Traditional, keyphrase-based SEO is a business strategy that feels timeless, something so effective that you’ll always want to include it in your marketing campaign. However, the popularity of topic clusters is beginning to change that, but to implement them successfully, you have to understand what they are and what makes them so effective.
How search engines have evolved in 2025
First, it’s worth understanding how the landscape around SEO has changed before tackling the methods themselves. The primary driver of change in search engines is AI, with Google’s integration of tools like ChatGPT leading to more reactive searches as opposed to the static results of the past. The improvement of natural language processing means that such models are in a position to offer more accurate results based on queries, but other steps forward, like increasingly sophisticated algorithms to better understand search intent, also play a large role.
This naturally changes the type of content that is prioritised and favoured by the Google ranking factors in 2025, meaning that the way businesses approach SEO will also adapt in order to remain impactful.
What are topic clusters?
Topic clusters are a collection of pages on a single topic. This utilises a pillar and cluster model, featuring a central pillar page which contains links to several connected cluster pages, all of which are on the same subject yet with slightly different focuses. These pages are semantically relevant to each other, in a way that might be more intuitive to users looking for more information over simple shared keyphrases.
Topic cluster examples might include a pillar page which focuses on skincare tips and branches off to cluster pages that each revolve around one of those suggestions in more detail.
Pros and cons of topic clusters
Topic clusters aren’t just resources, they allow your brand to become an authority on a given topic through improved web architecture - meaning that all a reader wants to know can be found through the surrounding clusters of the pillar, diminishing the need for them to look elsewhere.
Generating this much content, however, is a drawback. Unlike with traditional SEO, this is a whole network of interconnected web pages, and in order to establish your brand as an authority you’ll need these pieces to be curated to a suitably high standard. There is also the issue of planning to consider, as without it these pages might not cohere into the organised, flowing cluster you’re aiming for.
How to implement topic clusters effectively
Planning, then, becomes the crucial first step in this strategy. This includes mapping these different cluster pages around the pillar, as well as linking them together internally. For this to be organic, it’s worth investigating various planning tools like SEMRush, Scalenut or Frase.
What is traditional SEO?
Traditional SEO is content that is localised to just one page. This page will be optimised using specific keyphrases, headings and meta-descriptions. To improve the quality of your SEO further, you might engage in content siloing - structuring your website architecture so that the different topics are isolated from one another. This can improve the user experience by making it easier to find what they’re looking for.
Pros and cons of traditional SEO
The simplicity of traditional SEO is arguably one of its biggest strengths, making it easy to generate regularly for strong short-term results. Over time, though, this can lead to content duplication and poor internal structure, which can harm both your authority on the topic and how well this content does in search results.
Which strategy is better in 2025?
A robust SEO strategy in 2025 is still about generating improved user engagement and long-term organic growth. To classify one method as ‘better’ than the other might neglect their unique strengths and weaknesses, making a hybrid method worth considering. This allows you to lean into the advantages of traditional SEO by readily utilising it when you need to, while establishing impeccably planned topic clusters to boost architecture and authority.
New and trending marketing methods can hold the alluring promise of revolutionising your brand’s visibility. However, before blindly jumping on-board, take your time to attune your content strategy to the modern SEO landscape so that whichever approach you choose is effective, intuitive and engaging.
WEBPRO knows
Google is still the most popular search engine by far, with 89.62% of the market share.
