What is a pillar page? 10 pillar page examples to inspire your own
Lauren Mathews
GatherContent Contributor, Writer
Imagine walking into an outdoor goods store. Mountain bikes, running shoes, and ski apparel are scattered across the sales floor. Instead of organizing the store by activity, the owner tosses clothing and equipment together.
It sounds like a miserable shopping experience, right?
In content marketing, pillar pages organize and connect related content. This prevents your audience from feeling overwhelmed—unlike the shoppers at the store above.
Once you've organized your content production process with a tool like GatherContent, you can then create pillar pages and grow your content operation at scale. But creating an effective pillar page requires careful planning and time.
In this article, we’ll explain what a pillar page is, explore its benefits, and examine what makes one successful. We’ll also highlight ten pillar page examples to inspire you to create your own.
What is a pillar page?
A pillar page—sometimes called a content pillar—provides a comprehensive overview of a broad topic.
The pillar page is an anchor for a collection of resources related to that topic. Pillar pages will link to other resources that support the topic, and resources will link back to the pillar page. This group of related content is called a topic cluster.
For example, a pet supply business may break up its content into three pillars: pet training, health and wellness, and supplies. A pillar page will provide an overview of caring for a dog’s health. It will also link to more specific resources, such as “Top 10 Supplements for Older Dogs.”
Pillar pages vs. landing pages
When defining a pillar page, it can be helpful to compare it to other content types. Landing pages are web pages designed to convert visitors into leads or sales. Visitors usually “land” on the page by clicking on an ad or a call to action. The text is concise, and there is a space to sign-up for a newsletter, demo, or service.
In contrast, pillar pages are educational. A pillar page encourages visitors to explore your site and learn more about your products and services.
Pillar pages vs. blog posts
Blog posts and pillar pages do not have as clear a distinction. Sometimes companies place a pillar page on their blog. However, pillar pages are long, broad pieces of content that serve as a gateway to other resources.
What are the benefits of a pillar page?
Pillar pages organize and enhance your content, leading to a more effective content strategy. Some of the benefits of pillar pages include the following:
Demonstrate authority
Pillar pages enable brands to build credibility. These comprehensive guides allow companies to showcase their expertise on a topic. Pillar pages increase engagement and generate more leads by establishing your company as an industry expert.
Build a better user experience
Pillar pages organize content on a website in a way that makes sense to the audience. By taking a topic-first approach to content organization, companies make it easier for visitors to navigate and search their websites.
Optimize for SEO
Finally, pillar pages improve your ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). Last August, Google announced its Helpful Content update. The search engine giant said it would promote more “original, helpful content written by people, for people.”
Pillar pages encourage content that drives value combined with SEO best practices. At the same time, pillar pages help web crawlers make connections between related cluster content. And pillar pages may receive more backlinks, boosting rankings in SERPs.
Learn more: Our content workflow platform helps alleviate the common pitfalls of executing a content strategy. From content creation to review and approval, the content workflow platform has you covered.
What makes an effective pillar page?
The quality of your pillar page is critical. It can be tempting to dump all your resources into one document. But the pillar page is a gateway to all your content about a particular topic. Thus, pillar pages should keep readers interested and inspire curiosity.
A pillar page is a gateway to all your content about a particular topic. Pillar pages should keep readers interested and inspire curiosity.
A pillar page should include the following elements:
Ungated: Pillar content should be accessible. A pillar page is an opportunity to highlight your resources related to a specific topic. If you require visitors to provide an email or phone number to unlock a pillar page, they will likely leave the site.
Includes an introduction: Some companies skip the introduction and start sharing resources. An effective pillar page should establish why the topic is essential and its intended audience.
Long: Since pillar pages provide an overview of a broad topic, they should be comprehensive. Many pillar pages are over 2,000 words long.
Easy to scan: Pillar pages will contain a lot of information, so companies should format them to be easy to read. Provide a table of contents and break up large text sections with images and related resources.
Uses a short-tail keyword: When creating a pillar page, choose a broad keyword. Use long-tail keywords in your topic cluster content.
Includes links in a way that makes sense: While a pillar page should direct readers to related content, avoid stuffing it with hyperlinks. Use appropriate anchor text or highlight additional resources at the end of a chapter. You can also showcase related content with a callout box.
Good to know: Need help developing a comprehensive content strategy? Our content strategy roadmap is a free step-by-step guide and checklist. Download it here.
10 stellar pillar page examples to inspire your own
Learning how other companies have used pillar pages may be helpful before creating your own. We’ve rounded up ten pillar page examples to get you started.
1. Social Media Marketing Strategy Guide by Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a social media management platform designed to help professionals create, manage, and track social media content. Hootsuite breaks down its content into three pillars: strategy, news, and experiments—where it tests out social media trends. Source
The guide is comprehensive. The article provides eight steps to create a social media strategy.
The table of contents outlines each step.
The guide showcases related resources at the end of each section. And the content varies. Hootsuite includes links to blog posts, YouTube videos, and downloadable templates.
2. The Beginner’s Guide to SEO by Moz
MOZ is an SEO platform helping marketers optimize content and websites for search engines. Moz breaks down its content into a wide range of categories—including SEO reporting, user experience, and keyword research. Source
The Beginner’s Guide to SEO explains how SEO works and what marketers can do to increase rankings and traffic.
Why we like it:
The introduction explains how to use the guide and who should use it.
The table of contents enables readers to jump between sections.
Each chapter is comprehensive and formatted for readability.
Readers will find links to additional resources at the end of each section.
The guide ends with a glossary that corresponds with each chapter. It also highlights related resources to help visitors learn about a specific term.
3. Systems Management 101: An Ultimate Guide by Zapier
Zapier enables companies to automate processes and integrate web applications into their workflows. Zapier breaks down its content pillars into six sections: app picks, automation, productivity, business growth, remote work, and company updates. Source
The pillar page starts with a clear and engaging introduction.
The content uses headings, subheadings, bullet points, and imagery to help break up the text.
Includes links throughout the content and suggests related reading at the end to encourage readers to explore more.
4. How to Embrace Remote Work by Trello
Trello is a project management tool that uses kanban-style boards to organize tasks. Trello breaks its content into five pillars: product, use cases, productivity, remote work, and enterprise. Source
The table of contents is always visible and allows readers to navigate between sections easily.
The main page includes an introduction to each chapter. Visitors can click “read more” to learn about a specific section. This format breaks up the content to keep readers engaged.
At the end of each chapter, Trello introduces related content to encourage more exploration.
5. How to Start a Podcast: Complete Step-by-Step Guide [2023] by Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout makes hosting and promoting a podcast easy. The company breaks its content into several categories: podcasting basics, editing, marketing, and monetization. Source
Buzzsprout features the guide on its navigation bar on its website.
The guide uses images and callouts to break up large sections of text.
Anchor text helps organize hyperlinks to related content.
6. Video Marketing Strategy: The Ultimate Guide (2023) by Lemonlight
Lemonlight is a platform for managing video production in one place. The company breaks up its content into five pillars: nurture prospects, grow your team, engage your audience, delight your customers, and attract more customers. Source
It starts with a strong introduction about the rise of video marketing and why it is essential in 2023.
The guide is long. At over 9,000 words, the pillar page provides a comprehensive overview of video marketing.
Easy to scan, with related resources highlighted throughout the guide.
7. The Ultimate Guide to Sales Analysis Reports by Databox
Databox is an analytics platform that enables teams to build sales dashboards and track performance. The company divides its content into four topics: sales, analytics, content marketing, and people & culture. Source
The guide makes it easy to navigate with links to chapters and sub-sections.
Databox uses anchor text and callout boxes to highlight additional content.
The guide ends with a “you may also like” section. Databox highlights three other pieces of content to encourage more reading on analytics and reporting.
8. The Complete Guide to Site Selection by Placer.ai
Placer.ai is a location intelligence and foot traffic data company. Its platform enables property owners and retailers to monitor how people move through physical buildings. Its content strategy includes resources on foot traffic analytics, industry trends and insights, and customer success stories. Source
It starts with a clear introduction about why foot traffic matters.
The author breaks up content with charts, maps, and graphs that showcase how the product works.
The table of contents is visible throughout the guide to help readers navigate the content.
The guide includes more in-depth resources related to the topic, such as the Retail Site Selection Guide.
9. What is SEO? (A Fluff-free Definition + Basics Explained) by Semrush
Semrush provides keyword research resources and tools to optimize for SEO. The company’s content pillars include SEO, channels, content, marketing, news and research, and product updates. Source
The text is easy to scan with headings, subheadings, bullet points, and images.
Clear anchor text drives the audience to related reading.
The article ends with FAQs to summarize key points.
The “More on this” section directs readers to additional resources.
10. How to Build Your Digital Banking Strategy by Alloy
Alloy simplifies compliance, reduces fraud, and improves the banking experience for banks and fintech companies. The platform groups its content into five topics: fintech, fraud, banking, banking technology, and data science. Source
The guide starts with a strong introduction about why digital banking matters.
Clear anchor text directs visitors to learn more about a sub-topic.
Resources vary—links to blog posts, ebooks, and webinars encourage engagement.
Create pillar pages and more with GatherContent
With pillar pages, content teams drive value, optimize the content experience, and increase engagement. But creating effective content pillar pages requires organization and collaboration. Here’s where GatherContent comes in.
GatherContent is a content operations platform that helps thousands of organizations deliver quality content faster. With GatherContent, marketing teams can store and search all their content in one place. Our workflow tools enable teams to create custom workflows and automate routine tasks. And our collaboration tools make it easy to write, edit, and approve content in one place.
It sounds like a miserable shopping experience, right?
In content marketing, pillar pages organize and connect related content. This prevents your audience from feeling overwhelmed—unlike the shoppers at the store above.
Once you've organized your content production process with a tool like GatherContent, you can then create pillar pages and grow your content operation at scale. But creating an effective pillar page requires careful planning and time.
In this article, we’ll explain what a pillar page is, explore its benefits, and examine what makes one successful. We’ll also highlight ten pillar page examples to inspire you to create your own.
What is a pillar page?
A pillar page—sometimes called a content pillar—provides a comprehensive overview of a broad topic.
The pillar page is an anchor for a collection of resources related to that topic. Pillar pages will link to other resources that support the topic, and resources will link back to the pillar page. This group of related content is called a topic cluster.
For example, a pet supply business may break up its content into three pillars: pet training, health and wellness, and supplies. A pillar page will provide an overview of caring for a dog’s health. It will also link to more specific resources, such as “Top 10 Supplements for Older Dogs.”
Pillar pages vs. landing pages
When defining a pillar page, it can be helpful to compare it to other content types. Landing pages are web pages designed to convert visitors into leads or sales. Visitors usually “land” on the page by clicking on an ad or a call to action. The text is concise, and there is a space to sign-up for a newsletter, demo, or service.
In contrast, pillar pages are educational. A pillar page encourages visitors to explore your site and learn more about your products and services.
Pillar pages vs. blog posts
Blog posts and pillar pages do not have as clear a distinction. Sometimes companies place a pillar page on their blog. However, pillar pages are long, broad pieces of content that serve as a gateway to other resources.
What are the benefits of a pillar page?
Pillar pages organize and enhance your content, leading to a more effective content strategy. Some of the benefits of pillar pages include the following:
Demonstrate authority
Pillar pages enable brands to build credibility. These comprehensive guides allow companies to showcase their expertise on a topic. Pillar pages increase engagement and generate more leads by establishing your company as an industry expert.
Build a better user experience
Pillar pages organize content on a website in a way that makes sense to the audience. By taking a topic-first approach to content organization, companies make it easier for visitors to navigate and search their websites.
Optimize for SEO
Finally, pillar pages improve your ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). Last August, Google announced its Helpful Content update. The search engine giant said it would promote more “original, helpful content written by people, for people.”
Pillar pages encourage content that drives value combined with SEO best practices. At the same time, pillar pages help web crawlers make connections between related cluster content. And pillar pages may receive more backlinks, boosting rankings in SERPs.
Learn more: Our content workflow platform helps alleviate the common pitfalls of executing a content strategy. From content creation to review and approval, the content workflow platform has you covered.
What makes an effective pillar page?
The quality of your pillar page is critical. It can be tempting to dump all your resources into one document. But the pillar page is a gateway to all your content about a particular topic. Thus, pillar pages should keep readers interested and inspire curiosity.
A pillar page is a gateway to all your content about a particular topic. Pillar pages should keep readers interested and inspire curiosity.
A pillar page should include the following elements:
Ungated: Pillar content should be accessible. A pillar page is an opportunity to highlight your resources related to a specific topic. If you require visitors to provide an email or phone number to unlock a pillar page, they will likely leave the site.
Includes an introduction: Some companies skip the introduction and start sharing resources. An effective pillar page should establish why the topic is essential and its intended audience.
Long: Since pillar pages provide an overview of a broad topic, they should be comprehensive. Many pillar pages are over 2,000 words long.
Easy to scan: Pillar pages will contain a lot of information, so companies should format them to be easy to read. Provide a table of contents and break up large text sections with images and related resources.
Uses a short-tail keyword: When creating a pillar page, choose a broad keyword. Use long-tail keywords in your topic cluster content.
Includes links in a way that makes sense: While a pillar page should direct readers to related content, avoid stuffing it with hyperlinks. Use appropriate anchor text or highlight additional resources at the end of a chapter. You can also showcase related content with a callout box.
Good to know: Need help developing a comprehensive content strategy? Our content strategy roadmap is a free step-by-step guide and checklist. Download it here.
10 stellar pillar page examples to inspire your own
Learning how other companies have used pillar pages may be helpful before creating your own. We’ve rounded up ten pillar page examples to get you started.
1. Social Media Marketing Strategy Guide by Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a social media management platform designed to help professionals create, manage, and track social media content. Hootsuite breaks down its content into three pillars: strategy, news, and experiments—where it tests out social media trends. Source
The guide is comprehensive. The article provides eight steps to create a social media strategy.
The table of contents outlines each step.
The guide showcases related resources at the end of each section. And the content varies. Hootsuite includes links to blog posts, YouTube videos, and downloadable templates.
2. The Beginner’s Guide to SEO by Moz
MOZ is an SEO platform helping marketers optimize content and websites for search engines. Moz breaks down its content into a wide range of categories—including SEO reporting, user experience, and keyword research. Source
The Beginner’s Guide to SEO explains how SEO works and what marketers can do to increase rankings and traffic.
Why we like it:
The introduction explains how to use the guide and who should use it.
The table of contents enables readers to jump between sections.
Each chapter is comprehensive and formatted for readability.
Readers will find links to additional resources at the end of each section.
The guide ends with a glossary that corresponds with each chapter. It also highlights related resources to help visitors learn about a specific term.
3. Systems Management 101: An Ultimate Guide by Zapier
Zapier enables companies to automate processes and integrate web applications into their workflows. Zapier breaks down its content pillars into six sections: app picks, automation, productivity, business growth, remote work, and company updates. Source
The pillar page starts with a clear and engaging introduction.
The content uses headings, subheadings, bullet points, and imagery to help break up the text.
Includes links throughout the content and suggests related reading at the end to encourage readers to explore more.
4. How to Embrace Remote Work by Trello
Trello is a project management tool that uses kanban-style boards to organize tasks. Trello breaks its content into five pillars: product, use cases, productivity, remote work, and enterprise. Source
The table of contents is always visible and allows readers to navigate between sections easily.
The main page includes an introduction to each chapter. Visitors can click “read more” to learn about a specific section. This format breaks up the content to keep readers engaged.
At the end of each chapter, Trello introduces related content to encourage more exploration.
5. How to Start a Podcast: Complete Step-by-Step Guide [2023] by Buzzsprout
Buzzsprout makes hosting and promoting a podcast easy. The company breaks its content into several categories: podcasting basics, editing, marketing, and monetization. Source
Buzzsprout features the guide on its navigation bar on its website.
The guide uses images and callouts to break up large sections of text.
Anchor text helps organize hyperlinks to related content.
6. Video Marketing Strategy: The Ultimate Guide (2023) by Lemonlight
Lemonlight is a platform for managing video production in one place. The company breaks up its content into five pillars: nurture prospects, grow your team, engage your audience, delight your customers, and attract more customers. Source
It starts with a strong introduction about the rise of video marketing and why it is essential in 2023.
The guide is long. At over 9,000 words, the pillar page provides a comprehensive overview of video marketing.
Easy to scan, with related resources highlighted throughout the guide.
7. The Ultimate Guide to Sales Analysis Reports by Databox
Databox is an analytics platform that enables teams to build sales dashboards and track performance. The company divides its content into four topics: sales, analytics, content marketing, and people & culture. Source
The guide makes it easy to navigate with links to chapters and sub-sections.
Databox uses anchor text and callout boxes to highlight additional content.
The guide ends with a “you may also like” section. Databox highlights three other pieces of content to encourage more reading on analytics and reporting.
8. The Complete Guide to Site Selection by Placer.ai
Placer.ai is a location intelligence and foot traffic data company. Its platform enables property owners and retailers to monitor how people move through physical buildings. Its content strategy includes resources on foot traffic analytics, industry trends and insights, and customer success stories. Source
It starts with a clear introduction about why foot traffic matters.
The author breaks up content with charts, maps, and graphs that showcase how the product works.
The table of contents is visible throughout the guide to help readers navigate the content.
The guide includes more in-depth resources related to the topic, such as the Retail Site Selection Guide.
9. What is SEO? (A Fluff-free Definition + Basics Explained) by Semrush
Semrush provides keyword research resources and tools to optimize for SEO. The company’s content pillars include SEO, channels, content, marketing, news and research, and product updates. Source
The text is easy to scan with headings, subheadings, bullet points, and images.
Clear anchor text drives the audience to related reading.
The article ends with FAQs to summarize key points.
The “More on this” section directs readers to additional resources.
10. How to Build Your Digital Banking Strategy by Alloy
Alloy simplifies compliance, reduces fraud, and improves the banking experience for banks and fintech companies. The platform groups its content into five topics: fintech, fraud, banking, banking technology, and data science. Source
The guide starts with a strong introduction about why digital banking matters.
Clear anchor text directs visitors to learn more about a sub-topic.
Resources vary—links to blog posts, ebooks, and webinars encourage engagement.
Create pillar pages and more with GatherContent
With pillar pages, content teams drive value, optimize the content experience, and increase engagement. But creating effective content pillar pages requires organization and collaboration. Here’s where GatherContent comes in.
GatherContent is a content operations platform that helps thousands of organizations deliver quality content faster. With GatherContent, marketing teams can store and search all their content in one place. Our workflow tools enable teams to create custom workflows and automate routine tasks. And our collaboration tools make it easy to write, edit, and approve content in one place.
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