What Is Pillar Content?
Pillar content describes a specialized approach to developing deep, informative content. The ultimate goal of pillar content is to raise search engine traffic by delivering a comprehensive response to a “burning question” your audience has. Good pillar content can be very long, anywhere from 2000 to 10,000 words.
Pillar content takes a single issue, such as how to reduce the cost of commercial building systems, and approaches it from many different angles. It may link out to dozens of other articles you have posted in the past, discussing sub-topics like commercial HVAC, lighting, a building’s roof and outer envelope, and more.
By consolidating so much information all in one place, you create a natural focal point for leads and customers who are grappling with the issues you discuss. You can help them resolve their pressing business problems while clearly articulating your company’s value proposition in a non-interruptive way.
Examples
- Typeform: Brand Awareness
- Cloud Elements: The Definitive Guide to API Integration
- HubSpot: The Ultimate Guide to Productivity Apps
- The Atlantic: Population Healthier
The Benefits
1. Search Engine Visibility
The principal benefit of pillar content is that it is optimized for others to link back to. As you accumulate these “backlinks,” your website will become more visible in searches related to the pillar content. Pillar content is an attractive resource that influencers are more likely to share, raising your visibility further.
2. Thought Leadership
Thought leadership is often talked about in the B2B world, but it can be difficult to define. Pillar content is a sure way to improve your claim to thought leadership by publishing deep content that’s highly useful to your target audience. Pillar content often leads toward white papers, e-books, and other substantial content pieces.
Risks of Not Creating Pillar Content
The main risk of not creating pillar content is not seeing sufficient ROI from your link building and SEO efforts.
As a general rule, shorter content pieces will not perform in search engines nearly as well as longer, more detailed ones. While short “evergreen content” does have its place in an overall strategy, pillar content holds the unique potential to maximize your digital marketing with breakthrough search engine positioning.
A single pillar page may drive thousands of website visits each year. With AIMG’s proven approach to B2B content marketing, you can reap the benefits sooner. To find out more or get started, contact us today.