Search isn’t just about Google anymore, and it’s certainly not just about keywords.
In 2025, clients are asking deeper, more nuanced questions across a growing number of platforms: Google, Bing Copilot, ChatGPT, Perplexity, YouTube, and even voice assistants.
Recent research shows that people aren’t typing the traditional 2–5 word queries like “retirement planning tips.” Instead, they’re using longer prompts, averaging about 40 words.
They might ask:
“How should I plan if I’m 58, a partner in a business that I may want to sell soon, have three kids in college, carry a mortgage, and want to retire in five years without triggering a major tax bill or jeopardizing my lifestyle?”
If your content strategy is still built around isolated keywords, you’ll keep missing the moments that matter.
The firms showing up now aren’t just ranking, they’re being cited by AI tools featured in knowledge panels, and recommended in real-time voice search. They’ve earned that visibility by building topic authority, not just matching keywords.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how financial advisors can shift from a keyword-first approach of traditional SEO to a topic-first strategy that actually aligns with how your ideal clients search and how modern platforms surface results.
We’ll cover:
- What topic-first SEO means (and why it outperforms traditional keyword clusters)
- How to build topic hubs tailored to your services and audience
- What metrics matter in an AI-dominated search landscape
- Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
- Real examples from advisor-focused content systems
Search is changing. Visibility needs to change with it.
If you want to earn trust and traffic in 2025, it starts with building content that solves real problems, not just checks SEO boxes.
What Topic-First SEO Means (and Why It Wins in 2025)
Keywords are ingredients. Topics are the recipe.
In a keyword-first strategy, the question is: “Which terms should we rank for?”
In a topic-first strategy, the question shifts: “What problems are our clients trying to solve, and how do we become the best answer?”
This shift matters now more than ever.
Why Topic-First Outperforms in AI-Driven Search
Search engines and AI tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity aren’t just pulling snippets from pages that match a phrase. They’re identifying authoritative sources that cover the full scope of a topic. That means:
- If your content only answers one narrow part of a broader question, AI will cite a competitor who has the full picture
- If you’ve built a system of interconnected content, you signal expertise – and get surfaced more often in AI summaries, voice results, and multi-platform search
Keyword-First vs. Topic-First in Action
Let’s compare how a keyword-driven strategy stacks up against a topic-first approach.
A keyword-first strategy might lead you to write a single post on: “Tax Deferral Strategies for 2025.”
It’s a narrow piece of content focused primarily on ranking for that one phrase. Helpful? Maybe. But it doesn’t reflect how real clients think, or the breadth of their concerns.
Now, consider how an actual client might ask the question: “How should I plan if I’m 58, a partner in a business that I may want to sell soon, have three kids in college, carry a mortgage, and want to retire in five years without triggering a major tax bill or jeopardizing my lifestyle?”
That’s a 40+ word, real-world query. One article won’t come close to answering it.
A topic-first strategy would instead create a hub like:
Pillar page: Tax-Efficient Wealth Strategies for Entrepreneurs
With supporting cluster articles on:
- Entity structure and tax implications
- Retirement plan selection (Solo 401(k) vs SEP IRA)
- Timing asset sales around capital gains brackets
- Real estate vs equities from a tax lens
- Common tax mistakes advisors see (and how to fix them)
- Business sale planning: minimizing taxes when exiting a partnership
- Balancing college tuition and retirement savings for entrepreneurs
- Managing debt and mortgages near retirement
- Coordinating business succession and estate planning
- Charitable giving and advanced tax strategies for entrepreneurs
Together, this system addresses the entire problem space. It demonstrates to Google and AI platforms that you thoroughly cover the subject, making you far more likely to be cited when a complex, multi-part query like the one above is asked.
This structure doesn’t just rank; it also builds trust, earns links, and gets referenced across platforms. It’s a system, not a one-off.
Topic-first SEO builds trust across a full subject area, supports buyer journeys, and earns visibility in both traditional and AI-driven search.
How to Build a Topic Hub System (Advisor Edition)
So, how do you translate this strategy into something scalable? Let’s walk through the system.
Start with people, problems, and services instead of keywords. Then build structured, interconnected content that earns trust across platforms and buyer stages.
Step 1: Define 5 – 8 Core Topics Tied to Your Firm’s Services
Choose themes where you have real expertise and can publish at least 5–12 deep pieces over time.
Examples:
- Retirement planning for physicians
- Tax-smart investing for business owners
- Financial planning for blended families
- Retirement planning strategies in [City/Region]
- Estate planning considerations for high-net-worth families in [City/Region]
Step 2: Map Personas + Intent Stages
Use two simple filters:
- Persona (e.g., tech executive, small business owner)
- Intent stage (Define → Diagnose → Do → Decide)
Define: Early-stage awareness. The client is trying to define their situation or problem.
Example: “What is a SEP IRA?”
Diagnose: The client understands the basics and is now looking for clarity on their own circumstances.
Example: “Is a SEP IRA or Solo 401(k) better for a business owner with employees?”
Do: The client is ready for action steps or “how-to” guidance.
Example: “How to set up a Solo 401(k) as a business owner”
Decide: The client is evaluating providers or weighing final decisions.
Example: “Best financial advisor in [City] for retirement planning”
Mapping client questions to these stages ensures your content supports the full decision journey, not just one piece of it.
Now, list real questions these personas ask at each stage. This becomes your content backlog.
Step 3: Gather Questions from Real Conversations
Sources:
- Sales and discovery calls
- Client onboarding forms
- Notes from annual reviews
- “People Also Ask” boxes in Google
- On-site search logs
- Forums like Reddit or niche Facebook groups
These questions often have zero search volume, but they’re highly valuable for AI and voice search.
Step 4: Draft a Topic Map for Each Core Topic
Each topic should include:
- Pillar page: a broad, comprehensive guide that introduces the entire topic (typically 1,500–2,500 words)
- Cluster articles (spokes): narrow, focused pieces that explore one angle in depth (typically 900–1,800 words)
- Lead magnet: calculator, checklist, or guide
- Proof: anonymized scenario or case study
Many marketers are familiar with this structure as a “pillar and cluster” model. In a topic-first strategy, the same principle applies: a comprehensive pillar supported by focused cluster articles. The difference is simple. You start with client problems and questions, not keyword tools.
What About Multiple Clusters?
A core topic can often support more than one cluster. For example, “Retirement Planning” might branch into separate clusters for physicians, small business owners, and local [City/Region]-based retirees. Each cluster would have its own hub page and 5–12 supporting articles.
The same is true for service lines. A firm might have one cluster system for “Tax-Efficient Wealth Strategies,” another for “Retirement Planning,” and another for “Estate Planning.”
The key is not to build them all at once. Start with one high-value cluster where you have expertise, then expand into additional clusters over time as you establish topical authority.
Step 5: Add Information Gain
Ask: “What can we add that prospects can’t already find in generic search results?”
Ideas:
- Real-life scenarios drawn from client experience (sanitized for compliance)
- Anonymized CRM data patterns that show what clients typically do
- Before/after planning examples that highlight impact over time
- Compliance-safe insights that show advisor expertise in action
- Common pitfalls or blind spots most people miss
- Simple checklists or calculators that turn complexity into action steps
Your biggest differentiator as an advisor is the experience you bring from working with real clients. AI and search engines can surface general facts, but they can’t replicate your perspective. When you weave those insights into your content, it becomes the type of answer platforms trust and cite.
Step 6: Optimize Each Page After the Strategy Is Set
Each page should include:
- Primary phrase + 3–5 supporting terms
- Natural H1s and H2s
- FAQ block
- Schema (Article, FAQPage, LocalBusiness if applicable)
- Internal links: to the hub and at least two sibling pages
Keywords are still part of the process, but they come in after the topic and structure are defined. Use them to refine how pages are written and discovered, not to decide whether a page deserves to exist.
Don’t ignore zero-volume questions. These are the questions keyword tools say “no one searches for,” yet they often come up in real client conversations. AI platforms and voice assistants especially value these specific, natural-language prompts because they reflect how people actually ask for help. Publishing answers to them is one of the fastest ways to build visibility in an AI-first search landscape.
Step 7: Publish It as a System
- Add “Part of: [Topic Hub]” below each byline. This is often called a hub chip, it’s simply a short text link back to the hub page. Some firms style it as a tag or badge, but the function is what matters, making it clear that the article belongs to a larger system.
- Include “Continue the Hub” links near the bottom. This is a small block of related links at the end of each spoke article, pointing to 2–3 other spokes in the same hub. For example:
Continue the Hub: [Entity structure and tax implications] [Business sale planning: minimizing taxes when exiting a partnership] [Charitable giving and advanced tax strategies]
This keeps readers exploring the topic and reinforces the interlinking structure for search engines and AI platforms. - The hub page should link to all spokes and highlight 5–6 essential cluster articles.
Taken together, these elements create a hub page that functions as more than just a content index.
A topic hub page opens with an introduction that frames the subject: who it’s for, why it matters, and what’s included. From there, it curates essential cluster articles, links to the rest of the spokes, and often includes FAQs or a call-to-action.
Why this matters for advisors:
- Improves visibility in AI and search by signaling full topical coverage
- Concentrates authority by consolidating internal links around one anchor page
- Guides prospects through the journey from education to decision-making
- Positions you as the expert with a visible, organized body of work
- Creates natural conversion points with CTAs or lead magnets placed where interest is highest
Think of the hub as both the front door and the roadmap to your expertise. For clients, it makes exploration simple. For AI and search engines, it makes authority undeniable.
Consistency is key. Authority builds when systems scale.
Examples of Topic Hubs
To see how a topic-first system works in practice, let’s look at two examples: one general marketing hub and one financial planning hub.
Example 1: Local SEO for Financial Advisors (Marketing-Focused)
Pillar page: Local SEO for Financial Advisors: How to Win “Near Me” in 2025
Supporting cluster articles:
- Google Business Profile: setup and optimization
- What “Near Me” really means in search (and how to rank)
- Compliant review requests and responses
- Local content ideas for advisors
- Measuring local SEO success (map pack, calls, direction requests)
- Advisor directory listings: Wealthtender, FeeOnlyNetwork, SmartAsset
Why it works:
This hub helps advisors attract more visibility in their local market. Each spoke addresses a specific element of local SEO, while the hub ties it all together. For search engines and AI platforms, the structure signals that your firm covers the full scope of local visibility. For prospects, it’s a roadmap on how you help them “show up where it matters.”
Example 2: Retirement Planning for Physicians (Client-Service Focused)
Pillar page: Retirement Planning for Physicians: A Complete Guide
Supporting cluster articles:
- Early retirement strategies for physicians
- Tax planning for high-income medical professionals
- Managing student loans while saving for retirement
- Investment portfolio structures for physicians
- Insurance and asset protection in retirement planning
- Common mistakes physicians make when planning for retirement
- Estate planning considerations for physicians and their families
Why it works:
This hub is client-facing. It organizes everything a physician would need to consider for retirement into one structured system. Instead of writing one-off posts on “retirement tips,” the advisor demonstrates authority across the entire problem space, making it more likely their content is surfaced in AI answers and trusted by prospective clients.
Note on keywords vs clusters: You might wonder why these titles don’t all repeat the word “physician” or why we didn’t also use “doctor” in some of them. In a keyword-first strategy, you’d feel pressure to target every variation in the titles. In a topic-first approach on the other hand, the hub page itself establishes the audience (“Retirement Planning for Physicians”), and the cluster articles fill out the topic in depth. Search engines and AI platforms understand synonyms and context – what matters most is that you’ve built comprehensive topical coverage, not that every article is keyword-matched.
Once your hubs are live, the question becomes: how do you know they’re working?
How to Track Topic-First Success
The goal of topic-first SEO isn’t just publishing more content, it’s building systems that earn visibility and generate leads. Measurement should reflect that.
Instead of tracking isolated keyword rankings, focus on whether your hubs are doing their job:
- Topic coverage: How fully you’ve built out the hub (for example, 8 of 10 spokes published).
- Engagement: Whether readers are staying with your content and exploring related pages (a simple check in GA4 can show this).
- AI visibility: Whether your content is being surfaced in AI answers across tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Bing Copilot (you can spot this by testing common queries yourself).
- Leads: Whether consultations or inquiries are beginning from hub journeys, not just isolated blog posts.
These big-picture metrics matter more than single keyword positions, because they show whether you’re covering the full problem space, earning trust, and turning visibility into inquiries.
We’ll cover the “how” of measuring these in a separate article, including examples of tools, dashboards, and workflows.
FAQs for Advisors and Marketing Teams
1. Isn’t this just pillar/cluster SEO rebranded?
Not exactly. Topic-first begins with client problems, not keyword tools. Keywords support strategy, not drive it.
2. Will we miss keywords if we don’t start there?
You’ll still capture them, often more effectively, by solving real problems and embedding keywords naturally. AI tools also understand synonyms and variations, so you don’t need to force every possible term into your titles.
3. How long should these pages be?
Hub page: 1,500–2,500 words. Spokes: 900–1,800 words. Long enough to fully answer the question.
4. How fast will it work?
Expect early gains in 60–90 days. Full authority compounds over time as depth and links build. Timelines vary, but topic-first systems build durable visibility.
5. Can this fit our compliance process?
Yes, if you build a structured workflow. Briefs, outlines, tracked edits, and schema all support compliance and publishing. Using tracked changes for reviews ensures compliance transparency.
Authority Wins Topics – Not Just Rankings
In 2025 and beyond, content visibility will be earned by those who cover topics with depth and clarity, not just those who chase keywords.
For financial advisors, topic-first SEO isn’t a marketing trend. It’s a long-term visibility strategy that mirrors how clients search and how AI platforms decide who to trust.
By developing structured, intent-driven content that addresses common client challenges, your firm will be well-positioned to appear when it counts, whether on Google, ChatGPT, or future AI-powered platforms.
Brent is the CEO and founder of Advisor Rankings - a financial services SEO and AI search optimization agency that helps financial advisors to improve their online visibility. He has an MBA in Financial Planning. specializes in SEO, and has been working with Advisors since 2010. He has presented at NAPFA, FinCon, and XYPN, and appeared on several industry podcasts, including the Financial Advisor Success Podcast with Michael Kitces.
