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Write pages that Google and AI recommend

Lesson 2 of 6

From keywords to topic clusters & briefs

8 min read

Stop writing one page per keyword

Modern SEO is topic-based. Group related keywords that share intent into a cluster: one comprehensive "pillar" page on the broad topic, plus supporting pages on specific sub-questions, all interlinked. This signals topical authority and lets you rank for many terms at once.

Build a brief before you write

A good brief removes guesswork:

  • Primary keyword + intent and the format that matches the SERP
  • Secondary terms & questions to cover (pull these from "People Also Ask" and related searches)
  • Target reader and what they need to walk away with
  • Suggested structure (H2/H3 outline)
  • Word-count range based on what's ranking — not an arbitrary number
  • Internal links to add (to and from the cluster)

Quality bar

The goal isn't to "hit the keyword" — it's to be the most useful, complete, trustworthy answer for that intent. The brief just makes sure you cover what readers and search engines expect.

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