Topic Cluster Mapping

This drill produces a structured cluster map: one pillar topic with 10-30 cluster subtopics, each validated by keyword data. The map defines what to write, how pieces connect, and which subtopics to prioritize first. It feeds directly into the cluster-content-production drill and the blog-seo-pipeline drill.

Input

• Product category and ICP description (who you serve, what problems they have)
• 1-3 candidate pillar topics (broad head terms your product owns authority on)
• Optional: existing GSC data showing queries your site already ranks for
• Optional: competitor domains for gap analysis

Steps

1. Validate pillar topic candidates

For each candidate pillar topic, use ahrefs-keyword-research to pull:

GET /v3/keywords-explorer/google/keyword-ideas
keywords={pillar_topic}
where=volume>100
order_by=traffic_potential:desc
limit=500

A valid pillar topic has:

• Monthly search volume >= 500 for the head term
• At least 20 related keyword suggestions with volume >= 50
• A mix of informational ("what is X", "how to X") and commercial ("best X", "X vs Y") intent
• Relevance to your ICP's buying journey (solution-aware stage = they know the category, comparing options)

If a candidate has fewer than 20 viable subtopics, it is too narrow. If it has 200+, consider splitting into multiple pillars.

2. Generate the subtopic universe

From the Ahrefs keyword suggestions in Step 1, extract every distinct subtopic. Group by intent type:

Informational (top of cluster):

• "what is {pillar}" / "how does {pillar} work"
• "how to {action} with {pillar}"
• "{pillar} best practices" / "{pillar} strategy"
• "{pillar} examples" / "{pillar} case studies"

Comparative (middle of cluster):

• "{pillar} vs {alternative}"
• "best {pillar} tools" / "best {pillar} software"
• "{pillar} for {industry/role}"
• "{pillar} pros and cons"

Transactional (bottom of cluster):

• "{pillar} pricing" / "{pillar} cost"
• "{pillar} template" / "{pillar} checklist"
• "{pillar} tutorial" / "{pillar} getting started"

Use clay-table-setup to create a Clay table storing each subtopic row: subtopic, target_keyword, search_volume, keyword_difficulty, intent_type, priority_score, pillar_topic, status.

3. Expand with SERP gap analysis

For your top 10 subtopics by search volume, use ahrefs-keyword-research Content Explorer:

GET /v3/content-explorer/search
query="{subtopic}" -site:{your_domain}
order_by=organic_traffic:desc
limit=20

For each competitor article ranking for your subtopic:

• Note their H2 structure (what sections they cover)
• Note their word count and depth
• Identify subtopics they cover that you have NOT yet listed

Add any net-new subtopics discovered to your Clay table.

4. Score and prioritize subtopics

For each subtopic, calculate a priority score:

priority = (search_volume * 0.3) + ((100 - keyword_difficulty) * 0.3) + (intent_weight * 0.2) + (gap_score * 0.2)

Where:

• search_volume: raw monthly volume
• keyword_difficulty: Ahrefs KD (lower = better)
• intent_weight: transactional=100, comparative=70, informational=40
• gap_score: 100 if no competitor covers it well, 50 if competitors exist but are thin, 0 if strong competition

Sort by priority. The top 8-12 subtopics are your first cluster batch.

5. Map the internal linking architecture

Define the link relationships between pillar and cluster pages:

Pillar page links OUT to:

• Every cluster subtopic page (one link per subtopic in a structured hub section)

Each cluster page links:

• Back to the pillar page (contextual link in the introduction or conclusion)
• To 2-3 adjacent cluster pages (by proximity in intent: informational links to related informational, comparative links to adjacent comparisons)

Document the link map as a directed graph in the Clay table:

• Add a links_to column with comma-separated slugs of pages each subtopic should link to
• Add a links_from column tracking inbound internal links

6. Define the pillar page structure

The pillar page is the hub. It must:

• Target the broad head term (e.g., "content marketing strategy")
• Be 3,000-5,000 words covering the topic comprehensively
• Include a section for each cluster subtopic with a summary paragraph and link to the full cluster article
• Have a table of contents for navigation
• Include a lead capture CTA (email signup, checklist download, or demo booking)

Draft the pillar page outline: H1, table of contents, section H2s (one per cluster subtopic), CTA placement, FAQ section.

Output

• A Clay table (or structured JSON/CSV) with:
  • Pillar topic and its target keyword metrics
  • 10-30 cluster subtopics with keyword data, intent type, priority score
  • Internal linking map (who links to whom)
  • Pillar page outline
• Subtopics ranked by priority for production order

Triggers

• Run once per pillar topic at play start (Smoke level)
• Re-run quarterly to discover new subtopics and re-score priorities
• Triggered by cluster-gap-analysis when new opportunities are detected