Only 25% of online searchers go beyond the first page of Google. That means that if you’re not on page one, you don’t exist to 75% of potential clients who are actively searching for topics related to the product or service you provide.
So, what’s keeping you from getting to the first page? You may think you’re doing everything right. You create blog posts that are no longer than 1,000 words with catchy headings and titles. You research your keywords and upload quality content frequently. And, you come up with captivating social media captions and metatags. Yet, the traffic on your website remains unchanged.
That’s because Google is constantly revolutionizing the SEO world. What worked in the past doesn’t necessarily work today. Although it's still essential to use the right keywords and create good content, showing that you have authority regarding your topic is vital.
How do you prove your authority to search engine algorithms and searchers? The best way is to create topic clusters that are centered around an SEO pillar.
A content cluster is a collection of content that is grouped together by a related topic and hyperlinks to one another. With a topic cluster plan, you can create high-value content that works together to boost your search engine rankings.
If you’ve been creating your own content, then chances are, you’ve put a lot of time and energy into great, standalone pieces. The issue with standalone pieces, however, is that algorithms tend to pass them over for content that is connected to a wider cluster.
A topic cluster has several key components:
By connecting your blogs to a pillar page, you will create a topic cluster that answers more relevant questions. Search engines will reward this by ranking you higher.
Sure, shifting from isolated blogs to a topic cluster sounds effective, but how do you get started? First, you need a strategy. What problems does your product or service solve? This will tell you what questions people will search for that you can provide answers to. Then you need to choose a specific topic (not too specific, yet) to serve as your pillar. From there, sub-pillars will go into more detail and link back to your pillar. Finally, supporting blogs will go into the most detail about very specific, related topics. These blogs will also link back to your sub-pillars and pillar.
Sound easy? Probably not, but it could be with the right topic cluster tool!
With DemandJump’s topic cluster generator, you can gain insights into the high-value keywords you need to target to rank higher. You can even see how your competitors rank in those topics, so you can strategically plan your content to give you the best competitive edge. What’s more, DemandJump takes the topic for your pillar and recommends sub-pillars, each with its own supporting blogs. You just pick which titles interest you the most. Here’s what it looks like:
Sticking with our productivity software example, you can see how each piece of related content fills in more information while answering specific questions.
Once you have the content for your topic cluster planned, it’s time to write. DemandJump also includes a content brief generator, so you don’t have to guess which keywords to add to each piece of content. If wordsmithing isn’t your strong suit, reach out to see how our content team can share your message with the world.
A pillar page introduces your main topic and answers a host of related, commonly searched questions. While your sub-pillars and supporting blogs will dive deeply into some of the topics mentioned, your reader should find satisfying answers within the pillar itself.
A pillar page is a piece of long-form content that is typically about 3,000 words in length and contains around 18 keywords. In our pillar page example of productivity software, you could include keywords and questions like: “Business productivity software,” “3 Types of productivity tools,” and “What are the benefits of using productivity software?”
So much of a topic cluster’s success depends on the pillar structure. As promised, let’s take a closer look at how to create one that gets the job done.
When planning a pillar page, it is crucial to keep the entire topic cluster in mind. The pillar is the structural center, so it affects everything connected to it. To decide what your pillar will be about, think about a common thread that will hold the rest of your content together.
“Productivity Software” is a great pillar because it is general enough to cover a lot of related topics while leaving room for your other content to explore more, it is also specific enough to show up in the searches of interested people. “Software” would be too general, as people could be searching for nearly anything, and “What Is a Productivity Tool?” only has enough material to write a 750-word supporting blog about.
To see a successful pillar page in action, check out our SEO Pillar pillar. Meta, we know.
A successful pillar page is more than just 3,000 words that contain 18 high-value keywords. All too often, businesses will post keyword-filled blogs that make hardly any sense and don’t answer any actual questions.
When sitting down to write, focus on answering questions as if you were the one searching for them. Yes, it’s still important to include keywords, but remember, you want your reader to see you as an authority on the topic, not just someone who knows all the buzzwords.
Now that you know how topic clusters and pillar pages work together to boost your search engine rankings, let’s use a new example to go through a step-by-step process on how to create your own:
Approaching the ins and outs of search engine rankings can be daunting, so keep this guide handy.
DemandJump's podcast, Page One or Bust!, goes into detail on what a topic cluster is and how to make the most of Pillar-Based Marketing best practices. Below is a helpful clip discussing topic clusters. If you'd like to listen to the full episode, follow this link.
Topic clusters and pillar pages are crucial elements for any website if you want to increase its organic traffic. Creating an effective topic cluster requires extensive work.
Luckily, DemandJump has automated most of that work for you. Simply enter the topic important to you and DemandJump gives you a prioritized list of the exact pieces of content to create. The best part? With one-click SEO content outlines, you know exactly what keywords and headings to use , cutting your content creation time by over 50%. See just how easy it can be–try it free for 14 days (no credit card required).
Whether planning your topic cluster strategy, selecting the right keywords, or writing engaging content that ranks highly, DemandJump gets it done the right way.