Topic Clusters

What is the Topic Clusters Feature?

The Linkilo AI Topic Clusters tool helps you organize your website’s content into logical groups (clusters) centered around a main “Pillar Page.”

By grouping related content, you tell search engines like Google that you are an authority on a specific subject. This structure improves your site’s Topical Authority, helps users navigate your content better, and boosts your SEO rankings.

Part 1: Initial Setup

Before diving into the clusters, ensure your settings are optimized for the best results.

Navigate to Linkilo AI > Settings.
Click the Topic Clusters tab.
Essential Settings:
- Enable AI Topic Clustering: Ensure this is checked.
- Primary Clustering Method: We recommend “Mixed Approach (AI + Intent + Funnel)” for the most accurate results. This combines keyword matching with AI semantic understanding.
- Cluster Similarity Threshold: Set this to 0.6 (default).
  - Lower (0.4) = Larger clusters, looser matching.
  - Higher (0.8) = Tighter, very specific clusters.
- Include Search Console Data: Check this if you have connected GSC. It uses real user search data to group your posts.

Part 2: The Topic Clusters Dashboard

Navigate to Linkilo AI > Topic Clusters in your WordPress admin. You will see three main views you can switch between using the “View” dropdown:

1. Insight Dashboard (The “Big Picture”)

This is your strategy center. It visualizes your content hierarchy.

Visualizations:
- Treemap: Shows which topics dominate your site. Larger boxes = more posts.
- Funnel Network: Shows how your content flows from Awareness (TOFU) to Decision (BOFU).
- Heatmap: Quickly identifies which topics are “hot” (dense) and which are thin.
Automated Insights: Look for the “Story of Your Content” box. Linkilo analyzes your data to tell you if you are missing “Middle of Funnel” content or if you have strong topical depth in specific areas.

2. Interactive List View (The “Workspace”)

This is where you manage your clusters day-to-day.

Left Column: Your active clusters.
Right Column: Unclustered posts (orphaned content).
Pillars: Every cluster needs a Pillar Page (marked with a yellow badge). This is your main, comprehensive guide on the topic.

3. Smart Pillar Suggestions

Not sure which post should be the main “Pillar”?

Switch to this view to let Linkilo analyze your content.
It ranks posts based on Word Count, Click Data, and Content Format (e.g., “Ultimate Guides” get higher scores).
Action: If you see a high-scoring post here that isn’t a pillar, consider building a new cluster around it.

Part 3: How to Use the Feature (Workflow)

Step 1: Generate Your Clusters

If this is your first time, or if you’ve added many new posts:

Click the Regenerate Clusters button.
Linkilo will analyze your content and group posts based on the algorithm you selected in settings.
Note: This process uses AI credits but provides the most accurate semantic grouping.

Step 2: Refine Your Clusters (Drag & Drop)

AI isn’t perfect, and you know your content best.

Move Posts: Simply drag posts from the “Unclustered” sidebar into a cluster on the left.
Re-arrange: Drag a post from one cluster to another if it fits better elsewhere.
Set a Pillar: If a cluster has the wrong “boss,” click the Star Icon (Set Pillar Page) on the cluster header and select the correct main article.

Step 3: Create Manual Clusters

Sometimes you want to force a specific grouping.

Click Create New Cluster.
Name your cluster (e.g., “SEO Strategy”).
Select the Pillar Post that will serve as the foundation.
Once created, drag relevant posts from the unclustered list into this new group.

Step 4: Split Large Clusters

If a cluster becomes too big (e.g., 50 posts about “Marketing”), it’s better to split it.

Click the Split Cluster icon (looks like a form).
Name the new sub-cluster (e.g., “Email Marketing”).
Check the boxes of the posts you want to move.
Select a new Pillar for this sub-group.

Part 4: Advanced Optimization Tools

Each cluster card has a toolbar with powerful analysis features:

❤️ Health Check (Heart Icon)

Click this to see how well your cluster is interlinked.

Pillar to Cluster: Checks if your main page links out to the supporting articles.
Cluster to Pillar: Checks if the supporting articles link back to the main page (essential for passing link juice).

💡 Content Gap Analysis (Lightbulb Icon)

Running out of content ideas?

Click the lightbulb icon.
Linkilo sends your current cluster data to the AI.
Result: The AI will suggest 5-7 missing topics that would make this cluster more complete and authoritative.
- Example: If you have a cluster on “Coffee,” the AI might notice you are missing an article on “Cold Brew vs. Iced Coffee.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why do I have so many unclustered posts?

A: This usually happens if the content is too unique or short to be confidently grouped by AI. You can lower the “Cluster Similarity Threshold” in settings to grouping looser matches, or manually drag them into clusters.

Q: What happens if I delete a cluster?

A: The posts inside are not deleted. They simply move back to the “Unclustered Posts” list.

Q: How often should I regenerate clusters?

A: We recommend doing this only after major content updates (e.g., adding 10+ new posts). For day-to-day management, use the manual drag-and-drop features to save AI credits.

Q: What is TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU?

A: These are marketing funnel stages detected by Linkilo AI: