Topic clusters: how to plan a content hub
·4 min read
Topic clusters are a way to organize content where one pillar page covers a broad subject and a set of supporting pages each go deep on one narrower question, all linked together. To plan one, take a group of related keywords, give the broadest query its own pillar page, give each distinct narrower intent its own supporting page, and link every supporting page to the pillar and back. The hard part is scoping, deciding which keywords deserve a page and which belong as a section of one.
What is a topic cluster?
A topic cluster is one pillar page plus the supporting pages that hang off it. The pillar answers the broad query well enough to stand alone and points to the detail. Each supporting page answers one specific question in full.
The point is coverage you can see in the site's structure. Anyone landing on any page in the hub finds the rest of the subject one click away. A pile of standalone posts on the same theme gives none of that, and usually ends with two posts competing for one query.
How to scope a hub from keyword groups
Scope comes from your keyword groups. If you have not grouped your list yet, the post on keyword clustering covers the method. Then run each group through three questions.
- Is this a hub or a page? A group with one obvious intent, like "how to clean a coffee grinder" and its variants, is one page. A group whose members ask different things, like buying, setup and troubleshooting, is a hub.
- Which query is the pillar? Usually the shortest, broadest one in the group. "Home espresso" is a pillar. "Home espresso for beginners" is probably a section of it.
- Does each supporting query need its own page? Only when the searcher wants a different answer. Two phrasings of the same question share a page. If you split them, you create the problem described in keyword cannibalization.
The test in step 3 is intent. Search both queries and compare the results. If the same pages rank for both, write one page. The search intent guide goes deeper.
A workable hub usually has four to fifteen supporting pages. Fewer and you have one long article. Many more and the pillar can no longer summarize the subject, so split the hub.
How pillar and supporting pages link to each other
The pattern is simple. The pillar links down to every supporting page from the section that covers it. Each supporting page links back up to the pillar near the top, and sideways to the one or two siblings a reader would want next.
Our internal linking guide covers anchor text and crawlable links. Two rules matter most for clusters. Publish the pillar first, even if short, so every supporting page has something to link up to. And when you add a supporting page, edit the pillar the same day to link it. Hubs decay when people skip that.
URL structure for topic clusters
You can put a cluster in a folder or keep URLs flat. Both work. Google's URL structure guidance asks for readable words and hyphens between them, and says nothing that requires a folder per topic.
| Option | Example | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folder per hub | /espresso/grinders |
Sites with clear, stable product areas | Moving a page to a new hub means a redirect |
| Flat | /espresso-grinders |
Blogs where topics overlap | Nothing in the URL shows the hub, so links do all the work |
Folders have one documented benefit. Google's SEO starter guide says that on sites with more than a few thousand URLs, grouping similar topics in directories can help Google learn how often each directory changes and crawl them at different rates. Below that size, pick what is easiest to maintain.
Whichever you choose, keep it. Restructuring old URLs to fit a cluster costs redirects and buys no ranking.
A worked topic cluster plan for one business
Here is a plan for a made-up shop, Copper Kettle Brewing, which sells homebrew beer kits. Its keyword research produced one large group around brewing at home. Scoped with the three questions above, it becomes one hub.
| Page | Role | Target query | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
/homebrewing |
Pillar | how to brew beer at home | Overview of the whole process, links to every page below |
/homebrewing/equipment |
Supporting | homebrew equipment list | Links to kit product pages |
/homebrewing/first-batch |
Supporting | first homebrew batch | Absorbs "homebrewing for beginners" as a section |
/homebrewing/sanitizing |
Supporting | how to sanitize brewing equipment | |
/homebrewing/fermentation-temperature |
Supporting | ideal fermentation temperature for ale | |
/homebrewing/bottling |
Supporting | how to bottle homebrew | |
/homebrewing/off-flavors |
Supporting | why does my homebrew taste sour | Troubleshooting, links back to sanitizing |
"Homebrewing for beginners" got no page, because its results overlap with the first-batch query. "Best homebrew kit" stayed out of the hub. It wants a product comparison, so it belongs on a category page the equipment page links to. The shop writes the pillar first, then the first-batch and equipment pages, which sit closest to a purchase.
Group your keyword list into topic clusters
The Keyword Clusterer takes a pasted list, one keyword per line or a Search Console export with a Query column, and groups up to 80 unique keywords by the words they share. Each cluster comes back with a parent keyword, its members, the shared words that tied them and a suggested parent page path. Keywords that fit nowhere stay alone, so you see what belongs in no hub. A run costs 3 credits.
It groups by word overlap only, with no search volume, live results or language model, and it does not judge intent. Treat each cluster as a draft hub and run the intent test above before assigning pages. The suggested paths are flat, so add a folder yourself if you use one.