Topic clusters are a great way to create content with higher quality and engagement.
Topic cluster groups are also really helpful when it comes to SEO, but what's the best way to go about creating them?
Join us to find out:
• What topic clusters are
• How to create a topic cluster content strategy and
• Steps to map out your first successful topic cluster
There's no doubt that SEO can be tricky and time-consuming.
So we're always on the lookout for ways in which to work smarter and not harder!
Topic clusters can be thought of as "mini-collections" of related content pieces, meaning that they are an efficient way to help organize and categorize your content.
Why is this so important?
Well, the way in which we search has changed, and this has made a huge impact on the way in which search engines present content.
So topic cluster groups are extremely helpful when it comes to SEO. Having a central topic with many related subtopics surrounding it to support the main theme.
Helping provide users and customers with relevant content on your site faster than if you just list them individually.
This creates a helpful and positive user experience with the content provided converting visitors into leads.
Mastering topic clusters allows you to:
• Save time
• Easier content/topic management
• Provide what your visitors want
• Create/repurpose and optimise engaging content
Join us to see what topic clusters can do for you, your site and most importantly visitor engagement.
2. Hi, I’m Amanda
Based in Boston, MA
Product Manager: SEO &
Content Strategy at HubSpot
3. To map out your first topic cluster so you’re ready
to hit the ground running creating, repurposing, or
optimizing content after you leave today.
Today’s Objective
4. Agenda
Introduction to
Topic Clusters
What is a topic cluster
content strategy, and
why should you use it?
How to Build a
Topic Cluster
4 steps to developing a
topic cluster content
strategy
Activity
Go through the steps
of mapping out your
first topic cluster.
Recap & Next Steps
How to continue your
learning after this
session
14. Google shows:
You search:
Chocolate Chip
Cookies
Chocolate chip cookies, best
chocolate chip cookies
recipe, easy chocolate chip
cookie recipes, chocolate
chip cookies near me
16. To create content that converts visitors into
leads and eventually customers, you need to
create a helpful, positive user experience that
solves for both the searcher and the search
engine, not just one or the other.
19. Having a clean, organized site
architecture allows bots to crawl
your site quicker and easier...
20. And enables your audience to find
the resources they need quickly
and easily.
21. What is a Pillar Page?
A website page (or blog post) that covers a specific
topic in depth and is linked to a cluster of related
content.
Pillar
pages
22. Let’s cover how a company called Etuma
created their business’s first pillar page.
25. Pro Tip:
If you’re going to take the time to create content
that educates your audience, make sure it connects
to, and supports, at least one of your products
or services.
28. TEXT
ANALYSIS
GUIDE
How do you categorize
customer comments?
What is feedback text
analysis?
Text analysis
categorization systems
29. TEXT
ANALYSIS
GUIDE
How do you categorize
customer comments?
What is feedback text
analysis?
Text analysis
categorization systems Correct text analysis
method
30. Pro Tip:
If you’re looking for a place to start when identifying
subtopics, consider the questions your audience has
around the specific topic you chose to write about.
33. TEXT
ANALYSIS
GUIDE
How do you categorize
customer comments?
What is feedback text
analysis?
Text analysis
categorization systems Correct text analysis
method
LINKS
35. How to build a topic cluster
01
Define your topic
areas
Determine a broad
topic area that you
want your business to
be known for and build
authority around.
37. Activity
Determine a broad topic area that’s relevant to
one of your products or services.
(~1 min)
1. Based on what you know about your
business, select 1 broad topic area you want
to be known for.
2. Search this term in Google in Incognito.
3. Review the page one results. Who is ranking
in the top spot? What are they writing about?
How long is the content? Who is it written
for?
38. How to build a topic cluster
01
Define your topic
areas
Determine a broad
topic area that you
want your business to
be known for and build
authority around.
02
Identify your
core topics
Contextualize your
broad topic area into
more specific core
topics.
40. Activity
Determine contextual core topics in support of
your broad topic.
Time: ~2 minutes
1. Using your observations from the last exercise,
identify 1-3 specific core topics in support of
your broader topic area.
2. Pick 1 to start with and share it in the chat.
3. Type it into HubSpot’s topics tool and see MSV
and difficulty for the topic
41. How to build a topic cluster
01
Define your topic
areas
Determine a broad
topic area that you
want your business to
be known for and build
authority around.
02
Identify your
core topics
Contextualize your
broad topic area into
more specific core
topics.
03
Identify your
subtopics
Identify a series of
subtopics in support of
your core topic.
43. Activity
Identify subtopics for your core topic.
Time: 5 minutes
1. Using Answer the Public
(https://answerthepublic.com), find 3-5
subtopics to add to your topic cluster.
2. If you are a Marketing or CMS Hub customer,
you can also use the Topics tool in HubSpot.
Navigate to Marketing > Website > SEO and
select Topics.
45. How to build a topic cluster
01
Define your topic
areas
Determine a broad
topic area that you
want your business to
be known for and build
authority around.
02
Identify your
core topics
Contextualize your
broad topic area into
more specific core
topics.
03
Identify your
subtopics
Identify a series of
subtopics in support of
your core topic.
04
Create a pillar
page
Outline a practical
resource to cover your
core topic
comprehensively.
46.
47. Final Step
Identify which subtopics you
already have content on that
could be optimized, and which
ones you need to create new
content for.
Create your topic
cluster content
49. Recap:
● Topic clusters rearrange your site architecture to help
both search engines and people navigate more easily.
● Your goal is to build topical relevancy and establish
yourself as an authority in your topic area(s).
● Create topic clusters with blog posts linking to a
comprehensive pillar page resource.
● Focus on the user!
51. What to do next:
● Perform an audit of your existing content
● Create new content to fill in the gaps
● Put together a pillar page
● Build links between your pillar page and cluster content
● Promote the pillar page to your audience
52. Continue learning with HubSpot Academy
● Content Strategy Course
● Creating a Content Strategy in HubSpot lesson (for how to use the
Topics tool to map out your topic clusters)
● Content Marketing Certification (for much more on different
content marketing methods)
● NEW! SEO Certification
● How to build a pillar page