You write blog after blog, hoping your website will finally rank better or get more traffic. But even after months of effort, nothing really changes. Some posts get a few views, but most don’t. 

The problem usually isn’t your writing. The real issue is this: your content isn’t connected. It’s scattered. One article talks about one thing; another goes in a different direction. That makes it hard for both your readers and Google to understand what your site is really about.

Here is the solution: 👉 Pillar Content.

This article is for anyone tired of doing content without a plan. We’ll show you how to use a pillar content strategy to bring clarity to your site, improve your SEO, and give real value to your audience.

Let’s get into it.

What is a Pillar Content/ Page?

A pillar page is a main page on your site that covers a broad topic clearly and in one place. It gives an overview of the subject and links to related, more detailed blogs.

It’s not a regular blog post. It acts like a central hub. Readers come here to understand the full picture. From there, they can click through to learn more about each part of the topic.

This page is clear, simple, and easy to follow. It avoids clutter. It guides the reader from one section to another without confusion.

You create pillar content when you want your website to be seen as an expert on a topic. You give structure to your content instead of posting scattered articles.

That’s what a pillar page does. It connects everything. It brings order.

Why Is Pillar Content Great for SEO?

Pillar content helps your site grow in a smart, clean way. It gives your website a clear shape — which helps both readers and Google understand what you offer.

Here’s how it helps:

1. Keeps Your Website Clean and Easy to Follow

When your content is spread out without a clear link between topics, your site feels messy — to both people and search engines. Pillar content gives your website a proper structure. It brings related posts under one roof and makes the full topic easy to follow. This improves user experience and helps Google understand your content faster.

2. Helps You Rank for Big and Small Keywords

A single blog can’t always rank for important keywords. But when you have a main page covering the full topic and connect it with focused articles around it, your chances go up. You cover both broad keywords and specific ones — and that helps your entire content group show up in search results.

3. Improves Internal Linking Without Extra Work

Internal links guide your visitors and help search engines crawl your site better. With pillar content, this happens naturally. Every sub-post links back to the main page, and the main page links to all the related ones. This flow of links boosts your pages and spreads value across your content.

4. Builds Your Site’s Authority on a Topic

Google wants to show results from sources that know the subject well. If your site has a pillar page and several well-written posts connected to it, it looks like you’ve covered the topic deeply. That shows Google you’re a trusted source — and helps improve rankings over time.

5. Increases Time Spent on Your Website

People leave quickly when they don’t find what they need. But when they land on a page that answers their question and also guides them to read more, they stay longer. Pillar content gives them this smooth flow. This longer visit tells search engines your content is useful.

6. Attracts More Backlinks Over Time

Pages that are well-structured and helpful tend to get shared. Other websites are more likely to link to your pillar page because it acts as a full guide. These links come naturally over time and help build your website’s overall SEO strength.

Different Types of Pillar Content

Pillar content isn’t one-size-fits-all. You can shape it based on your topic, goal, and what your audience needs.

1. Ultimate Guide

An ultimate guide is for readers who want more than just a basic idea. They’re not looking for short answers. They want a full understanding — and they want it all in one place.

This type of page is structured. It starts simple and goes deeper step by step. Every section has a purpose. You’re not just writing — you’re helping someone move forward.

Why it matters?

Most blogs answer one small question. But an ultimate guide becomes the main page for an entire topic. It’s where your reader learns, explores, and keeps coming back.

And when the content is clear and well-organized, it also becomes the page that search engines trust the most.

If your guide is about Content Strategy for Small Businesses, it can include:

• How to set goals
• What kind of content works best
• How to plan, write, and publish it
• Where to promote it
• Mistakes people usually make
• Links to more in-depth posts

Every section should feel like it belongs — no fillers, no guesswork.

Tips to write a strong guide:

• Start with a plan. Don’t write and figure it out later.
• Use clear headings that tell the reader what’s coming next.
• Don’t drag things. Keep each section focused and easy to read.
• Add helpful links only where they make sense.
• Before you publish, ask yourself: “Is anything missing?”

When done right, this one page will speak for your brand. It gives answers, builds trust, and shows that you actually understand what you’re talking about.

2. ‘What Is’ Explainer Pages

This type of pillar page answers one question clearly:
“What is this topic about?”
It’s useful for readers who are new and looking for simple, direct information.

But a strong explainer doesn’t just give a one-line answer. It guides the reader through the basics in a calm, clear way — without going too deep or too broad.

If you’re creating a page around “What is Local SEO?”, you could divide it like this:

• A simple definition in everyday language
• How local SEO helps small businesses
• What makes it different from regular SEO
• Key elements involved (like Google Business Profile)
• Links to deeper guides for setup or tools

This format gives the reader everything they need to get started — without overwhelming them.

Tips for Writing This Page:

• Start with a clear answer in the first few lines
• Break things into small parts — short paragraphs, clear headings
• Stick to plain English — no jargon or technical terms
• Add links to helpful blog posts for readers who want more detail
• Make it scannable so people can find what they need quickly

This page often becomes a starting point for your readers. If it’s simple and helpful, they’ll keep exploring the rest of your site.

3. ‘How-To’ Pillar Pages

A ‘how-to’ pillar page teaches someone how to get something done — step by step. It’s focused on action. No theory. No fluff. Just clear instructions that help people move forward.

This type of content works best when your reader knows what they want to achieve but needs help doing it right.

You’re not explaining the concept. You’re showing them the way.

Where it fits in your site:

Use this format when your audience is ready to act. They don’t want background stories. They want someone to walk them through the process — clearly and practically.

Let’s say you’re writing about “How to Build a Content Calendar”. Your page might include:

• What to plan first
• Tools that make the job easier
• How to organize content by weeks or months
• Tips to stay consistent
• Problems to watch out for
• Links to deeper guides when needed

Each section should feel like a step — not a lecture.

Tips to Build a Great ‘How-To’ Page:

• Write like you’re talking to one person — no big words
• Break the process into small, easy actions
• Keep the layout clean so they don’t feel lost
• Add links to help, not to show off
• Avoid long paragraphs — this is a task page, not a story

When someone finishes your steps and feels clear about what to do next, they’ll trust your content. And they’ll likely come back when they’re stuck again.

That’s what makes this style so valuable — it gives results.

4. Product or Service-Based Pillars

This type of pillar page focuses on what you offer. It helps people understand your product or service without making it feel like a sales pitch.

You’re not trying to convince someone to buy right away. You’re helping them see how your offer works, who it’s for, and whether it fits their need.

It gives them the full picture — without pressure.

When to use this format?

Use this when someone already knows their problem. They’re just looking for the right solution. Your job is to explain yours clearly.

Let’s say you offer SEO for SaaS companies. Your pillar page could include:

• Who this service is made for
• What problems it solves
• How the process works
• What clients get when they sign up
• Answers to common doubts
• Links to related pages like pricing or results

You’re not writing it to close a deal on the spot. You’re writing it to build confidence.

Tips to create a good product or service pillar:

• Speak to real questions customers ask before buying
• Don’t use big claims — keep your tone honest
• Use short sections so readers can move through them easily
• Add links to deeper info like case studies, pricing, or FAQs
• Make it easy to understand, even for someone new

This page should feel like a helpful guide — not a pitch. If someone reads it and feels more sure, it’s done its job.

5. Resource Hubs

A resource hub is a simple, organized page where you collect useful tools, links, and content around one topic. It doesn’t explain the topic. It helps people find what they need fast.

It’s useful when your site has a lot of content, and you want to pull the best of it into one place — without making visitors search through menus or tags.

When to use it?

Use this format when you already have many blogs, downloads, or tools on a topic — and you want to bring them together clearly.

Say you’ve published a lot about eCommerce SEO. Your resource hub might include:

• A section for beginners
• A section for advanced readers
• Free SEO tools
• Templates or checklists
• Internal links grouped by task or goal

This layout saves time for your readers and makes your content easier to explore.

How to build it?

• Start with one line: what is this page for?
• Break links into simple groups — by skill level, format, or goal
• Use headings people understand — no fancy labels
• Keep the list clean. No unnecessary links
• Keep it fresh. Update as you publish more

This isn’t a page to teach — it’s a page to guide.
It shows your site is organized, thoughtful, and actually helpful.

6. Content Hubs for Beginners

This type of pillar page is made for readers who are starting from zero. They’ve heard the topic, but they don’t know what it really means or where to begin.

A beginner hub walks them through the basics — slowly and clearly. It gives structure to their learning. It’s not about sounding smart. It’s about helping someone understand something new without feeling lost.

When does this format work best?

Use it when your topic is hard to understand for first-timers. Instead of overwhelming them with deep guides, give them an easy entry point.

If the topic is email marketing, your beginner hub might include:

• What email marketing is
• Why businesses use it
• What terms like “open rate” or “opt-in” mean
• A simple outline of how to start
• Small mistakes to avoid early on
• Links to helpful blogs, tools, or videos

Each section should feel like a stepping stone — one clear point at a time.

Tips to write a beginner-friendly hub:

• Don’t assume the reader knows anything
• Use short sentences and plain words
• Answer the most basic questions first
• Avoid overloading them with too many links
• Build trust by keeping the tone friendly and honest

A good beginner hub makes people feel safe to learn. If your page helps them understand something they once avoided, they’ll remember it — and they’ll come back when they’re ready for more.

6 Simple Steps to Build Strong Pillar Content

Creating pillar content doesn’t have to be complicated. Just follow these clear steps to plan, write, and organize it the right way.

1. Choose a Broad Topic Your Audience Cares About

Don’t jump into writing yet. First, pick a topic that’s broad enough to build around and important enough for your audience to care.

You’re not looking for just a blog title. You’re picking a pillar theme — something big enough to break into many smaller pieces.

For example, if your site is about fitness, a blog on “protein shakes” is too narrow. But “nutrition for strength training” is broad, useful, and can lead to 10–15 related blogs — that’s a strong pillar topic.

But how do you know what your audience cares about?

If you don’t use tools, try this:

• Type your topic into Google’s search bar. See what autocomplete suggests.
• Check the ‘People Also Ask’ box. Those are questions people want answered.
• Look at related searches at the bottom of the results page.
• Browse popular competitor blogs. See how they’ve structured content around that topic.

This gives you an idea of real demand — from real users.

If you use tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, or Ubersuggest:

• Use the Topic Research or Keyword Explorer feature
• Type in your potential pillar topic
• Look at:
  • Keyword volume
  • Difficulty
  • Subtopic clusters
  • Common questions
  • Headlines that are performing well

This helps you validate demand and build your subtopics at the same time.

Final check before you move on:

• Can this topic support at least 5–10 related blogs?
• Is there enough search interest around it?
• Does it directly help the people you want to reach?

If you said yes — you’ve found your pillar topic.

2. Map Out the Subtopics

Once you’ve picked a strong pillar topic, break it into smaller, helpful parts. These are your subtopics — the pages that support your pillar and help explain it better.

Each subtopic should answer one specific question or go deeper into one part of the main topic. If your pillar is the full chapter, the subtopics are the detailed sections inside it.

If You’re Doing It Without Tools

You can still do this well — with just observation and a little research:

• Type your topic into Google
• Check the “People Also Ask” questions
• Scroll down to “Related Searches”
• Look at how top blogs organize their sections
• Think: “What else would someone want to know about this?”

Write those down. Keep the ones that are clearly useful and connected.

If You’re Using a Tool Like Semrush:

If you already have a Semrush subscription, use the Keyword Strategy Builder. It’s made to help you plan full content clusters.

Here’s how to use it simply: 

• Enter your main topic (like “strength training”)
• The tool will show related pillar and subtopic ideas
• You’ll see keyword volume, difficulty, and intent — all in one place
• Use this to pick subtopics that are actually being searched
• You can group, organize, and even export them into a working list

It’s fast, visual, and gives you keyword-backed ideas to work with. But don’t just go by numbers — always keep your audience in mind.

How to Know If a Subtopic Is Good?

• It’s closely related to your pillar topic
• It’s detailed enough to deserve its own blog
• It fills a gap your audience is likely curious about
• It supports the full picture you’re trying to build

For example, if your main topic is “Strength Training”, subtopics could include:

• How to structure your first week
• Strength training gear on a budget
• Tips for Avoiding Injury
• Nutrition basics for muscle recovery
• Best time of day to train

3. Write the Main Pillar Page First

Once you’ve locked in your main topic and outlined the subtopics, don’t start with the smaller blogs. Start by writing the main pillar page. This is the page everything else will connect to — so it needs to lead the way.

You don’t need to overthink the format. Your goal is to create a page that explains the full topic clearly, introduces each subtopic briefly, and links to deeper pages for more detail.

This page should feel like a helpful map — not an overwhelming dump of content.

Here’s how to structure it.

• Start with a short intro explaining what the topic is and why it matters
• Break the page into logical sections using subheadings
• Briefly touch on each subtopic — enough to inform but not exhaust
• Link out to the detailed blog post when the reader wants to go deeper
• Keep the tone clear and practical — avoid jargon or filler
• Add a table of contents if the page is long so people can jump to what they need

Things that make a pillar page work better:

• It’s easy to scan: Use short paragraphs, lists, and headings
• It stays useful over time: Focus on the core topic — not trends that will fade
• It looks clean: Use visuals or infographics if they add clarity
• It’s built for humans: Write like you’re explaining it to a curious beginner
• It guides the next steps: Add internal links and suggest what the reader should do next — whether that’s reading more or taking action

Don’t try to include everything. Keep each section focused and save the details for the cluster blogs. Your job here is to give a complete overview — not a full course.

When this page is done well, it becomes the page Google wants to rank — and the page your audience keeps coming back to.

4. Create or Update the Cluster Content

Now that your pillar page is ready, it’s time to work on the supporting blogs — the cluster content. These are the pages that dive deeper into each subtopic you mapped earlier.

Each one should focus on one clear idea. And all of them should link back to the pillar page. That’s how you build a strong content structure — where every piece supports the whole.

You have two choices here:

• Write new blogs for the subtopics you haven’t covered yet
  Update old posts that are already related but need better structure or links

Don’t treat this like regular blog writing. These cluster posts have a purpose — to complete the main topic and make your site more useful. Every post should answer a real question, give helpful details, and naturally connect with the rest of the content.

Here’s how to do it right:

• Keep each blog focused on one subtopic — don’t try to cover too much
• Add a short internal link to the pillar page early in the post
• Mention the connection: “This post is part of our [topic] series”
• Use headings and simple formatting to keep it easy to scan
• Avoid repeating what’s already on the pillar page — go deeper

If a post feels too shallow, rewrite it; if it doesn’t link to the main pillar, fix that and If it’s outdated, update it before you move on.

Don’t wait to publish everything at once. You can start with 3–5 cluster blogs, then build more over time. What matters most is that they’re clearly connected and helpful on their own.

5. Add Smart Internal Links

Internal links are what hold your entire pillar content strategy together. They help search engines understand the structure of your site — and they guide your readers from one useful page to the next.

But for internal links to work, you need to place them with intention — not just randomly drop them into your content.

Here’s what smart internal linking actually means:

• Your pillar page should link to all your cluster blogs
• Each cluster blog should link back to the pillar page
• And when possible, the link between related cluster posts, too

This creates a clean, connected path — where your reader can explore the full topic without getting lost.

What to focus on when linking:

• Anchor text matters: Link naturally within the sentence using words that describe what the linked page is about
• Place links where they help: Don’t bury them at the very end — link early, where they add context
• Avoid overloading: 5-10 internal links per blog is usually enough unless the content is long
• Update old posts: Go back to older articles and add links to your new pillar or cluster pages — don’t leave gaps

Smart internal links improve your SEO by helping search engines crawl your content better. But more importantly, they help your readers get more value — which keeps them on your site longer.

This is how your content moves from being “just a blog” to becoming a complete, connected resource.

6. Keep It Updated

Publishing your pillar content isn’t the end — it’s the starting point. If you want it to stay useful (and keep ranking), you need to check in and update it regularly.

Why? Because search habits change. Better resources pop up. And your content might slowly become outdated — even if the topic stays the same.

Here’s what you should check over time:

• Are all the stats or tools still relevant?
• Do the internal links still make sense?
• Have you published new blogs that should be linked here?
• Are there new questions your audience is asking about this topic?

Even a small update — like adding a missing subtopic or improving one section — can make a big difference.

How often should you update it?

There’s no fixed rule. But it’s good to review your pillar pages every few months — especially if it’s a competitive topic.

You don’t need to rewrite everything. Just fix what’s old and improve what’s weak.

Whenever you publish a new cluster post, go back to your pillar page and link to it. This keeps the structure strong — and tells Google your content is active and maintained.

Stale pages fall. Fresh ones stay visible.

Conclusion

If your content feels all over the place, it’s time to fix how it’s structured — not how much you’re writing.

Pillar content helps you focus. It brings order to your content and makes it easier for people to find what they need.

• You stop guessing.
• Start building with purpose.
• You don’t need more blogs.
• You need a better direction.

Start with one strong topic. Build around it slowly.
And remember — when your content is helpful, people stay. So does Google.

FAQs on Pillar Content