What Is Keyword Clustering?
Keyword clustering is an SEO technique centered on grouping search terms that share the same search intent (what the user is trying to achieve) and targeting them together on a single page.
For example, people searching “king size mattress,” “king mattress,” and a few other variations are all looking to buy the same product. And Google displays similar pages in the results for each of these queries.
When using keyword clustering, you target a primary keyword (the main term you want to rank for) and secondary keywords (synonyms and long-tail variants) on a single page.
For example, the below page ranks for about 2,200 keywords and attracts an estimated 183,100 organic visits per month from the U.S.—according to Semrush’s Organic Research tool.
You can probably see that keyword clustering is an efficient way to snag multiple rankings given you can devote your time and energy to fewer pages.
Clustering like terms on the same page works well for improving your visibility in AI systems like ChatGPT as well. In AI SEO, the secondary terms in a cluster are called fan-out queries.
And a cluster approach helps your content read more naturally and inspires you to cover important subtopics. Which can improve content quality.
Plus, targeting multiple terms on a single page allows you to benefit from those terms’ combined search volumes. Because while individual queries might have low search volumes, together they could have significant potential to improve visibility.
How to Do Keyword Clustering
While clustering is beneficial for appearing in AI systems, the process below focuses mainly on how to do keyword clustering for traditional SEO.
1. Build a Keyword List
Doing preliminary keyword research—a process for finding and analyzing terms your audience enters into search engines—is the first step in creating clusters.
Let’s go over two ways to discover relevant terms:
Find Keywords by Topic
First, you’ll need to create a list of keywords that are relevant to your business or industry.
Google’s Keyword Planner is a good option for finding relevant terms.
Or, use Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool for more personalized information.
To use the Keyword Magic Tool, enter a seed keyword (a broad term related to your business) to base your search around, enter your domain, select your target country, and click “Search.”