A topic cluster is a content taxonomy method that uses a single page as a hub for many posts. The single page can be visualized as a pillar, with many posts clustering around it. A topic cluster offers many benefits such as helping to organize an internal content calendar and associating different high-level entities to a brand. But, is this model beneficial for all enterprises that are deploying content marketing at scale?
A topic cluster is a content taxonomy method that uses a single page as a hub for many posts. The single page can be visualized as a pillar, with many posts clustering around it. A topic cluster offers many benefits such as helping to organize an internal content calendar and associating different high-level entities to a brand. But, is this model beneficial for all enterprises that are deploying content marketing at scale?
In practice, a few enterprises have found true value from adopting the topic cluster methodology. Other enterprises develop a new topic cluster idea only to realize that they are forcing the model to fit their micro-needs. For instance, enterprises create pillars that are too niche, too broad, have too much overlap or the pillars compete with product pages. The topic cluster works best for brands going for high volume, very broad keywords. However, not all is lost. Even if the topic cluster model is not the right fit, it does not mean an enterprise is stuck with a generic blog. There are other ways to manage the existing site content and reap the same SEO benefits. For instance, if used correctly, category and topic labels can succinctly call out the top categories in a blog. There is an additional advantage of generating anchor text on the page, which will show the semantic relationship between the content in the blog without having to build a multi-level framework. Another option would be to leverage content hubs that have broad keyword value instead of naming hubs after different content formats. The benefit would be to make the blog navigation stand out from the competition. If the industry is niche enough, with only a handful of content that drives the most relevant traffic then linking to high-value content in the header or footer of a blog or a website can help to call out content with significant value. In general, if an enterprise is attempting to rework its entire content information architecture, then it has to begin by taking full stock of the content library. This can help the enterprise choose a model based on what has already been written. Additionally, it helps in identifying and removing low performers, which ensures that new blog content gets the fresh start it deserves. Therefore, if an enterprise is looking to overhaul its content architecture, there are many routes. The best one for one site may not be the best solution for another, so it is important to take time and map out an information architecture that helps an enterprise achieve its business objectives. Click here to read the original article published by siegemedia
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