What is a Cluster Content Strategy?

SEO / 07 Dec 2021

You’ve spent hours working out your perfect primary and long-tail keywords. You’ve worked with an SEO copywriting specialist to incorporate them into your website copy, existing blog posts, metadata, even on your social media profiles for consistency.

Great job. Now, it’s time to focus your mind and explore the wonderful world of content clusters. They’re an excellent way to focus your content marketing efforts for maximum benefit, while ensuring some extra bang for your SEO buck.

Pillar Pages vs Cluster Pages

A cluster content strategy is about organising your content, providing higher rates of organic traffic and improving your SEO. Top-quality content builds on a central theme. It gives your site visitors an excellent user experience, establishes your authority on a particular topic, and keeps them on your website longer.

Great cluster content gives you more opportunities to convert them into paying customers.

The first step to implementing a content cluster strategy is identifying the key topics you want to build your content around. These topics are your pillar pages (sometimes referred to as content pillars).

To give you an example, at Beesting, we have 3 core agency specialisms. Our pillar pages match our copywriting services, white label SEO, and social selling specialisms.

A cluster content strategy is all about showcasing the value you can provide. It’s your opportunity to show off a little bit and demonstrate your expertise.

Think of your pillar pages as a website visitor’s comprehensive starting point for all things related to your chosen topic. Use your pillar page to introduce the core topic and touch on associated information, with the opportunity to find out more information through links to cluster pages.

Don’t get into the detail of the associated topics on your pillar page. Save it for your cluster pages. Your cluster pages are for in-depth explanations and answering specific questions about your border topic, ranging from entry-level to expert insights. Your cluster pages should answer a prospect’s query and link back to the pillar page.

A pillar page about copywriting services might include cluster topics detailing how to create an ideal client avatar, key messaging, tone of voice, defining your USP, developing a creative marketing plan, repurposing content, and some content ideas for good measure.

What Benefits Does a Cluster Content Strategy Provide?

1. Authority in Your Industry

Anyone can write 500 words on a subject with minimal research effort. But it takes dedication and expertise to create a content cluster addressing all your prospect’s queries, nuances within your industry, and those finer details.

Use your core topic as a starting point. Keep asking yourself can I build on this? Are there other angles I could explore? Is other content I’ve written relevant to this cluster? With a bit of rework, could I make it relevant?

2. Improved SEO Rankings

We’ve talked before about how Google’s algorithm works and how it values quality content that answers its users’ questions above all else. Cluster topics around a central theme do just that. It’s your opportunity to dominate the SERPs for your target clients’ particular areas of interest.

3. Clarifies Your Content Planning

A common reason businesses outsource their content marketing activities is a sense of overwhelm. It’s challenging to develop a constant stream of quality content ideas and execute them consistently.

Once you’ve defined your key topics, a cluster content strategy clarifies what to create, giving you the foundations to build on.

It gives you renewed focus with which to repurpose what you’ve got already. Once your cluster is complete, it’s a real opportunity to create a comprehensive, downloadable resource in exchange for email address details.

Join the Hive

Do you or your agency clients need some help taking your cluster content ideas from vision to reality? Our team of expert SEO copywriters would be happy to help.

Get in touch to book your discovery call.