Pillar Pages – The Essential Content Strategy Elements

Pillar pages have become irresistible magnets for links, organic traffic, and newsletter subscribers. But hold on, does this mean you should scrap your entire blog strategy in favour of pillar pages? Not so fast.

The secret to successful content marketing lies in content mapping. In this article, we’ll explain exactly what we mean by that. First, let’s dive into what a pillar page is.

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A pillar page is a piece of content that delves deep into a broad topic, covering it comprehensively. Also known as hub and spoke content, it brings together various relevant subtopics (spokes) into one central place (hub) and establishes your authority on the broad topic.

The goal of a pillar page is to make it easy for readers to navigate and understand a particular subject at a high level while also providing them with additional resources to explore. Think of it as a choose-your-own-adventure story in content marketing.

Here are some benefits of pillar pages and content marketing:

• Attract high-quality backlinks to your site
• Drive organic traffic to your site
• Generate leads and increase conversion rates
• Establish authority and thought leadership in your industry
• Boost your SEO rankings

However, it’s important to remember that a successful content marketing strategy requires both pillar pages and blog posts. They work hand-in-hand to bring in traffic, engagement, and conversions.

The key is to use content mapping to ensure that your blog posts and pillar pages work together to create a cohesive content strategy. By understanding the relationship between pillar pages, content mapping, and content marketing, you’ll be on your way to creating a successful and sustainable content marketing plan for your business.

Becoming a Topical Authority: Why Establishing Expertise is Crucial for Your Business

As we know that creating content for SEO and digital marketing is not just about picking random topics and churning out content. It’s about establishing your brand’s topical authority and reinforcing it with every piece of content you create, whether it’s a blog post, a pillar page, or an eBook.

Think about it this way – if you sell mechanical keyboards, it wouldn’t make sense to write a blog post about summer BBQ recipes. Unless you’re suggesting that your customers grill and eat their keyboards, which is highly unlikely (and not recommended!).

Instead, it makes more sense to cover topics that are related to mechanical keyboards, such as:

• What is a mechanical keyboard?
• Mechanical keyboards vs. regular keyboards
• Custom mechanical keyboards
• How to transition to a mechanical keyboard
• Pros and cons of a mechanical keyboard

By covering a variety of topics related to mechanical keyboards, you’re building a foundation of informative content that tells search engines, “Hey, we know a lot about mechanical keyboards!” The more content you create that ranks for important search terms related to your topic, the more likely searchers will see you as an authority in that area.

To establish topical authority, we believe in the power of pillar pages and blog posts working hand-in-hand. Well-executed and organized pillar pages showcase your topical authority in a specific area, while blog posts allow you to cover a range of relevant subtopics in great detail.

At Traffic Radius, we’ve seen this tactic in action with our content marketing guide, which we created as a pillar page. It allowed us to cover a slew of subtopics related to the broader topic of content marketing, all in one comprehensive piece of collateral.

Establishing topical authority is crucial for your business, and it can have a significant impact on your SEO and digital marketing efforts. By focusing on relevant topics and creating well-organized content, you can show search engines and your audience that you are an expert in your field.

Learn More: Ultimate Guide to SEO Content Creation!

Understanding and Implementing Content Mapping

Pillar pages are a powerful tool for content marketing, but what if you don’t have a wealth of existing blog content? Fear not, because with the right approach, you can create a compelling pillar page filled with fresh, original content.

Enter content mapping, a strategic process that will help you understand your audience’s needs and create valuable content that meets them where they are. By mapping out your content in advance, you can create a comprehensive resource that serves as a one-stop-shop for your audience’s interests.

Content mapping is like a treasure hunt for the perfect content. You’re searching for the right topics, the right format, and the right tone to engage and educate your audience. With the right content map, you’ll be able to take your audience on a journey that leads to a deeper understanding of your brand and its offerings.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to supercharge your content marketing strategy with content mapping. Start mapping out your next pillar page today!

Learn More: Top Blogger Outreach Tips

Unleashing the Power of Content Mapping in your Content Marketing Strategy

Just like writing a book, creating a pillar page requires careful planning and research. It’s not just about choosing the right keyword to target for your business; you also need to know what topics and subtopics will interest your audience the most.

Think about it: if you were an expert birder, you wouldn’t just start writing a book about bird-watching without doing any research. You’d want to know which of your previous blog posts generated the most interest from readers and kept them coming back for more. You’d also want to know what your competition looks like and how they are approaching the topic.

To get these answers, you can use web analytic tools like Google Analytics and Moz Pro. This will help you see which blog posts are driving the most traffic and which ones are getting the most backlinks from other websites.

Once you have a better idea of what your audience is looking for and what your competition is doing, you can start to create a plan for your pillar page. This plan should include the main topic of your page and the subtopics you’ll cover. You should also think about the length and level of detail you want to include, as well as any multimedia elements like videos or infographics.

With a solid plan in place, you can start creating your pillar page and filling it with high-quality content that reinforces your brand’s authority in your niche. Remember, content mapping is a crucial part of any successful content marketing strategy, so take the time to do it right!

Learn More: Why Content Marketing Is Crucial to Your Business

Why Internal Linking is Crucial for SEO: A Note on Best Practices

When it comes to creating a successful pillar page, internal linking is a critical component that should not be overlooked. It serves as the “glue” that holds your entire page together, providing a smooth and easy-to-navigate experience for your readers. Here are some key things to keep in mind:

Avoid excessive internal linking. While internal linking is essential, too much of it can be overwhelming and confusing for your audience. Make sure to only include links that are highly relevant to the parent topic.

Use Moz’s On-Page Grader tool. If you’re not sure if you have too many internal links, this tool can automatically count the links on your page and alert you if you’ve gone overboard.

Don’t go over 100 internal links per page. Google suggests limiting the number of internal links to 100 to prevent diluting the SEO value sent from the pillar page to the linked pages. It also makes it easier for users and crawlers to navigate your content.

In summary, internal linking plays a crucial role in the success of your pillar page. By keeping the above tips in mind, you can ensure that your internal linking strategy is effective and enhances the overall user experience.

Learn More: Internal Links SEO

Two Data-Driven Strategies for Effective Content Mapping

Are you struggling to decide what content to include in your pillar page? You’re not alone. Planning a pillar page can be a daunting task, especially when you have a lot of existing blogs content to work with. Fortunately, there are two data-led ways to map out your content and create a successful pillar page.

Use web analytics tools to identify top-performing content

Web analytics tools, such as Google Analytics and Moz Pro, can help you identify which of your blog posts generated the most interest from new and returning readers. By analysing metrics such as page views, unique visitors, and bounce rates, you can gain insights into what topics your audience is most interested in. Use this information to guide your content selection for your pillar page.

Here are some tips for using web analytics tools to map out your content:

• Look for blog posts with the newest and returning visitors
• Identify blogs that kept readers coming back for more
• Analyse which blogs your industry peers found most useful

Conduct a competitor analysis to understand the market

Before you spend countless hours writing and producing content for your pillar page, it’s important to understand what your competitors are doing. Analysing your competition can help you identify gaps in the market and develop a unique angle for your content.

Here are some tips for conducting a competitor analysis:

• Research your competitors’ books or pillar pages on the same topic
• Look at the subtopics they cover and identify gaps in the market
• Analyse the level of complexity and comprehensiveness of their content
• Consider the format of their content, such as video, audio, or written

Bonus tip: Don’t forget about internal linking

While mapping out your content for your pillar page, don’t forget about the importance of internal linking. Internal links help readers easily navigate related resources and help search engines understand the relationship between your pillar page content and other content on your site. However, be careful not to overdo it with internal linking, as it can negatively impact the user experience and dilute the SEO value of your pillar page.

In summary, mapping out your content for a successful pillar page involves analysing web analytics to identify top-performing content and conducting a competitor analysis to understand the market. By taking a data-led approach to content mapping, you can create a pillar page that resonates with your target audience and sets you apart from the competition.

Learn More: Building a Content Marketing Strategy

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a pillar page?

A Pillar Page is a comprehensive, authoritative piece of content that covers a broad topic in depth and is supported by clusters of related content. It serves as a central hub for all content related to that topic on a website and provides a roadmap for readers to easily navigate to other relevant pages.

Why should I create a pillar page?

• Improving SEO: Pillar Pages are optimized for a target keyword and can help boost your search engine rankings for that topic.
• Establishing Authority: By covering a broad topic in depth, a Pillar Page establishes your brand’s authority on that subject.
• Driving Traffic: Because Pillar Pages is comprehensive and informative, they often attract backlinks and social shares, which can drive more traffic to your site.
• Improving User Experience: A Pillar Page serves as a roadmap for readers, making it easy for them to navigate to other relevant content on your site.

How do I create a pillar page?

• Choose a broad topic relevant to your business and audience.
• Conduct keyword research to determine the target keyword for your Pillar Page.
• Create a comprehensive, in-depth guide on the topic that serves as a central hub for all related content.
• Organize supporting content into clusters and link to them from the Pillar Page.
• Optimize the Pillar Page and supporting content for SEO.
• Promote the Pillar Page through social media, email marketing, and other channels.

How do I measure the success of a pillar page?

• Search engine rankings for the target keyword.
• Traffic to the Pillar Page and supporting content.
• Engagement metrics such as time on page, bounce rate, and social shares.
• Backlinks to the Pillar Page and supporting content.

By monitoring these metrics, you can determine the effectiveness of your Pillar Page and make adjustments as needed to improve its performance.