How to Create Pillar Content Pages: Step-by-Step

Pillar content pages are foundational to your content marketing strategy. They build your brand’s topical authority on a chosen topic or key theme by providing the “hub” for comprehensive coverage that provides a better user experience, improves SEO, and builds brand authority and credibility. 

As with content marketing, creating pillar content begins by understanding your audience. This step-by-step guide starts there and breaks down the entire process for you. 

Key Takeaways (TL;DR):

• Pillar content pages are a key part of content strategy, serving as a hub connecting related content and helping to establish a brand’s topical authority.
• Planning steps are key — from identifying a topic and conducting keyword research to creating internal links and providing navigational help.
• Choose a pillar content page topic that addresses audience search intent and helps to further brand goals.
• Create people-first content that provides a great user experience — then optimize for search engines.

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10 Steps to Creating Pillar Content Pages

Writing pillar content begins only after the architecture of the page and its subtopics are determined. To begin, kick off with a brainstorming session.

Step 1: Choose a core topic

Selecting a core topic is the first strategic step to pillar content creation. The topic you select should be a broad subject you can cover in depth. When brainstorming ideas for core topics, it is essential to choose one that is:

• Audience-essential: The topic must be relevant and helpful and, ideally, solve a known problem. Know what your audience needs. 
• Brand-relevant:  It must tie back to your core business to establish authority on a business-specific topic and provide opportunities to link to your products and services. 
• Cluster-rich: Your core topic should be able to support multiple relevant cluster topics while still being focused enough that you can cover it deeply on a single pillar page. 
• Rankable: Research your competition (What are they covering? Where are their content gaps?) Position yourself to get a piece of the market and search volume.
• Evergreen: Rather than focus such an essential strategy on short-term trends, choose a topic with enduring relevance and appeal.

Example: “Digital marketing strategy” is a solid core topic for a company with a target audience of marketing professionals. It allows for many subtopics relevant to the audience, such as content planning tools, content strategy, SEO strategy, etc. 

Step 2: Choose a type of pillar page

Depending on the core topic chosen for your pillar page or pillar post, determine which common format will best suit the subject and serve the audience’s search intent.

• “What Is” (definitional)
• “How to” (instructional/informational)
• Guide (most comprehensive, often includes definitional and instructional components.)

Step 3: Research keywords and search intent

Identify the primary keyword with keyword research for your pillar content page and related long-tail keywords. 

For SEO considerations, the primary keyword should appear in the following key places:

• Title/H1
• Meta title
• Meta description
• URL
• First paragraph
• Image alt text

Long-tail keywords are helpful in H2 and H3 headings throughout the pillar content as long as they are placed naturally and are helpful and relevant to your audience. 

Be sure to analyze search intent to understand why your audience is searching for your core term. This will help you tailor your pillar content to meet your readers where they are and directly answer their questions or solve their problems. 

However, avoid stuffing keywords into your content. Keyword stuffing is an outdated SEO practice. Google prefers people-first content that adds value for your readers.

You can streamline your content optimization process by using the Originality.ai Predictive SEO Tool, which is resistant to manipulation (it doesn’t reward keyword stuffing). Instead, focus on making genuine content improvements that drive better search engine rankings.

Step 4: Identify cluster pages related to the core topic

While you won’t be writing cluster pages at this step, it’s important to identify which topics will be the “spokes” for the hub of your pillar content. Outline how the clusters will connect to the pillar and earmark opportunities for pillar content to link to the cluster pages.

Step 5: Create a comprehensive outline

A clear and comprehensive outline is like a recipe, outlining each ingredient to ensure a successful final product. The outline ensures consistent coverage that is organized, focused, well-structured, and balanced. Elements of your outline or brief might include:

• Structure of H2 and H3 headings with logical flow
• Internal linking strategy
• SEO keyword plotting
• Target word count

Step 6: Format content in a readable, engaging way

People-first content is the goal of your pillar content page. Now, with all the planning in place, the writing begins. Ensure your content is helpful, relevant, readable and engaging throughout by remembering the following essentials:

• Clear, descriptive headings (H2, H3)
• No walls of text
• Short paragraphs
• Varied sentence structure
• Scannable formatting with bullet points and numbered lists
• Active voice
• Strategic internal links
• Examples to illustrate

Step 7: Include engaging elements throughout

Strengthen the pillar content and enhance the user experience by ensuring there are elements other than the written copy on the page: 

• Images and videos
• Expert insights and quotes
• Links to further reading and related articles
• Links to your products and services
• Citations to authoritative websites
• Author bios for credibility
• Clear CTA: Tell the reader what’s next and how to learn more

Step 9: Add helpful navigational elements

Help your readers navigate through the comprehensive content of a pillar page by providing one or more elements that help them quickly find the information they need. 

• Table of contents with anchor links
• Key takeaways section with a quick summary of insights
• FAQ section with answers 

Depending on the length of the pillar page and the type of article, these small additions add great value for a reader, improving the overall experience.

Step 9: Edit Content

After the pillar content is complete, make sure it is thoroughly reviewed and edited for structure, readability, accuracy, grammar and punctuation. This is a good time to review the inclusion and proper use of SEO keywords, internal and external links, and CTA. 

Step 10: Optimize for SEO

To support your people-first pillar content, ensure SEO elements work in your favor. Review the entire pillar page carefully for relevant keywords and ensure natural placement with the narrative flow (remember to avoid content marketing mistakes like keyword stuffing). Review the pillar page for metadata (title tags and meta descriptions), image alt text, header structure, and internal linking. 

Final Thoughts

Once you’ve been through all 10 steps and are ready to publish your pillar content page, ensure you are ready to promote and maintain the page you worked so hard to create. 

Use social media and email marketing to direct users to the new page and create a schedule for regularly reviewing, analyzing and updating content to keep it relevant. 

With strong content and careful planning, your pillar page should help establish your brand as a topical authority, boost your SEO performance, and create a positive experience for your target audience. 

Discover a best-in-class suite of tools for content marketers, web publishers, and editors with Originality.ai including our AI Checker, Predictive SEO Tool, Plagiarism Checker, and Grammar Checker.

Read more about pillar content and marketing best practices in our guides:

• What Is Pillar Content? 4 Benefits of Pillar Pages
• How to Plan a Content Pillar Strategy in 9 Steps
• What Is Content Optimization in SEO? 9 Effective Tips