Topic Clusters for Google AI Overviews (AIO): A 2025 Beginner’s Guide

Tony Yan

·September 6, 2025

·7 min read

If you’re feeling unsure about how Google’s AI Overviews change SEO, you’re not alone. The good news: you don’t need fancy tools or a big team to get started. In this guide, you’ll plan your first topic cluster—the simple hub-and-spoke content model designed to build topical authority and improve your chances of being cited in AI Overviews.

By the end, you’ll have one pillar topic, 6–12 cluster ideas, an internal linking plan, quick schema wins, and a lightweight measurement routine.

What AI Overviews are (and why they matter in 2025)

AI Overviews are the AI-generated summaries that sometimes appear at the top of Google Search results to help people quickly grasp complex queries. In 2024, Google explained that AI Overviews “include relevant links so people can explore further,” and even noted that the “links included in AI Overviews get more clicks than if the page had appeared as a traditional web listing for that query” according to the Google 2024 Generative AI in Search announcement. Google’s official guidance also frames AI Overviews as a “jumping off point” to learn more when it adds value beyond classic results, per the Search Central AI features documentation.

In March 2025, Semrush reported that AI Overviews appeared on 13.14% of queries (Semrush 2025) in the U.S. dataset they studied. Percentages vary by industry and region, but the takeaway is simple: it’s worth preparing your content to be a cited source.

Quick note on controls: Google hasn’t documented a special “opt out of AI Overviews” tag. You can still use standard snippet controls (like nosnippet or data-nosnippet) for classic snippets as described in Google snippet controls, but there’s no separate, AI Overviews–specific switch.

Quick clarity: AIO vs. AIOSEO plugin

AIO in this guide = Google’s AI Overviews (a Search feature).
AIOSEO = a WordPress SEO plugin. Different things! We’re focused on how to be cited by Google’s AI Overviews.

Why topic clusters help with AIO

A topic cluster is a simple structure:

Pillar page: your comprehensive overview of a broad topic.
Cluster (spoke) pages: focused articles on subtopics that link back to the pillar and to related spokes.

This model reinforces relationships between ideas, which helps users and search engines understand your coverage. Google’s own SEO fundamentals emphasize descriptive anchor text and clear linking to help people and crawlers understand destinations, per the SEO Starter Guide on anchor text and keeping links discoverable via standard HTML in Make links crawlable.

When your cluster thoroughly answers a topic’s key questions, your pages are better candidates for inclusion among the sources cited in AI Overviews.

Step-by-step: Build your first cluster (beginner-friendly)

1) Choose your first pillar topic

Use this quick rubric (pick one that scores well on all four):

Audience fit: Is it exactly what your audience cares about?
Business value: Does it connect to your product/service or lead goals?
Search demand: Are there enough questions people ask about it?
Cluster breadth: Can you naturally create 6–12 subtopics?

Example pillar ideas by niche:

Local services: “Home Plumbing Basics & Maintenance (2025)”
B2B SaaS: “Project Management Fundamentals for Small Teams (2025)”
Ecommerce: “Running Shoe Guide 2025: Fit, Gait, Surfaces”

2) Brainstorm 6–12 cluster topics

Start with the questions you get from customers, support tickets, sales calls, and forums. Think “People Also Ask” style:

Break the pillar into sub-skills, steps, or decision points.
Include “how to,” “when to,” “vs,” and “checklist” formats.
Prioritize queries where you can add clear, practical answers.

Mini examples:

Plumbing pillar → Spokes: “Fixing Low Water Pressure,” “Water Heater Maintenance Schedule,” “When to Call a Plumber (Checklist).”
B2B SaaS pillar → Spokes: “Agile vs Waterfall,” “RACI Made Simple,” “Sprint Planning Checklist.”
Running shoes pillar → Spokes: “Neutral vs Stability Shoes,” “Measure Your Arch at Home,” “Trail vs Road Shoes.”

3) Outline and structure each page for clarity

Start with a brief summary (2–3 lines): who this helps, the outcome.
Use clear H2/H3s; answer common sub-questions in short Q&A snippets.
Add a concise “Key takeaways” section at the end.
Include a short author bio with a link to an author page.

4) Write with the user in mind (and AIO in sight)

Be concrete and practical; show steps, checklists, and examples.
Answer follow-up questions directly on the page.
Cite authoritative sources for facts or stats; avoid fluff.
Keep paragraphs short; use bullets for scannability.

5) Internal linking blueprint (hub-and-spoke)

From the pillar, link to every spoke with descriptive anchors.
From each spoke, link back to the pillar.
Cross-link related spokes (2–3 per page) where it genuinely helps the reader.
Use human-readable anchors like “water heater maintenance schedule” instead of “click here.”
Ensure links are standard HTML so crawlers can follow them (see Make links crawlable).

Sample pattern:

Pillar → Spokes: “What causes low water pressure,” “Water heater maintenance schedule,” “When to call a plumber.”
Spokes ↔ Spokes: “Water heater maintenance” ↔ “When to call a plumber.”

6) Schema and entity quick wins (beginner-safe)

You don’t need advanced markup to start. Aim for clarity and trust:

Site-wide Organization schema: name, logo, contact page.
Author/Person schema: real author with a profile page.
Article schema on each post: headline, author, datePublished, image. See the Structured data introduction and Article guidelines.
Use FAQ/HowTo schema sparingly and only if the page truly fits. Remember Google limited these displays in 2023 (FAQ rich results mostly to authoritative government/health sites; HowTo largely desktop-only), per August 2023 FAQ/HowTo changes.

7) Publish cadence and maintenance

Publish the pillar and your first 2–3 spokes in the same week if possible.
Add 1–2 spokes per week until the initial set (6–12) is complete.
Refresh pages every 6–9 months or when facts change—but avoid cosmetic date updates without improvements, consistent with Creating helpful, reliable content.

Before-you-publish checklist (print-friendly)

Pillar: Clear overview, links to every spoke, concise summary at top.
Spokes: Each addresses a distinct subtopic with unique value.
Headings: Logical H2/H3s; short Q&A for common sub-questions.
Internal links: Pillar ↔ all spokes; spokes ↔ 2–3 related spokes.
Anchor text: Descriptive and human-friendly (no “click here”).
Technical: Links are standard HTML anchors; pages are indexable.
Schema: Organization + Author/Person sitewide; Article on posts; only valid FAQ/HowTo if truly applicable.
Author bio: Present and linked to an author page.
Sources: Any facts or stats cited to authoritative, primary sources.

How to measure AIO visibility (and success) in 2025

There’s no dedicated AI Overviews filter in Search Console as of this writing. Industry coverage in 2025 notes that AI Mode traffic is included in broader Search performance metrics but isn’t broken out separately in the interface; see SEJ: AI Mode traffic in GSC (2025). That means you’ll use a mix of Search Console views and manual checks.

Your practical monitoring plan:

In Search Console → Performance, save a query filter for your cluster theme; track weekly: clicks, impressions, CTR, position for the pillar and each spoke.
Compare device results (desktop vs mobile) and top queries per page.
Manual SERP checks: once a month, search 5–10 representative queries in a neutral browser profile and look for an AI Overview. If your page is cited, screenshot it and log the query, URL, date, device, and location.
Optional: keep a simple sheet with columns for Query, Date, AIO present (Y/N), Our URL cited (Y/N), Notes.
Watch for patterns: rising impressions with flat clicks may indicate AIO presence—update titles/meta and on-page summaries to encourage “read more” clicks.

7 common beginner pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

Confusing AIO with AIOSEO

Reality: AIO = AI Overviews; AIOSEO is a plugin. Keep your focus on content quality and structure, not plugin features.

Too many thin spokes

Fix: Fewer, better pages. Each spoke must answer a specific intent and add unique value. Avoid scaled, repetitive content—Google’s March 2024 core update & spam policies target unoriginal, mass-produced pages.

Weak anchor text

Fix: Replace “read more”/“click here” with descriptive anchors that name the destination topic, as advised in the SEO Starter Guide on anchor text.

Orphan pages

Fix: Every spoke links back to the pillar; pillar links to all spokes; related spokes cross-link.

Misusing FAQ/HowTo schema

Fix: Only use when the page truly qualifies; remember visibility limits from the August 2023 FAQ/HowTo changes.

Chasing “freshness” without substance

Fix: Update when you add accuracy, depth, or examples, aligned with Creating helpful, reliable content.

Ignoring author/organization signals

Fix: Add Author bios and Organization details site-wide; use basic Article/Organization/Person schema for clarity.

Mini examples: What a simple cluster looks like

Local plumbing
- Pillar: Home Plumbing Basics & Maintenance (2025)
- Spokes: Low Water Pressure Fix, Water Heater Maintenance, Winterize Plumbing, Drain Cleaning Safety, Pipe Materials Explained, When to Call a Plumber (Checklist)
B2B project management
- Pillar: Project Management Fundamentals for Small Teams (2025)
- Spokes: Agile vs Waterfall, RACI Made Simple, Sprint Planning Checklist, Risk Log Template, Status Report Best Practices, Post‑Mortem Guide
Running shoes ecommerce
- Pillar: Running Shoe Guide 2025: Fit, Gait, Surfaces
- Spokes: Neutral vs Stability vs Motion Control, Measure Your Arch at Home, Trail vs Road, Shoe Rotation for Injury Prevention, Break-in Myths, Care & Lifespan

Use these as models—swap in your niche and audience.

7‑day action starter plan

Day 1

Pick one pillar using the rubric (audience fit, business value, demand, breadth).

Day 2

Brainstorm 10–15 spokes; shortlist 6–12 with distinct intents.

Day 3

Outline the pillar and your first three spokes (H2/H3s, mini Q&As, key takeaways).

Day 4

Draft the pillar; add Organization and Author basics; implement Article schema (see Structured data introduction).

Day 5

Draft two spokes; add descriptive internal links (pillar → spokes; spokes → pillar; spokes ↔ spokes).

Day 6

Publish the pillar + first two spokes. Verify links are standard HTML and indexable (refer back to Make links crawlable).

Day 7

Set up measurement: GSC saved filters, a simple AIO log sheet, and a monthly SERP check routine. Skim the Search Central AI features documentation to stay current on how AI Overviews show up.

Final encouragement

You don’t need to out-publish the internet. Start with one well-chosen pillar, six solid spokes, and clean internal links. Keep your writing practical, cite authoritative sources, and update pages when you can genuinely improve them. That steady, structured approach aligns with how Google describes helpful content and site clarity—giving you a real shot at being one of the sources people click from AI Overviews.

Remember, this is a bridge for beginners. Ship your first small cluster this week, measure, and iterate.