This one initially started with me borrowing some ideas from a newsletter I received. However, it seems true that you need to have some Pillar Posts. You also need to ensure they are well-advertised and easy to find on your site!
What is a Pillar Post?
To quote our friends at Unique Blog Design:
Write at least five major “pillar” articles. A pillar article is a tutorial style article aimed to teach your audience something. Generally they are longer than 500 words and have lots of very practical tips or advice. This article you are currently reading could be considered a pillar article since it is very practical and a good “how-to” lesson. This style of article has long term appeal, stays current (it isn’t news or time dependent) and offers real value and insight. The more pillars you have on your blog the better.
On Canadian Financial Opinions, I have written a bunch of “Pillar” articles, and I have submitted many of them to different carnivals and such, but I keep forgetting they are there. Here are a few chestnuts that I like from the Financial Side of things:
- Einstein: The Rule of 72
Understanding a doubling period and how the rule of 72 can help you with this concept is essential for starting your investment plan. - Don’t Pass it to the Other Team
How does the Carleton basketball coach have anything to do with finances? Read, and you’ll see a long stretch. - Worst Financial Advice Ever Given
I tell a good friend about something I’d never dream he’d do, with disastrous consequences. - A Script for Customer Retention Deals
This one was me writing down how I got a good deal on my cable so I wouldn’t forget, but it is by far the one post that gets many hits daily.
I resurrect most of these posts over time and will replay them, but I need to send them out and post them on various Carnivals to use them to draw more readers to my sites and bring in more links.
Pillar posts serve as the foundation of a content strategy, providing in-depth, authoritative insights on a core topic. By covering all essential aspects of a subject, these posts position your site as a go-to resource, increasing credibility and trust among readers. Well-structured pillar posts attract organic traffic and keep users engaged longer, reducing bounce rates and signalling search engines that your content is valuable.
Moreover, pillar posts help streamline internal linking, making it easier for readers to navigate related topics while distributing link equity across your website. This improves SEO by reinforcing topic clusters and guiding search engines in understanding your site’s content structure. Over time, consistently updating and optimizing pillar posts ensures they remain relevant, driving sustained traffic and keeping your audience engaged.
Is this post a Pillar Article? Maybe not, but my previous posts on how to Post Amazon Ads on a WordPress blog might well be.