The hub and spoke model is a strategy of marketing that uses content in a certain way for generating leads and web traffic.
As you’ll learn, this method allows you to effectively connect all of the important information you wish to convey but separate it onto multiple pages, generating more index crawls, interest from Google, and traffic in the long term.
This article will examine the hub and spoke model in marketing and how it has been used successfully.
What is the Hub and Spoke Model of Marketing?
The hub-and-spoke marketing model is a strategy in which you have a central point, typically a landing page or primary blog, which links to other pages that are relevant to that central page.
The idea is that the page offshoots “branch out” like the spokes on a wheel while informing page visitors and Google that this hub and spoke is a topic of authority on your page. Sometimes hub and spoke are also referred to as clusters, but these aren’t exactly the same thing.
Building your hub and spoke is simple. The “hub” is the topic you want to build your topical authority around and rank better for. The “spokes” represent all the additional content related to our main topic. You direct your viewers to your page by ranking the hub with a primary keyword, with spokes containing relevant secondary keywords.
Keeping this in mind with the hub and spoke model:
- Hub: Targeted keywords are broader, which might bring searchers to your site at the beginning stages of the buyer’s journey and require further persuasion.
- Spoke: Use long-tail keywords, which provide more definitive search queries. While they often have fewer searches, they are ideal for high-conversion-rate jobs because they are likely to draw in a broad range of audiences looking for specific solutions.
Your content hubs are websites where the main points of published expertise are gathered. Anyone can visit these sites to engage with you on whatever topic interests them, but the content you post will ensure that you are viewed as an authority.
Spokes can be blog posts, infographics, video content, and social media or email marketing.
Importance of Hub and Spoke for Content Marketing
The hub and spoke model helps create a website structure and achieve long-term traffic growth. This model is vital in SEO and content marketing because it asserts your authority through more relevant content, increases the keywords you rank for, and generates more organic traffic.
Without a hub and spoke model, your content may be harder to find. You may have great content written for your website, blog, or marketing platforms. However, that content can be sprinkled everywhere—social media, landing pages, infographics, how-to videos, or even your email chain, without anything to connect it.
When your business illustrates its content with sophisticated examples and can connect with other pieces of related content through the use of a hub-and-spoke model, you’ll have an excellent example of your company’s brilliant work.
But if you’re not displaying your thought leadership on these crucial topics, you’re missing an opportunity to shine. The solution is for all of your knowledge about these critical topics to exist in one cohesive place.
Building your hub and spoke will help boost our ranking on Google and make you seem more credible in the eyes of consumers. And it starts with understanding that marketing is not simply focused on selling a product but on developing meaningful, long-term customer engagement, leading to acquisition.
Because the hub and spoke model gives marketers a solid understanding of the who of marketing and what, it’s helpful for them to know how to tailor their messaging specifically for every audience (demographics, psychographics, etc.).
4 Real World Examples of Successful Hub and Spoke Models
An effectively executed hub and spoke model is an excellent way for your company to stand out in the market. When done right, it can be a powerful marketing tool and give you an edge in search results.
Some great examples of businesses using the hub and spoke model of marketing are:
- The White House’s blog uses emotional connections and up-to-date topical posts to draw readers to the website to learn about issues facing Americans and invites visitors to read more about the government, available programs, and more.
- Makeup.com, run by L’Oreal, is a brilliant example of a consumer brand dominating the industry, answering makeup, hair, and skincare questions, providing tutorials, offering samples, and linking to their own products.
- The Honestly Blog, run by the Honest Company, features clean living, frequently asked questions, parenting tips, makeup ideas, and more.
- REI offers outdoor activity advice, insight, and recipes alongside selling their camping, hiking, and other outdoor gear.
Brands trying to win on traditional, marketing-led strategies must redefine their approach, like these 4 real world examples.
See How the Hub and Spoke Model Can Help Your Business Grow
A hub and spoke model can bring everything together for your audience when you have a good content marketing strategy.
You will foster a connection with your audience, who will comprehend it more effortlessly and love how it is presented. It creates a central platform to share your experiences and provides easy access to your blog and videos, giving visitors more than one way to explore everything you have to offer fully.
One significant benefit of having extensive content published on your website is that you will have more content in total. The hub and spoke model provides you with a strategic topical concentration for your brand and demonstrates how valuable this content can be in their lives.
If you need support developing your hub and spoke strategy or your overall content marketing strategy, we have the skills and expertise to maximize your unique opportunities. Reach out to us today to get started or to learn more about what we can do for you!
