If you’re scratching your head wondering what a pillar page is – I get it. I was confused at first too. But implementing pillar pages was a total game changer for increasing our site’s traffic and establishing expertise around our main topics.
So what exactly are pillar pages, and why should you care?
I’m going to explain everything clearly in this complete guide, as well as give you a step-by-step blueprint for creating effective pillars pages from scratch.
What is a Pillar Page?
A pillar page is a comprehensive, in-depth article that covers all aspects of a specific topic.
For example, this very guide you’re reading right now is a pillar page! It dives deep on everything you need to know around pillar pages – what they are, why they matter, and how to make your own.
Unlike a typical blog post that just skims the surface, pillar pages explore a topic extensively. They also differ from product pages or landing pages that have direct conversion goals – the purpose of pillars is more informational vs. sales focused.
Now why does this matter? What do these lengthy articles give you?
Why You Need Pillar Pages
Here are five key benefits well-crafted pillar pages bring:
- Establish Expertise – Thoroughly exploring a topic shows you know your stuff. Pillars demonstrate thought leadership and credibility.
- Improve SEO – Optimized pillar pages can rank very competitively organically and drive targeted traffic. They also strengthen site architecture when linked to internally.
- Enhance User Experience – By providing a comprehensive single resource to learn about a concept, pillars satisfy informational needs far better than fractured content spread thinly over various pages.
- Increase Engagement – In-depth exploration keeps visitors on site longer, improving page depth metrics and lowering exit rates.
- Generate Links – Produce content compelling enough and people will link to it, sending referral traffic. High quality pillars attract links.
Now that you know the value of pillar pages, let’s get into the details of actually creating one with a step-by-step guide…
How to Plan & Research a Pillar Page
The first critical steps are conducting planning and research around both your topic itself and keywords/questions people search around it.
Selecting the best topic with sufficient search volume is key for search visibility later on.
Choosing the Right Pillar Page Topic
Start by brainstorming a list of potential topics that align with your overarching niche, business or site objectives.
These should be established main or subtopics that have sufficient search volume and opportunities to rank well.
You can use keyword research tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google’s Keyword Planner to assess volume and difficulty ratings for potential topics. Identify ones where there may be competitor content gaps too.
For example, if you sold gardening tools, “starting a vegetable garden” could be a ripe pillar topic based on search demand and competition.
Once you’ve selected your overall pillar topic, dig deeper into related keyword groupings and actual questions searchers are asking to further refine content plans.
Conduct Keyword Research
Now conduct extensive keyword research around your chosen topic to identify specific low competition, high traffic targets.
But don’t let raw keywords alone dictate content direction. Also research the actual informational needs real users have by assessing search intent.
Look beyond keyword difficulty scores in isolation when conducting research. Sometimes seemingly competitive keywords have weak, low-quality pages ranking which present opportunities for you to outperform with authority-building pillar content.
Mine search results for questions people ask about various aspects of your pillar topic. These will guide what subtopics to comprehensively cover. You essentially want to create the definitive guide.
Factor in technical SEO elements as well during the planning process – URL structure, meta descriptions, alt text optimization and internal linking architecture.
Creating Pillar Page Content
With your research completed, now comes the fun part – actually writing your pillar page!
The key here is to structure your content so all aspects of the topic are covered fully while still keeping readers engaged.
Pillar Page Content Structure
I like to think about content structure in terms of framing – what’s the scaffolding that will allow me to cover a topic completely while keeping things easily digestible?
Start by grouping related subtopics and themes from your research into sections and drafting headers for each. Treat these section titles as mini road maps guiding readers through everything they need to know.
Then within each section, plan subsection headers and themes that will allow you to explore aspects in even more detail. Logical flow is critical here.
For a 1,500 word pillar on content marketing strategies, your structure may look like:
Introduction
- What is Content Marketing? (Definition and Goals)
Body Sections:
- Developing a Content Strategy
- Assessing Business Goals
- Defining Your Audience
- Researching Buyer Journey Touchpoints
- Creating Effective Content
- Optimizing Blog Posts for SEO
- Repurposing Content Across Channels
- Promoting Content on Social Media
- Analyzing Performance Results
- Key Content Metrics to Track
- Tools for Monitoring Engagement
- How to Continually Improve Content
- Conclusion and Next Steps
See how organizing things this way provides a nice framework? Now when it comes time to write, you simply need to flesh out each section.
Writing High-Quality Pillar Content
With your structure set, it’s time to actually write your pillar page and transform that outline into something truly compelling.
I know staring down a blank page can be daunting. But by sticking to your plan and outlining rock-solid advice in your unique voice, you’ve got this!
Aim for a professional yet approachable, conversational tone. Use clear explanations of concepts, images, stats, and quotes to augment your text when possible.
Keep sections easy to scan for readers seeking to jump around. Bold your H2 and H3 subheaders, incorporate numbered lists, pro tips callouts, and short descriptive paragraphs marked up properly.
Optimizing Pillar Pages for SEO
With your content written, don’t forget to optimize your shiny new pillar for search visibility.
Follow technical SEO best practices on-page:
- Use target keywords in page title tags and meta descriptions
- Structure URLs with primary keywords
- Include related LSI keyword variations in content
- Properly tag visuals with ALT text
- Ensure mobile responsiveness
- Insert schema markup for rich results potential
Also bear in mind internal linking during creation. Which other owned pages and content relate to this topic? Link out contextually where relevant.
Incorporating brief paragraph summaries marked up with H2 or H3 tags improves skimmability as well, allowing users to quickly scan content.
Promoting & Link Building to Your Pillar Page
You’ve created a masterfully complete pillar page. But don’t keep it to yourself – getting exposure is key!
Promoting your content both internally on your own site and externally on other sites is critical for amplification.
Internal Link Building
First, build internal links pointing to your pillar page from other relevant owned pages and content. These contextual references share link equity and anchor text variety.
When linking to your pillar page in blog posts or other content, vary the anchor text rather than just repeating the target keyword. Use related LSI keywords, partial phrases, or generic descriptors like “this guide”.
External Link Building
Next, promote your awesome pillar page externally to earn high value backlinks from other sites.
There are several strategies here – social promotion to encourage shares, guest posting on authority sites in your space, influencer outreach and round-ups are all great ways to build links.
Monitor any new backlinks via Google Search Console and Ahrefs to continually assess how your pillar page is impacting overall domain authority and site visibility.
The more quality sites that link to your pillar, the more credibility and ranking potential it will accrue!
Tracking Pillar Page Results
Creating pillar pages takes considerable effort. But how do you know that investment is paying off?
Analytics and metrics provide the answer.
Key Pillar Page Metrics
Here are a few key performance indicators to monitor:
- Search Rankings – Track target keyword rankings in Google Search Console to see how you stack up against the competition.
- Organic Traffic – Measure monthly users and sessions to quantify interest and engagement.
- Time on Page – Are people staying or bouncing right away? High attention metrics show pillar utility.
Tools for Analysis
Platforms like Google Analytics, Search Console, Ahrefs and SEMrush provide data around pillar performance.
Assess overall search visibility and backlinks driving traffic to your page. Check rankings for core keywords as well. Use GA for visitor behavior data – bounce rates, scroll depth, pages per session, etc.
Continually Improving Pillar Pages
Don’t just “set and forget” your pillar page. The best ones get better over time.
Updating and Refreshing Content
Analyze performance metrics regularly, at least once per quarter. Look for new informational needs or trends not addressed.
Keep content fresh by updating outdated information, adding new visual assets, linking to related content and generally refining things.
Getting Direct Feedback
Nothing is more valuable than raw user input. Use surveys and polls to get suggestions right from visitors on how your pillar page can better answer their questions.
The key is continually providing value. By obsessing over reader needs vs chasing vanity metrics, your pillar authority will only increase over time.
Wrapping Up
So there you have it – a complete walkthrough of what pillar pages are and exactly how to make effective ones from start to finish!
I know that was a lot, but breaking things down step-by-step makes it very manageable. I sincerely hope you found this guide helpful and it makes the process less intimidating.
Trust me, if I can do it, you absolutely can.
Now get out there, do your research, and start building some pillar content that boosts your authority and impacts your business!