Check your judgment on when to deploy topic clusters and when a deep single asset makes more sense. Prove you can design internal links, pillar pages, and scopes that build topical authority.
When is a topic‑cluster model clearly preferable to a single deep page?
Broad themes with many sub‑intents requiring multiple focused pages interlinked to a pillar.
Temporary campaigns with no long‑term search value.
Ultra‑niche queries with one narrow intent and low competition.
Pages where indexing is blocked by design.
What is the primary job of a pillar page in a cluster strategy?
Act as a thin tag archive that lists titles only.
Provide a comprehensive overview and route users to detailed subtopics via internal links.
Repeat every paragraph from each cluster post verbatim.
Target an unrelated transactional keyword for conversions.
Which signal most strengthens a cluster’s ability to rank competitively in 2025?
Random external links to any high‑DA site.
Auto‑generated boilerplate to hit a word‑count quota.
Clear internal linking hierarchy and information gain across the set, not just more pages.
Publishing all spokes on the same day regardless of quality.
When does a single long‑form page often win over building a cluster?
When multiple buyer journeys require distinct treatments.
When the topic has dozens of commercial modifiers.
When you plan to split every H2 into its own URL regardless of need.
When a narrow topic has unified intent and depth can be served in one canonical resource.
Which internal link practice best concentrates authority on the pillar?
All spokes link back to the pillar with descriptive anchors; pillar links out to each spoke.
Spokes link only to each other and never to the pillar.
Use ‘click here’ as the only anchor text.
Pillar links to a random subset of spokes to reduce crawl load.
Which measurement best indicates a cluster is outperforming a single‑page alternative?
Higher average time on page for the pillar alone.
Aggregate coverage and conversions across the pillar + spokes outpacing the single page for key intents.
More pages published regardless of traffic quality.
Lower bounce rate on any one spoke.
How should you scope a cluster in highly competitive verticals?
Publish 50 thin spokes immediately to ‘signal authority’.
Target only head terms to maximize volume.
Start with a robust pillar and a few high‑impact spokes, then iterate depth based on gaps and demand.
Avoid interlinking to conserve PageRank.
Which technical element most supports cluster crawlability and comprehension?
Infinite scroll without pagination or linking.
Blocking category paths in robots.txt.
Parameter‑stuffed URLs that vary per UTM source.
Consistent URL patterns and breadcrumbs reflecting the pillar→spoke relationship.
What editorial rule prevents cluster bloat?
Only add spokes that deliver new information gain; prune or merge overlap over time.
Spin AI content to cover every long‑tail variation.
Duplicate successful pages to capture plural keywords.
Refuse to update old spokes to preserve their age.
For a niche term with low competition and a single clear intent, what is usually the most efficient approach?
Create multiple near‑duplicate pages targeting synonyms.
Create one comprehensive, evergreen page and maintain it as the canonical resource.
Publish only a short announcement and rely on backlinks.
Build a 10‑URL cluster first, then merge later.
Starter
Start mapping your pillar and spokes before scaling; structure beats volume.
Solid
On track—expand spokes with real information gain and link thoughtfully to your pillar.
Expert!
Outstanding—your clusters balance depth, UX, and crawlability without bloat.
