Mastering Keyword Clustering: 3 Easy Approaches

Author: Agata Wasilewska, Content Writer

One of the most important aspects of SEO is keyword research and optimisation. Keyword clustering is a technique that can simplify the process of keyword research and optimisation, making it easier for you to improve your search engine rankings.

Read on to find out how to use keyword clustering to grow your website’s organic traffic.

What is Keyword Clustering?

Keyword clustering is the process of grouping related keywords together based on their semantic similarity and search intent. 

By clustering keywords, you can create a more organised and targeted content strategy that improves your website’s visibility in search engines. This enables you to create content that better matches the needs and interests of your target audience, resulting in higher search engine rankings and more organic traffic. 

Keyword clustering helps you identify the most effective keywords to use in your content and ensures that your content is well-optimised for search engines.

Why Should You Cluster Keywords?

There are several reasons why you should consider keyword clustering as part of your SEO strategy. 

1. Create More Targeted Content – created content that is more relevant to your audience can improve engagement and increase the likelihood of conversions. 
2. Identify Gaps in Your Content Strategy – you can prioritise content creation based on what your audience is searching for and improve your search engine rankings by focusing on specific topics and themes that are important to your audience.
3. Avoid Keyword Cannibalisation – this is when multiple pages on your website compete for the same keyword. This can dilute your website’s authority, which can negatively impact your search engine rankings. 

How to Do Keyword Clustering

There are several approaches to keyword clustering, including the manual approach, the Ahrefs Parent Topic Metric approach, and the keyword clustering tool approach.

The Manual Approach

The manual approach involves grouping keywords by hand, which allows for a greater level of control and customisation. When clustering keywords manually,you should take into account your specific goals and target audience. You should also consider factors such as user intent and search volume, which can be difficult to capture with automated tools. By tailoring the clustering process to your needs, you can ensure that you are creating content that is relevant and valuable to your audience.

Another advantage of the manual approach is that it allows for a deeper understanding of the keywords being clustered. By manually grouping related keywords, you gain insights into how different keywords are related to each other and how they can be used together within your content. This can help in creating more effective keyword-rich content that is optimised for search engines. It also helps in identifying gaps in content and finding new opportunities for keyword optimisation.

However, the manual approach to keyword clustering can be time-consuming and labour-intensive, especially for larger websites with a lot of content. It requires a significant amount of effort and expertise to identify and group related keywords effectively. It also requires ongoing maintenance as new keywords are added, or old ones become less relevant.

For example, it is clear to see that such keywords as “best electric bikes” and “top electric bikes” have the same SERP results.

However, the results for “best electric bikes for kids” are completely different.

The Ahrefs Parent Topic Metric Approach

The Ahrefs Parent Topic Metric approach works by analysing the relationships between different topics and keywords on the internet. Ahrefs uses advanced algorithms to identify the most important topics in an industry or niche based on factors such as search volume, competition, and relevance. This information is then used to create a hierarchy of topics, with the most important or “parent” topics at the top of the list.

The benefit of this approach is that it allows you to focus on creating content around the most important topics in your industry. By targeting these parent topics, you can ensure that your content is relevant to the needs and interests of your target audience, and that it is more likely to rank well in search engine results pages.

This approach also helps identify related subtopics and keywords that can be used to create more targeted content. By analysing the relationships between different topics, Ahrefs can identify the most important sub topics and keywords within each topic area. This information can then be used to create more focused content that addresses specific questions or concerns that people may have within a particular topic area.

You can find the Parent Topic of any keyword by entering it into Ahrefs Keywords Explorer.

Click on the “Terms match” report.

Then, open the drop down menu and select “By parent topic”.

You now have a list of keywords that have been automatically grouped for you.

If you click on any of these groups, you’ll see the list of topically relevant keywords.

The Keyword Clustering Tool Approach

The keyword clustering tool approach involves using specialised software tools that automate the process of keyword clustering. 

These tools use algorithms to analyse large sets of keywords and group them into clusters based on their semantic relevance. The software uses natural language processing (NLP) techniques to identify similarities in the meaning of different keywords and group them accordingly. The tools also use data visualisation techniques to display the keyword clusters in an easy-to-understand format, allowing you to quickly identify patterns and trends in the data.

One of the main benefits of using the keyword clustering tool approach is that it saves time and improves the accuracy of the keyword clusters. Manually analysing large sets of keywords can be tedious and time-consuming, especially when dealing with complex topics or multiple languages. 

The use of automated tools streamlines the process and reduces the risk of errors due to human factors. The tools can also handle large amounts of data quickly, which is essential when you need to analyse website content on a regular basis.

3 Best Keyword Clustering Tools

1. SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool. This tool is a favourite among SEO professionals because of its comprehensive features. It allows you to analyse your website’s content and identify the most relevant keywords to target. With SEMrush, you can also access data on keyword search volume, difficulty, and trends, making it easier to identify high-value keywords that will drive traffic to your site.
2. Ahrefs Keyword Explorer – we’ve already seen Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer tool in action with the Parent Topic method. But it also provides you with detailed metrics on each keyword, including search volume, keyword difficulty, and click-through rates. 
3. Google Keyword Planner. This tool is entirely free and provides a wealth of information on search volume and competition for each keyword. Google Keyword Planner is an excellent choice for those just starting with keyword clustering, as it provides a straightforward interface and easy-to-use features.

The Bottom Line

Keyword clustering is a powerful technique that can simplify the process of keyword research and optimization. By grouping similar keywords together, you can create more targeted content that is relevant to your audience. 

This can improve engagement, increase conversions, and improve search engine rankings. Once you have created your keyword clusters, it’s important to incorporate them into your content strategy by creating targeted content that is optimised for search engines.