When building a website or creating a content plan, many companies fall into a common trap. They mimic their corporate structure in their site layout and content strategy. At first glance, this may seem logical, but it often leads to disjointed user experiences, high bounce rates, and missed opportunities to boost domain authority.

Enter the hub and spoke approach to content strategy. This model focuses on grouping content around topics that your audience cares about, rather than internal hierarchies or organisational silos. It’s a proven method to improve domain authority, increase user engagement, and drive conversions.

This blog will unpack the hub and spoke approach, explain why it works, and provide practical advice to help marketers like you implement it successfully.

What is the Hub and Spoke Approach?

Think of your content strategy like a wheel. The “hub” is your central, in-depth piece of content (a pillar page) that focuses on a broad topic your audience wants to learn about. The “spokes” are supplementary content pieces (e.g., blogs, guides, case studies) exploring the hub’s subtopics.

For example, imagine you’re creating content for a fitness website:

  • Hub: “The Ultimate Guide to Strength Training”
  • Spokes: Topics like “Best Dumbbell Exercises for Beginners,” “Strength Training Nutrition Tips,” or “Common Weightlifting Mistakes to Avoid.”

Each spoke links back to the hub, and the hub also links out to the relevant spokes. This creates a network of interconnected content that improves user experience and search engine visibility.

Why the Hub and Spoke Model Works

Search engines, especially Google, are designed to serve users the most relevant, authoritative content on a given topic. The hub and spoke model aligns perfectly with this intent by structuring content meaningfully. Here’s why this approach performs so well:

1. Improved SEO and Domain Authority

When your hub page connects to multiple relevant subtopics (spokes), it signals to search engines that your site is a source of valuable and comprehensive information on that subject. This topical authority makes your content more likely to rank for related keywords. Internal linking between hub and spoke pages also spreads “link equity” across your site, strengthening its overall authority.

Example: Moz helped pioneer this strategy by creating hub pages on topics like “SEO Basics.” These pages link to many subtopics, like keyword research and link building, reinforcing their expertise in search engine optimisation.

2. Better User Experience

The hub-and-spoke model creates a seamless navigation experience for your site visitors by grouping related content. Instead of aimlessly clicking through different sections of your site, users can easily explore a topic in-depth thanks to your structured links.

Example: A corporate website structured around departments (e.g., “HR,” “Operations,” “Sales”) assumes users think like your company. But what if a site visitor is interested in “Employee Engagement Strategies” but doesn’t know that content falls under “HR”? A hub-and-spoke framework based on relevant topics solves this issue.

3. Boosted Engagement Metrics

Reducing bounce rates and increasing time spent on site leads to engaging users with precisely what they’re searching for. Offering interconnected, highly relevant content keeps users exploring your website longer. Longer sessions and reduced bounce rates are great behavioural SEO signals to Google.

Example: HubSpot’s “Marketing Ideas” hub page leads readers down a rabbit hole of linked blogs, eBooks, and tools for marketers, demonstrating practical and sticky content.

4. Higher Conversions

When users trust your content and have a positive experience on your site, they’re more likely to take action, whether that’s signing up for a newsletter, downloading a resource, or making a purchase. The hub and spoke model builds trust by positioning your brand as a knowledgeable, reliable source.

How to Implement a Hub and Spoke Strategy

Now that we’ve established the why, here’s the how. Follow these steps to create your own hub and spoke content strategy:

Step 1: Identify Your Core Topics

Start by defining the overarching topics you want to be known for. These should align with your business objectives and target audience’s needs. Do keyword research to identify high-value topics. Tools like SEMrush or Google Keyword Planner are fantastic for uncovering popular search terms in your niche.

Example: A B2B software company might choose “Workflow Automation” as a core topic and build content supporting it.

Step 2: Create Hub Pages

Hub pages are in-depth, evergreen content pieces designed to comprehensively overview your chosen topic. They should act as the ultimate resource for anyone searching for that subject.

Include:

  • A compelling introduction
  • An easy-to-navigate layout (think H2s and H3s for subtopics)
  • Internal links to detailed spoke content

Example: An HR consultancy might create a guide titled “Everything You Need to Know About Employee Retention” as a hub.

Step 3: Develop Spoke Content

For each hub, brainstorm 5-10 subtopics that expand on specific aspects of the central theme. These are your spoke pieces, and they should link back to the hub for context while standing alone as valuable content. Common formats include:

  • Blog posts
  • Case studies
  • Infographics
  • Video tutorials

Example: If your hub focuses on “Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses,” your spoke pieces could cover tools like “How to Use TikTok Ads” or “Creating Free Graphics with Canva.”

Step 4: Optimise Internal Linking

Internal linking between hubs and spokes isn’t just good for SEO; it also improves navigation. Be strategic with anchor texts (use descriptive keywords) and make sure readers can easily navigate between the hub and related spoke content.

Step 5: Promote and Measure

Your hub and spoke content won’t gain traction unless you actively promote it. Share it across email newsletters, social media, and paid campaigns. Track their performance using tools like Google Analytics to monitor engagement metrics and keyword rankings.

Build Domain Authority by Putting Visitors First

The hub and spoke model is more than just a way to organise content; it’s a visitor-first approach that aligns your content structure with how people search for and consume information. By focusing on creating resource-rich hub pages supported by meticulously linked spokes, you’re not just improving SEO—you’re delivering meaningful value to your audience.

Now it’s time to take action. Reimagine your content strategy and start building hub and spoke frameworks around topics your audience cares about.