hub
[ ] Add links from hub → all spokes
[ ] Add links from each spoke → hub
[ ] Add links between related spokes
[ ] Add "Related Content" sections to each page
[ ] Review isolated pages and add missing links

What Results to Expect¶

After building strong topic clusters:

Timeframe	What Happens
1-2 weeks	Google re-crawls and sees your new structure
1-3 months	Rankings for cluster keywords start improving
3-6 months	Your site becomes recognized as an authority on those topics
Ongoing	Each new page in the cluster strengthens the whole cluster

Topic clusters are a long-term strategy. The more you build and interlink, the stronger your topical authority becomes.

Need Help?¶

This report automatically analyzes your topic clusters. Look for:

Health Score — Higher is better (aim for 60+)
Missing Hub Pages — Create a main guide for topics without one
Isolated Pages — Add links to connect them to the cluster
Recommendations — Follow the specific suggestions for each cluster

Understanding Topic Clusters