THE ELEVATOR

The Problem with "Quick Win" SEO

Most SEOs are hunting for low-hanging fruit. They look at:

• Keywords you already rank for (optimize those pages!)

• Keywords competitors rank for that you don't (steal those!)

• Standard keyword research around terms you think matter

  
  

It works. Sort of. You'll get some quick wins and traffic bumps.

But here's what Mike said: "A lot of SEOs are looking for quick wins... they're just looking for something quick to grab onto. But we want to do what actually matters."

The "what actually matters" part is where things get interesting.

The Audience-First Approach That's Crushing It

Instead of starting with keywords, 97th Floor starts with topics. Not just any topics—the topics their audience actually cares about in relation to their product or service.

Here's the process:

1. Ask what problem your product/service solves

2. Ask for whom

3. Write about those problems and the people who face them

4. Do keyword research around those topics (not the other way around)

Why This Matters Now More Than Ever (Hello, AI Search)

The way LLMs crawl and understand sites is remarkably similar to how Google does it. LLMs just do it the lazy way.

When an AI tries to figure out what your domain is about, scattered content across broad subjects makes it nearly impossible. The LLM eventually gives up and favors brands that have a clear topical focus.

"LLMs want to just know what a domain is talking about and they want to find that information really easily," Mike explained. "If you have content on your site that has super broad subjects... it's gonna be really hard for the LLM to understand what it is you're talking about."

Translation: Domains with strong topical authority are dominating AI search results. Domains without it are becoming invisible.

The Content Audit That Will Change Everything

Ready to make the switch? Here's Mike's step-by-step plan:

Phase 1: Content Inventory

• Audit every piece of content on your site

• Ask this key question: "Can I tie this content piece directly back to what my homepage talks about?"

• Keep what connects, consider removing what doesn't

  
  

Phase 2: Build Your Hub Strategy

• Identify your core "hub" pages (your main topics)

• Map out all subtopics that should connect to that hub

• Check what subtopic content you already have vs. what you need to create

Phase 3: Connect the Dots

• Create internal links from subtopic pages to your hub page

• Use semantically relevant anchor text (not generic "click here")

• Add external links to authoritative sources in your industry

The internal linking piece is crucial. As Mike emphasized: "The internal linking is the key to helping crawlers understand and see all of your depth of knowledge about a specific topic."

Kevin says that the biggest mistake he sees brands make is to not have a system behind their internal linking strategy. He says: “Regular crawls paired with internal link adjustments can be such a system. Or brands should be using an automated tool that makes suggestions based on semantic relationships.”

What Results Actually Look Like

The Opportunity

Our client is a premier cruise line with a goal to be the top Alaskan cruise line. We knew that traditional keyword-focused SEO wouldn't suffice.

The Strategy

To help Google and LLMs understand our client as the best option for Alaskan cruises, we shifted from targeting individual keywords to building comprehensive topic clusters.

This created a network of interlinked content that demonstrates subject matter expertise.

We strengthened on-page SEO elements and implemented strategic internal linking to establish interconnectedness between cluster content.

Deliverables

• 70 pieces of new strategic content

• 23 optimized port landing pages

• Comprehensive internal link structure connecting all cluster content

Topic Cluster Map for “Alaska Cruises”

The Results

• 261% lift in AIO mentions in 3 months

• The cruise line now leads with 66.2% of competitive mentions and 88.4% of impressions in AI search results

  
  

This growth reflects the impact of well-structured, high-intent content being surfaced prominently by AI tools—a strong signal that our content is recognized as authoritative and relevant.

Our client leads with 66.2% of competitive mentions and 88.4% of impressions in AI search results.

The Bottom Line

Not sure that you have the resources to overhaul your strategy in favor of topic clusters?

Kevin says to focus on creating pillar content around just your #1 core topic–the biggest problem that your product solves.

Starting with what your audience actually cares about—then finding the keywords—is how you build the kind of topical authority that dominates both traditional search and AI search.

More importantly, it’s how you provide real value to your audience and build trust, credibility, and brand equity that pays out.

Results are waiting for you.

97th Floor is the number one digital marketing agency built to create pipeline and revenue by crafting and executing custom, audience-first channel strategies.

See how we can help you.