Pillar pages are a content marketing strategy that ensures that implies posting content focused on a central topic. These pages are pillars of information that cover the target topic to a T.
A stellar pillar page features links to related subtopics and features valuable content.
In other words, pillar pages are a starting point for visitors. If they fail to capture their attention, they need to be refined.
Types of Pillar Pages
Pillar pages serve to provide multiple internal links to guide the visitor towards extensively covered subtopics. They shouldn’t be aggressive, though, as their main purpose is to enhance user experience and boost your SEO strategy.
Examples of effective pillar pages showcase a diverse approach, which typically translates into one of the following options:
Hub Pillar Pages — these consolidate key topics into a centralized location, which serves as a hub for visitors to access primary subjects.
10x Content Pillar Pages — these are detailed pages that serve as guides and provide comprehensive insights on the central topic.
Hybrid Pillar Pages — these combine the 2 types mentioned above.
What sets quality pillar pages apart from average ones is their evergreen content. Needless to say, relevance is of critical importance. Since this portends that content will be updated regularly, you should make sure to organize it systematically.
Elements of Pillar Pages
Pillar pages should serve multiple purposes. They need to be informative, engaging, and organized logically to keep the visitor reading.
While there is no rule set in stone, pillar page best practices suggest that the best-performing pillar pages should include a combination of the following elements.
Generally speaking, the most notable specifics of pillar pages include:
- Comprehensive content
- A central theme
- Long-form content
- Authority building
- SEO benefits
- Internal linking
- Enhanced user experience
- Educational value
- Hierarchy of information
- Visual enhancements (typically, images, infographics, and video content)
- Responsive design
- Lead generation (strategically placed CTAs)
- Topic clusters
- Semantic keywords
- Evergreen content
- Updates
- Social sharing
- Brand awareness
Anatomy of Pillar Pages
Given that pillar pages focus on a central topic, you should make sure that navigation is seamless. Simply put, make the central topic the main subject matter that serves as a library of sorts.
For a pillar page to be efficient, it needs to feature clear headings and subheadings and a hierarchical layout that makes navigations spotless.
Elements like infographics and embedded videos boost user experience significantly, as they break down text and uphold engagement.
How to Choose the Right Topic for Your Pillar Page
This is, perhaps, the most difficult question of all. Businesses need to find their tone and maintain consistent communication over time.
As pillar pages serve as a starting point, they should embrace the company vision and appeal to audiences’ preferences at the same time.
Perhaps the best approach to picking the right topic is conducting research into the audience’s needs and pain points and aligning the findings with your business objectives.
This step needs to be done properly, too, as the topic of your pillar pages will become the starting point of all of your marketing efforts.
Brainstorming Cluster Content
Cluster content refers to the pages linked to pillar pages. These pages cover target subtopics and should be interconnected so that all content is integral.
Cluster content expands on the target subtopics and should feature specific keywords, which need to be well-researched.
Cluster content pages need to link back to the pillar page and be easily navigable in the same way pillar pages are.
For best results, they should feature a library layout that makes it easy for visitors to find the portion that addresses their specific pain points easily. The best-performing pillar pages focus on a keyword based on search intent.
Cluster content pages typically start off with a brief introduction that introduces the topic and should follow the same visual pattern as pillar pages (headers, subheaders, visual elements, CTAs…).
Difference Between Pillar Pages and Landing Pages
Mind the distinction between landing pages and pillar pages. A typical mistake new marketers make is confusing the two.
While there are some similarities, pillar pages are far more complex.
The chief differences between landing pages and pillar pages are, as follows:
Their objectives are different: Pillar pages rank high for the target keyword. They should provide extensive information about the core topic. Conversely, landing pages aim to convert website visitors into leads.
Their layout is different: Pillar pages feature logical and systematic content that links to target cluster content. Conversely, landing pages feature concise content that focuses on persuading visitors to take the desired action.
Internal links are different: Pillar pages feature exclusively the links leading to cluster content. Conversely, landing pages shouldn’t feature too many internal links, as they don’t aim to distract visitors from taking the desired action.
Finally, make sure to monitor the performance metrics of your pillar pages, notably, traffic, engagement, and conversion rates. These should tell you which parts need to be optimized and reconstructed.