Let's review the relationship between a topic
cluster and a pillar page.
First, you need a core topic.
This should be something broad, usually two to three words,
something that can be dug into and explained on a deep level.
Sales qualification is a great example of a core topic.
Your core topic will take the shape of your pillar page.
Your core topic will also be what you're trying
to rank for on search engines.
Next, identify your topic cluster,
which will be made up of relevant subtopics.
A subtopic should be strong enough
to stand alone in the form of a blog post or video.
But when combined with other like-themed subtopics,
it should be relevant to and support your core topic.
In this case, what is a qualified prospect,
and what is BANT, are examples of strong subtopics
that support the core topic of sales qualification.
And what completes this content pillar, which
sells for both the searcher and the search engine,
is connecting everything through a series of hyperlinks.
By linking all relevant subtopics
to the core topic, which is your pillar page,
you're funneling all of your traffic
to the main resource hub on this topic.
Let's see this in action.
If you performed a Google search for sales qualification,
this is what the first page listing would look like.
At the top, you'll see Google generated a featured snippet,
which is the search engine's way of answering
your question simply without you having to click through
to the page.
In this case, Google assumes that if you're
looking for information on sales qualification, then
you'll find value in the BANT qualification framework.
Information that's pulled from a HubSpot resource
called, "The Ultimate Guide to Sales Qualification."
Below the featured snippet, you'll
see HubSpot also claims the number one listing for sales
qualification with the same resource,
"The Ultimate Guide to Sales Qualification."
In a world of trying to rank for broad keyword terms,
this is what you're striving for--
the featured snippet, as well as the number one ranking.
Let's say you're interested in learning more about the BANT
qualification framework, so you click the link in the search
result to learn more.
You'll be taken to this page.
After the first few paragraphs, you'll
see a table of contents that lets
you know that you can navigate through the guide
by clicking each section.
Each section title has an anchor link
attached to it, which, when clicked,
will take you to the specific section on the page
where it explains that topic in depth.
You'll also notice a back to top button.
This feature is a must-have for a good user experience
on a page of this length, as it allows the reader
to jump back to the top after reading a specific section.
The last thing you want is your reader
having to scroll back up a long-form content page
to get to the top.
Going back to our example, you found yourself on this page
because you click through to learn more
about the BANT qualification framework, which
is number four on "The Ultimate Guide to Sales Qualification."
By clicking the anchor link, you're
taken to the specific portion on the page
that discusses the BANT qualification
framework in depth.
And within this section, you'll notice
there's a link on "average of 4.5 people
to make a buying decision."
When clicked, it takes you to another HubSpot resource
titled, "Why Custom Positioning Isn't
Enough to Close Deals Anymore."
This is another relevant subtopic that
supports sales qualification.
Not every relevant subtopic you have
will be referenced on the pillar page, and that's OK.
That's because you may have hundreds,
even thousands of subtopic pages that support your core topic.
Instead you can strategically link to relevant topic content
throughout your pillar page when it makes sense,
and when it provides value to the website visitor.
Just make sure all important subtopic pages connect
to the pillar page, and use your best judgment on what content
you include.
Remember, keep the user experience and the story
you're trying to tell in mind.
So that's how this page solved for the searcher,
by offering a positive user experience.
But how did the page solve for the search engine in terms
of traffic and visibility?
This page receives more than 1,500 organic, non-paid visits
from search engines per month.
So how do you create a pillar page?
First, let's review the two most widely used pillar page
formats.
Let's start with the resource pillar page.
The resource pillar page focuses on internal and external links.
The goal of this pillar page is to be a helpful resource
in connecting the reader with the most relevant sources
on a specific topic, even if it means
sending people off your site.
For example, take a look at the pillar page
Help Scout, a simple customer service company,
created on customer acquisition.
This resource pillar page is composed
of multiple sections that offer links
to internal and external resources.
Generally, you wouldn't want to send people away
from your website, but this approach
is solving for the visitor, not your business.
The biggest advantage of a pillar page format like this
is you have the opportunity to generate
inbound links from sources you include on the page.
This page has more than 300 inbound links
pointing to it, most of which are
sources mentioned on the page.
For this type of page, you'll need
to develop an outreach plan to let the sources know
the page exists.
Next is the 10x content pillar page.
The goal of this type of pillar page is the same--
to provide a comprehensive overview of a specific topic.
But the 10x pillar page is generally
made up of your owned media.
The format of this page is similar to that
of an ungated e-book or a guide.
Yes, I said ungated content.
Ungating thought leadership content in the awareness stage
solves for both the search engine and the website
visitor, not one or the other.
It solves for the search engine because they're
able to recognize the cluster of like-theme content
on a specific subject.
And it solves for the website visitor
because it gives them the opportunity
to view your content before deciding
to commit to downloading it.
The trick is making the 10x content pillar
page conversion-focused by packaging the page's content
into a downloadable resource.
You may be asking yourself, why the heck would anyone give you
their elusive email address if they
can view the same content on a website page
without providing any identifying information?
Well, HubSpot did a study in March of 2017,
and we found that 90% of website visitors
prefer to read our lengthy content in a PDF as opposed
to a website page.
But this preference is not limited to HubSpot content.
It's human nature to want to take something with you if you
find value in it.
Think of it this way.
Let's say you go to a bookstore looking for a new book to read.
You'd probably wander up and down
the aisles flipping through pages of various books
until you find one that meets your needs.
Once you find a book you enjoy, you'll
probably go to the checkout counter
and buy it to take it with you, as opposed
to staying in the bookstore, hour after hour and day
after day, reading this piece of content.
This is the experience you're trying to replicate.
But it can only be done if your content provides value
to the reader.
We've reached this age where everyone
seems to have an e-book or guide,
but the quality of that content is a different story.
Sure, you may be getting leads, but what if people don't
find value in your content?
They most likely won't continue building a relationship
with you, so that lead you captured won't
be as valuable as you think.
In contrast, the people who can view your content
before downloading it and who then
choose to fill out your form will be much more qualified
because they're willingly giving you their information,
even though they've already seen what your content has to offer.
For example, let's take a look at this 10x content pillar page
on email outreach created by Mailshake, a simple cold email
outreach tool.
This 10x content pillar page covers a comprehensive approach
to email outreach with sectioned content.
Let's say you wanted to learn more
about what an effective outreach email looks like.
Click section three at the top of this page,
examples of good and great outrage emails,
and what we can learn from them, and the link will direct you
to that specific section on the page to learn more about it.
If you clicked a link in the table of contents
at the top of the page, you notice
Mailshake offers the content as a packaged downloadable
resource at the bottom of the page.
This way, if the visitor finds value in the content,
they can choose to take it with them.
How well is this page performing?
Well, in less than a year.
This page has been viewed over 43,000 times,
shared on social media 398 times,
attracted 372 inbound links, acquired 5,321 email opt-ins,
and acquired 402 customers.
Now those are some serious results for a piece of content
that's less than a year old.
Now that we know the types of pillar pages that exist,
let's review how a company called
Etuma created their business's first ungated 10x content
pillar page.
Etuma is a company that helps transform unstructured text
data into decision-making information for a business.
While there's more than one way to create a pillar page,
here's a seven step process that Etuma followed
to create an initial 10x content pillar page and topic
cluster for their business.
Let's review each step in depth.
First, Etuma identified a core topic
for their 10x content pillar page.
Etuma performed research on keywords their primary buyer
persona, customer experience manager Maggie,
might use when looking for information online.
They identified the broad term "text analysis"
and decided on it as the core topic,
because it's an awareness-stage subject that Maggie would
search for and it's connected to a product
or service they offer.
If you're going to take the time to create content that educates
your audience, make sure it connects to and supports
at least one of your products or services.
If it doesn't, ask why you're creating it in the first place.
Second, Etuma identified their topic cluster.
May already have content created in support of your core topic.
Instead of reinventing the wheel,
identify current owned media that's
relevant to your core topic.
In this case, Etuma already had four pages of text analysis
themed blog content and a series of YouTube videos.
And while it may be great that you already
have subtopic of content created,
don't sell your business short.
Brainstorm a list of as many subtopics as possible
that bring value to your core topic that
have yet to be published.
Once you make a comprehensive list of subtopics,
narrow it down to the six of the strongest subtopics that
support your core topic and its pillar page.
Remember, you can continue growing your pillar page,
so having a list of subtopics already identified
will help make that process easier.
That comprehensive list you made is the content gift
that keeps on giving.
Third, Etuma created blog posts for their subtopic content.
If you're like Etuma and you chose at least one subtopic
that needs content created, you're
going to need a way to bring it to life.
Create a blog post first because there
are various opportunities for repurposing it in the future.
Etuma needed content for their subtopic categorization
systems, so they created a blog post
titled, "How to Create a Customer Feedback Taxonomy."
Once Etuma created this blog post,
they had a blog post for each one of their subtopics
they identified.
Fourth, Etuma repurposed their subtopic content
into a downloadable offer.
Once you have all the content you need to create your pillar
page, repurpose the subtopic content
into a downloadable offer.
Remember, the goal here is to use
the content you have to put together
a helpful story for the reader which explains
the core topic in depth.
Create the content offer before the pillar page.
This way you'll be able to prepare a highly
relevant conversion action--
downloading the content offer--
to have on the pillar page, so your business
can start generating leads as soon as the page is published.
Fifth, Etuma deconstructed their downloadable offer
into a 10x content pillar page.
Etuma took the same content offered in their guide
and formatted it to fit on a website page.
We all know content is king.
Matt Cutts, formerly with Google,
coined this phrase many years ago.
But design is sometimes forgotten
and it's just as important, if not more important,
than the content on the page.
You want people to have a positive experience when
they're reading your content.
Think about the last bad experience
you had at a restaurant you visited.
Did you go back?
To make sure your 10x content filler page
provides a positive experience, check out these 13 layout tips
outlined on Etuma's example.
Let's review each layout tip in more detail.
Starting at the top left of the example with tips one, two,
and three, apply consistent on page SEO
best practices, referencing the core topic in your page title,
URL, and H1 tag.
Moving down to tip four, include conversion-focused landing page
elements.
Really, this is what a landing page should look like--
text to the left with bullet points
to describe the offer's value, an image of the offer's
cover in the middle, and a form to fill out and access
the offer to the right.
Insert the form directly on the 10x content pillar page.
Doing so reduces the amount of conversion actions
a reader needs to take to download the resource.
That being said, if you're more comfortable with a dedicated
landing page with a forum to access the offer,
insert a CTA on the pillar page to send the readers there.
Moving down to tip five, add an anchor link table of contents
below the conversion point with the line,
"Click the link to go directly to a specific section."
This lets the visitors know they can view the content first
before deciding to take it with them.
Moving up to the top right of the example and layout tip six,
you'll notice there's website navigation.
The goal of this page is to create a positive experience
for the visitor, not force them to convert
as a landing page would.
Moving down to tip seven, there's
a definition of the core topic.
The core topic is defined at the top of the page, which
helps optimize the page to be chosen
as a featured snippet for that topic.
A featured snippet is Google's way
of trying to answer your search query simply without you having
to click through to a page.
It's the first thing people see before the search result
listings.
Moving down to tip eight, use relevant images
throughout the page with a core topic
reference in the alt text.
This helps optimize the images used on the page for image
search results.
Moving down to tip nine, use H2 tags for section headers.
Don't even think about just increasing the text size
and bolding it.
Let's keep it simple, consistent, and neat.
Using proper HTML structure helps
provide a clean user experience and makes
it simpler to update the page.
Moving down to tips 10 and 11, use
relevant internal and external links
to dig deeper into resources.
Yes I said external links as well.
It helps to use external links to validate your claims.
Just use them strategically to support a claim or data point
that you want to reinforce.
Moving down to tip 12, reference your core topic
throughout the page but don't just
repeat this same exact phrase.
Search engines are smart enough to understand synonyms
of your core topic phrase.
And lastly, tip 13, Have a back-to-top button.
This way, when people click a section
they want to learn more about, they
can easily jump back to the top.
People probably won't read your entire page.
They may find one section interesting enough
and want to download it and take it with them.
You want to make this process as easy
as possible for the visitor.
Forgetting this step would require the reader
to endlessly scroll, or might feel
like it, which could lead to frustration,
which could lead to them leaving your page and going elsewhere.
Sixth, Etuma linked their relevant owned media content
to their 10x content pillar page.
Once you complete your 10x content pillar page,
you're going to need to hyperlink your subtopic content
to it, creating your topic cluster.
The goal here is to connect all owned media that's
relevant to the core topic to the pillar page
using a hyperlink.
The more content associated with your topic cluster and pillar
page, the better.
And don't just add any old link text.
Take the time to update the anchor text
to something descriptive that supports the core topic.
Etuma linked more than 20 relevant pieces of content
to their 10x content pillar page.
And you'll notice they took the time
to create descriptive anchor text to let the searcher
and search engine know where they're going.
Seventh, Etuma created a conversion path for people
to access their 10x content pillar page.
The goal here is to let people know this content is available,
because if you don't, you run the risk of a large portion
of your website visitors never finding it.
Forgetting this step would be similar to building
a new addition on your house without a door.
No matter how great that room is,
no one will be able to get in, so what's the point?
Another placement to consider is a dedicated section
with a CTA near the top of the home
page with an image and descriptive supplemental text.
This doesn't mean it always needs
to stay here on this page.
You can promote the pillar page for a limited time,
possibly for two weeks or a month,
to support its publishing launch.
And there you have it-- seven steps
to create an effective 10x content pillar
page for your business.
Etuma's been creating content consistently for years,
but this seven step process helped
them make more sense of how to create, grow, and connect
effective content.
But how well is it performing?
After two months their VP of marketing and sales said,
"We're receiving about four times the leads,
if you measure by quality, compared to before the text
analysis content pillar."
And why do you think Etuma's quality of leads went up?
Because their content provides so much
value that interested visitors are
willing to give up their information to take a package
download with them.
If you're looking for a place to start
with creating topic clusters and pillar pages,
consider deconstructing your existing awareness-
or consideration-stage offers into 10x content pillar pages.
I reverse-engineered a DIY truck camper guide
through a series of blog posts for my website,
wildwewander.com.
And in an effort to solve for the best experience for website
visitors and search engine web crawlers,
I deconstructed that guide's content
into a conversion-focused focus pillar page.
The result-- in four months our non-paid, organic traffic
coming from search engines increased 329%.
Remember, if you have something valuable to say
to your audience and the world, don't keep
it locked up behind a forum.
Get it out there for all to see.
Just make sure to package it in a way that
makes it easy for people to take with them and enjoy elsewhere.