Topical Clusters

Random posts are stalling your growth. Scattered content confuses search engines and frustrates visitors who can't find what they need.

The Topical Clusters tool transforms disconnected pages into a strategic content ecosystem that search engines reward with higher authority and better rankings.

What scattered content costs you

Publishing without structure hurts your search performance:

• Lost topic authority because search engines can't see your expertise
• Poor user experience from visitors unable to find related content
• Wasted resources creating duplicate or conflicting content
• Missed opportunities from content gaps you don't know exist

Build recognised topic authority

Create content structures that search engines understand and reward:

• Clear expertise signals through organised content hierarchies
• Connected content webs that reinforce topic relationships
• Comprehensive coverage that outperforms competitor fragments
• Strategic content planning based on proven authority-building frameworks

Three-tier structure that makes sense

Clusters (Pillars): Broad themes establishing your core expertise areas

• Like a bookshelf representing your knowledge domains
• Example: "Digital Marketing" covers your entire marketing expertise

Topics: Specific aspects within each cluster

• Like individual books on that expertise shelf
• Example: "Email Marketing" within your Digital Marketing cluster

Subtopics: Specialised content addressing specific questions

• Like chapters within each topic book
• Example: "Welcome Email Templates" within Email Marketing

How to create topical clusters

There are two main approaches to building your content structure:

Option A: Using your sitemap (Recommended)

Navigate to Content → Topical Clusters and select your project. Your existing sitemaps will be available for cluster analysis.

If you haven't added any sitemaps yet:

1. Go to Manage Sitemaps from your project dashboard
2. Click "Discover Sitemaps" for your website
3. Select and add the sitemaps you want to analyse
4. Configure sitemap settings (see Sitemap Mode Settings below)
5. Return to Topical Clusters to process your content

To process your sitemap content:

1. Select the sitemap you want to analyse from the dropdown
2. Ensure your sitemap is configured correctly:
   • Mode: Set to Auto (processes new URLs automatically every 6 hours) or Manual (you control when to process)
   • Status: Enabled (sitemap is active) or Disabled (sitemap is turned off)
3. Choose your processing mode:
   • AI Clustered: Let AI analyse your content and create logical clusters based on topics and themes. The system reads identifies related concepts, and groups pages by subject matter regardless of URL structure. Best for discovering unexpected content relationships and topic opportunities.
   • Sitemap Structure: Organise content based on your website's folder structure (/blog/, /products/, etc.). Uses your URL paths to create clusters, with folder names becoming cluster names and individual pages becoming topics. Best for sites with clear, meaningful URL hierarchies that already reflect content organization.

Understanding Sitemap Structure mode

How it works:

• URL path /products/laptops/gaming-laptops/ becomes: Cluster = "Products", Topic = "Laptops", Subtopic = "Gaming Laptops"
• Each folder level in your URL structure becomes a level in your cluster hierarchy
• Page titles become the final topic or subtopic names

Best for sites with:

• Clear folder hierarchies like /blog/marketing/email-marketing/
• Meaningful URL structures that reflect content categories
• Consistent organizational patterns across the site
• URLs that match how you think about your content

Limitations:

• Flat sites (everything at domain.com/page-name) get grouped into a single "General" cluster (though you can change it in the interface)
• Sites with unclear folder names (like /p/ or /cat123/ ) produce confusing clusters
• Technical URL structures don't translate well to content strategy
• Can miss thematic connections between content in different folders

When to choose each mode:

• Sitemap Structure: Your URLs clearly reflect how you want content organized, and you're happy with that structure
• AI Clustered: You want to discover content themes that might not match your current URL organization, or your URL structure doesn't clearly reflect content topics

Option B: Build from scratch

Use the three-column interface to manually create your structure:

1. Access the three-column cluster builder
2. Create clusters using the ➕ Add Cluster button
3. Build topics within each cluster
4. Add subtopics for detailed coverage

Option B: Build from scratch

Use the three-column interface to manually create your structure:

1. Access the three-column cluster builder
2. Create clusters using the ➕ Add Cluster button
3. Build topics within each cluster
4. Add subtopics for detailed coverage

Sitemap mode settings for current clusters

How you configure your sitemaps directly impacts how current and comprehensive your topical clusters remain.

Auto mode vs manual mode

Auto Mode (Recommended):

• Automatically processes new URLs every 6 hours
• Keeps your clusters updated as you publish new content
• New pages are automatically analysed and added to appropriate clusters
• Perfect for blogs, news sites, and frequently updated e-commerce sites
• Ensures your topical authority grows with your content

Manual Mode:

• You control exactly when URLs are processed
• Choose specific pages to include in cluster analysis
• Better for sites with stable content or sensitive information
• Allows review before adding content to clusters

Keeping clusters current with auto mode

When auto mode is enabled:

1. New content detection: System checks your sitemap every for new URLs
2. Automatic analysis: New pages are processed using your chosen clustering method (AI or sitemap structure)
3. Smart placement: New content is automatically assigned to the most relevant existing clusters
4. Gap identification: System highlights when new content suggests additional clusters might be needed
5. Authority building: Consistent content addition strengthens your topic authority over time

Understanding the three-column interface

Column 1: Clusters (Pillars)

• Lists main content themes (5-15 per website typically)
• Broad topic areas like "Digital Marketing"
• Click any cluster to reveal its topics in middle column
• Shows count of topics within each cluster

Column 2: Topics

• Shows specific aspects within selected cluster (5-30 per cluster)
• Examples: "Email Marketing" within "Digital Marketing"
• Click any topic to reveal subtopics in right column
• Includes search intent and journey stage metadata

Column 3: Subtopics

• Displays specialised content within selected topic (2-10 per topic)
• Examples: "Welcome Email Templates" within "Email Marketing"
• Most specific level addressing particular questions
• Contains detailed intent and purpose information

Key information for each content piece

Essential details tracked for every item:

• Name: Clear, descriptive label for easy identification
• URL: Live article location (shows for published content)
• Search Intent: Purpose (Informational, Navigational, Commercial, Transactional)
• Journey Stage: User position (Awareness, Consideration, Decision)
• Keyword: Any tracked keywords you've imported
• Published: Status indicator

Managing your clusters

Adding new content

Creating clusters:

1. Click ➕ Add Cluster at top of first column
2. Fill in the Name field and click Save
3. New cluster appears alphabetically in the list

Adding topics:

1. Select parent cluster to highlight it
2. Click ➕ Add Topic at top of middle column
3. Complete form with URL, Intent, Journey Stage, and Keyword
4. Save to add topic under chosen cluster

Creating subtopics:

1. Select parent topic to highlight it
2. Click ➕ Add Subtopic at top of right column
3. Fill all relevant details in the form
4. Save to add subtopic under selected topic

Editing and organising content

Editing items:

• Hover over any item and click the blue pencil icon
• Make changes in the pop-up form
• Save to update (item remains highlighted for easy reference)

Publishing content:

• Open edit pop-up for any item
• Toggle Published switch (grey=draft, green=live)
• Save changes to update status
• Published items show a ✓ badge

Moving content:

• Click and hold any item to drag it
• Drop in new position (before, after, or inside other items)
• Release to reorganise your structure

Using AI suggestions:

• Click the ellipsis (...) next to any item
• Select "AI" from dropdown menu
• Review system suggestions for improvements

Create action items:

• Click the ellipsis (...) next to any topic or subtopic
• Select "Create Action" from dropdown menu
• System automatically creates a task in your project's Action Board (a Kanban-style task management system) with:
  • AI-generated blog outline tailored to the topic's intent and journey stage
  • Complete content structure with sections, bullet points, and meta descriptions
  • Visual ideas and reference suggestions
  • Target keyword information (if specified)
• Task appears ready for content team assignment and execution
• Perfect for turning cluster planning into executable content creation

From clusters to content execution

The Create Action feature bridges the gap between strategic cluster planning and actual content creation, ensuring your topical authority strategy gets implemented.

How action items work

When you create an action item from any topic or subtopic:

Automatic AI outline generation:

• Title and introduction: Uses your exact topic name and creates an engaging intro hook
• Section structure: Generates 5-7 main sections (H2s) with specific, benefit-focused headings
• Content bullets: Provides 2-4 actionable bullet points under each section
• Statistics integration: Includes 2-3 recent, relevant statistics naturally woven into content points
• Unique angle: Identifies what makes this content different and valuable
• Visual ideas: Suggests practical visuals that genuinely help readers
• Meta optimization: Creates 3 meta title options and 1 meta description, all optimized for search

Action Board integration: The Action Board (similar to a Kanban board) organizes all your content tasks by status:

• To Do: New action items ready for assignment
• In Progress: Content being actively created
• Review: Completed content awaiting approval
• Done: Published content contributing to your topic authority

Strategic benefits of action items

Maintains cluster coherence:

• Each action item retains its cluster context, intent, and journey stage
• Content creators understand exactly where the piece fits in your overall strategy
• Ensures new content strengthens existing topic authority rather than creating scattered posts

Accelerates content production:

• Writers receive detailed outlines instead of vague topic suggestions
• All SEO elements (meta tags, keywords) are pre-planned
• Content briefs include strategic context about user intent and journey stage

Tracks cluster completion:

• Visual progress tracking shows which clusters have sufficient content coverage
• Identifies content gaps that need action items
• Measures how cluster strategy translates into published content

Content execution workflow

1. Plan clusters: Organize content using AI clustering or sitemap structure
2. Identify gaps: Review clusters for missing topics or weak coverage areas
3. Create actions: Generate action items for priority topics with detailed AI outlines
4. Assign tasks: Distribute action items to content team via Action Board
5. Execute content: Writers create content following AI-generated outlines and cluster strategy
6. Monitor progress: Track completion and measure topic authority growth
7. Iterate strategy: Use execution data to refine clusters and identify new opportunities

Filtering and navigation

Focus on specific content types using filter options:

• Use filter icons above each column
• Filter by search intent (Informational, Commercial, etc.)
• Filter by journey stage (Awareness, Consideration, Decision)
• Identify content gaps in your funnel

Four ways clusters boost your SEO

1. Establish clear topic authority

Organised content signals expertise to search engines:

• Connected content pieces reinforce your knowledge depth
• Comprehensive coverage demonstrates thorough understanding
• Strategic internal linking passes authority throughout topics
• Clear hierarchy helps search engines understand your focus areas

2. Improve user experience and engagement

Logical structure keeps visitors engaged longer:

• Easy navigation between related content pieces
• Clear pathways from general to specific information
• Reduced bounce rates from better content discovery
• Higher conversion rates through guided user journeys

3. Identify high-value content gaps

Stop guessing what content to create next:

• Spot missing topics that competitors aren't covering
• Prioritise content with highest traffic potential
• Build comprehensive coverage that users love
• Target search intent gaps in your content strategy

4. Plan strategic content development

Create content that builds on existing authority:

• Map new content to strengthen weak topic areas
• Plan content series that reinforce topic clusters
• Ensure balanced coverage across user journey stages
• Develop content that supports business objectives

Content planning best practices

Structure guidelines

Optimal cluster sizing:

• 5-15 main clusters per website for focused authority
• 5-30 topics per cluster for comprehensive depth
• 2-10 subtopics per topic for complete coverage

Organisation principles:

• Keep related concepts together in logical groupings
• Use clear, descriptive names for easy identification
• Balance cluster sizes to avoid overwhelming complexity
• Maintain consistent naming conventions throughout

Strategic content development

Intent and journey alignment:

• Informational content for awareness stage users
• Commercial content for consideration stage prospects
• Transactional content for decision-ready visitors
• Navigational content for existing customers

Content gap identification:

• Review each cluster for missing topics
• Identify underserved search intents
• Find opportunities competitors are missing
• Prioritise gaps with highest business value

Ongoing optimisation

Regular maintenance tasks

• Monitor auto mode effectiveness: Check that new content is being correctly assigned to clusters
• Update cluster structure as content evolves and business focus changes
• Review cluster performance: Monitor which topic areas drive most traffic and engagement
• Refine organisation based on user behaviour and content performance data
• Merge underperforming clusters: Consolidate clusters with fewer than 3 pieces of content
• Add new content strategically to strengthen weak clusters and fill identified gaps

Performance tracking

• Monitor which clusters drive most traffic
• Track conversion rates by topic area
• Identify top-performing content patterns
• Use insights to guide future content planning

Understanding search intent and journey stages

Search intent types

Informational: Users seeking knowledge and understanding

• How-to guides, tutorials, explanations
• Educational content building awareness
• Answer common questions in your industry

Commercial: Users researching products or services

• Comparison content, reviews, case studies
• Content for consideration stage prospects
• Help users evaluate options

Transactional: Users ready to take action

• Product pages, service descriptions, contact forms
• Decision stage content that drives conversions
• Clear calls-to-action for ready buyers

Navigational: Users looking for specific websites or brands

• Brand pages, company information, contact details
• Support existing customer relationships

User journey stages

Awareness: Users discovering they have a need

• Broad educational content
• Problem identification and explanation
• Building trust and credibility

Consideration: Users evaluating solution options

• Detailed comparison content
• Feature explanations and benefits
• Social proof and testimonials

Decision: Users ready to choose a solution

• Specific product or service information
• Pricing, guarantees, next steps
• Clear conversion pathways

Common questions answered

How many clusters should I create? Start with 5-15 main clusters focusing on your core business areas. Too many dilutes authority, too few lacks specificity.

Can I reorganise clusters after creating them? Yes, use drag-and-drop to move content between clusters. The flexible structure adapts as your content strategy evolves.

Should I create all content before clustering? No, you can plan clusters first then create content strategically to fill gaps. This prevents random content creation.

How do I know if my clusters are working? Monitor metrics like time on site, pages per session, and conversion rates. Well-structured clusters improve all these metrics.

Can I use both AI clustering and manual organisation? Yes, you can start with AI clustering from your sitemap and then manually refine the structure to better match your business goals.

What if I have content that fits multiple clusters? Choose the primary cluster and use internal linking to connect related content. Avoid duplicating content across clusters.

How often should I review my cluster structure? Review quarterly or when adding significant new content. Clusters should evolve with your business and content strategy.

Should every piece of content fit in a cluster? Ideally yes, but some standalone content like legal pages or temporary campaigns may exist outside the main cluster structure.