Is it Important to have Pillar Content on your Website?
I was asked why a website owner should have content at all let alone Pillar Content. I rephrased the question for them to: What is the importance of Pillar Content for a website? Not just an informational site, but also products, services, and even e-commerce websites.
That way I could give him a focused and meaningful answer. In this episode, I shall break down for you why every webmaster, content creator, vlogger, and blogger should have pillar posts/content.
Before we dive in, in every article we share we give you a Free downloadable resource that you can dive in immediately, implement and move the needle closer to your desired results. Today we share our…
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And now to the question you must be asking: what the heck is Pillar Content Julie? And I got you ….
What is a Pillar Content Example?
Imagine you sell women’s shoes, and your website and all digital assets talk about shoes. Your blog roll is all about shoes. And there is a specific pair that truly sells over and over again. You call it the “Wardrobe Staple.” It is easy to see why because it is comfy, smart, and can be worn at work or an easy fun evening out. It is a neutral colour and can match any outfit it is put with…
So, your blog has content about all kinds of shoes, trending shoes, work shoes, smart shoes, sports shoes you name it and you craft a piece about “Shoe Care” with a special focus on the “wardrobe staple.” That article links to a lot of the other shoe articles thus pointing to them, just as they point to the “Shoe Care one”. That is a Pillar Post or content pillar.
You also craft a Downloadable or Special Video demonstrating how to care for your different shoes, leather shoes, fabric shoes, sports shoes, evening shoes, high heels, etc. And add it as a Free resource to your pillar post. Sweet. Now you are also building your list of potential shoe buyers. And before you know it, your post is getting lots of eyeballs according to your Google console insights!
All this interest is bringing in buyers to your online and offline store because they see you as a giving brand that cares about their feet and shoes. #Sweet.
See where I am going with this? So, let us look at what pillar content technically is and should be.
Pillar content also referred to as cornerstone content, is usually a central, comprehensive piece of content shared on a website that covers a broad topic or theme within a particular niche or industry. It serves as the foundation for creating a cluster of related content pieces around the same topic.
Pillar content is and should be integral to a content marketing strategy aimed at improving search engine optimization (SEO). Because it provides valuable and detailed information to your target audience, while also establishing you as an authority on a specific subject.
Also, that content should be Evergreen: Meaning, it should not just be a trending topic or subject that becomes outdated quickly or changes overnight. Rather, like evergreen plants, it should remain relevant and valuable to your audience over an extended period. Even though it may require occasional updates to keep it current.
With the above said, your cornerstone content should be High Quality. Meaning, it should be well-researched, well-written, and provide valuable insights, information, or solutions to your target audience’s needs or questions. It should aim to be the best resource available on the topic.
Being well-researched, it will thus be Authoritative. Establishing your website or digital platform as the go-to and authority in your niche or industry. Because it will showcase your expertise and knowledge on the topic.
This is very important for your pillar content. It must be SEO-Focused. So, you must do your keyword research. If you have no clue how to do this, we have just the resource on Keyword Research for you. Because your pillar content has to be strategically placed to target important keywords or key phrases and topics relevant to your brand niche. This can in the long-term help improve your website’s search engine rankings. And isn’t this what every webmaster desires?
Here is the best bit, because your Pillar content is a powerful piece of content, it is where you should also maximise Internal Linking. Your cornerstone piece serves as a hub for linking other resources and signposting your audience to other information within your website. You can link from your pillar content to related cluster content and vice versa, enhancing the overall SEO and user experience of your website.
I will give you a personal example. Our website is all about digital branding, so we have pillar content with a comprehensive guide to “White Hat Search Engine Optimization (SEO).” which we updated right here. These 2 cover the essential aspects of Whitehat SEO, including keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, and more. We then continue to create cluster content that delves deeper into each subtopic, such as “The Importance of Keyword Research in SEO”, AI SEO for beginners, and “A Guide to Pinterest SEO all of these being Effective Content Strategies for our website too.”
This very article you’re reading is a cornerstone piece. Make sense? Good. Now that we are clear on what pillar content is, allow me to elaborate via my TikTok Video below… Feel free to like and follow as your heart dictates! 
Why is it Important to have Pillar Content on your Digital Assets?
We have agreed that your website is your primary digital asset. Because you are a savvy business/brand owner and you know the importance of having a platform you control, right? If this is not yet your reality, K-Web Social can design for you an affordable, optimized aesthetically pleasing website today, Reach out for a quote.
Now, you must plan from the get-go to build a solid reliable, go-to brand. And the fastest organic way to do that is by crafting powerful SEO pillar content.
So, yes, it is advisable to have pillar content on your website, especially if you are looking to improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO), provide valuable information to your audience, and establish authority in your niche or industry. Pillar content is a content marketing strategy that involves creating comprehensive, in-depth, and authoritative pieces of content that serve as the foundation for a particular topic or theme on your website.
Here are Reasons why Pillar Content is Effective & Recommended:
- SEO Benefits: Pillar content often targets high-volume keywords or key topics within your niche. By creating comprehensive pillar content, you can improve your website’s chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords, driving organic traffic to your site.
- Audience Engagement: Pillar content provides valuable information and insights to your audience, making it more likely that visitors will spend more time on your website. It can also help establish your website as a go-to resource in your industry, leading to higher user engagement and returning visitors.
- Authority Building: Creating in-depth pillar content demonstrates your expertise and authority on a specific subject. This can enhance your reputation within your industry and among your target audience, leading to increased trust and credibility.
- Internal Linking: Pillar content serves as a cornerstone for your website’s content structure. You can create smaller, related blog posts or articles (cluster content) that link back to your pillar content. This internal linking strategy can improve your website’s overall SEO and user experience.
- Content Organization: Pillar content helps organize your website’s content around core topics or themes. This makes it easier for both search engines and visitors to navigate your site, find relevant information, and explore related content.
- Long-Term Value: Well-researched and evergreen pillar content can continue to attract traffic and provide value to your audience over an extended period. It may require occasional updates to remain current, but it can serve as a long-term asset for your website.
To create effective Cornerstone Content, Follow these Steps:
- Stay Relevant – Choose topics or themes that are relevant to your audience and align with your business goals. Above all topics that you are well conversant with and can speak about without notes. Heck, you are the expert in your field and you know it. But does anyone else? It’s time to show them starting today. Create lead magnets that could be free or charge them a small amount as an entry-level product for your assist visitors to access immediately and learn something more in-depth about your subject and you as an authority on it.
- Conduct thorough research and provide in-depth, valuable information. See, you may have outdated information or yours could be the new kid on the block. Either way, check out what else is being said about your topic online and on peer-led articles.
A simple Google search as shown below will tell you what is trending in your topic and what keywords others are using. Type a keyword in the search box and scroll to the bottom of the page to see what other search terms people are using to find info about your topic.
We have used the key phrase: “white hat SEO tips” as our search term as shown in the image below.
Then create a balanced value-packed piece/article with more than the other pieces of content out there. And be sure to keep a lookout and update your piece to maintain its authority and yours too.
- Use various media formats, I am talking about text, images, videos, podcasts, and infographics, to enhance engagement. It can get boring very easily reading an article with nothing to break the pattern. So, use visuals and even if info-graphics may seem old school, the traffic to info-graphics from Pinterest says otherwise. You can use this tool to create some of them, other images, and simple yet professional videos.
Be sure to leave gaps between paragraphs to avoid “Brick Text” as that too can put off your potential readers and share buddies.
- Optimize your pillar content for SEO by using relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and structured data markup. It would be a pity to do all that research, pour out your expert views, add your heart and soul, and then not optimize the content. So be sure to do basic keyword research as shown in this article, you can use tools like Keywords Everywhere to get commercial keywords and key phrases. Now you are good to publish your pillar post. Once all that is done, the real work begins and we have your back. Here are 27 ways to promote your blog post. and here are our proven super tips to promote your content online. Now, I cannot emphasize it enough, you must…
- Promote your pillar content through social media, email marketing, and other distribution channels to maximize its reach. The whole idea of creating content is to build authority and the proof is in your Subscribers List, Sales, and/or Responses to your Calls To Action.
I can promise you that you can get a tad more traffic from Pinterest efforts than any social media platforms out there. And not everyone can be on Google page #1. Yet many can build authority via Pinterest Smart feed. So I highly recommend you check out our Pinterest Growth Academy to build your Pinterest traffic, details are below.
Let’s wrap it up. I am sure you have got the picture and are using tools like Yoast Plugin on your website. Tools that give you the option to choose the content you create for your blog roll as Pillar content. If not, well what are you waiting for, go for it.
In brief, having pillar content on your website is a strategic approach that can improve your SEO, engage your audience, and establish your authority within your niche. It also helps you to organize your website’s content. It provides a structured and strategic approach to content creation that benefits both your website’s SEO and the user experience.
It is thus our humble recommendation that as a savvy business and website owner, looking to enhance your online presence and provide value to your visitors to have this as part of your brand growth strategies. Remember to stay consistent, authentic, and focused on your non-profit’s mission throughout your content marketing efforts.
Did you get some value from the importance of Pillar Posts for a Website SEO and do you want some more SEO tips? I hope you do because I pour my heart into making sure you get your organic SEO going to attract more website traffic and get the results you prefer. Thus live your life as you wish.
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Julie Syl Kalungi
Live. Learn. Love
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