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How do you actually plan your pillar-cluster content strategy? Spreadsheets? Notion? Something else?
Posted by on February 8, 2026 at 11:34 amHey r/SEO,
Genuine question, as I'm curious how people here organize their pillar-cluster strategies in practice.
I run an e-commerce shop and have been trying to implement a pillar-cluster strategy for my content. The concept clicked immediately, but the actual planning part has been way harder than I thought.
I've been using Google Sheets to map out pillars, cluster topics, keyword data, and article status… and it turned into a mess pretty fast. No visual way to see how topics connect, and I constantly lose track of what's written vs. what's still just an idea.
I tried Miro and mind map tools too, but they're generic, no concept of pillars vs. clusters, no content status tracking.
So I'm curious:
- What tools do you use for pillar-cluster planning?
- Do you find the planning/organization part painful, or is it just me?
- If you could change one thing about how you plan content strategy, what would it be?
Appreciate any input.
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1 Reply
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I use Google Sheets, keept it as simple as possible. You could make a specific page about ‘keyword X’, then list out 10 – 30 keywords that consist of that keyword and start writing.
Interlink between them should not be that hard since you have the keyword list right there, or you could ask ChatGPT to use the other keywords organically so you can link to them.
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semrush has a built in tool called keyword strategy builder
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you’re not alone, the planning is usually messier than the theory makes it sound. i’ve found simple works best: one doc or sheet for the pillar logic and intent, and a separate lightweight tracker just for status so it doesn’t turn into a monster. once it gets too visual or too detailed, i stop maintaining it and the whole system falls apart.
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i usually keep it boring and split concerns, one sheet for taxonomy and internal link intent, another simple tracker for status and ownership. the pain is real when you try to force structure, ideation, and execution into one view.
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I use a google sheet and break it down by level, topic keyword, page url, and status tracker.
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