Four Steps to Using Topic Clusters for SEO
When building a website for your business, your main goal is to increase awareness of your business and attract new clients. How does one go about doing this? Let our digital marketing experts walk you through four steps to using topic clusters for search engine optimization (SEO).
What Are Topic Clusters?
Topic clusters are groups of content on one topic or related subtopics. By grouping content, your website will serve as the ultimate resource for people needing your products or services.
Your website should feature everything a potential client might want to know about your company, products or services, and market or industry. The more high-quality content you have that answers potential clients’ questions, the more likely those potential clients will turn into real ones.
1. Learn the User’s Search Intent
What is a user’s intent, purpose, or goal for an online search? What are they looking for? You need to ask these kinds of questions to understand your target audience better and fulfill their needs. There are a few ways to figure this out.
Look Into Search History Data
What stage of the customer journey is your target audience in? Are they using phrases like “what is” that signals awareness, or phrases like “difference between,” which signals consideration or comparison between brands?
Review Your Pay-Per-Click Data
If you are running Paid Google Ads, you can see the most popular keywords or phrases among users. This will give you an idea of what kind of content users seek.
Put Yourself in Your Target Audience’s Shoes
Think to yourself, “What would I search for if I needed X service?” For example, what would you look up online if you were looking for a workers’ compensation lawyer and had never needed one of those before?
- “I injured myself at work; what kind of lawyer can help?”
- “Can I get workers’ comp for an injury I got on a business trip?”
- “Construction worker injury needs compensation.”
2. Build a Master Keyword List and Find Gaps
Once you compile a list of the most common keywords users search online regarding a particular topic, you can find gaps in your website’s content. What are users searching for online that you do not have information about on your website?
Consider all the factors a potential client would consider when deciding whether to purchase a product or service.
- Is this business knowledgeable about what they do?
- What will the process look like once I hire this company for service?
- I don’t know if I need help. What kind of services does this business offer?
3. Make Your Topic Clusters
Topic clusters are a great way to cover topics in short, digestible pages. You should start by determining which pages on your website are most popular and likely to lead to calls about your services. Then, you can create a list of subtopics related to overarching topics and begin producing compelling content. This could include blogs, videos, infographics, or other unique forms of content to enhance your website.
4. Review the Results
When starting any project, it is essential to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of your campaign. To do this, you must review your KPIs before and after implementing your strategy. A few helpful metrics to measure success include looking at conversion rate, page views, time on page, and impressions. You can see what worked and what didn’t and make changes to your strategy moving forward.
Discuss Topic Clusters with Our SEO Team
Topic clusters can enhance your website’s SEO, draw attention to your business, and bring in new clients. BluShark Digital is a digital marketing agency well-versed in all things SEO, and our content development team can work with you to take your website to the next level. Call us today to get started.