Running the risk of using a cliché “In the world of blogging, clarity is king.” We’ve all landed on blogs that leaf us dazed and confused. One blog post is about the topic we’re looking for and reading the next topic is about something completely unrelated.
Here’s an example: you’re lover of Maine Coon cats and found a blog that specializes on that breed. You’ve read the most informative article on grooming them and the next article is about how the author spent the afternoon cleaning her fish tank! You’re left scratching your head saying “huh”.
This chaotic content spread isn’t just frustrating for your readers — it’s also a surefire way to see your bounce rate climb higher and higher.
Topic Clusters Bring Order
Like a well-organized library, your blog should guide readers smoothly from one piece of related content to the next. Blogs can quickly turn into a maze of unrelated and disconnected pieces, leaving your readers lost and unsure where to go next. An unnavigable blog is a quick ticket to a high bounce rate as frustrated readers leave your site for more orderly pastures.
I’m guilty in my early days of blogging writing about website stuff, page builders and then throwing in an article about mindset. There’s an easy way to fix that, by tweaking the articles so they make more sense and coming at it with the main topic in mind. Example: How to Not Get Overwhelmed When Building Your First Website
Here’s an illustration that breaks it down. The example is a Health and Fitness blog for seniors. In the top row, there are three pieces of Pillar content (’cause that’s all I could fit on the chart). The items below are the sup-topic articles.
And not having the room, each sub-topic article could have additional articles.
If you took the first piece of Pillar content: The Ultimate Guide to Senior Fitness. This would be an all encompassing article. It would be huge.
Then you would have sub-topic articles and additional sub-topic articles under those.
Let’s take “Exercise Routines for Seniors” which would be an article. You could have additional articles under that such as:
- How Strength Training Can Benefit Older Adults
- Low-Impact Exercises for Joint Health
- Balance and Flexibility Exercises for Senior Pairs
Not only does this keep your content writing on point, these articles are all related and would have internal links connecting them all, making Google happy.
Topic clusters provide a roadmap, grouping related content together in a way that makes sense. This logical layout allows readers to effortlessly navigate your content, exploring related pieces with ease.
Action Step: Start by examining your existing content. Identify common themes or topics and begin grouping related articles under these broader umbrellas.
Key Takeaway: Organizing your blog into topic clusters creates an intuitive journey through your content, making for happier, more engaged readers.
Google Loves Them
Appearing on the first page of Google search results is a coveted spot, and topic clusters can help you get there. Search engines can struggle to understand chaotic, disorganized blogs, resulting in lower rankings and decreased visibility. The more jumbled and fragmented your content, the tougher it becomes for Google’s algorithms to decipher its worth.
By using topic clusters, you’re helping Google understand your content, leading to improved SEO and greater discoverability.
Action Step: Include internal links within your clusters, connecting related pieces together. This signals to Google that your content is structured and interconnected.
Key Takeaway: Topic clusters enhance your SEO, making your blog more accessible to the world.
Readers Stay Longer
The longer a visitor stays on your blog, the better. Topic clusters can turn casual visitors into dedicated readers. When your blog lacks clear connections between related content, readers are likely to skim a single article and leave. Your valuable insights are left unread, and potential followers are lost.
With topic clusters, readers are encouraged to dive deeper into your content, discovering more of what your blog has to offer.
Action Step: Within each post, recommend related articles, gently guiding your readers deeper into your blog.
Key Takeaway: Topic clusters create an inviting content landscape that encourages exploration, keeping readers engaged for longer.
Improves Relevancy
Your blog posts should feel like pieces of a larger puzzle, not isolated islands in a vast ocean. A blog with disconnected posts can make your content seem irrelevant or outdated, undermining your credibility as an author.
Topic clusters solve this by linking relevant pieces together, reinforcing the overall theme of your blog and ensuring your content stays pertinent.
Action Step: As you write new articles, link back to older, related posts, keeping your entire content ecosystem relevant and fresh.
Key Takeaway: Topic clusters maintain and enhance the relevancy of your content, keeping your blog timely and connected.
Easy Update
Breathing new life into older posts can be as simple as linking them to your newer content. As time passes, even the best articles can feel stale. You’ve worked hard on your content, and it’s a shame for older posts to gather dust while newer ones hog the spotlight. I’m looking forward to re-freshen some of my articles on Medium and my older articles on my blog, especially the ones with the auto recordings.
Incorporating topic clusters allows you to link new posts to older ones, infusing them with fresh relevance and bringing them back into the limelight.
Action Step: Regularly review older content to identify opportunities for inclusion in your topic clusters. A refreshed link can give these pieces a new lease of life.
Key Takeaway: Topic clusters ensure all your content — old and new — stays relevant, useful, and appreciated by your readers.
Wrapping It Up
By grouping together related content, you’ll create a space where your readers can effortlessly explore and find joy in discovering valuable insights. Not only that, but Google will also take notice, acknowledging the true worth of your hard work. Your content, whether it’s fresh or timeless, will truly shine, and keep your reader interested.
Until next time, stay inspired.
Gisèle
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