Build Clusters
Plan a pillar-and-spoke content architecture and interlinking map from one seed topic so organic traffic compounds instead of living on isolated posts.
Overview
Build Clusters is an agent skill most often used in Launch (also Grow) that designs pillar-and-spoke topical authority clusters, coverage scoring, and interlinking plans from a seed keyword or topic.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/calm-north/seojuice-skills --skill build-clustersWhat is this skill?
- Pillar-spoke cluster model with explicit internal-link rules (spoke→pillar, pillar→spokes, sibling cross-links)
- Pre-flight context: seed topic, existing URLs, business relevance, and monthly content capacity
- Coverage scoring and interlinking plans to judge how complete a topic area is
- Hands off to find-keywords for keyword discovery and brief for individual article specs
- Stepwise workflow starting with subtopic decomposition from the seed keyword
- Three-linking rules: spoke→pillar, pillar→all spokes, spoke↔spoke siblings
- Four pre-start context inputs: seed topic, existing content, business relevance, monthly capacity
Adoption & trust: 2k installs on skills.sh; 10 GitHub stars; 2/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You publish strong individual articles but search engines never treat your site as an authority because content is scattered without a pillar, spokes, and internal link strategy.
Who is it for?
Indie SaaS blogs, niche sites, and solo founders planning 6–20 interlinked pages around one money or education theme.
Skip if: Single landing-page launches with no blog, pure paid-only acquisition, or teams that only need one article without a broader theme.
When should I use this skill?
User asks about topic clusters, content silos, pillar pages, topical authority, content architecture, or how to structure content around a theme.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You leave with a defined cluster architecture, subtopic list, coverage view, and interlinking plan ready to brief individual pieces or run find-keywords on each spoke target.
- Subtopic decomposition from seed keyword
- Pillar-spoke cluster map with target term roles
- Coverage scoring and interlinking plan
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Topical authority and silo structure are canonical launch/SEO work—you are designing how the site will rank before or while you publish. Cluster building is on-page and site-architecture SEO: head terms on pillars, long-tail on spokes, and internal links that signal depth to search engines.
Where it fits
Map a product-category pillar and supporting how-to spokes before a coordinated publish sprint.
Expand an existing blog theme with sibling articles and cross-links instead of random one-off topics.
Align early educational landing pages with a future cluster so validation content does not fork into unrelated URLs.
How it compares
Use for site-level content architecture and silos, not instead of find-keywords for keyword lists or brief for a single post outline.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is build-clusters for?
Solo builders and small teams who own a content site or marketing blog and want Google to see depth around a product-relevant topic, not isolated posts.
When should I use build-clusters?
During Launch when planning SEO content structure, whenGrow planning editorial calendars, or whenever someone asks for topic clusters, pillar pages, content silos, or topical authority around a seed theme.
Is build-clusters safe to install?
It is procedural SEO guidance without built-in shell or credential access; review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page before installing any skill from the repo.
Workflow Chain
Then invoke: find keywords, brief
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Build Clusters
# Build Clusters Build a topical authority cluster from a seed keyword using pillar-spoke structure, coverage scoring, and interlinking plans. ## What is a Topic Cluster? A topic cluster is a group of interlinked pages that collectively cover a subject area. Google evaluates topical authority at the cluster level — ranking a single page is harder if the site has no supporting content around the topic. **Structure:** - **Pillar page** — comprehensive overview of the broad topic (targets head term) - **Spoke pages** — focused articles covering subtopics (target body/long-tail terms) - **Internal links** — every spoke links to the pillar, pillar links to all spokes, spokes cross-link to siblings ## Before You Start Gather this context (ask if not provided): 1. **Seed topic.** The broad subject area to build authority around. 2. **Existing content.** Does the site already have pages on this topic? List them. 3. **Business relevance.** How does this topic connect to the product or service? 4. **Content capacity.** How many pieces can the team produce per month? ## Step 1: Subtopic Discovery From the seed topic, generate subtopics using these methods: **Search-derived:** - People Also Ask questions for the seed keyword - Related searches at the bottom of SERPs - Autocomplete suggestions (seed + a, b, c...) - Competitor content analysis — what subtopics do top-ranking sites cover? **Intent-derived:** - Awareness: "what is [topic]", "why [topic] matters" - Consideration: "best [topic] tools", "[topic] vs [alternative]" - Implementation: "how to [topic]", "[topic] tutorial" - Troubleshooting: "[topic] not working", "common [topic] mistakes" **Audience-derived:** - Beginner questions about the topic - Advanced practitioner concerns - Decision-maker evaluation criteria Aim for 8-20 subtopics per cluster. ## Step 2: Cluster Map Organize subtopics into a structured cluster: ``` Pillar: [Broad Topic] (head term) │ ├── Spoke: [Subtopic 1] (body term) │ └── Intent: informational │ ├── Spoke: [Subtopic 2] (body term) │ └── Intent: commercial investigation │ ├── Spoke: [Subtopic 3] (long-tail) │ └── Intent: transactional │ ├── Spoke: [Subtopic 4] (long-tail) │ └── Intent: informational │ └── ... (8-15 more spokes) ``` ## Step 3: Coverage Scoring Score how well the existing site covers the cluster: | Subtopic | Existing Page? | Quality (1-5) | Traffic | Gap? | |----------|---------------|---------------|---------|------| | [subtopic 1] | /blog/topic-1 | 4 | 500/mo | No | | [subtopic 2] | — | — | — | Yes | | [subtopic 3] | /blog/old-post | 2 | 50/mo | Partial (needs refresh) | - **Full gap** — no existing page, needs creation - **Partial gap** — page exists but is thin, outdated, or off-intent - **Covered** — strong existing page, may just need internal linking ## Step 4: Pillar Page Design The pillar page should: - Cover the topic comprehensively at an overview level (2,000-4,000 words) - Link to every spoke page for deeper dives - Be structured as a table of contents for the entire cluster - Target the highest-volume keyword in the cluster - Include a summary of each subtopic (2-3 paragraphs) with a link to the full spoke **Pillar page is NOT** a mega-article that tries to cover everything in depth. It is a hub that distributes authority and directs readers to the right spoke. ## Step 5: Interlinking Plan Map the internal links: | From Page | To Page | Anchor Text | Context | |-----------|---------|-------------|---------| | Pillar | Spoke 1 | "[subtopic 1] guide" | In the subtopic 1 overview section | | Spoke 1 | Pilla