In today's digital landscape, generating leads is crucial for the success of any business. One effective strategy for attracting and converting leads is by creating pillar pages. In this guide to pillar pages, we will explore the purpose of a pillar page, the importance of links, understanding search intent and SEO keywords, targeting the buyer's journey, and creating a compelling call-to-action (CTA) to optimise lead generation.
Ok, so what exactly is a pillar page?
A pillar page is like a long-form content hub that brings together comprehensive information on a broad topic, offering valuable information to visitors while also driving organic traffic. If you have a few pieces of good existing content that can be grouped together under one broad topic - and if that topic is valuable in terms of search intent (i.e., are there lots of people searching for detailed information on this topic?), then you have an opportunity to bring all of that information together into one page that sums it all up, and links back to your original content elsewhere on your site.
Pillar pages are useful because they serve as a central resource for users and search engines. By covering the main aspects of a subject and linking to related content, it can be easily identified by search engine algorithms, giving it an opportunity to gain a high ranking. Pillar pages enhance search engine optimisation (SEO) by providing a clear structure for search engines to understand your website's content hierarchy and topical expertise.
The term was originally coined by Hubspot, and these website and CRM gurus certainly know what they’re doing when it comes to inbound marketing-slash-demand generation. Here’s a useful graphic created by HubSpot to explain the relationship between a pillar page and the cluster content that it links to:
The purpose of a pillar page
Ultimately, pillar pages optimise your website's visibility, authority, and overall search engine performance. A pillar page acts as a central resource that covers a broad topic in more depth. It is designed to provide comprehensive information, answering key questions and addressing common pain points for your target audience. By offering this valuable content, you position yourself as an authority in your industry and build trust with your visitors. Additionally, a well-structured pillar page aids SEO, as search engines recognise the page's value and rank it higher in relevant search results.
The importance of links in your pillar page
Links play a vital role in the effectiveness of a pillar page. By strategically linking to relevant internal and external sources, you enhance your page's credibility and provide additional resources for readers to explore. Internal links within your website's ecosystem help search engines understand the hierarchy and relationship between pages. External links to reputable sources further establish your content's authority. Additionally, incorporating backlinks to your pillar page from other websites improves its visibility and organic reach.
Understanding search intent and SEO keywords for a pillar page
To ensure your pillar page attracts the right audience, it's essential to understand search intent and utilise relevant SEO keywords. Search intent refers to identifying the underlying motivation behind a user's search query; whether it is informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional. By aligning your pillar page content with the intended search intent, you increase the chances of attracting qualified leads. Thorough keyword research helps identify the terms and phrases your target audience uses when searching for information related to your topic. Incorporating these keywords strategically throughout your pillar page improves its visibility and search engine rankings.
How can pillar pages help with SEO?
Pillar pages offer the primary advantage of enhancing the user experience, which has positive implications for marketing and SEO. A better user experience leads to increased page views per user, longer dwell time, and improved user metrics, benefiting SEO efforts.
Pillar pages provide direct SEO benefits by facilitating the creation of relevant internal links. This addresses the common oversight of internal linking, enhancing user navigation and the flow of link juice. Working with pillar pages helps prevent orphan pages, which often receive poor traffic and rankings due to inadequate indexation. Organising pages around specific topics also promotes topical relevance and helps search engines to understand your website, contributing to better overall SEO rankings.
Read our beginner's guide to SEO here.
Targeting the buyer's journey with your pillar page
Every potential customer goes through a distinct journey before making a purchase. Your pillar page should align with the specific stage of the buyer's journey you intend to target. For the awareness stage, focus on providing educational content that introduces the problem and possible solutions. In the consideration stage, offer comparative analyses, case studies, and testimonials to showcase the benefits of your product or service.
Finally, in the decision stage, emphasise the unique selling points of your offering, pricing options, and testimonials from satisfied customers to encourage conversion. By aligning your pillar page with the buyer's journey, you guide leads towards the final purchase decision.
Read more about understanding the buyer's journey and planning your content strategy around it here.
Creating a compelling call-to-action (CTA) to convert leads
A well-crafted CTA is the key to converting leads. Your pillar page should include a clear and compelling CTA that encourages visitors to take the desired action. It could be signing up for a newsletter, downloading a resource, requesting a demo, or making a purchase. The CTA should be prominently placed and visually appealing.
Use persuasive language, emphasising the value or benefit your visitors will receive by taking the desired action. Incorporate a sense of urgency or exclusivity to drive conversions. A/B testing different CTAs can help identify the most effective approach for your specific audience.
Read 4 tips to creating a great CTA here.
5 mistakes to avoid when creating a pillar page
When creating a pillar page for lead generation, it's important to avoid certain pitfalls that can hinder its effectiveness. Here are five common mistakes to steer clear of:
Read more about the 3 different types of pillar pages here.
Great examples of pillar pages
There are tons of great pillar pages out there, and here are just a few examples you can look at for inspiration:
Builtin - Artificial Intelligence
The Atlantic - Population Healthier
Hubspot - The Ultimate Guide To The Best Productivity Apps
Zapier - The Ultimate Guide To Remote Work
And here are a couple I have helped to write:
Stannah Lifts - Guide To Manual Handling
Leica Microsystems - A Guide To Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM) - within just one month of publishing, this page ranked first place on Google for the primary keyword we were targeting. This hopefully gives you an idea of what a well-written pillar page can do for the performance of your website.
To conclude…
Writing pillar pages is a highly effective strategy for lead generation, enabling you to easily attract and convert potential customers. By incorporating search intent and SEO keywords, targeting the buyer's journey, and creating compelling CTAs, you can maximise the impact of your pillar pages and generate valuable leads for your business. Remember, consistently monitoring and optimising your pillar page's performance is essential for long-term success. With a well-executed pillar page strategy, you can establish your brand as an industry authority and drive sustained growth.
Not quite sure how to get started? Get in touch today to book a consultation session that will help you get on the right track!