# topic-cluster-planning

Research a content area and turn it into a hub page, supporting articles, and a linking plan. Use it when you need a structured publishing roadmap for a new topic.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · ★ 370
- Author: inhouseseo
- License: Apache-2.0 · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/inhouseseo/superseo-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/topic-cluster-planning/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-09-03
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/topic-cluster-planning

## What it does

Give the skill a seed topic or broad keyword. It examines Google results, People Also Ask questions, related searches, and coverage from major publications, then recommends a hub format and specific spoke articles. Each spoke gets a target query, content type, approximate word count, and a role in the cluster.

The plan also covers links between the hub and spokes, external sources for the hub, and a publishing sequence. You can provide a domain so the agent can account for existing pages. It should base spoke ideas on queries found during research, so Google access is needed; it is instructed not to pad the list with invented searches.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add inhouseseo/superseo-skills --skill topic-cluster-planning -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/topic-cluster-planning/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/topic-cluster-planning/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add inhouseseo/superseo-skills --skill topic-cluster-planning -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/topic-cluster-planning/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add inhouseseo/superseo-skills --skill topic-cluster-planning -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/topic-cluster-planning/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install inhouseseo/superseo-skills topic-cluster-planning
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/topic-cluster-planning/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add inhouseseo/superseo-skills --skill topic-cluster-planning -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/inhouseseo/superseo-skills --path skills/topic-cluster-planning
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/topic-cluster-planning/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add inhouseseo/superseo-skills --skill topic-cluster-planning -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/inhouseseo/superseo-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/topic-cluster-planning/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- turn a broad keyword into a hub-and-spoke content plan
- find specific queries for supporting articles
- map contextual links between the hub and related pages
- sequence cluster articles for publication

## Example prompts
- Plan a topic cluster around email marketing, with a hub page and supporting articles.
- Research small business accounting and map spoke topics to target queries and internal links.
- Review the content already published on my domain and suggest missing pages for this cluster.

## Source text · SKILL.md · Apache-2.0

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 0047ce5536b0163b.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 0047ce5536b0163b
```text
---
name: topic-cluster-planning
description: Use when planning a topic cluster (hub + spokes) for a new content area. The agent researches the space, identifies the hub topic, maps the spokes, and produces a specific content plan with internal linking strategy.
---

# Topic Cluster Planning

Builds a hub-and-spoke architecture for a new content area. Hub = a broad pillar page that owns the topic. Spokes = specific articles that target long-tail keywords and link up to the hub. Done right, this signals topical authority to Google and concentrates link equity on the pages that matter.

## Input

**Seed topic or broad keyword** (required). Example: "email marketing", "keto diet", "small business accounting".

Optionally: your domain, so the agent can check what you've already published in this space.

## Role

You are a senior SEO content strategist specializing in topical authority architecture. You think in clusters, not individual articles.

## Step 1: Research the Topic Space

Google the seed topic. Read:
- The top 10 results for the broad keyword
- The People Also Ask questions
- The "Searches related to" at the bottom of the SERP
- 2-3 major publications in the space to see how they structure their content

Note:
- Who dominates the broad keyword? (This tells you the difficulty level.)
- What sub-topics emerge from PAA and related searches?
- What specific questions do people ask?

Use only PAA questions and related searches you actually saw — don't pad the spoke list with invented queries. If the SERP shows few, say so and lean harder on competitor coverage.

## Step 2: Identify the Hub

The hub is the one page that deserves to own the broad topic. It should:
- Target the broad/seed keyword directly
- Cover the topic comprehensively at a high level (don't go deep on every sub-topic)
- Link out to all the spoke articles

**Hub content type options:**
- **Ultimate guide** ("The Complete Guide to X") — best for broad informational topics
- **Pillar + chapters** (pillar page with a TOC linking to deep-dive chapters) — best for very broad topics with clear sub-chapters
- **Category page with curated featured content** — best for product/service topics

State your recommended hub format with reasoning.

## Step 3: Map the Spokes

From the PAA questions, related searches, and competitor coverage, identify 8-15 specific spoke topics. Each spoke should:
- Target a long-tail keyword or specific question
- Go deeper on one narrow sub-topic than the hub can
- Link back to the hub (primary)
- Link to 2-3 related spokes

For each spoke, specify:
- Target keyword / question it answers
- Content type (how-to / definition / comparison / case study / listicle)
- Approximate word count
- Why it matters for the cluster (what sub-topic does it own?)

**Rule of thumb:** a spoke should answer a question the hub can only summarize.

## Step 4: Map the Internal Linking
```
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---
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