How To Cluster Keywords To Get the Best SEO Results

Are you ready to unlock the true potential of your SEO strategy with keyword clustering? If you’re looking to elevate your website’s visibility and attract more organic traffic, then mastering the art of keyword clustering is essential — and Dandy is here to help!

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the practicalities of keyword clustering and provide you with actionable tips to achieve the best SEO results.

As Content Marketing Manager here at Dandy, my own expertise is within clustering keywords specifically for SEO blog content purposes, so that will be our main focus for the keyword clustering tips and tricks explored in this article. 

Hopefully, with this simple and straightforward guidance, you’ll be on your way to creating your own content keyword clusters in no time — and reaping the rewards soon after.

What is Keyword Clustering?

In SEO keyword research, keyword clustering involves grouping together topically related keywords that share similar search intents. This technique helps in structuring your website’s content to better satisfy search engine algorithms and user queries.

By focusing on clusters instead of individual keywords, you can cover a topic more comprehensively, which improves your site’s relevance, focus and authority. 

Before we delve into the how-to, let’s quickly run through some of the specific benefits of keyword clustering as part of your SEO content strategy:

• Enhanced Topic Authority: By covering related keywords in a single cluster, your content can achieve greater depth, making your site an authoritative source on specific topics.
• Improved User Experience: Clusters help organise content in a way that’s easier for users to navigate, providing them with more comprehensive answers.
• SEO Efficiency: Clusters allow you to target multiple keywords with a single piece of content, increasing your chances of ranking for various terms.

Keyword clusters vs content pillars

Content pillars are core topics or entities (paired up with aligning long-form pillar articles) that make up the basis of your website content strategy. These “pillars” of your content strategy make a great starting point as seed keywords for your keyword research, however, they are distinctly different to the keyword clusters that make up each individual piece of content you create.

Keyword clusters are, conversely, more targeted groups of keywords that relate to specific facets of a larger topic. While content pillars provide a broad overview, keyword clusters delve into the details, addressing the various aspects and queries associated with the topic.

This targeted approach not only enhances the relevance of each piece of content but also optimises it for a variety of keywords and search query paths within that topic, making your content more visible and accessible to users at different stages of their search journey.

Keyword clustering process: How to cluster keywords for SEO

Initial keyword research

Begin by compiling a broad list of keywords related to your main topic. Utilise tools like Google Search Console or InLinks to gather data on search queries, volumes, and keyword difficulty. You can export this data into Google Sheets or your choice of spreadsheet software for easy ongoing access.

Columns of data to add in this research could include:

• List of keywords
• Seed keyword
• Keyword type (Question, Keyword)
• Relevance to website
• Search intent
• Search volume
• Keyword difficulty
• Verbs used in query

Once you have this data, identify your seed keywords, which are the core terms central to your clusters. Understand the search intent behind each keyword—whether users are seeking information, looking to make a purchase, etc, and ensure it is relevant to the type of content you are producing.

Top tip: SEO blog content will most often be at informational intent queries over transactional intent queries, so be sure to remove any transactional keywords from your keyword list before clustering to avoid wasting your efforts!

Example keyword research list before clustering

Keyword grouping

Using tools like Keyword Insights, start grouping your keywords. Choose a focal keyword for each cluster and gather related terms based on relevance and semantic proximity.

You should also evaluate each cluster’s relevance to the focal keyword. This step ensures that all grouped keywords contribute to a unified topic, which enhances content coherence and SEO effectiveness.

Here are a few keyword cluster examples from our strategy archives to illustrate what your complete keyword clusters might look like:

Example complete keyword clusters on topic of chiropractic care

Create content ideas

With your clusters defined, brainstorm content ideas that weave together the top keywords in each cluster. Plan how these topics will be integrated into your content calendar.

Craft compelling titles that incorporate your focal keywords naturally, aiming to attract both search engines and readers. When writing blogs for SEO, use the clustered keywords to guide the structure of your articles. Ensure each section addresses aspects of the cluster, fulfilling the search intent and providing valuable information.

Example content calendar with keyword clusters included

Tools for Keyword Research and Clustering

When starting with keyword research and moving on to the clustering process, having the right tools is essential to streamline your efforts and enhance accuracy. Here are some highly recommended tools:

Google Search Console (GSC)

• Function: Tracks your website’s search performance and provides insights into the keywords that bring users to your site.
• Use Case: Use GSC to identify high-performing keywords and trends in your search traffic. It’s invaluable for picking out seed keywords and understanding search volumes and variations.

InLinks

• Function: Effective entity-based SEO and keyword research tool that specialises in semantic analysis and internal content optimisation. Also has its own built-in keyword grouping tools.
• Use Case: Utilise InLinks for deeper semantic insights into how different keywords relate and can be grouped, which is crucial for effective clustering.

Google Sheets

• Function: Spreadsheet software that allows for easy organisation, manipulation, and collaboration on data.
• Use Case: Ideal for sorting keywords, tracking metrics like search volume and difficulty, and visually organising clusters. It’s accessible and user-friendly, making it perfect for collaboration in small teams.

Keyword Insights

• Function: A keyword clustering tool designed specifically for grouping keywords into clusters.
• Use Case: This tool automates the process of creating keyword clusters based on relevance and search intent. Keyword clustering tools like Keyword Insights help to identify focal keywords and suggest closely related terms, saving time and improving the accuracy of your clusters.

These tools play a critical role in ensuring that your keyword research and clustering efforts are as effective as possible. By leveraging these, you can streamline your workflow, improve the relevance of your content, and ultimately, boost your SEO results.

Ensuring an effective keyword clustering strategy

You can’t just throw some phrases you like together and expect it to form an effective SEO keyword cluster. The process of identifying keywords, grouping them into topically related clusters, and then creating quality content from those clusters is a complex one that needs all the right boxes ticked to ensure success.

Here are some final tips for creating keyword clusters that get results for SEO:

• Incorporate your keyword clusters into your overall content strategy and schedule.
• Align them with your publishing schedule and marketing goals to maximise impact.
• Monitor the performance of your clustered content regularly.
• Make adjustments based on analytics and search engine feedback.

Get it right with Dandy…

At Dandy, we leverage these techniques regularly to deliver optimised, impactful content strategies for our clients. By following the steps outlined above, or even better, working with Dandy’s SEO specialists, you can enhance your SEO efforts and ensure that your content not only reaches but also engages your target audience effectively.

Ready to refine your SEO strategy with keyword clustering? Chat with Dandy today, and watch your site’s relevance and authority grow!