Column pages are an effective way to group and present website content to users and search engines over time.
In this post, I’ll define what a pillar page is, how it can help your SEO efforts, and share some examples of pillar pages in action.
So let’s start by defining column pages.
What Is A Pillar Page?
A pillar page is a landing page on your website that focuses on a key topic, resource, product or service area.
It allows users and search engines to quickly access a lot of topically relevant content.
The depth of column pages varies according to their purpose.
Some might be a more shallow introduction to get quick access to other content (a bit like the role of a content page), while others will be more comprehensive, giving a deeper stand-alone value, supported by related content.
If you have listed all the core topics related to your business, each of these could logically warrant becoming a pillar page.
Pillar pages give people one-stop access to a wealth of related content in a user-friendly way.
They also provide search engines with logically organized content that can be quickly crawled, understood, and therefore effectively ranked in search.
You may have heard about cornerstone content, content hubs, content groups, or pillar pages in various forums, and indeed, they all represent shades of the same approach.
If you picture a bicycle wheel, in the center, you have the hub.
From the hub, you have many spokes.
In terms of columnar content, the hub is the columnar page (the central theme or topic), and the spokes are the related content areas pointing to and from the columnar page.
A single column page can have many pages and other content types all linking to the column page, either directly, or through other subtopics that then link back to the main/column page.
The fundamental interaction remains the same – centralizing all relevant topical content from one main landing destination (the column page).
I’ll provide some examples shortly to help reinforce this principle so you can visualize column pages in action.
How Can Pillar Pages Help Your SEO?
Before moving on to some examples of pillar pages, it’s useful to understand a little more about how they can help your SEO performance.
There are many benefits to creating column pages on your website, and I cover some of these later.
Strengthening Topical Authority Signals
Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness (E-A-T) supports Google guidelines and provides a key factor in assigning overall quality scores to any website.
Simply put, Google uses E-A-T as a gauge to decide if the content is considered high-quality – and if it is, it’s likely to rank consistently higher.
This is because it will be considered:
By grouping content in a simple hierarchy, you make it easier for search engines to identify, understand and rank your content.
Your current signals are clearly provided to assist broader Google guidelines such as E-A-T.
This means you can shine a light on the areas you want your business to be closely related to online, and make ranking for those topics more consistent and optimized.
In contrast, consider a website where most of the content is all competing against itself.
Where there is no clear segmentation or hierarchy of topics (or columns) and every time you add a new blog post, or article to your site, the amount of noise for search engines and users increases.
You can quickly see why pillar pages add value.
Here, you can find out more about E-A-T and why it matters.
Faster, Simpler, More Complete User Experience
For many years, Google has been increasing the impact of a positive user experience for SEO gains.
Core Web Vitals (CWVs) are a more recent manifestation of this.
Another example of this in action is the devaluation of websites and content that puts barriers between the user, and their intended target such as interstitials, or websites with perceived low value content.
Website speed and mobile friendliness as ranking factors are other examples.
Through the use of column pages, you can put people in the core of the topic they are interested in.
You can provide clear trust signals through comprehensive, more meaningful content delivery.
You can display your experts by the content they are associated with and contain it in a central resource.
You can improve user engagement signals by simplifying access to relevant content, and encouraging them to go through the information search and purchase cycle earlier.
In addition to this, because you focus your resources on specific, primary landing pages, you can ensure that they are quick to load, intuitive to interact with and simple to navigate.
You also simplify the ongoing, iterative changes you make to keep improving them with new data sets.
Here, you can find out more details about improving SEO with user experience.
Natural, Value-Based, Link Building
When you provide a one-stop shop for people to solve many related questions, wants, needs and pain points, in a simple way, you can naturally collect external trust signals including links.
Think about all the repeated social listening to share your extensive column pages with your audience.
With your pillar pages you deliver, free, easy to access, share and promote content resources, perfect for link acquisition, brand building and PR.
Added SEO Benefits Of Pillar Pages
There are many more SEO benefits to using column pages, but typically this would include:
Examples Of Different Pillar Pages
Column pages have many different applications and to conclude this article, I thought it would be useful to share a few here.
Product Pillar Page
This sample segment from Foresters Friendly Society shows how one column page can provide:
Image by Foresters Friendly Society, December 2022
Topic Pillar Page
In these sample snippets from the University of East Anglia (UEA) life at the campus landing page, you can see how a single column page gives the user and search engines:
Image from University of East Anglia, December 2022
Image from University of East Anglia, December 2022
Image from University of East Anglia, December 2022
Conclusion
Column pages are not only an efficient way to organize your website’s content, they can also have significant benefits to your SEO.
By using column pages, you can create a faster, more streamlined and generally more user-friendly experience on your website – making it easier for both users and search engines to interact with it.
If you want to boost your SEO efforts today, use column pages!
Featured image: oatawa/Shutterstock
The content marketing process consists of four steps: strategy, content creation, distribution and conversion.
What is the difference between domain and landing page?
A landing page is a single web page that appears in response to clicking on a search engine optimized search result or online advertisement. A website is a set of web pages, including multimedia content, that can be identified with a domain name. Thus, this is the main difference between a landing page and a website.
Can I have a landing page without a domain? Do I need a domain for a landing page? No, you do not need a domain name to publish your landing page. The landing page builder tool that you will use to create your landing pages will give you options to publish your page without having your own domain.
How many landing pages can a domain have?
According to research, business websites with 10 to 15 landing pages will increase conversions by 55%. Additionally, websites with more than 40 landing pages increase conversions by more than 500%. A single landing page will not serve an entire target audience, and there is no limit to how many landing pages you should have.
Is a landing page just one page?
Landing pages have a specific CTA for a particular campaign, so you don’t have just one landing page. You only have one homepage, so you can’t focus on pushing a single CTA. Although your visitor might be driven to action from your home page, it is not optimized for conversion.
What domain should I use for landing page?
If you already have a website on your own domain, you’ll want to use a subdomain for your landing pages. This is important! For example, if you own yourdomain.com and your existing website resides there, you’ll want to set the custom domain for your landing pages on a subdomain, such as pages.yourdomain.com .
What is a domain landing page?
A landing page is the web page where people land after they click your ad. The URL of this page is usually the same as the final URL of your ad. For each ad, you specify a final URL to determine the landing page where people are taken when they click your ad.
Is a domain the same as a landing page?
A domain name is the address that people will type in to visit your website or landing page, such as www.wpbeginner.com. The web hosting account is where your landing page or website files are stored.
What is the difference between website and landing page?
Unlike homepages and websites that are designed for research, landing pages are tailored to a specific campaign or offer and guide visitors to a single call-to-action. In short, landing pages are designed for conversion.
Is a domain the same as a landing page?
A domain name is the address that people will type in to visit your website or landing page, such as www.wpbeginner.com. The web hosting account is where your landing page or website files are stored.
What domain to use for landing page?
If you already have a website on your own domain, you’ll want to use a subdomain for your landing pages. This is important! For example, if you own yourdomain.com and your existing website resides there, you’ll want to set the custom domain for your landing pages on a subdomain, such as pages.yourdomain.com .
What is the difference between domain and page?
A URL (Universal Resource Locator) is a complete web address used to find a particular web page. As long as the domain is the name of the website, a URL will lead to any of the pages on the website. Each URL contains a domain name, as well as other components necessary to locate the specific page or content.
What are good content pillars?
What are content columns
- Company updates (new collections or product releases):
- Customer Testimonials:
- Related industrial humor:
- The important thing to remember is that each column should represent a type of relevant content that your followers want to see.
What are the 4 content pillars? The answer lies in four pillars of content creation that will help you create high-quality content that ranks well in search engines: originality, relevance, engagement and relevancy.
What are the main content pillars?
Three Key Types of Content Pillars. There are three main types of column pages: the “Guide,” the “What’s About,” and the “How-To.” We’ll look at examples of each type and see how they work.
What are the 3 content pillars?
When developing a content marketing strategy that will deliver positive business results, remember the three pillars: value, relevance and consistency. Take the time to understand the things your customers and prospects care about.
What are the 3 pillars of content management?
3 pillars of Content Strategy: Create, Connect and Optimize.
What are the content pillars?
A content column is substantive and informative content about a specific subject or topic that can be divided into many derivative sections, pieces, and materials. Examples of content pillars include e-books, reports, and long-form web pages.
What are the 3 content pillars?
When developing a content marketing strategy that will deliver positive business results, remember the three pillars: value, relevance and consistency. Take the time to understand the things your customers and prospects care about.
Why are pillars made?
As a large solid structure, columns provide firm support for another larger structure. Columns distribute the weight of a roof or ceiling and support heavy loads. In construction, they often serve to make buildings more attractive and are used to display independent monuments.
Why are pillars strong?
When were pillars invented?
Early Columns The first use of columns was as a single central support for the roof of relatively small buildings but from the Bronze Age (3000-1000 BC) more sophisticated columns with other functions beyond direct structural support appeared in the Egyptian, Assyrian and Minoan civilizations. .
Who invented columns first?
The Corinthian order is named after the Greek city-state of Corinth, to which it was connected in the period. However, according to the architectural historian Vitruvius, the column was created by the sculptor Callimachus, probably an Athenian, who drew acanthus leaves growing around a votive basket.
How were ancient pillars made?
They were quarried in Egypt and shipped to Rome. However, most columns were built from segments or drums. Each flow would be carved into the pillar once it was erected. Column capitals were carved before being placed.
What is the main purpose of pillars?
A column is a large, typically cylindrical or square, solid structure that stands upright as a support in a home or building, either structurally or aesthetically. Columns can be designed to hold weight from roofs, second floors or ceilings to help make the building or home structurally safe and sound.
What was the purpose of the columns?
Columns are used for structural reinforcement, much like beams. Columns are, in essence, vertical structures that transmit the compressive loads. The floor and the pillars on the floors above are supported by pillars; the columns of the lower floor must be large enough to carry the cumulative weight of each floor above it.
How do pillars help bridges?
The reason for having columns in bridges is just pressure. You know that the pressure decreases if the contact area increases. And by increasing the number of columns the surface area in contact also increases and the pressure on the bridge decreases.
What are pillars in building?
pillar, in architecture and building construction, any isolated, vertical structural member such as a pier, pillar or post. It can be built from a single piece of stone or wood or built from units, such as bricks.
What are pillars on roof called?
Domes were originally designed to add natural light and ventilation to the area under a roof. They sit on the ridge of a roof and can be found in many shapes, including square, round, and octagonal.
What’s the difference between columns and pillars?
However, while a column does not necessarily have a load-bearing function, a column is a vertical structural member that is intended to transmit a compressive load. For example, a column could transfer loads from a ceiling, floor or roof plate, or from a beam, to a floor or foundations.
Is pillar necessary?
A column is an essential part of something much larger usually constructed of masonry such as concrete, stones or bricks. Columns are specifically designed to bear weight as a roof of a building or the upper floors of a building as a supporting structural element.
Are columns necessary? Columns are used for structural reinforcement, much like beams. Columns are, in essence, vertical structures that transmit the compressive loads. The floor and the pillars on the floors above are supported by pillars; the columns of the lower floor must be large enough to carry the cumulative weight of each floor above it.
Is it good to have a pillar in the living room?
Avoid Placing any Pillar in the Living Room of a House Ideally there should not be a visible pillar in your living room. If the pillar is visible, you must divide the room from that pillar.
How do you use columns in a room?
Use two columns close together to create shelving and lighting for display or storage. You could even dress them up to match other built-ins in the room, and no one would even know they’re structural. Hide the column and add some cubes, and you have a perfect place to store wines.
How do you hide the pillars in the living room?
Place Statement Seating In Front Of It In a similar vein, an accent chair ottoman can be placed directly in front of a column to help hide it and draw the focus on that section of the room elsewhere. Adding a floor lamp and side table to the area helps solidify the vignette even more.
Can you build without pillars?
Truss serves as a perfect support for any residential building. Using it, you may not feel the need for a column. A truss is a collection of beams that are formed making a unique structure. As a result, the house can receive reliable support without the need for a pillar.
Can a building have no columns?
A column or column for a two-story house may not be necessary if the load-bearing walls are designed and constructed correctly. This may include an internal load-bearing wall, inside the house. The other thing to worry about is the quality of the foundations for the load-bearing walls.
Why do you need pillars?
Columns or columns are vertical elements that support compressive and bending forces, transferring all the loads of the structure to the foundation. They are one of the most important elements for the support of a structure and therefore their execution requires special attention.
What is the golden rule of SEO?
The “Golden Rule” of SEO is: Understand your customers’ needs and create an SEO experience that meets those needs – from the search results list, to the first impression the visitor gets when landing on the page, to the ability for the visitor to quickly and easily find the content she is looking for.