Start with a real customer problem
Choose one problem your site can solve well. For an image tool, that might be a photo rejected by an upload form. Write down the words someone would use: “photo under 100 KB”, “resize passport photo” or “signature size for upload”. These are starting ideas, not verified search volumes.
Look at support questions, Search Console queries and Google’s suggestions to expand the list. Keep the wording people use. A customer asking why an upload failed gives you a more useful brief than a broad label such as “image optimization”.
Group by intent, not just by word
Search the phrases you think belong together and compare the results. “Compress a photo below 100 KB” and “make an image less than 100 KB” probably need the same tool and explanation. Resizing to a required width is a different task, even though both searches mention images. Confirm that distinction in the results before choosing separate pages.
AI Keyword Clustering Tool: use it for a first grouping by topic and search intent. It cannot see live search results, so check its groups before you decide that two topics deserve different pages.
Build a hub-and-spoke structure
For an upload-photo topic, the main guide can explain file size, dimensions and format. Link from the file-size section to the compressor, and from the dimensions section to the resizer. A reader gets the tool at the point they need it. The tool page can link back to the explanation when someone is unsure which setting to choose.
Validate the opportunity before building a cluster
Open a few of the pages already appearing for the search. Note what they explain well and what a reader still has to work out. If every result promises smaller files but skips the portal’s minimum size or required dimensions, a tested explanation of those checks may be useful. Verify the facts before publishing; do not invent traffic estimates to justify the topic.
Assign a role to every page
Write one sentence describing what each page will help someone do. “Reduce a photo below the upload limit” is a clear role for a tool. “Explain why a small photo is still rejected” is a clear role for a guide. If two planned pages have the same role, combine them unless their examples or requirements really differ.
Measure the cluster as a system
Use Search Console to see which pages and queries get impressions, then look at where visitors go next if your analytics records that. Keep those measures separate: appearing in a search result is not a visit, and a visit is not a completed task. Review the pages together so you can see whether the guide leads people to the right tool.
Know when not to publish another page
Check the existing pages before adding a URL. A new paragraph, example or troubleshooting section may answer the question better than another article. Keep a separate page for a separate need, not a different spelling of the same keyword. This also leaves you fewer pages to update when the tool changes.
Turn the cluster into an editorial brief
Give the writer the reader’s question, the proposed answer and the evidence available. For the photo example, include the actual upload requirements, an original image and the measured result of a test. Say which tools or related guides belong in the explanation. Leave room for the writer to choose a sensible order and cut anything that does not help.
Frequently asked questions
How many keywords should one page target?
There is no fixed number. Focus on one primary intent and cover the closely related questions a visitor expects that page to answer.
What is a content cluster?
It is a connected group of pages organized around a broad topic, usually with a central guide and more focused supporting pages.
Should I publish every keyword variation?
No. Combine variations with the same intent and publish a new page only when it provides a distinct, useful answer.