A content pillar is one of the content strategies in so many platforms, including websites. By having this pillar, your content will be more well-organized and easy to optimize. It involves the creation of comprehensive, high-quality content centered around this main subject, intending to establish authority, and boosting search engine visibility.
To dive deeper into this topic, this article suits you best. Here, you will learn about what is a content pillar, the strategy, examples, and even the best practices to create one for you.
What Is Content Pillar?
A content pillar is a fundamental concept in content marketing that involves creating comprehensive and interconnected content around a central theme or topic. At the core of a Content Pillar is a pillar page, which acts as the main hub for the chosen topic.
This page is supported by a cluster of related subtopics, creating a thematic content ecosystem that signals depth and expertise to search engines.
The content pillar strategy is designed to address user intent effectively, provide valuable information, and establish a cohesive and authoritative brand presence.
Picture 1 - Illustration of Content Pillar in a website
The Importance of Content Pillar
The importance of content pillars in content marketing cannot be taken for granted, as they serve as a foundational strategy with several key benefits:
Strategic Focus: Content Pillars enable businesses' websites to concentrate their efforts on a central theme or topic that aligns with their overall marketing strategy. This strategic focus ensures that the content created is purposeful, cohesive, and directly contributes to overarching business goals.
SEO Optimization: Content Pillars are integral to SEO strategies. The interconnected structure of pillar pages and subtopic clusters helps search engines understand the depth and relevance of the content. This, in turn, can lead to improved search rankings and increased visibility in search engine results.
Audience Engagement: By addressing specific needs and interests within a chosen theme, Content Pillars facilitate deeper engagement with the target audience. Tailoring content to meet user intent and providing comprehensive information fosters a stronger connection with the audience, leading to increased trust and loyalty.
Resource Efficiency: Content Pillars streamline the content creation process by organizing topics hierarchically. This not only improves efficiency but also ensures consistency in messaging and branding across various pieces of content. Businesses can optimize resources and maintain a coherent brand identity throughout their content.
Content Pillar Strategy
After understanding the meaning of the content pillar and its importance for your marketing, you need to apply this strategy to your content. Below are the step-by-step strategies you can implement in your content-creating strategy.
1. Identify The Pillars' Topic
Begin by identifying the core topics or themes that are central to your business or industry. These topics should align with your business goals and resonate with your target audience. The goal is to choose overarching themes that will serve as the foundation for your content strategy.
You need to look once again at your business, and then find the most relevant theme for your website. You can look at your direct competitors and then do some keyword research about it.
2. Audit Existing Content
Conduct a thorough audit of your existing content. Evaluate what you've already published to identify content gaps, overlaps, and areas where you can expand or enhance information. This step helps you leverage existing content assets and ensures that the new pillar content complements and strengthens your overall content ecosystem.
This audit guides you on where to focus your efforts in creating pillar content.
3. Mind The Competition
Analyze the content landscape within your industry. Identify what topics your competitors are covering and assess the effectiveness of their content strategies. This competitive analysis helps you identify opportunities for differentiation and ensures that your Content Pillars are addressing unique aspects of your business or industry.
For example, in analyzing the competition, an SEO agency discovers that many competitors are emphasizing SEO and social media but have limited content on the integration of SEO with content marketing. Recognizing this gap, the agency decides to carve out a unique niche by creating pillar content that explores the synergies between SEO and content marketing.
4. Map Out the Pillar Page Structure
Once you've identified your core topics, plan the structure of your pillar pages. A pillar page is a central hub that provides a comprehensive overview of the chosen topic. It should cover the main aspects of the topic and serve as a gateway to more detailed subtopics.
Mapping out this structure ensures that your content is organized in a logical and user-friendly manner. Try building the structure of the pillar page.
You can examine the structure and format of the pages that appear on the first page of search results for your target keywords. Take note of how these pages are organized, including their headings, subsections, and the variety of content formats used (e.g., lists, infographics, videos).
5. Build Internal Links to Pillar Content and Its Cluster
Internal linking is a crucial aspect of the content pillar strategy. Establish clear and strategic internal links between your pillar page and its associated subtopic clusters.
This interconnectivity not only aids in navigation for the user but also signals to search engines the relationship and hierarchy between your pillar content and supporting subtopics, contributing to improved SEO.
However, making sure that your pillar page has covered all the general things and important information is a must. Only by then you can interlink it to your cluster content.
Content Pillar Examples
To give you a clearer idea of this strategy, below are some examples of content pillars for different kinds of website niches.
1. Technology Website:
Pillar Topic: "Future Trends in Artificial Intelligence"
Subtopics:
Machine Learning Advancements
AI in Healthcare
Ethical Considerations in AI
Emerging AI Technologies
Pillar Page Content: Exploration of each subtopic, recent developments, expert interviews, and potential future impacts.
2. Home Improvement Blog
Pillar Topic: "Ultimate Home Renovation Guide"
Subtopics:
Kitchen Upgrades
Bathroom Remodeling
Outdoor Living Spaces
Energy-Efficient Solutions
Pillar Page Content: Step-by-step guides, budgeting tips, before-and-after case studies, and recommended tools/products.
3. Travel Website
Pillar Topic: "Adventure Travel Destinations Around the World"
Subtopics:
Hiking Trails
Scuba Diving Hotspots
Cultural Immersion Journeys
Off-the-Beaten-Path Expeditions
Pillar Page Content: Destination overviews, travel itineraries, safety tips, and personal adventure stories.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the implementation of content pillars stands as a strategic move in bringing a more structured website to the search results. By defining core topics and creating comprehensive, interconnected content structures, you can have a bigger opportunity.
To ensure its performance, you can always rely on Sequence Stats Keyword Rank Tracker and get the daily report about it. It is very convenient to use, even for beginners. All you need to do is input your keywords and let the system tell you the data.
This way, you will be informed about all the strategies you have done. Tracking a bunch of keywords is never a problem, so register yourself and explore all the features we have.