Search engines rely on keywords to index your web pages and match them to relevant queries, but you need to integrate these search terms strategically. If multiple web pages focus on the same keywords, the pages end up competing for ranking and dragging down your overall SEO efforts. The solution? Planning and organizing content using topic clusters so each piece targets a single keyword and has a clear purpose. This technique helps you cover topics thoroughly while avoiding keyword cannibalization.
Below, you’ll learn to build effective topic clusters for new and established sites. I’ll illustrate how to choose cluster topics, build a pillar page, and develop supporting content. With this approach in your toolkit, you can create a finely tuned, SEO-friendly website that improves visibility and user experience.
What Are Topic Clusters?
A topic cluster is a collection of thematically related content. It consists of a pillar page that provides an overview of the topic and supporting cluster pieces that shed light on subtopics.
Topic clusters provide in-depth coverage of a subject and use internal links to guide users and search engines between the various content pieces. A topic cluster:
- Signals expertise to search engines. Instead of taking a cursory glance at a topic, you dive in deep, demonstrating extensive knowledge and boosting your E-E-A-T for ranking purposes.
- Provides in-depth topic coverage to engage users. Audiences who land on your pillar page can follow links to relevant pages, explore your site, and continue to learn about the subject.
- Guides your content creation. A topic cluster approach gives you a list of related sub-topics to fill your editorial calendar, efficiently scaling your content inventory.
Topic Cluster Example
You can have any number of topic clusters on your site, as long as they relate to your core business. A tutoring company might build clusters around early learning, middle school learning, college preparation, and choosing the right tutoring service.
Let’s create a topic cluster around the keyword “what is a tutor” as an example. Start with a pillar page as the gateway to the topic. The pillar page provides a comprehensive overview of the topic, tackling the different questions someone who’s searching this keyword might have. This guide might explain the difference between a teacher and a tutor, the role of a tutor, and the benefits of tutoring.
Once someone knows what a tutor is, they’re progressing in their journey and are looking for more detailed information. The pillar page facilitates this by pointing to cluster pages on related subtopics. These might explain how to identify a qualified tutor, the difference between a private tutor and a tutoring center, and how online and in-person tutoring services compare.
Understanding Keyword Cannibalization
Keyword cannibalization occurs when more than one web page targets the same keyword. Each page reduces the others’ SEO effectiveness, making it harder for any of the pages to rank well.
Let’s say our fictional tutoring business publishes two similar articles, “How to Study More Effectively” and “Tips for Studying Effectively.” Instead of focusing on one strong, high-performing piece, they now have two pieces sharing backlinks and traffic. Search engines may be unsure of which one to rank, resulting in reduced visibility for both pages.
Marketers can unintentionally cannibalize keywords for a few reasons:
- They feel they have a better chance of ranking if a keyword appears on multiple pages throughout a site.
- They aren’t planning content strategically and inadvertently duplicate a previous article.
- Their site houses a large inventory of content, and they’ve lost track of which keywords they’re targeting.
Steps To Build Topic Clusters Without Keyword Cannibalization
To ensure each of your pages targets a unique keyword, structure your website with topic clusters. You can use the below framework whether you’re building a new site or want to enhance the performance of an already established site.
Run a Content Audit
If your site is live, begin by auditing your published content to find pages that may be cannibalizing each other. This is especially important if you have a site that houses a large amount of content.
A Content Audit involves two steps:
- Taking an inventory of your existing content
- Evaluating content performance
Use a spreadsheet to manage your content inventory. Review each piece of content and track details such as the name of the piece, URL, topic, format type, and search intent or buyer stage. If you have a large-scale site, it may be more manageable to begin with one section, such as the blog.
Evaluate content using metrics such as search ranking, traffic, engagement, and conversions. You’ll want to identify underperforming pages and decide whether to keep the content, remove it, or improve it to help it rank better.
Your audit should also pinpoint out-of-date or irrelevant pieces that are cluttering up your site. The goal is to keep your content streamlined and purposeful.
Identify Core Topics and Subtopics
Now let’s build your topic clusters. Begin by identifying your brand’s area of expertise — the core services and products customers are interested in. A real estate agency could create topic clusters around buying homes, selling homes, and real estate investment, for example.
If you performed a content audit, slot existing pieces of content into the appropriate cluster. Make sure it meets quality standards and integrate the pieces into your cluster using internal links.
Next, determine the new pieces of content you need to create to build out the clusters. You’re looking for thematically related subtopics that your audience is likely to search for.
- Use an SEO tool such as Ahrefs and Semrush to discover subtopics, including long-tail keywords to capture those who are further in the buyer journey.
- Work with your customer success and sales teams to identify common customer pain points.
- Enter keywords into search engines and explore the autocomplete suggestions.
- Use AI for further brainstorming.
Conduct Keyword Research With Intent in Mind
Enter your topics and subtopics into a keyword research tool and choose search terms based on their traffic potential and difficulty. This ensures topics are relevant and important to your audience. Aim for high-value, high-traffic keywords that may take longer to rank for alongside medium-difficulty keywords with lower search volume and a better chance of breaking into the search engine results pages (SERPs).
As you gather keywords, consider user intent. Customers who are just beginning to explore a topic use broad search terms, which are well-suited for pillar pages. Long-tail keywords that indicate advanced search intent are ideal for cluster pages. To avoid keyword cannibalization, map each keyword to a specific piece of content.
I’ll use a topic cluster on early learning success as an example. The pillar page can incorporate high-volume, broad keywords such as “preparing child for kindergarten” or “kindergarten readiness.” The cluster pages can target more specific queries such as “teaching preschoolers the alphabet” or “what math skills should a five-year-old have.” As you build out your cluster, you’ll create a strong inventory of resources that addresses the various questions parents and caregivers might have around the subject of early learning.
Write Unique, Intent-Focused Content
Using your topic clusters and keywords as a guide, update existing content or develop new content. To create impactful pieces, try to understand what the people using these keywords want to learn so you can cover these points in your content.
Types of Content
A topic cluster can include a variety of content types, such as articles, ebooks, tutorials, infographics, and webinars. Use a format that fits the scope of the topic and user intent. You might create a guide for audiences with informational intent who are just learning about a subject. A landing page featuring a comparison chart might do the trick for a user with commercial intent who is deciding on a product to purchase. For consumers searching for businesses in a specific geographic area, create location pages with directions and maps.
Include multimedia content where appropriate for a rich, dynamic experience — just be sure to add image alt text, transcripts, and descriptive file names to help search engines index the content.
Focus on Helpful, People-First Content
We’ve been focusing on keywords so far in this guide, but the actual content you create should be developed for your audience and not search engines. Create content that answers search intent and helps users accomplish their goals. If audiences don’t find the information they want, they’ll likely end up on a competing site.
Where possible, add value to your content so that it stands out from other pieces in the SERPs. You might incorporate unique insights, original research, real-life examples, and resources such as templates and checklists. I suggest familiarizing yourself with Google’s guidelines for helpful, people-first content to optimize your content.
As you craft your pieces, keep in mind that pillar and cluster pages serve different purposes.
- The pillar page should address the core topic thoroughly and touch on subtopics so that you can link to those pages.
- Cluster pages are related to the pillar page but should stand on their own. Differentiate each page so that they target unique keywords and don’t overlap with the pillar page or other cluster pages.
Use Internal Linking Strategically
Now let’s bring the pages of your topic cluster together to show that they’re related and your brand has extensive expertise in the subject. Link from the pillar page to each of the cluster pages, and from each cluster page to the pillar page. You can also link between cluster pages where it makes sense.
As you add links, use clear and descriptive anchor text containing the target keyword of the destination page. Search engines use anchor text as a clue to the content of the page. This will help search engines match the page to the right keyword so it surfaces when users are using the search term, bringing a relevant audience to your site.
There’s also an SEO benefit to internal linking. Once a page builds authority and performs well in the SERPs, it can share link equity with other pages. You can link from a high-ranking pillar page to a recently published cluster page to boost the new page’s authority and enhance your SEO.
Best Practices for Avoiding Keyword Cannibalization
Below are a few final tips to keep your keyword strategy on track and achieve optimal visibility.
Perform Regular Content Audits
Keyword cannibalization can crop up despite your best efforts, especially on large-scale websites. Schedule regular content audits into your workflow to identify and resolve issues before they impact your rankings.
Consolidate or Update Overlapping Content
When you find pages with overlapping keywords, you have a few options.
- If one page is underperforming compared to the others — that is, it has few backlinks or little traffic — evaluate whether it holds strategic value. If it’s outdated, irrelevant, or unlikely to improve with updates, consider removing it to avoid competing for rankings.
- If a page has some valuable content, consolidate it with another page to create a single page with more depth.
- If two posts feature similar content, refresh the content to better differentiate them. For example, you could distinguish between two articles about studying more effectively by revising one for college students and the other for high school students.
Use Redirects When Merging Content
Follow best practices and use a 301 redirect when consolidating or deleting pages. This ensures incoming traffic is pointed to the replacement page and prevents broken links. It also passes any accumulated authority to the new page.
Expand Your Authority With Topic Clusters for SEO Success
Your web pages should work together as a strong, cohesive whole instead of sending conflicting messages to search engines. Our team at Victorious can help assess your website’s performance and find barriers that may be holding your brand back in search engine rankings. Learn how we can partner with your company to spotlight your expertise, engage audiences, and drive conversions and growth. Schedule a free consultation today to make the most of your online presence.
