pillar content strategy

By now, you probably know that content is the foundation of a successful SEO strategy. The problem with content is when companies put too much emphasis on the number of blog posts, rather than the value of the information inside. Assaulting your readers with a barrage of meaningless posts each day won’t drive more traffic to your site. When people search the internet, they aren’t really looking for products or services. They’re looking for solutions to their problems. Long-form content that provides answers will be more useful, which resonates with customers and earns you higher search engine rankings for increased visibility. More than 70% of marketers claim content is very or extremely important to their marketing strategy. However, only 27% rate their efforts as very or extremely successful. Why is that? The answer is simple: Crafting quality content is harder than it seems. Any business can crank out a host of mediocre, uninspired blog posts. But quality content doesn’t just fall off a conveyor belt in an assembly line. One way you can develop content that engages readers and serves as an invaluable resource is by creating pillar content. Exactly what is pillar content? Pillar content is content that establishes your reputation as an authority in your industry, builds trust among your audience, and generates sales for optimal business success. Let’s learn how. What is Pillar Content? Pillar content is significantly informative content that provides invaluable knowledge about a particular subject. It can be separated into sub-topics that continue to provide readers with additional information. [bctt tweet=”Any business can crank out a host of mediocre, uninspired blog posts. But quality content doesn’t just fall off a conveyor belt in an assembly line. ? Learn more about pillar blog posts #contentmarketing ?” username=””] According to Rand Fishkin, all content should be 10x content (as in, it’s ten times better than the average blog post). But pillar content must be substantial enough to build your brand on. Think of pillar content as a broad subject, like digital marketing. Beneath that subject exists a bunch of laser-focused sub-categories, like SEO, social media, and paid advertising. This is known as cluster content. Pillar content delivers thorough answers to the questions online searchers ask about that main subject. Then, it links to that cluster content for more focused information. Let’s look at a real-world example. I recently wrote an insightful piece about Google’s search quality evaluator guidelines. Not only does this article outline and explain the key points of the guidelines. It also teaches people WHY they need content, a critical factor in the buying decisions surrounding content. This pillar piece brings value to readers through its main subject (Google’s guidelines) as well as the cluster content (why content is necessary), all while earning high search listing placement. That’s the sole purpose of pillar content. Pillar content stands out from similar content and is engaging, reliable, or helpful to your readers. It allows you to: Eliminate Redundancy: Comprehensive content prevents repetition of material throughout your site. Plan Future Content: Pillar content can lead to sub-topics within that category. Connect the Dots: Link within your own content to provide helpful resources to your audience. Since pillar content provides a well-researched, authoritative piece that links to offshoot sub-pages, it’s extremely effective for SEO. It not only provides tons of content to align with keyword searches and relevancy. It also links to other expert sources and expands reach exponentially. All of this positions your brand as an authority on a specific topic, building trust and loyalty among your audience and leading to a higher conversion rate. Because it’s so in-depth, pillar content tends to be among your site’s best material. You know that old adage, “Put your best foot forward”? That’s what pillar content does. For that reason, it’s typically where you’ll direct new visitors. But pillar content is evergreen, so it also has a long shelf life. It’s authoritative information about a topic that will continually gain interest. Visitors will check it out (and other sites may link to it) long after it’s been posted. With continual updates, edits, and maintenance, it will always be meaningful and relevant. Pillar content can consist of anything from infographics and videos to blog posts and articles. It’s simply a way to support foundational content for a specific niche. When executed well, it can be timeless, continually useful for readers, and eternally gain you higher search engine rankings. Why Should You Use Pillar Pages? There are two main reasons pillar pages should be part of your marketing strategy. First, they help you organize your content so readers can find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. Let’s face it. People love convenience, and there’s very little that’s more convenient than pillar pages. They provide a one-stop shop for all of the important information users are looking for online. It’s like digging for treasure and finding a gold mine. ⛏ But businesses also have a lot to gain from pillar content, and that brings us to the second reason you should use pillar content. From a marketing perspective, pillar content is also a gold mine, but for SEO. Pillar pages help your SEO efforts in several ways. 1. Cut Through the Clutter To provide the most consistent, relevant, and useful results to its users, Google likes to know exactly what’s happening with your website’s content. When Google sees your articles link back to pillar content that all relates to the same subject, it’s clear what that subject is and Google understands how to rank your pages. Not only does this help clarify your website’s relevance for Google’s search engine guidelines. But the more your website mentions a certain subject, the better you’ll rank for that subject in particular. Organization isn’t just beneficial for Google. It also helps readers navigate your site and effectively consume all of your content, providing a better user experience. This, incidentally, also helps boost your search engine rankings. Pillar content helps you cut through the clutter of … Read more