What Are Pillar Pages and How to Build One

Ever felt lost in a sea of content? Pillar pages are comprehensive, authoritative content pieces. They cover a broad topic in-depth and link to more specific, related content, known as topic clusters. Pillar pages are designed to give users everything they need in one place while boosting your site’s SEO.

From this article, you’ll learn:

• Why pillar pages matter
• How to build one that drives results
• Examples of common types of pillar pages
• Tips to future-proof
• Answers to FAQs 

Let’s dive in. 

The Pillar Page Concept for SEO Success

Pillar pages offer several key SEO benefits:

• Improved site architecture: A well-structured pillar page makes your site easier to crawl for search engines. Better crawlability means higher chances of getting indexed properly. A well-organized site signals to search engines that your pages are interconnected, increasing the chances of ranking higher in search results.
  
• Heightened topical authority and relevance: You enhance your website’s authority by organizing content around a central topic. Search engines like Google reward websites that present content in a clear, focused way. When your content clusters around a central theme, search engines see your site as an expert on that subject. By focusing on one broad topic and linking to in-depth subtopics, your site becomes more relevant to various related searches.
  
• Enhanced internal linking structure: Pillar pages create natural internal links between the main topic and related content. This structure helps both users and search engines navigate your site, improving engagement and helping search engines discover more of your content.
  
• Potential for featured snippets: Because pillar pages are comprehensive, they often get picked up for featured snippets—those short, highlighted answers at the top of search results. Securing these snippets can significantly increase your visibility and drive more organic traffic to your site.
  
• Increased organic traffic and lower bounce rates: Users often stay longer on pillar pages because they find valuable, organized information. The longer users stay on your site and explore more pages, the lower your bounce rate will be. This leads to higher engagement.

Impact on User Experience

Pillar pages also enhance user experience in several ways:

• Simplified navigation: Pillar pages make it easy for users to find what they want by acting as a hub for complex topics. By covering a broad topic in one place and linking to related articles, you guide users through the subject without forcing them to jump from page to page.
  
• Comprehensive resource: Pillar pages serve as a one-stop resource, reducing the need for users to conduct multiple searches. This comprehensive approach keeps visitors on your site longer and makes your content more valuable to them.
  
• Improved content discoverability: By linking to topic clusters, you increase the chances of users finding more of your content. This keeps them engaged and encourages deeper exploration of your site, boosting engagement. 

Building an Optimized Pillar Page: Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s a step-by-step process to build an effective pillar page:

1. Choosing Your Topic

Start by identifying a broad, relevant topic in your industry. It should be something that can support multiple subtopics, which will become your topic clusters.

When building content for your blog, it’s important to choose core topics that will engage your audience. For instance, if you decide to create a pillar page on healthy eating, consider these relevant subtopics:

1. Benefits of Healthy Eating
2. Healthy Recipes
3. Meal Planning Tips
4. Nutritional Guidelines

These subtopics can also be developed into standalone cluster pages to enhance your blog’s content.

Using the Keyword Explorer Tool

To gather topic ideas for your pillar page, enter “healthy diet” into the Keyword Explorer tool.

You will get hundreds of topic ideas from related keywords suggested.

2. Conducting Keyword Research

Once you’ve identified a topic, dive deep into keyword data. Find keywords that represent both the broad topic and more specific subtopics. This will help with search engine rankings and ensure your content addresses what users are searching for. 

In the keyword explorer tool you’ll be able to find relevant data to pick the right keywords such as:

• Search Volume to tell you how many searches each keyword has each month
• Search Intent to help you understand the user’s intent behind each search
• Keyword difficulty to measure the effort needed to rank on the first page for each keyword

You can also find a SERP preview tool to help you understand who you’ll be competing against, as well as some relevant on-page and off-page elements from the top 10 ranking pages for the keyword.

By reviewing this information, you can create a comprehensive and engaging pillar page that caters to your readers’ interests in healthy eating.

3. Creating a Structured Outline

Organize your ideas with a clear structure. Break the main topic down into sections, each covering a specific subtopic. This will form the basis of your content. You can take advantage of Wincher’s AI Content Outliner where you can specify the topic and information you want to cover as well as the focus keyword for the content.

Remember to be intentional with your keyword density as you assess your primary topic and the connected clusters.

4. Writing and Optimizing Content

Pillar pages serve as comprehensive guides on specific topics, linking to related content within your website. While there are no strict guidelines, effective pillar pages often exhibit certain characteristics:

• SEO-Friendly: Just like any web page, your pillar content should be optimized for search engines. Make sure to follow best practices for visibility and remember to naturally incorporate keywords without overstuffing.
• Timeless Content: Aim for evergreen topics that maintain relevance over time. This type of content won’t require frequent updates, allowing it to remain valuable for extended periods.
• User-Friendly Design: Given their extensive nature, ensure your pillar pages are easy to navigate. Incorporate features such as tables of contents, visuals, and bullet points to enhance user experience.
• Variety in Content Types: While text is the primary format, consider integrating videos, infographics, and other media to enrich the content.
• Relevant Internal Links: As central hubs of information, pillar pages should include numerous internal links. Ensure that these links are pertinent and utilize descriptive anchor text.
• Effective Calls to Action: Encourage user engagement with clear and persuasive CTAs, prompting actions like signing up or accessing additional resources.

5. Designing for User Experience and SEO

Creating an effective pillar page goes beyond just the content; it’s also about how that content is presented. Here are some strategies to enhance both user experience and search engine optimization (SEO):

Visual Appeal:

• Clean Fonts: Choose fonts that are easy to read and align with your brand’s style. Avoid overly decorative fonts that may distract or confuse users.
• Attractive Images: Use high-quality images that are relevant to your content. Consider using infographics, charts, or videos to break up text and illustrate complex ideas.
• White Space: Incorporate sufficient white space around text, images, and other elements. This helps prevent clutter and makes the content more digestible.

Structured Layout:

• Headings and Subheadings: Use clear headings (H1, H2, H3) to structure your content. This not only aids readability but also helps search engines understand the hierarchy of your information.
• Bullet Points and Lists: Present information in bullet points or numbered lists where appropriate. This allows users to scan the page quickly.

Internal Linking:

• Topic Clusters: Include internal links to related content within your website. This improves navigation and encourages users to explore more of your site.
• Contextual Links: Embed links naturally within the text. This provides additional value to readers and boosts SEO by helping search engines understand the relationships between topics.

Mobile Optimization:

• Responsive Design: Ensure that your pillar page is mobile-friendly. It should look good and function well on all devices, from desktops to smartphones.
• Fast Loading Times: Optimize images and minimize code to improve load times. A slow-loading page can lead to a higher bounce rate.

Accessibility:

SEO Best Practices:

• Keyword Optimization: Identify relevant keywords and incorporate them naturally into your content, headings, and meta descriptions.
• Meta Tags: Optimize title tags and meta descriptions for better search engine visibility. Make sure they accurately describe the content of the page.

By focusing on both user experience and SEO, your pillar page can become a valuable resource for visitors while also enhancing its performance in search engine rankings. Implementing these strategies will create a more engaging and effective online presence.

6. Monitoring Metrics and Measuring Success

After publishing your pillar page, monitor your keywords’ performance using tools like our Rank Tracker. In addition, track metrics like organic traffic, bounce rates, and user engagement. Adjust the content based on the data as needed.

Top Tip: Conduct a SERP analysis before topic selection, during keyword research, before writing, and after content optimization to ensure your pillar page competes effectively, targets the right user intent, and ranks well against top-performing content.

Common Types of Pillar Pages and Examples

Pillar pages come in different forms. Here are some common types and real-world examples:

Guide Pillar Page

A guide pillar page provides a detailed overview of a specific topic. It includes subtopics and links to related content, allowing users to dive deeper into any area of interest. 

Buffer’s 2024 social media advertising guide is a great example:

With an estimated read time of 15 minutes, it’s evident that this is a detailed overview of the topic. 

This guide is reinforced with multiple links to related subtopics, allowing users to easily understand how different concepts are related and explore each one as they go. 

Resource Pillar Page

A resource pillar page lists valuable tools, links, or references related to a topic. It often serves as a go-to hub for anyone looking for key resources in a particular area. This type of pillar page is ideal for industries where people often look for downloadable assets or references.

Canva’s Business Resources pillar page ticks all the boxes.

It provides business leaders with a variety of design-related resources like insightful reports, valuable guides, informational blogs, current news and customer success stories.

Critically, this resource pillar page includes additional internal links to even more learning resources.

Service Pillar Page

A service pillar page explains the services offered by a company, breaking down each aspect in detail. This page acts as a hub, linking to more specific pages that dive deeper into individual services and lays out each scenario they provide solutions for, allowing users to view what services they can expect.

FAQ Pillar Page

An FAQ pillar page organizes answers to frequently asked questions on a particular topic. It links to more in-depth articles for users who want further details.

FAQ pillar pages can often be overwhelming and frustrating. Here’s an example of a clean, simple, and user-friendly FAQ page by Spotify.

The interface is coherently organized, with brief descriptions and tabs that link to internal resources related to the question that needs answering.

To make the experience even easier, they suggest articles for common questions asked by their community.

Advanced Tip: 

To take things to the next level, try out the 10x Content pillar page format. A 10x content pillar page aims to be significantly better—ten times better—than the top-ranking pages for a specific topic. It offers unmatched depth, quality, and value by integrating comprehensive information, engaging multimedia, and interactive elements to create an exceptional user experience.

This format is more specialized and challenging to create, focusing on outshining competitors. Although powerful, 10x content pillar pages require substantial resources and may not be necessary as a foundational page type for most websites. Their focus on outperforming competitors makes them more specialized than foundational formats like guides or FAQ pages. They are best suited for competitive industries that aim to dominate search results with superior content.

Future-Proofing Your Pillar Pages

To ensure your pillar pages remain effective over time, consider the following:

• Adapting to Algorithm Changes
  Search engine algorithms evolve, and so should your pillar pages. Regularly update your content to align with the latest SEO practices. This might involve adding new keywords, updating internal links, or refreshing the content to stay relevant. Performing SEO audits will aid you in ensuring your content remains optimized.
  
• Evolving Content for Long-Term Relevance
  Make sure your pillar pages adjust to current trends in your industry. Add new information, statistics, and examples to keep them relevant and useful.
  
• Evergreen Content
  Although updates are important, a common alternative tactic is to create pillar pages with evergreen content—topics that remain relevant over time. While trends may change, evergreen content consistently provides value without needing constant updates.
  
• Preparing for Emerging Technologies
  Stay ahead of technological trends like voice search or AI-driven content recommendations. Ensure your pillar pages are optimized for these advancements by focusing on natural language and search intent.

FAQs

How long should a pillar page be?

A good rule of thumb is to aim for 2000 to 4000 words. However, length isn’t the main focus—comprehensiveness and value are key. Longer pillar pages tend to rank better because they provide in-depth answers to various related questions, improving SEO.

Can I have multiple pillar pages on my website?

Yes, you can and should have multiple pillar pages, especially if your website covers several broad topics. Each pillar page should focus on a different overarching theme relevant to your industry. Having multiple pillar pages helps you build topical authority across various areas and improves your site’s overall structure.

How often should I update my pillar page?

Reviewing and updating your pillar page every six months to a year is good practice. This keeps your content fresh and aligned with any changes in your industry or SEO strategies,  ensuring that the content remains relevant. Review your keywords, internal links, and any new developments in your industry during updates. Keeping the page up to date will help maintain its value and continue to attract organic traffic.

Key Takeaway

Always focus on quality over quantity by building your content with structured intent. Although longer pillar pages may rank higher, your page should only be long enough to be helpful— you don’t want to overwhelm your audience. To ensure optimal success, continuously monitor key metrics and update your content accordingly.

Pillar pages are powerful tools for boosting your SEO, improving user experience, and showcasing your expertise. Creating well-structured, comprehensive content supported by topic clusters can drive more organic traffic and keep users engaged on your site. 

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Meta Description: 

A pillar page covers a broad topic in-depth and links to related subtopics. This boosts SEO, enhances topical authority, and improves user navigation. Learn how to build one that drives optimal results.