Now, depending on what you do, there is a high degree of likelihood that you’ll have quite a few options for topic clusters. So, how do you know which one you should work on first, and how do you determine the order for the rest?
Again, instead of worrying about data or satisfying some magic content strategy formula, I want you to look at whatever list you have of topic clusters through the lens of your business:
- What parts of my business (related product or service lines) need the most help right now from a sales pipeline perspective?
- Are there any new product or service launches in the near future where one of these topic clusters can help us drive demand?
- What are the most important parts of our business where we must be the leading authority?
- What are the parts of our business that are super healthy and don’t need immediate help in driving demand or establishing authority?
Asking yourself these types of questions can be really powerful. Not only will your answers help you organize your battle plan for which topic clusters you create (and in what order), but it will also tell you if there are any topic clusters you shouldn’t be developing. Because, if you find you have topic clusters on your list that don’t somehow relate to your business, you shouldn’t be writing about them.
For example, let’s say you’re an inbound marketing agency, but you don’t do websites for your clients. You likely shouldn’t focus your efforts on creating content about the HubSpot CMS Hub for business websites or anything having to do with websites.
Sure, keyword research will show you lots of people who are your target audience are interested in those topics; but if you don’t support or design business websites, why would you want to be known for it?
What is a pillar page?
Content pillar, pillar content, pillar page – it doesn’t matter what you call it, each of these terms refers to the same thing:
A pillar page is the central content hub that serves as the definitive guide on the big broad topic you’ve built your topic cluster around. So, in the case of our hoodies for men example – sorry, I just can’t let it go! – your pillar page is a definitive guide to everything your ideal customers need to know about hoodies for men.
Or, if you want an even better example, you’re on a pillar page right now.
That’s right! This ultimate guide to SEO content strategy is a pillar page, my friends. And it’s a perfect example of the three characteristics every single pillar page must possess:
- The substance of your pillar page should be so dang good and comprehensive, it becomes the last search result your ideal customers will ever need on this topic. They should be saying, “Oh my gosh, finally! This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I have achieved content nirvana!
- The storytelling on your pillar page is compelling, intuitive, and engaging – in short, it’s human. Because it doesn’t matter how much detail you put on your pillar page; if you don’t communicate information like a human through story and smart narrative structure, you’ll lose your audience.
- The visual structure and design of your pillar page doesn’t suck. I love pillar pages that keep me visually engaged and stimulated as I move through it. I’m not saying you have to suddenly go all out with design, but be purposeful in how you treat your headers and subheaders. Use images and graphics (only when relevant), bulleted lists, and more.
Easy, right?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know! It sounds like a lot. I can help with that.
Pillar page frequently asked questions (and other myths)
Now, in all fairness to you, pillar pages get kind of a bad wrap because of their size and perceived complexity. So, let’s clear the air on some of the most common FAQs and myths I’ve heard of.
Do our pillar pages have to be 10,000 to 15,000 words long?
No, they don’t. Word count maximums and minimums are entirely arbitrary, and that’s especially true in the pillar page world. Here’s what content strategist and pillar page expert Liz Murphy had to say about that: