The way we search has changed over time, as Google has evolved its search algorithm and introduced new features to better understand and respond to user queries. This evolution can be seen through the various updates that Google has made to its algorithm over the years – from the Penguin update (2012) to the Hummingbird update (2013), to the mobile-friendly update (2015) to RankBrain (late 2015) and the introduction of Topic Clusters (2015).
All of these updates have contributed to a greater emphasis on creating high-quality, relevant, and user-centred content. They also have led to a greater emphasis on understanding user intent, optimizing for mobile, and using natural language.
The importance of using a topic cluster content strategy lies in the fact that it helps to improve your search engine rankings, drive more traffic to your website and establish your business as an authority in your industry. By grouping related content together, it makes it easier for search engines to understand the relationship between your pages and understand the context of your content. It also makes it easier for your audience to find relevant information on your website, which can lead to higher engagement and lower bounce rates.
Furthermore, it's a way of providing comprehensive information about a specific topic, and it helps to create a cluster of content around it, making it easier for the audience to find all the information about a topic in one place. By creating a pillar page, you can establish your business as an authority in your industry and provide valuable information to your target audience. This can lead to increased trust, and brand loyalty and ultimately lead to an increase in conversion.
Topic clusters are important for many and varied reasons such as:
In this step, you will determine a broad topic area you want your business to be known for and build authority around. This could be a product or service you offer, an industry you are a part of, or a problem that your business helps solve. Choosing a topic that aligns with your business goals and interests your target audience is important.
Once you have defined your topic area, you can begin to contextualize it into more specific core topics. These core topics should be closely related to your business and your audience's interests and should be specific enough to provide value and attract a specific audience. It's important to identify a few core topics that align with your business and can be used to create a series of cluster content.
After identifying yo....ur core topics, you can begin to identify a series of subtopics that support them. These subtopics should be specific and relevant to your core topics and should provide additional value to your audience. You can use tools like Hubspot's Blog Topic Generator to help you identify subtopics related to your core topics.
The final step in developing your topic cluster strategy is to create a pillar page that covers your core topic comprehensively. This page should serve as the foundation for your topic cluster and provide an overview of the subtopics related to that core topic. It should be comprehensive, well-researched, and well-written, and should include internal links to your cluster pages. The pillar page should be designed to attract your target audience and provide them with valuable information, this will help establish your business as an authority in your industry.
In terms of Google and its updates, topic clusters are particularly relevant in light of Google's recent emphasis on E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) and the role of content in building a website's reputation. Google wants to provide its users with the most relevant, high-quality and trustworthy information. A topic cluster approach helps to signal to Google that a website is providing comprehensive information on a specific topic, which can help to establish the website as an authority on that topic. Google's recent updates have been focusing on quality content and user experience, and topic clusters can help to provide both.
Additionally, by targeting long-tail keywords which are more specific and have less competition, topic clusters can help a website to rank for a wider range of keywords and drive more traffic to the website.
In summary, topic clusters are a way to organize content around specific topics, making it easier for both search engines and users to understand the relationship between the pages and find relevant information. It helps to establish a website as an authority on a specific topic and improve its visibility in search results.
Google's algorithm updates have had a significant impact on how we plan and create content. Here is a brief overview of some of the critical updates from 2012 to 2015:
All of these updates had an impact on how we plan and create content. The Penguin update emphasized the importance of creating high-quality, relevant content and avoiding manipulative tactics. The Hummingbird update reinforced the importance of understanding user intent and creating content that answers the questions people are asking. The mobile-friendly update emphasized the importance of making content accessible on mobile devices and designing websites that are easy to navigate. And RankBrain reinforced the importance of understanding user intent and creating content that is relevant to the user's query.
A pillar page is the main page on your website that covers a broad topic in-depth. It serves as the foundation for a topic cluster and provides an overview of the subtopics related to that main topic. The pillar page includes internal links to the cluster pages, which cover specific subtopics in more detail. This structure helps search engines understand the relationship between your pages and rank them more effectively. According to Hubspot, creating a pillar page is essential for the success of your topic cluster strategy and can help improve your search engine rankings.
These major algorithm updates and changes in user search behaviour mean that marketers need to adapt their strategies in order to continue to attract organic traffic. Here are a few key takeaways for marketers looking to attract organic traffic:
Overall, these updates have led to a greater emphasis on creating high-quality, relevant, and user-centred content. It's important for marketers and business owners to stay up-to-date with these updates and to create content that is optimized for both users and search engines in order to achieve better search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic.