Building Topical Authority Through Thematic Blog Clusters

How Blog Clusters Work

Blog clusters comprises of numerous blogs all covering the same particular topic, it includes:

• Pillar page – broadly covering the chosen topic
• Cluster pages – these pages support the broad topic, providing in-depth information

Each cluster page should build off the theme of the pillar page, providing a cohesive and in-depth overview of the particular topic. This is a great way to approach massive topics you cannot cover in a single blog, such Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). SEO is a massive topic, covering numerous elements, tactics, and processes, that cannot be covered in a single blog post.

How Google Uses Blog Clusters

Google sees websites and blogs that produce high quality and comprehensive content as authoritative in their niche. Don't forget Google also prioritises topical authority focusing on the E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) principle. When you exhibit E-E-A-T in your blogs, you are seen as high quality by Google. Publishing blog clusters is the best way to demonstrate your expertise and authoritativeness.

Blog Clusters and SEO

Yes, how topical authority really works is still a mystery. Doing SEO and carrying out numerous strategies and campaigns, we have found that blog clusters matter to SEO:

• Consistent content on the same topic boosts authority
• Using internal links in your blog clusters helps Google understand your expertise
• Rank for broader topics and long-tail keywords
• Gain a competitive edge 
• Improved SEO performance with higher rankings on exiting keywords
• Improved user experience and engagement

Tips to Creating Effective Blog Clusters

Now that you understand you can build topical authority through thematic blog clusters, let's take a quick look at how to create them effectively:

1. Select Core Topics – uncover fresh topic ideas
2. Keyword Research – research keywords directly related to your core topic 
3. Pillar page – create your pillar page. Keep internal linking in mind when creating your pillar page
4. Create clusters – create each cluster blog linking back to your pillar blog. Remember to use timely and evergreen content to keep your blog fresh and relevant
5. Internal links – ensure you have a strategic internal linking strategy in place. Every pillar blog should link to each cluster blog, and vice versa.

Best Practices

The Genie Crawl team have provided some expert tips to keep in mind when creating thematic blog clusters to build topical authority:

• Keep content fresh and update regularly
• Use multimedia to engage your readers
• Track performance and make necessary adjustments

Mistakes to Avoid

Our expert team also recommend avoiding the following common blog clusters mistakes:

• Keyword cannibalisation
• Duplicate and overlapping content
• Poor internal linking structure

Conclusion

Thematic blog clusters are an excellent way to build topical authority, gain a competitive edge, and improve your reach online. Blog clusters are not only useful to search engines, but they improve user experience. If you need help creating winning thematic blog clusters, contact Genie Crawl now. Get in touch today and let us show you how.