There is a lot of blog post spread across covering this topic. But what special you can expect here? 

As a part-time content writer, I realized the importance of pillar pages and topic clusters and started implementing them. 

So you can expect more of my experience in doing so.

What is a pillar page?

To simplify it, the pillar page is a main hub, the main topic supporting various sub-pages called cluster pages. 

To break it down more straightforwardly:

• It acts as an in-depth piece of content but doesn’t get much deeper right away—but with its cluster pages.
• Target the primary keyword.

Benefits of having a pillar page?

• It shows your expertise on a specific topic, which can improve your site’s authority and credibility. In this sense, Google can assume you are relevant and specialize in discussing it. 
• Higher chances of ranking.
• If a user finds everything they need on a single page, your bounce rate could be reduced.

What is the cluster page?

Cluster pages are more focused pieces of content that are linked to the pillar pages. 

Each pillar page addresses a sub-topic that is related to the main topic(Pillar page).

To break it down more straightforwardly:

• It delves into the content relevant to the hub page
• It can be internally linked to the hub pages

Let’s get into the user perspective!

More than an SEO impact, why it’s a big deal?

When a user comes to read your blog, your topic is about app development. 

Let’s get it through a scenario.

More than the user read about ‘app development’ – they may also like to know other topics related to app development; such as:

• Cost of app development 
• The time frame required to develop an app
• Which technology to use to build an app
• App development best practices

And it goes on and on. 

Let’s not get there. 

When you serve all the content on a single page and if they have interest, they could click and redirect to that page. 

Moreover, it shows 

Your user wants to know about a particular topic. But they don’t want to stop there. 

They can read more if they are given more relevant topics. 

So, let them consume more of your content. But it should add some value.

That’s how you can sum up their time and patience. Thus, you improve their experience while keeping them on your site longer. 

Let’s see how I did this. 

Create a pillar page using these steps

1. Choose a broad topic

Select a broad topic that’s relevant to your target audience and the nature of your website. The topic should have several subtopics and related keywords.

2. Research and structure 

Research your chosen topic thoroughly. Organize the content into sections or subtopics, and create a logical structure for the pillar page.

3. Create high-quality content

Write a long-form, well-researched, and informative blog that provides value to your readers. Use engaging visuals, infographics, videos, and other multimedia elements to elevate the content.

4. Internal links

Finally, include internal links to relevant subtopics within your website (topic cluster content)

Create a cluster using these steps

1. Identify subtopics 

Research and identify specific subtopics, long-tail keywords, and questions related to the main pillar topic. 

Those sub-topics should be relevant and add value to your users. 

2. Create Individual Pages

Write individual blog posts for each subtopic. These should provide detailed information and insights about the specific subtopic.

3. Internal Linking

Link the subtopic pages back to the pillar page. Creating a web of internal links indicates the relationship between the content pieces.

Then, what are its SEO impacts? 

1. It improves your ranking

The pillar page and its associated topic cluster content can collectively target a wide range of related keywords, therefore improving your website’s chances of ranking well in search results.

2. Internal linking

Whether you know it or not, internal linking does have a good impact on your site’s SEO.

How? 

When you internally link more resources(URLs) on the website, of your own content—not only does it help readers to find what they are looking for but also helps a bot—to find more links to crawl. 

The more the link on your site the better the bot crawls and index your content. 

My advice is not to spam doing “internal linking”

3. User intent 

By covering a broad topic and addressing various subtopics, you align your content with the diverse user intent of searchers.

So this enhances the chances of attracting relevant traffic. 

That’s the end

Creating a pillar page and topic cluster becomes a basic approach to strategic content marketing. 

But still, some didn’t use it for their site. 

As we discussed earlier, this strategy does have a great impact on your user experience as well as bots. 

So use this approach for your content strategy.