The Pillar Page and Your SEO Strategy

Just when you thought you understood SEO everything changed once again. Human online search behaviors have become more specific. This is especially true for mobile shoppers. Consumers do not want to search through countless ecommerce sites that come up with general search terms.

What are Pillar Pages and Topic Clusters?

A pillar page covers all aspects of the topic on a single page. It allows for room for more in-depth reporting in more detailed cluster blog posts that hyperlink back to the pillar page. A pillar page is the basis on which a topic cluster is built. For example, you might write a pillar page about product fulfilment—a broad topic—and a link to a piece of cluster content about the last mile which is a more specific keyword within that topic.

Why the Change?

The way people search has changed, and in turn, that’s started to change the way SEOs and bloggers create content. Basically, people are submitting longer, more conversational search queries. Think of how your customers will enter a Google search. If you were trying to find a place to eat pasta, would you search for “restaurants,” or would you search for “Italian restaurants nearby”?

Most online searches are now four words and growing, mostly due to an increase in mobile shoppers and in voice searches. But voice search is not the only reason people are submitting longer queries. There is a lot of content available on the Internet, and there is definitely more quantity than quality. To sort through the junk, consumers are being more specific in their searches to quickly get the information they need.

How to Create a Strong Pillar Page

Ideally, your site needs to be organized according to different main topics, with blog posts about specific, conversational long-tail keywords hyperlinked to one another. They should address as many searches as possible about a particular subject. Create a pillar page that answers questions about a particular topic but leaves room for more detail in additional related cluster content. Topic clusters help more pages rank to give online shoppers better responses to their search inquiries.

The first step in creating a pillar page is to think about the topics you want to rank for first. This will take a bit of brainstorming on blog topic ideas based on specific keywords related to the broader topic you want to write about. It is best to choose a topic that’s broad enough that it can generate several related blog posts that will serve as cluster content. It is also important that the topic not be overly broad that you can’t cover the entire topic on a single pillar page.

In conclusion, the goal of the pillar is to engage them as long as possible, so they are more likely to buy an item from your online site. A pillar page should provide information on a product or service. This will drive them to your site when they enter a Google search term that your page ranks for. Once they click onto your pillar page, they can be directed with links to more specific pieces of cluster content hyperlinked on the pillar page. Be sure to create content that is relevant, has the most specific keyword and is linked to additional content.