This has two advantages -

• An article can rank for multiple keywords.
• Readers are naturally led to related topics and articles.

The aim is to make your site resemble an ecosystem as opposed to a collection of pages.

Step 1: Build Your Pillar Page Strategy

Every topic cluster begins with a string pillar page. Let’s say you run a digital marketing agency. Your pillar topic might be “Digital Marketing Strategy.” That page should act as the ultimate guide – one that is deep, detailed, and designed to link out to cluster pages such as “PPC Campaign Management,” “SEO Optimization,” or “Social Media Marketing Trends.”

Our goal here isn’t to cram everything into one post, but to build a central hub that touches on subtopics and invites readers to dive deeper through those cluster links.

A good pillar page does three things:

• Explains the main topic in depth
• Links to cluster pages that explore subtopics
• Keeps readers moving naturally through your content

Step 2: Identify Cluster Topics That Support Your Pillar

Once your pillar is set, it’s time to build the supporting cast. These are individual articles that each focus on a specific angle or question related to your pillar topic. Using our example, if “Digital Marketing Strategy” is your main pillar, your clusters might look like:

• - How to Build a Topic Cluster for SEO
• - Choosing the Right Keywords for PPC Campaigns
• - Social Media Algorithms: What Really Matters in 2025
• - The Role of Analytics in Marketing Success

Each of these links back to your main pillar – and the pillar links to them – forming a web of interconnected insights.

Step 3: Master Internal Linking for SEO

If topic clusters are a city, internal linking is the road system. It’s what lets Google crawl efficiently, helps readers navigate smoothly, and distributes authority across your pages. When one page starts ranking well, that success trickles through the links to lift other pages in the cluster.

Here’s how to make it work:

• Link naturally. Don’t force keywords into every sentence; instead, let the links feel like invitations (not interruptions).
• Use descriptive anchor text. “Learn more about our pillar page strategy” tells Google more than “click here.”
• Keep the structure consistent. Each cluster should link back to the pillar, and vice versa.

When done right, this builds topical relevance and shows Google that your site is a trusted source for that domain of knowledge.

Step 4: Optimize Each Cluster for Search Intent

Not all visitors are at the same stage of curiosity. Some want to learn; others are ready to act. Therefore, each piece in your topic cluster should align with a distinct search intent: informational, navigational, or transactional. For example, A blog on “What Is a Topic Cluster?” targets informational intent. A guide on “Pillar Page Best Practices” serves marketers building content.

A page titled “Hire a Content Marketing Agency for SEO Growth” taps into transactional intent. Together, they create a funnel that provides value and converts organically.

Step 5: Keep Updating Your Cluster

SEO isn’t a one-and-done deal. Just as your audience evolves, so should your content. Refresh outdated stats, add new insights, and check your interlinking once in a while to ensure every piece still connects logically.

Search engines love active websites, and topic clusters make updates simpler, since every new blog can neatly fit into an existing structure.