Amplifying your SEO with a Hub and Spoke Content Strategy

Last Updated on 25 September 2024 by Stu Edwards

Hub and spoke strategy is creating a group of content around a topic to improve search rankings.

This involves creating a central ‘hub‘ of content and surrounding it with related ‘spoke‘ articles that link back to the hub.

It provides a way for websites to rank higher in search results by building authority, improving internal linking, and driving more organic traffic.

Think of it like organising a library. The hub is your main catalogue—an overview that guides visitors to the detailed books (spokes) on specific subjects.
Each spoke not only stretches the subtopics but also boosts the visibility of the hub, making your content easier to find and more authoritative in search engines.

Content hub and content spoke explained (in <60 seconds)

The concept “Hub and Spoke” draws its inspiration from the design of a bicycle wheel.

Imagine a wheel: the hub is at the centre, with spokes radiating outwards, each connecting back to the hub. This simple yet effective structure forms the foundation of the Hub and Spoke strategy in SEO.

What is a content hub?

A content hub is the central page that serves two purposes: discovery and navigation.

It’s like a table of contents and an ultimate guide in one.

Optimised for a competitive keyword, it attracts visitors looking for broad information on a topic and guides them to deeper resources.

Your content hub should be bookmark-worthy: a place visitors want to return to for its comprehensive depth and breadth.

It’s where your audience begins their journey and where they discover the full spectrum of information you have to offer, all structured in a way that maximises visibility in search engines.

What is a content spoke?

Spokes are individual content pieces focusing on specific subtopics related to the hub. Each spoke targets long-tail keywords, addressing precise questions your audience is asking.

Spokes link back to the hub (and to each other), creating an interconnected network that boosts SEO and encourages users to engage with more of your content.

Content Hub vs Content Pillar

At its core, the main difference between a hub and a pillar lies in how content is structured and the reader’s journey through that content.

• Hub: A ‘hub’ acts as a central page, connecting various related subtopics. It’s like a table of contents that guides visitors to different spokes—each addressing a specific aspect of the broader topic. The hub’s main goal is to channel traffic to these spokes, encouraging readers to explore multiple pages and gain a full understanding of the subject through interconnected content. This strategy works especially well for competitive keywords by leveraging multiple posts to build authority and boost rankings.
• Pillar: A ‘pillar’ on the other hand, consolidates all the information into a single, extensive piece of content. It’s designed to cover a topic in exhaustive detail to keep the reader engaged on one page. If you were to combine a hub and all its spokes into one lengthy article, you’d essentially have a pillar.

Both hubs and pillars serve unique purposes and fit different content strategies.

The burning question then is: ‘Which approach best suits your content goals?‘

Here’s a short answer:

✅ Go with a Hub if your strategy involves covering a topic with multiple subtopics that need in-depth exploration across several pages.

✅ Go for a Pillar if you want to create a comprehensive, one-stop resource that covers a topic with depth and detail.

4 reasons why you should use a hub and spoke strategy

The hub and spoke content model is a powerful tool for companies looking to improve their SEO and build authority in their industry.

Using a Hub and Spoke strategy helps you:

👍 Increase organic traffic and leads. Stand-alone articles aren’t enough to build traction with competitive keywords. But when you group content on a topic and connect it through a Hub and Spoke structure, it becomes part of a stronger traffic-generation content system. The hub draws attention, while the spokes extend your reach. The result is increased visibility for your entire site.

👍 Outperform competitors with optimised site structure. A well-organised Hub and Spoke structure can give you an edge against competitors who may lack strong technical SEO practices. When you clearly define the hierarchy and relevance of your pages, you make it easier for search engines to index and rank your content.

👍 Build authority and increase keyword coverage. This content creation model builds a comprehensive content network. Each spoke focuses on specific subtopics, strengthening your topical authority and expanding the range of keywords your site can rank for. Wider keyword coverage. Increased chances of appearing in search results for relevant queries.

👍 Enhance user engagement. Linking related content seduces visitors to explore more of your site. Point visitors to other pieces that answer their questions and you increase dwell time and reduce bounce rates.

How to implement a hub and spoke strategy in 3 steps

1. Gather potential hub topics

But don’t just pick any topic. Choose ones that align with both your business goals and what your audience cares about. To narrow it down, ask yourself:

• What topics do you want to rank higher for on Google?
• What subjects do you want your site to be seen as an authority on?
• What will attract your ideal prospects and convert them into leads?

A strong hub topic should:

• Be broad enough to cover multiple subtopics, yet targeted enough to appeal to a specific audience. Aim for a subject with around five to twenty related subtopics.
• Match what your audience is actively searching for online to make sure it resonates and drives traffic.

Here are a few hub topic examples:

Website	Hub Topic
Hotjar	Usability testing
WineFolly	Wine 101
HelpScout	Customer Acquisition
Vero	Lifecycle Email Marketing
Amplitude	Mobile Analytics
DietDoctor	Keto Diet
Copyblogger	Email Marketing

2. Gather potential spoke topics

There are plenty of ways to collect potential spoke topics. But the method you choose is less important than making sure that each spoke directly supports your hub topic and aligns with your audience’s needs.

Identify subtopics that not only expand on the main hub content but also target specific long-tail keywords that your audience is searching for.

Here’s 4 tips to help you get started:

• Harvest long-tail variations of your hub keyword. Use your preferred keyword research tool to find long-tail variations of your hub keyword. These specific terms often capture search intent with lower competition.For example, if your hub keyword is ‘content marketing’, long-tail variations could be ‘content marketing strategy for SaaS‘ or ‘how to measure content marketing ROI‘.
• Use Google’s “People Also Ask” and Related Searches. Type your hub keyword into Google and explore the “People Also Ask” and “Related Searches” sections. These are gold mines for spoke content ideas.
• Avoid cannibalising your own content. Before selecting new spoke content topics, review your existing content to make sure you’re not targeting similar keywords. New content should complement—not compete with—your current pages. This prevents keyword cannibalisation, where your own pages compete against each other in search results. If you find overlaps, refresh and update older content instead of creating new spokes.
• Consider search intent and audience alignment. Choose spoke keywords that align with your audience’s needs and search intent. If you’re targeting decision-makers in marketing, a relevant subtopic could be “how to justify a content marketing budget to the C-suite.”

I’ve analysed the “usability testing” content hub from Hotjar, as listed in the Hub topic examples above. Below is a diagram highlighting the spoke topics associated with this hub:

3. Link the hub to its spokes (and the spokes to their hub and each other)

Once you’ve created your hub and spoke content, it’s time to link them together.

Your hub page should direct readers to the spoke pages, and each spoke page should link back to the hub and to other related spokes.

Hub to spokes

• Within the Body Text: As you write your hub content, find opportunities to link directly to your spoke pages. When discussing a subtopic covered in detail on a spoke page, add a hyperlink. This helps readers access more in-depth information on that point.

In Hotjar’s ‘usability testing’ hub article, the term ‘usability questions‘ links to the ‘usability questions’ spoke article

Spokes back to the hub

• Anchor Text Links: Each spoke article should include links back to the hub page. Use relevant anchor text that fits naturally within the content.

In Hotjar’s “usability questions” spoke article, the phrase “usability testing” links back to the hub article.

• Call-to-Action (CTA) Sections: Add a CTA at the end of each spoke article. This encourages readers to return to the hub for an overview or additional resources.

Example CTA from the “usability questions” spoke article to the main hub:

Spokes to other spokes

• Cross-Referencing: Look for logical connections between your spokes. Link from one spoke to another where relevant. This enhances navigation and strengthens your content network.

For example, the “usability testing questions” spoke links to the “usability testing methods” spoke.

• Related Posts Widget: Consider using a “Related Posts” widget or a sidebar that automatically pulls in links to other spokes, like we have at the bottom of this post.

The Hotjar’s widget below links to the ‘usability testing methods’ and ‘usability testing process examples’ spoke articles:

Beyond the algorithm

Hub and Spoke strategy can often help you climb higher in the search results for a competitive keyword, but don’t be discouraged it takes longer than you expected.

Algorithms change. Competitors change. Search demands change.

If website traffic doesn’t improve, continue updating, improving, and refreshing your content.

Aim to make it way more ‘epic’. Make it more bookmark-worthy. Make it so good your target audience can’t ignore reading it or sharing it with their peers.

Great content will get found in ways you don’t expect…

If you want to implement the hub and spoke content strategy to build more topical authority and attract more website visitors, book a free call with us here and let us help you.