Hub-and-Spoke Content Architecture

Structure Overview

A hub-and-spoke cluster consists of one pillar page (the hub) connected to multiple spoke clusters, each containing 2-4 individual posts. The pillar provides broad coverage; spokes provide deep dives into subtopics.

                    [Spoke 1a] --- [Spoke 1b]
                         \       /
                      [Cluster 1]
                           |
[Spoke 2a] -- [Cluster 2] -- [PILLAR] -- [Cluster 3] -- [Spoke 3a]
[Spoke 2b] /                                        \ [Spoke 3b]
                           |
                      [Cluster 4]
                         /       \
                    [Spoke 4a] --- [Spoke 4b]

Pillar Page Specifications

Attribute	Requirement
Word count	2,500-4,000 words
Keyword	Broadest, highest-volume keyword in the set
Content type	Comprehensive overview covering all cluster subtopics
Template	`ultimate-guide` (default)
Internal links	Link to EVERY spoke post in every cluster (mandatory)
Structure	Table of contents, section per cluster, summary per subtopic
Schema	Article + BreadcrumbList + ItemList (listing all cluster pages)
Update frequency	Refresh quarterly or when new spokes are added

Spoke Page Specifications

Attribute	Requirement
Word count	1,200-1,800 words
Keyword	Specific subtopic keyword (unique per post)
Content type	Deep-dive into a single subtopic
Template	Selected by intent (see template mapping below)
Internal links	Link to pillar (mandatory) + 2-3 sibling spokes
Schema	Article + BreadcrumbList
Depth	More detailed than the pillar's coverage of the same subtopic

Cluster Constraints

Constraint	Value
Clusters per pillar	2-5
Posts per cluster	2-4
Total posts (including pillar)	5-21
Max total estimated words	~50,000 (pillar + 20 spokes at max)

Template Auto-Selection by Intent

Intent Pattern	Template	Description
Informational (broad)	`ultimate-guide`	Comprehensive topic overview
Informational (how)	`how-to`	Step-by-step instructions
Informational (list)	`listicle`	Numbered list of items/tips
Informational (concept)	`explainer`	Deep explanation of a concept
Commercial (compare)	`comparison`	Side-by-side product/service comparison
Commercial (evaluate)	`review`	In-depth review of a single product/service
Commercial (rank)	`best-of`	Ranked list of top options
Transactional	`landing-page`	Conversion-focused page

Selection logic: 1. Match the keyword's classified intent to the table above 2. If multiple templates match, prefer the one whose SERP results show the most similar content format (e.g., if top results are all listicles, use listicle) 3. Avoid duplicate templates within the same cluster unless justified by intent

Internal Link Rules

Mandatory Links

Every spoke MUST link to the pillar (at least once in body content)
The pillar MUST link to every spoke (in its relevant section)
These are non-negotiable -- a cluster without these links is structurally broken

Optional Links

Cross-cluster spoke-to-spoke: 0-1 links per post
Only when there is a genuine topical bridge between clusters
Avoid forcing cross-links that do not add reader value

Minimum Link Requirements

Every post must have at least 3 incoming internal links
No orphan pages (every page reachable from pillar within 2 clicks)
Anchor text diversity: no single anchor text used for more than 40% of links to a page

Cannibalization Prevention

No two posts share the same primary keyword. Period.
If SERP overlap between two keywords is 7+, merge into a single post
After clustering, verify uniqueness: list all primary keywords and check for near-duplicates (e.g., "best CRM" and "top CRM software")
If near-duplicates found, either merge the posts or differentiate by intent (e.g., one as "best-of" list, another as "comparison")

JSON-LD Schema Templates

Pillar Page

[
  { "@type": "Article", "headline": "...", "author": {...}, "datePublished": "..." },
  { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "..." },
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Pillar Title", "item": "..." }
  ]},
  { "@type": "ItemList", "name": "Topic Cluster", "itemListElement": [
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "url": "spoke-1-url" }
  ]}
]

Spoke Page

[
  { "@type": "Article", "headline": "...", "author": {...}, "isPartOf": { "@id": "pillar-url" } },
  { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "..." },
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Pillar Title", "item": "pillar-url" },
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Spoke Title", "item": "..." }
  ]}
]

cluster-plan.json Schema

{
  "version": "2.2.4",
  "seed_keyword": "string",
  "created_at": "ISO-8601",
  "pillar": {
    "title": "string",
    "keyword": "string",
    "volume": 0,
    "template": "ultimate-guide",
    "wordCount": 4000,
    "url": "string",
    "status": "planned|written"
  },
  "clusters": [
    {
      "name": "Cluster Name",
      "posts": [
        {
          "title": "string",
          "keyword": "string",
          "volume": 0,
          "template": "string",
          "wordCount": 1500,
          "url": "string",
          "status": "planned|written"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    { "from": "pillar", "to": "cluster-0-post-0", "type": "mandatory", "anchor": "keyword" }
  ],
  "serp_matrix": {
    "keywords": ["string"],
    "scores": [[0]]
  },
  "scorecard": {
    "coverage": 0.0,
    "linkDensity": 0.0,
    "orphanPages": 0,
    "cannibalization": 0,
    "contentGaps": 0
  }
}