Posted by Kristine Jacobson

Single keyword SEO optimization is now a practice of the past. Changes in search behavior (long tail keywords and voice search) and more sophisticated methods of understanding search intent, are requiring SEO experts to update their optimization techniques. SEO clustering has become an important tactic in responding to ever changing search behavior.  SEO clustering is the present AND the future of SEO and content strategy, helping you boost your traffic and maximizing the considerable investment you’ve made in your website.

 

An SEO cluster starts with a main topic.  This is your central hub of content, a pillar page, around which other multiple content pages that are related to that same topic (sub topics) are organized.  Your pillar page should sit at the top level of your website where you already get a lot of organic traffic.

 

This configuration allows Google to look deeper into your content and organize and optimize with a deeper understanding of the architecture of your website.  The higher your page ranks, the stronger it appears to Google.

 

Keywords are nice, but topic clusters are better…

 

The biggest benefit topic clusters offer is increased credibility with your targeted audience.  The overall objective of any website is to communicate your authority on a topic.  This is communicated through everything you publish around a particular subject. 

 

Thoughtful execution of how this strategy should be implemented will yield great dividends if you take the time to really think about how you want to reach your audience.  Your pillar content should be at a high-level, with links to the sub-topics. This will also result in a better user experience for your customers, who will not hesitate to return to your website if their experience is rewarding.

 

This strategy takes patience.  Evaluate your website to see what content is performing best and again reevaluate after six months to see if traffic improves.  You’re not likely to see improvement if Google does not view your website as a credible answer to a search, so be deliberate in how you organize your pillars and sub-topics.  Keeping the pillar page updated with relevant content is also critical because search engines are looking for SEO clustering to interpret the intention behind a search query and return the most relevant results

 

SEO is a constantly evolving and it is important for marketers to stay on top of the latest trends.  Optimization on individual keywords may no longer place you in the ranking position you want.  Search engines have adapted their algorithms to changing search behavior and SEO experts must now change their optimization techniques to continue to rank in top positions. SEO clustering is an effective method for helping search engines understand the content of your website, the more they understand the more likely they are to move your website to the top of search results.    

Conveyance Marketing Group is a team of bright, innovative and talented veteran marketers dedicated to big ideas, fresh insights and measurable results. We pride ourselves on taking challenging marketing issues and turning them into opportunities for our clients, on pointing brands in the right direction, and on getting our customers noticed both online and off. From branding to websites to digital marketing, and public relations, we handle all your marketing communication needs! Web Design and Development | Brand Strategy | Inbound Marketing | Social Media | SEO | PR

 

Kristine Jacobson

Kristine Jacobson

Kristine Jacobson has more than 25 years of marketing and communications experience with notable corporate leaders as well as emerging market contenders. She offers expert marketing strategy with a touch of creative flair. Her extensive knowledge of strategic marketing, marketing plan execution, and branding illuminate the big picture without losing sight of the details.