Content and SEO, a tale as old as time. These two areas of digital marketing work hand in hand and if you aren’t already using content to help push your SEO efforts than now is the time to start. Utilizing the content cluster strategy in particular is extremely effective in aiding SEO. In this article we will explain what a content cluster is and the benefits that this strategy brings to SEO.
What Is A Content Cluster?
Before diving into how content clusters benefit SEO, it is important to first define what exactly a content cluster is. A content cluster is a content marketing strategy where you come up with an overarching theme and then create subtopics that ladders up to this overall topic. This content cluster strategy relies on comprehensive content and an tactical internal linking strategy in order to be successful.
Look at the image above. As you can see, the overall theme is positioned in the middle. The subtopic articles are connected on the outside but all connect back to the central topic. The link icon shown on each line signifies that each article in the cluster is linked out to one another.
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So, when you are reading one article in the cluster you will be able to reach another one of these articles by clicking on anchor text within the blog. Using a category page on your site as the center topic is a great place to start. You will then create the additional topics that will all connect to the main category page. These topics will be created using keyword research and knowledge of your audience.
Another benefit of linking all of the supporting articles together is that you are able to pass link authority between all of the clusters and signify to Google that they are all related. This helps build up the authority of the overall cluster and the page it is built around. One key thing to mention here is that while you want to internally link, you also want to be building external links that pass authority into the cluster from other sites.
The more content and the deeper you can go into a certain theme is recommended. This content needs to be high-quality and valuable to your audience. It needs to connect with your brand, appeal to your audience, and provide detailed knowledge on the subject. The entire point of the content cluster strategy is to create content that is engaging and will help your website rank higher on the SERPs.
Benefits Of Content Clusters
Now that we know what a content cluster is, we can explain how this strategy benefits SEO efforts. Below are reasons why this strategy is so effective in helping bolster SEO value for brands.
Having A Theme Around A Topic Shows In-Depth Coverage
By using the content cluster strategy, it is showing Google that you have a thorough and in-depth coverage of that certain topic. And Google likes that. This extensive library of content on a certain subject provides value and Google will note that value and your website will benefit from an increase in rankings.
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When you pair the extensive content with internal linking, it is a match made in SEO heaven. The content will show Google that your site is producing valuable and pertinent content, while the internal linking will aid in getting your long-tail keywords to rank for those pages.
Promotes Click-Through Which Influences Behavior Metrics
By having relevant content that your audience wants to read and a strong internal linking strategy, your audience is more likely to continue to click-through and read those articles.
In addition, because of the engaging content, customers will stay on your site longer. By implementing a content cluster strategy, you can increase click through, time on site and decrease bounce rate. These are all very important factors
Aligns With Google Ranking Factors
According to backlinko.com, Google looks at sites with content that provides value and unique insights more favorably. The entire goal of a content cluster is to provide, relevant and engaging content to your audience and in return, Google will reward your website for providing value to your customers.
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In addition, under Google guidelines, having longer form articles can help your website rank higher. With the content cluster strategy, it is recommended to have at least 4 long-form articles in each cluster. These long-form articles are exactly what Google looks at as a ranking factor. The longer and more compatible your content is, the better chance you have to increase your rankings.
While looking at Google Ranking Factors, you’ll see that many of the factors align perfectly with the content cluster strategy. So, exactly what the cluster strategy entails is helping you push your SEO rankings higher.
Closing Thoughts
If you haven’t utilized the content cluster strategy yet, it is time to try this tactic. Not only will you be providing engaging content to your audience, it will benefit your SEO efforts. Through a content cluster strategy you can help your brand create an extensive bank of content, increase click-through rate to your site, increase customer’s time on site, and align with Google’s ranking factors.