Overview
Content SEO decides whether a page deserves to rank once technical has cleared the floor: the page must be the best answer to a real intent, on a topic the site covers in depth. This page is the hub; each rule links to the page that holds the detail.
Cover the topic, not a keyword
Cover each topic with one pillar page and supporting pages that each answer one sub-question. keyword-research picks the topics; content-clusters holds the linking pattern. Google says its ranking systems work at the page level and that site-wide signals also contribute, so a focused site is easier to assess than a scatter of unrelated posts.
Match the page format to the intent
Classify the query first, then choose the format the SERP already rewards. A keyword like “Postgres backups” is informational; “Postgres hosting pricing” is transactional. The wrong format leaves the slot to a competitor.
| Intent | Example query | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Informational | ”what is X” | Definition-led explainer; one H2 per sub-question |
| Navigational | ”X login” | One click to the destination; no article |
| Transactional | ”X pricing” | Price, plan, and CTA above the fold |
| Commercial investigation | ”X vs Y” | Comparison table, criteria, verdict |
Link every page into and out of its cluster
Give every new page at least two inbound links from pages in its cluster, and link it to the pillar and two or three siblings. Use the target’s topic as anchor text, never “click here”. Run an orphan check on every build: a page with no inbound internal link is a bug. Anchor, depth, and orphan rules are in internal-linking.
Re-date a page only when its body changes
Update last_updated only when the change would alter a reader’s decision, such as a new tool version or a changed price. A typo fix or a retitle does not count. Google’s helpful-content questions list “changing the date of pages to make them seem fresh” without substantial change as a warning sign. See content-refresh.
Remove or consolidate thin pages
Delete or merge a page that exists only to target a keyword and gives the reader nothing they cannot get elsewhere. Google says deleting content is a last resort, but that sections created for search engines first are the ones to remove, and doing so can help the rest of the site perform better. Publishing many such pages at scale, by AI or by people, is scaled content abuse under Google’s spam policies. Redirect each removed URL to the closest substantive page. See ai-content-policies and core-updates.