Topic clustering for SEO: 5 mistakes to avoid

Topic clustering is my favorite approach to building topic SEO authority.

Even without the benefits of keeping content organized and easy to expand on, this encourages SEOs to prioritize user intent and relevance rather than focusing solely on ranking for specific keywords.

Topic clustering is becoming more and more common in SEO, but that doesn’t mean everyone does it well.

This article covers some common mistakes I see in topic groups and explains the benefits of a better approach. These include:

• Missing internal links and other UX opportunities.
• Staying too superficial (or even going too deep) with clusters.
• Finding the right idea with the wrong approach.
• Trust the content to speak for itself.
• Forgetting to refresh and update your clusters.

The good news is that all of these mistakes are preventable and fixable. Let’s look deeper.

Mistake 1: Lack of Internal Linking and Other UX Opportunities

Incorporating a cluster into your main site means taking into account the customer journey and integrating content into your UX in a way that is both intuitive and useful for the user.

For example, don’t just write a blog post; consider adding it to a relevant product or service page where users looking for more context will see it.

For each piece of content, think about where and in what context it will add value to your UX and make sure it is an intuitive part of the user journey.

For example, Seventh Generation, known for its eco-friendly cleaning products, has an interesting blog post about post-consumer recycled materials.

Placing this article near the product review section could help users better understand the brand’s strategy for using recycled plastic, thereby addressing common concerns about its packaging.

Mistake 2: Staying too shallow (or going too deep) with clusters

Getting the right depth for your clusters can be difficult. In most cases, the problem is that the cluster is not detailed enough, leaving valuable authority untapped.

On the other hand, if adding details doesn’t increase engagement (for example, subtopics generate less interest than the main page), it’s best to stop.

Likewise, avoid covering topics that are not related to your product or service. They will not add any value to your strategy.

Using the Seventh Generation example, a laundry detergent topic group could delve deeper into stain management, segmenting by use cases such as sportswear, workwear, outerwear and casual clothing.

This could also relate to different levels of intent, such as education, consideration, or direct product purchases.

A blog post like “When to Treat Stains” is a good start, but expanding on these opportunities can better engage users.

Dig Deeper: How to Become an Industry Thought Leader by Creating Content Pillars

Mistake 3: Bringing up a good topic without respecting user intent

My friends on the paying side know this all too well. It’s easy to skip the intent levels and try to go straight to the sale. (Or, on the B2B side, the “book a demo” CTA.) But that won’t serve your long-term strategy or your relationship with your users.

Without understanding and targeting the correct user intent, your content may not resonate with potential customers.

If users have educational questions, such as “are organic products as clean as non-organic,” create content that explains the differences between ingredients and why you chose them instead of just linking to a page of product.

Likewise, for mid-funnel queries like “how to remove motor oil stains,” focus on content like buying guides or ingredient articles that target oil rather than simple product pages.

To see what type of content users find useful, search for the query on Google and see what ranks well. Use this information to improve your topic groups.

Mistake 4: Trusting content to speak for itself

My hope for your brand is that you produce such incredible media content that you can improve the quality of the content until you reach record engagement goals.

Let me tell you why this isn’t realistic: You also need to build your authority with your content authors. This means:

• Creation of bio pages for blog authors.
• Featuring guest experts in interviews or quotes.
• Provide a detailed “About Us” page on the site to allow people to learn more about the brand and its executives, etc.

Ultimately, users (and Google) need evidence that the people producing content for these clusters are sources of authority and expertise.

Regardless of the quality of the content itself, users should have the ability to find out who produced it.

Mistake 5: Forgetting to refresh and update your clusters

Like everything else on your website, your clusters need to constantly evolve.

Whether you need to incorporate new related content or create a whole new sub-cluster (for example, if your business is in technology or has a technology component, chances are you will need of an AI cluster), make sure you have a cadence to evaluate how to add and refine your clusters as you go.

If new trends emerge or user questions evolve, update your content to reflect these changes.

Dig Deeper: How to identify and create content pillars that build brand awareness

Create meaningful content experiences for users with topic groups

Creating effective topic groups requires more than just creating content around general themes.

Focus on creating valuable, user-centered, and meaningfully connected pieces of content to improve your SEO performance and foster stronger relationships with your audience.