Content Strategy & SEO

alwaysfabian
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Someone please explain Pillar Pages like I'm 5

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I for the life of me cannot comprehend pillar pages. Many resources like Hubspot have used examples like content marketing to demonstrate a pillar page, but that's too ambiguous of a topic to understand. I need a simpler example, like a pillar page for a blog about cats or pets.
 
I also don't understand the difference between a pillar page and a category page that holds a bunch of blogs categorized around the same topic? Where would pillar pages even live? In the navigation? Inside a category page?
 
Generally, I've been thinking about pillar pages like this:
  • Pillar page: Skin care for dry skin
  • Content clusters/sections inside the pillar page:
    • Skin care for dry skin in the summer
    • Skin care for dry skin in the winter
    • Best exfoliators for dry skin
    • Best moisturizers for dry skin
Is this the right way to think about it?
 
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!
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karstenkoehler
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Membro do Hall da Fama | Parceiro
Membro do Hall da Fama | Parceiro

Someone please explain Pillar Pages like I'm 5

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@alwaysfabian You're on the right track! Pillar pages can indeed be thought of as "super-sized" guides that serve as comprehensive resources on a particular topic. Now, let's consider where they could live within your blog structure.

 

In a conventional blog navigation like "Home," "About," "Blog," and "Contact," you can absolutely have a category or section specifically for your pillar pages. Here's how it might look for your niched cat blog:

 

  1. Home: Introduction to your blog.
  2. About: Information about you and your blog.
  3. Blog:
    • Cat Health: This is where your pillar page "Ultimate Guide to Cat Care" could live.
      • Feeding Your Cat
      • Grooming Your Cat
      • Healthcare for Your Cat
      • Playtime and Exercise
      • Understanding Cat Behavior
    • Cat Toys: Another potential pillar page like "Complete Guide to Cat Toys."
      • Interactive Toys
      • DIY Toys
      • Best Toys for Different Breeds
    • Cat Costumes: Similarly, a pillar page like "Dressing Up Your Cat."
      • Safety Tips
      • DIY Costume Ideas
      • Popular Cat Costumes

By placing pillar pages at this level, you're making them easily accessible from the main navigation. Visitors can then navigate to the pillar page for a comprehensive overview and explore specific topics within that category.

 

So, in your case, you could have a "Cat Health" section in your blog navigation, and under that, you'd find the "Ultimate Guide to Cat Care" as your pillar page.

 

This helps create a hierarchical structure that guides your readers from broader topics to more specific and detailed information. It also helps in organizing your content for both SEO purposes and a better user experience.

Karsten Köhler
HubSpot Freelancer | RevOps & CRM Consultant | Community Hall of Famer

Beratungstermin mit Karsten vereinbaren

 

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karstenkoehler
Membro do Hall da Fama | Parceiro
Membro do Hall da Fama | Parceiro

Someone please explain Pillar Pages like I'm 5

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Hi @alwaysfabian,

 

Absolutely, let's break down the concept of pillar pages using a simple example related to a blog about cats or pets. The content piece ideas below were generated with the help of ChatGPT.

 

Imagine you have a blog about cats:

 

1. Pillar page: "Ultimate Guide to Cat Care"

This is your main, comprehensive guide covering everything about taking care of a cat.

2. Content clusters/sections inside the pillar page:

  • Feeding Your Cat:

    • Types of cat food
    • Feeding schedules
    • Treats and snacks
  • Grooming Your Cat:

    • Brushing techniques
    • Bathing tips
    • Dealing with shedding
  • Healthcare for Your Cat:

    • Regular vet check-ups
    • Common health issues
    • Medications and vaccinations
  • Playtime and Exercise:

    • Best toys for cats
    • DIY play ideas
    • Importance of exercise
  • Understanding Cat Behavior:

    • Communication signals
    • Behavioral issues and solutions
    • Bonding with your cat

 

You had a few additional questions, let's look at the difference between pillar page and category page:

  • Pillar page: A comprehensive guide that acts as the main hub for a broad topic, like "Ultimate Guide to Cat Care." It provides an overview and links to more specific subtopics or content clusters.

  • Category page: A page that groups together related blogs or articles. In this example, you might have a category page titled "Cat Health," which includes blogs about feeding, grooming, healthcare, etc.

You also wanted to better understand where pillar pages live.

  • Navigation: Yes, pillar pages are often placed in the navigation menu as a key resource. Visitors can easily find and access the main pillar content.

  • Inside a category page: No, pillar pages typically aren't inside category pages. Instead, category pages might link to your pillar page and related blogs, creating a hierarchical structure.

  •  

This approach helps organize your content in a way that provides a comprehensive guide (pillar page) while allowing visitors to delve into specific subtopics (content clusters) as needed. Remember, the key is to provide a user-friendly structure that helps your audience navigate and find relevant information easily.

 

Best regards!

Karsten Köhler
HubSpot Freelancer | RevOps & CRM Consultant | Community Hall of Famer

Beratungstermin mit Karsten vereinbaren

 

Did my post help answer your query? Help the community by marking it as a solution.

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alwaysfabian
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Someone please explain Pillar Pages like I'm 5

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Hi Karsten, thank you for this thoughtful reply!

Pillar pages seem more clear now. What I'm still a bit unclear about is where they could potentially live. Pillar pages somewhat seem like "super-sized" blog posts that link out to smaller, more niched blog posts (at least in my mind.)

When I think of a conventional blog navigation, I think of divisions like "Home", "About", "Blog", "Contact", etc. Is this the level where pillar pages could be linked? Would a pillar page live on the same level for a niched cat blog with a navigation like "Cat Health", "Cat Toys", "Cat Costumes", etc.?


Thank you!

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karstenkoehler
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Membro do Hall da Fama | Parceiro
Membro do Hall da Fama | Parceiro

Someone please explain Pillar Pages like I'm 5

resolver

@alwaysfabian You're on the right track! Pillar pages can indeed be thought of as "super-sized" guides that serve as comprehensive resources on a particular topic. Now, let's consider where they could live within your blog structure.

 

In a conventional blog navigation like "Home," "About," "Blog," and "Contact," you can absolutely have a category or section specifically for your pillar pages. Here's how it might look for your niched cat blog:

 

  1. Home: Introduction to your blog.
  2. About: Information about you and your blog.
  3. Blog:
    • Cat Health: This is where your pillar page "Ultimate Guide to Cat Care" could live.
      • Feeding Your Cat
      • Grooming Your Cat
      • Healthcare for Your Cat
      • Playtime and Exercise
      • Understanding Cat Behavior
    • Cat Toys: Another potential pillar page like "Complete Guide to Cat Toys."
      • Interactive Toys
      • DIY Toys
      • Best Toys for Different Breeds
    • Cat Costumes: Similarly, a pillar page like "Dressing Up Your Cat."
      • Safety Tips
      • DIY Costume Ideas
      • Popular Cat Costumes

By placing pillar pages at this level, you're making them easily accessible from the main navigation. Visitors can then navigate to the pillar page for a comprehensive overview and explore specific topics within that category.

 

So, in your case, you could have a "Cat Health" section in your blog navigation, and under that, you'd find the "Ultimate Guide to Cat Care" as your pillar page.

 

This helps create a hierarchical structure that guides your readers from broader topics to more specific and detailed information. It also helps in organizing your content for both SEO purposes and a better user experience.

Karsten Köhler
HubSpot Freelancer | RevOps & CRM Consultant | Community Hall of Famer

Beratungstermin mit Karsten vereinbaren

 

Did my post help answer your query? Help the community by marking it as a solution.

alwaysfabian
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Someone please explain Pillar Pages like I'm 5

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Thank you, Karsten! Greatly appreciate your guidance. You've been super helpful!

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