Content clusters are more relevant now than ever. In traditional SEO, you only had to outrank competitors to earn your slice of the 75% of clicks that don’t even bother scrolling past the top search results for a given term. Now, there’s something else you need to account for: Generative AI.
Search features like Google’s AI Overviews (GSE) are climbing right to the top of the SERPs, often beating every real website. BUT, they still rely on sourcing insights from real, well-structured, high-quality content. That means if you play your cards right, you can feed the AI with your content, AND get cited as a source, significantly boosting your CTR.
For a SaaS website, that visibility can be a game-changer.
But to get there, your content clusters need to get two things spot on: context and structure.
Context is about making sure your content speaks to real user problems in a way that makes sense to both readers and search engines. And structure is where internal linking, page hierarchy, and topic mapping come into play.
What Are Content Clusters
A content cluster is a way of showing search engines, and your audience, that you deeply understand a topic that directly ties into what your SaaS does.
To create a cluster, you pick a core subject, one that aligns with your product and the problems it solves, and build a web of supporting content around it. That means going beyond surface-level coverage. Your central “pillar” page introduces or explains the main idea, and then you write multiple, tightly related blog posts or guides that each dig into a specific sub-topic in more depth.
Everything is internally linked, cleanly and intentionally, so the cluster feels like one coherent ecosystem rather than a pile of isolated articles.
Why SaaS Companies Need Content Clusters
SaaS SEO is no easy feat..
BUT, you’re on the right track – doing content clusters is the strongest lever you can pull to help search engines understand your expertise, and make them trust your site to the point that it becomes a go-to source of information for readers.
When you do them right, here’s what happens,
First, search engines pick up on the structure. They see that you’re not just touching on a topic, you’re OWNING it. You’re covering all its angles, and that tells Google you’re a credible source worth ranking.
Second, when people land on your site, they don’t bounce after reading one post. They keep going. One helpful article leads to another, then another, and before they know it, they’ve explored the whole topic from different perspectives, ALL within your site. That builds trust, improves dwell time, and sends the search engine signals that your content is worth sticking around for (which further improves your site’s credibility).
The more comprehensively you cover a topic, the more chances you have to rank for a wide range of relevant queries. And the more consistently users engage with your content, the more Google continues to trust you.
On top of that, clusters let you meet potential users across ALL levels of awareness. You’re not just writing TOFU blog posts for traffic or BOFU pages for conversion, you’re building a layered, interconnected system that educates, compares, and nudges people through the funnel in a seamless way.
(See examples below)
What happens when you DON’t do clusters
- Content cannibalization: You end up writing several blog posts that accidentally target the same keyword or very similar ones. Because they’re not clearly differentiated or strategically linked, they compete against each other in Google instead of working together to lift your site’s overall visibility.
- Weak internal linking: You might add links here and there, but if there’s no larger framework guiding it, your site structure becomes messy. Important pages don’t get enough link equity passed to them, and search engines struggle to understand how your content is connected, or which piece should rank for what.
- Inconsistent coverage: You chase random topics that feel relevant but don’t tie back to your core product themes. That leaves big gaps in your topical authority and makes it harder for both users and search engines to see what you actually specialize in.
Building Your First Content Cluster
It all begins with keyword research which will give you a starting point. This has to be a strategic topic that’s tied closely to what your product actually does. Something that sits at the intersection of search demand and product relevance.
For example, let’s say your SaaS helps teams with CRM automation.
That’s a strong pillar topic right there. It’s broad enough to support several subtopics, but specific enough to tie directly back to your core product offering. All those Googling “CRM automation” are likely trying to understand how to make their sales process smoother, reduce manual work, or find the right tools for automation, which makes it the perfect base to build on.
Once you have that, you move to the next big step which requires digging deeper and mapping out related subtopics. This is where tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, and Google’s “People Also Ask” come into play.
Type in “CRM automation” and see what naturally branches off:
- “Best CRM automation tools for small business” (BOFU)
- “How to set up CRM workflows” (MOFU)
- “What is CRM automation?” (TOFU)
- “Email automation vs CRM automation” (comparison content)
- “Use cases of CRM automation in real estate / SaaS / B2B sales” (vertical-specific MOFU)
Next, open up your Google Search Console and look at what pages are already ranking.
Let’s say you already wrote a blog post on “CRM email sequences” and it’s ranking for variations of “automated follow-up CRM.” That’s traction you can leverage by building content around what’s already working without having to work from zero.
Creating the Pillar Page
Your pillar page is the anchor of the entire cluster. It’s a broad level guide that gives readers a bird’s eye view of the topic and later evolves as you create more, specific guides on related sub-topics and link to them.
Let’s go back to our earlier example: “CRM automation.”
Your pillar page here would be something like “The Complete Guide to CRM Automation: Strategies, Tools, and Use Cases”. The goal of this page isn’t to go super deep into every subtopic, that’s what the supporting pages are for. Instead, you’re giving a structured, high-level overview of the whole topic, that makes people go, “Okay, these guys really get the space.”
To ensure that, do these things:
- Length-wise, you can go as long as 1500 – 3000+ words. As long as the content is genuinely useful and skimmable, it will work well for a page meant to rank and retain. Use UI elements like accordions to avoid showing a wall of text.
- Use H2s and H3s to break up the content clearly, for example:
- What is CRM automation?
- Benefits of CRM automation for growing teams
- Key features to look for in a CRM automation tool
- Use cases across sales, marketing, and support
- Tools worth exploring
- How [Your SaaS] fits into your CRM automation workflow
Each section can then briefly touch on its subtopic and link out to a dedicated guide.
- Visuals make a huge difference. If you can, include comparison tables (e.g., manual vs automated CRM tasks), simple diagrams (workflow examples), or even short video explainers.
- Add in CTAs that fit the stage. Since pillar pages tend to pull in MOFU traffic (people who are aware of the problem and exploring solutions) this is a great place to subtly introduce your product. You’re not hard-selling – just offering help with a:
- Downloadable workflow templates
- Related webinar
- Short product demo teaser
- Link to your product’s specific CRM automation use case page
Creating Supporting Cluster Content
Once your pillar content goes live, the next step is to create supporting articles – the deep dives. These are the articles that zoom into the specific aspects of the broader topic, each with its own purpose and place in the funnel.
Staying with the same CRM automation example, your supporting articles will look something like:
- Top CRM Automation Workflows for SaaS Sales Teams
- How to Automate Customer Follow-Ups Without Losing the Human Touch
- CRM Automation vs Marketing Automation: What’s the Difference?
- Best CRM Tools for SaaS Startups (With Automation Features)
Each one of these targets a specific long-tail keyword and speaks to a clear user intent. Some are TOFU – informational guides for readers still exploring. Others are MOFU or even BOFU, like comparison pieces or feature breakdowns for people getting closer to buying.
Include examples
If you’re talking about automation workflows, walk them through simple Zapier or HubSpot examples. If you’re comparing tools, include a table with side-by-sides. If you’re addressing objections, like “Will CRM automation make our messaging feel robotic?”, use quotes or data to support your answer.
Place internal links strategically
Each cluster piece should naturally link back to the pillar page, using descriptive anchor text like CRM automation strategies or complete CRM automation guide. That signals to Google (and to readers) that the pillar page is the authoritative parent.
Also cross-link between supporting articles where it makes sense. If your piece on “automation workflows for SaaS sales” briefly touches on CRM tool features, link out to your comparison piece.
Internal Linking Strategy
Every supporting piece should link to the pillar, and the pillar should link back to every supporting piece.
This reinforces the hierarchy and tells Google: this page is the hub, and these are the spokes, together, they own this topic.
For example,
- If you have a supporting article called “Best CRM Workflows for SaaS Sales.” Somewhere within the first few paragraphs, naturally weave in a link back to your pillar using anchor text like CRM automation strategies or comprehensive CRM automation guide. This helps readers navigate, but also tells search engines what that pillar page is really about.
- On the flip side, in your pillar page, when you touch on CRM workflows as a section, you link out to that supporting article using anchor text like detailed CRM sales workflows.
But please, avoid using generic phrases like “click here” or “read more” as anchor texts because they leave possible relevance signals on the table, and don’t reflect the keyword or the theme of the page you’re linking to. You want to give Google the CLEAR context it needs to understand the page’s role in the cluster.
Also, don’t think of internal linking as something limited to body paragraphs.
You can (and should) add links via:
- Sidebar widgets or “Related Articles” sections
- Sticky CTAs that nudge readers to download a lead magnet or explore a tool comparison guide
- In-line visuals, like annotated diagrams or flowcharts that contain embedded links
- End-of-article “Next Reads” recommendations to keep them looping deeper into your ecosystem
The more naturally you can guide people from one piece to another, the more time they spend on your site, the more they trust you, and the more signals you send to search engines that your content is comprehensive, helpful, and worth ranking higher.
Maintaining and Expanding Content Clusters
For Maintenance
Start with regular performance checks in Google Search Console. Look at which cluster pages are gaining impressions and clicks, and which ones are fading out.
If a previously high-performing article starts to drop, it might be outdated, technically under-optimized, or simply outpaced by better content by some competitor.
So update those posts before they flatline. That could mean:
- Refreshing stats and examples with more recent ones
- Adding a visual element that wasn’t there before (like a flowchart or table)
- Tightening up the structure or headline to reflect current search intent
- Re-aligning it with your product’s latest features if things have changed
In some cases, you’ll find a few weak posts that never really took off – maybe because they were too thin or fragmented? You can merge them into a stronger, related article (one that complements the pillar better as whole) to consolidate authority and prevent internal competition.
For Expansion
As your SaaS product evolves (maybe you launch a new feature or enter a new vertical), your content clusters have to evolve with it.
Let’s say your CRM product just added an AI assistant for lead scoring. That’s a whole new subtopic waiting to be written, “How AI is Changing Lead Scoring in CRM Platforms” and could easily plug into your existing CRM automation cluster.
Same goes for market shifts. If you’ve found a new regulation, integration, or tech trend in your industry, create a supporting article and link it back into the relevant pillar.
We usually recommend doing a quarterly cluster audit (doesn’t have to be a huge lift) – just a quick sweep to ask:
- What’s outdated?
- What’s missing?
- What can be improved?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Publishing subtopics without linking to a pillar page: This breaks the whole point of “clustering”. It weakens both the pillar and the subtopics, and you lose out on that crucial contextual signal search engines rely on.
Targeting the same keyword on multiple pages: AKA keyword cannibalization. It splits your ranking potential and confuses Google on which page to prioritize, which often results in none of them ranking well.
Delaying your pillar page: Many teams start pumping out subtopics first but wait too long to build the pillar. That’s a problem – because without the pillar, those supporting articles are just floating in the void. You miss out on early topical authority and internal linking leverage.
Ignoring user experience in your cluster layout: Even if the content is strong, if the readability’s low because of the clunky layout or there’s no clear navigation, users won’t stay for long.
Not revisiting old content: Clusters get stale fast if you don’t update them. And outdated stats, broken links, and old screenshots eat away at trust and rankings.
Using AI to Build and Manage Content Clusters
Keyword grouping: Instead of manually sorting through hundreds of keyword variations, you can use AI-powered tools to cluster them by semantic meaning and search intent. This speeds up ideation while ensuring your cluster doesn’t miss any important angle and covers all broad informational queries to specific commercial ones.
Generating structured outlines: AI tools like Surfer SEO, Jasper, Frase or even ChatGPT can help you draft high-level outlines for both pillar and supporting content. You’d still need to apply your strategic brain, but these tools will give you something solid to begin with. From there you can fill in details from your expert stand point.
Spotting content gaps: AI can scan top-ranking competitor pages and highlight which subtopics they’ve covered that you haven’t.
Auto-suggesting internal links: Some AI writing platforms now recommend internal links while you write. These aren’t perfect, but they’re a good starting point to keep your cluster connected, especially when scaling content fast.
Catching performance dips early: Tools with AI alerts (like Clearscope, Surfer, or GSC plugins) can flag content that’s losing rankings or impressions. That way you can refresh, re-link, or even consolidate in time, before Google kills it 100%.
Final Thoughts: Content Clusters Are a SaaS SEO Superpower
Content clusters are a long-term strategy for building topical authority, earning trust, and driving meaningful conversions. Especially in SaaS, where competition is tough and the buyer journey is layered, with a well-structured cluster you can speak to every stage with clarity and intent.
The depth and internal linking they bring isn’t just to please the bots, it’s what keeps people on your site longer, improves user experience, and brings them close to choosing you.
And with AI now curating answers right at the top of the SERP, you want to be the one it learns from and cites. And clusters can greatly increase your chances of showing up in those featured spots.
