How to cluster keywords for your SEO strategy
Wanting to learn how to cluster keywords for your SEO strategy? Look no further as we have just the guide for you to get you started.
Clustering keywords can be an intimidating task, especially when faced with an unfamiliar industry, but it doesn’t need to be! Tailoring your keyword research so you can group keywords together and broaden the search terms that you rank for is something to embrace, not fear.
Marketing strategies are forever evolving, and so are the criteria for how content ranks. It’s important now more than ever to keep up with the change and to adapt your strategies in alignment. Your SEO best practices can greatly benefit from clustering keywords, and we’re here to show you how.
What are keyword clusters and why are they important?
Keyword clusters are a group of related keywords that cover a broad subject area, meaning you’re likely to cover everything behind a user’s search intent. Only attempting to rank for the primary keyword limits the audiences who can find your site.
Once a keyword cluster is created, you can target them all within one page or create sub-topic pages surrounding these keywords known as ‘topic clusters’. The topic clusters can be implemented into your updated strategy.
Denying the importance of keyword clusters is impossible. They’re worth implementing within your SEO strategy as they greatly increase your ranking opportunities. They open the door for more organic traffic by optimising for search intent.
Another benefit is the internal linking opportunities created. Various connections can be found between the content pieces on your site, strengthening its structure and authority.
With all this in mind, your overall ranking position is likely to improve when implementing keyword clusters. Your content is given a clear scope and focus, greatly improving your SEO strategy.
Senior Content Manager, Shona Worsman, adds that:
“Keyword clusters are ultimately the research you do before creating topic clusters. Topic clustering is a really effective content strategy for SEO- it helps meet E-E-A-T criteria because you’re demonstrating that you’re going above and beyond to turn your website into a ‘one-stop shop’ for everything that a potential customer wants to know. Additionally, you’re able to address each stage of the buying journey and clustering keeps you focused on creating relevant content for the industry at hand.”
How to cluster keywords for your SEO strategy in four easy steps
So now you know the benefits, but how do you actually cluster keywords for your SEO strategy? These steps are sure to get you going with an effective keyword clustering process.
1. Research, research, research
Top Tips for Keyword ResearchResearch is at the beating heart of keyword clustering, with keyword research acting as the starting point. Without it, there’s no way of knowing what users are searching for when trying to find your site. There are plenty of keyword research tools out there to help get you started.
Generate your terms as normal, but look at what other terms appear instead of just the seed keywords. It’s also worth having a look at what competitors are ranking for to get a full scope of search intent.
2. Categorise and create clusters
Once you’ve found your chosen keywords, you can categorise them based on product or group these terms semantically based on search intent. From this, you can form your clusters, either manually or using AI-generated tools. Categorisation helps identify a key pattern or trend that then helps form your clusters.
You can group manually if you feel you have enough understanding of the topic at hand, but if it’s a bit out of your depth there are plenty of tools at hand. Using AI tools, such as Cluster AI or KeywordGrouper Pro, is a good way to speed up the process and increase the accuracy of the relation of keywords. When using tools, however, it’s worth double-checking the clusters and removing any outliers.
3. Identify gaps and optimise content
Expanding what keywords you rank for allows you to go back and recognise gaps in old content. You can go back and re-optimise the content to include the words from the cluster.
Or, you can create new content that targets the words in the cluster. Updating your content strategy so it accounts for the niche sub-topics of the target industry is a great way to generate more organic traffic.
4. Monitor site performance
Keep on top of monitoring how your site is doing since the implementation of keyword clusters. If you see improvements, great! The updates to your SEO strategy have succeeded.
However, a comprehensive SEO report may reveal where clusters need optimising or changing. Monitoring helps identify any changes to keyword rankings that you need to account for and can reveal whether organic traffic has increased since the changes.
How We Can Help Your SEO Strategy
At Embryo, we understand just how far keywords can take you. Our SEO strategies account for your industry niche and our experts use a holistic approach to target every aspect that requires optimisation.
Want to know more? Take a look at our comprehensive SEO audit service that can identify what areas of SEO require attention. Or, feel free to get in touch with the team by calling 0161 327 2635 or email us at info@embryo.com.
FAQs
Answered by Amy Leach
How can AI tools help me generate topic clusters?
AI tools are really good for idea generation as long as you give as much information as you can. the more specific you can be with your prompt, the less generic your answer back will be.
Is there a limit on the number of pages in a topic cluster?
As long as there is search volume and demand, you should go after as many keywords and topics as you can. Keep it relevant and steer clear from duplicates too.
Can I topic cluster content already on my website?
Yes, it is always a good idea to make sure pages are live first before you start building out topic cluster content. Creating these pillar pages before building the hierarchy of tertiary pages is good practice for an SEO strategy.
What are topic clusters?
Topic clusters are collections of content on your site which help support your main pillar pages and show to Google your expertise and authority.
