What is a Pillar Page?
The pillar page strategy that dominated SEO from 2018 to 2023 remains fundamentally sound, but execution standards have risen dramatically. Google's Helpful Content Update, E-E-A-T requirements, and the emergence of AI answer engines have transformed what "comprehensive content" actually means.
This guide covers everything you need to know about creating pillar pages in 2025: from foundational concepts to advanced optimisation techniques for both traditional search and AI answer engines. Whether you're building your first topic cluster or updating existing pillar content, you'll find actionable strategies backed by current research and documented results.
📋 What's in This Guide
- What is a pillar page?
- How pillar pages and topic clusters work together
- Why pillar pages matter more in 2025
- Three types of pillar pages
- How to create a pillar page (step-by-step)
- Optimizing pillar pages for AI answer engines
- Technical SEO requirements
- Internal linking best practices
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Results and case studies
- Frequently asked questions
What Is a Pillar Page?
Think of a pillar page as the definitive guide to a subject your business cares about. If you're a marketing agency, you might create pillar pages on topics like "SEO," "content marketing," or "marketing automation." Each pillar page covers the topic comprehensively—hitting all the key questions and concepts—while linking to deeper-dive blog posts on specific subtopics.
The key distinction between a pillar page and a regular blog post:
| Pillar Page | Blog Post |
|---|---|
| Covers a broad topic comprehensively (2,000-5,000 words) | Focuses on one specific aspect or question (800-1,500 words) |
| Targets a broad, high-volume keyword | Targets a specific, long-tail keyword |
| Links to multiple cluster pages | Links back to the pillar page |
| Updated regularly as a "living document" | May remain static after publication |
| Located in top-level site architecture | Typically organized by date or category |
| Designed for evergreen value | May capture trends or timely topics |
💡 Key Point
Pillar pages answer the question "What is [topic]?" broadly, while cluster content answers "How do I [specific task]?" in detail. Together, they signal comprehensive expertise to search engines and AI systems.
How Pillar Pages and Topic Clusters Work Together
The topic cluster model was pioneered by HubSpot in 2016-2017 as a response to how search engines were evolving. Rather than ranking individual pages for individual keywords, Google increasingly evaluates your authority on entire topics.
Here's how it works:
The Pillar Page (Hub)
Your pillar page sits at the centre, covering the broad topic comprehensively. For example, a pillar page on "Email Marketing" would cover what it is, why it matters, key strategies, tools, metrics, and best practices—all at a foundational level.
Cluster Content (Spokes)
Each cluster page is a blog post diving deep into a specific subtopic. For the email marketing pillar, clusters might include "How to Write Email Subject Lines," "Email Segmentation Strategies," "A/B Testing for Email Campaigns," and "Email Automation Workflows."
Strategic Internal Links (Connections)
Every cluster page links back to the pillar page, and the pillar page links out to all cluster pages. This creates a web of interconnected content that signals to search engines: "We're experts on this entire topic, not just individual keywords."
When this structure works correctly, ranking improvements on one piece of content can lift the entire cluster. Google sees your site as an authoritative resource on the topic, making it more likely to rank your content across related searches.
✨ Pro Tip
Aim for 8-15 supporting cluster pages per pillar. Fewer than 8 may not demonstrate sufficient depth; more than 15 can make the topic too broad to be cohesive. Each cluster should target a specific question or subtopic that users actually search for.
Why Pillar Pages Matter More in 2025
Several major shifts have elevated the importance of pillar pages:
1. Google Officially Values "Topic Authority"
In May 2023, Google officially introduced "topic authority" as a ranking factor. This validated what SEOs had long suspected: Google's algorithms now evaluate your expertise on entire topics—not just individual keywords. Sites demonstrating deep, consistent coverage of specific subject areas earn preferential rankings.
According to Jonny Nastor of Digital Commerce Partners: "Google's AI-driven algorithms now focus less on keywords and more on intent, interpreting search queries in context and linking them to broader topics."
2. The Helpful Content Update Changed Quality Standards
Google's Helpful Content Update (launched August 2022, refined through March 2024) introduced site-wide content quality evaluation. According to Semrush, 60% of websites saw ranking changes following these updates. The March 2024 core update targeted a 45% reduction in low-quality, unoriginal content.
What this means for pillar pages: Content must demonstrate genuine expertise and provide real value—not just hit keywords. Thin, superficial pillar pages that try to cover too much without depth will be penalized.
3. E-E-A-T Now Demands Experience
Google expanded E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) to E-E-A-T by adding "Experience." Pillar pages must now demonstrate first-hand knowledge of the subject matter—not just well-researched summaries. Author credentials, real examples, original insights, and practical experience all matter more than ever.
4. AI Answer Engines Need Structured Content
With ChatGPT reaching 800 million weekly users and Google AI Overviews appearing in 13.14% of searches (and growing), pillar pages must now be optimized for AI citation. These systems extract content in chunks, looking for authoritative sources to cite in their responses.
Princeton University's landmark research on Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) found that adding statistics, quotations, and source citations to content can improve AI visibility by up to 40%. This fundamentally changes how pillar pages should be structured.
Three Types of Pillar Pages
1. The "What Is" Pillar Page
This format answers the fundamental question "What is [topic]?" and is ideal for educational topics where users need foundational understanding.
Best for: Topics where many searchers are in the awareness stage, looking to understand concepts before taking action.
Structure includes:
- Clear definition in the opening
- Why the topic matters
- Key components or elements
- How it works
- Common types or variations
- Benefits and applications
- Getting started guidance
Example: "What Is Inbound Marketing?" covering the methodology, its components (content, SEO, social, email), the buyer's journey, and how it differs from outbound marketing.
2. The "Ultimate Guide" Pillar Page
This comprehensive how-to format covers everything a reader needs to know and do about a topic. It's the "complete guide" or "A-to-Z" approach.
Best for: Topics where users want actionable guidance and are ready to implement strategies or tactics.
Structure includes:
- Overview of what you'll learn
- Step-by-step processes
- Best practices and strategies
- Tools and resources needed
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Advanced techniques
- Measurable outcomes
Example: "The Ultimate Guide to SEO" covering keyword research, on-page optimization, technical SEO, link building, content strategy, and measurement.
3. The "Resource" Pillar Page
This format curates and organizes multiple resources, tools, templates, or links around a topic. It becomes a go-to reference hub.
Best for: Topics where users benefit from having tools and resources collected in one place, or where you have multiple content assets to organize.
Structure includes:
- Categorized resource sections
- Brief descriptions of each resource
- Links to downloads, tools, or deeper content
- Thumbnail images or icons for visual navigation
- Regular updates as new resources are added
Example: "Marketing Resources Hub" organizing templates, guides, tools, webinars, and downloads by category (SEO, content, email, analytics, etc.).
💡 Choosing the Right Format
Consider your audience's primary intent. Are they trying to understand a concept? Choose "What Is." Looking for comprehensive guidance? Go with "Ultimate Guide." Need tools and resources? Create a "Resource" pillar. Many successful pillar pages blend elements of multiple formats.
How to Create a Pillar Page: Step-by-Step
Choose Your Topic Strategically
Your pillar topic should be:
- Broad enough to support 8-15 cluster posts (but not so broad it's overwhelming)
- Relevant to your business and what you want to be known for
- Searched for with meaningful volume (target the broad term, not long-tail variations)
- Achievable given your current domain authority and competitive landscape
Good examples: "Instagram Marketing," "B2B Lead Generation," "HubSpot CRM"
Too broad: "Social Media," "Marketing," "Sales"
Too narrow: "Instagram Carousel Captions," "LinkedIn InMail Templates"
Audit Your Existing Content
Before writing from scratch, inventory what you already have:
- List all blog posts related to your chosen topic
- Identify gaps where you need new cluster content
- Find content that could be consolidated or updated
- Map potential internal linking opportunities
Many pillar pages can incorporate and expand on existing blog content rather than starting completely fresh.
Structure Your Page for Users and AI
Effective pillar page structure includes:
- Direct answer in the first 40-60 words (critical for AI citation)
- Table of contents with jump links for easy navigation
- Clear H2/H3 hierarchy breaking content into logical sections
- Scannable formatting: bullets, numbered lists, tables, callout boxes
- Standalone sections that make sense even when extracted by AI
- FAQ section addressing common questions
Write Comprehensive, Expert Content
Aim for 2,000-5,000 words (the sweet spot is around 3,000), but prioritize quality over length. Include:
- Original insights and first-hand experience (E-E-A-T)
- Statistics with sources (improves AI citation by 30%)
- Expert quotes with attribution (improves visibility by 41%)
- Practical examples and case studies
- Current information (update regularly)
Remember: a sharp 2,000-word pillar page can outrank a rambling 4,000-word post if it's better organized and more valuable.
Implement Internal Linking
The linking structure is what makes a topic cluster work:
- Link from your pillar page to all cluster content
- Link from every cluster page back to the pillar
- Cross-link related cluster pages where relevant (2-3 per post)
- Use descriptive, varied anchor text (not the same phrase repeatedly)
- Place important links early in content for crawl priority
✓ Pillar Page Pre-Launch Checklist
- ✓ Topic targets a broad keyword (2-3 words maximum)
- ✓ URL is short and descriptive (/topic-name, not /ultimate-guide-to-topic-name)
- ✓ Opening paragraph directly answers the main question
- ✓ Table of contents with functional jump links
- ✓ H2/H3 hierarchy follows logical progression
- ✓ At least 8 cluster pages identified and linked
- ✓ Statistics included with source citations
- ✓ FAQ section with 3-5 questions
- ✓ All content ungated and accessible
- ✓ Mobile-friendly design and navigation
- ✓ Schema markup implemented
- ✓ Page loads in under 2.5 seconds
OptimiSing Pillar Pages for AI Answer Engines
With ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Claude increasingly shaping how people find information, optimising for AI citation is no longer optional. Princeton University's Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) research tested nine optimisation methods and found significant differences in effectiveness:
| Optimization Method | Visibility Improvement |
|---|---|
| Adding quotations from experts | +41% |
| Adding statistics with sources | +30% |
| Citing credible sources | +28% |
| Fluency optimization | +27% |
| Keyword stuffing (traditional SEO) | No improvement / negative |
The "Taco Bell Test" for AI Readability
AI systems extract content in chunks—they don't read entire pages from top to bottom. Each section of your pillar page must pass the "Taco Bell Test": can a reader understand this section without any context from what came before?
A journalist once wrote: "As long as you have that crunchy thing in the middle and you know how to fold it, you can put anything in there." Without context, this is incomprehensible (he was describing a Crunchwrap from Taco Bell). If humans struggle to understand a passage in isolation, AI definitely will—and it won't cite content it can't understand.
⚠️ Avoid These AI OptimiSation Mistakes
- Vague pronouns: Using "it," "they," or "this" without clear antecedents
- Assumed context: Referring to "the method mentioned above" or "as discussed earlier"
- Buried answers: Starting sections with context before getting to the answer
- Keyword stuffing: Traditional SEO tactics actively harm GEO performance
AEO Content Structure Principles
Apply these principles throughout your pillar page:
- Lead every section with the answer (40-60 words that directly address the question)
- Make sections self-contained (restate key terms; don't assume AI remembers earlier definitions)
- Include specific statistics with source attribution
- Add expert quotes with name, title, and organisation
- Use structured formatting: tables for comparisons, numbered lists for processes, bullets for options
- Keep chunks digestible: 120-180 words per section is optimal for AI extraction
✨ Pro Tip: Dual Optimization
Good news: there's significant overlap between traditional SEO and AEO. Pages that rank well organically are more likely to be cited by AI (52% of AI Overview sources also appear in top 10 organic results). Optimize for both, but prioritize clarity and structure over keyword density.
Technical SEO Requirements for Pillar Pages
Schema Markup
Implement Article schema (or BlogPosting) with comprehensive properties:
- headline: Your H1/title
- datePublished and dateModified: In ISO 8601 format
- author: Including name, jobTitle, and URL (critical for E-E-A-T)
- publisher: Your organization details
- image: Multiple sizes (1x1, 4x3, 16x9)
Note on FAQ Schema: As of August 2023, FAQPage rich results are only shown for well-known government and health websites. However, FAQ schema still provides semantic value for AI comprehension, even without rich result display.
Core Web Vitals
Long-form pillar pages face unique performance challenges. Target these thresholds:
| Metric | Target | Pillar Page Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) | ≤2.5 seconds | Preload hero images; use WebP/AVIF formats |
| INP (Interaction to Next Paint) | ≤200ms | Optimize interactive elements like accordions/tabs |
| CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) | ≤0.1 | Specify dimensions for all images; avoid dynamic ad insertion |
Semantic HTML Structure
- Use only one
<h1>per page - Follow logical heading hierarchy (don't skip from H2 to H4)
- Use
<main>,<article>,<section>, and<aside>elements - Wrap table of contents in
<nav> - All content visible in HTML source (no JavaScript-only rendering)
AI Crawler Access
Ensure your robots.txt allows these crawlers for AI visibility:
- GPTBot (OpenAI/ChatGPT)
- Google-Extended (Gemini/AI Overviews)
- ClaudeBot (Anthropic)
- PerplexityBot (Perplexity AI)
Internal Linking Best Practices
Internal linking is what makes topic clusters function. Without proper linking, you just have a collection of unrelated pages.
The Core Linking Structure
- Pillar → Cluster: Your pillar page links to every cluster page (typically 8-15 links)
- Cluster → Pillar: Every cluster page links back to the pillar page
- Cluster → Cluster: Related cluster pages cross-link where relevant (2-3 per post)
Key Principles
- More links TO the pillar than FROM it: This signals to search engines that the pillar is the primary resource
- Descriptive anchor text: Use varied, descriptive phrases—not the same keyword repeatedly
- Early placement: Links appearing in the first few paragraphs get crawled and valued more highly
- Avoid excessive linking: John Mueller warns that "excessive internal linking on a single page makes it harder for search engines to understand the context of individual pages"
⚠️ The Most Common Pillar Page Mistake
The #1 mistake is improper bi-directional linking—either pillar pages linking out without cluster pages linking back, or vice versa. This structural failure means topic clusters cannot function for organic growth. Every cluster page must link to the pillar, AND the pillar must link to all cluster pages.
Common Pillar Page Mistakes to Avoid
Structural Mistakes
- Broken linking: Missing links between pillar and cluster content defeats the entire purpose
- Too broad topics: "Marketing" is too broad; "Email Marketing" is appropriately scoped
- Too narrow topics: "Email Subject Line Emojis" limits cluster potential
- Long-tail targeting: Pillar URLs should be /topic-name, not /ultimate-guide-to-everything-about-topic-name
Content Mistakes
- Gating content: Google can't crawl content behind forms—pillar pages must be fully accessible
- "Set and forget": Pillar pages must be living documents, regularly updated with new data
- Word walls: Blocks of text without formatting, navigation, or visual structure increase bounce rates
- Missing expertise signals: Content that reads like a research summary without first-hand experience fails E-E-A-T
Outdated Practices to Eliminate
- Keyword density formulas: The 3-5% rule is obsolete—Google understands context and synonyms
- Pages for keyword variations: One comprehensive page per topic, not multiple pages for similar keywords
- Bulk AI content: Content without human editing, expertise, and original insight gets penalized
- Excessive internal linking: More links doesn't mean more value; focus on strategic, relevant connections
Results: What Pillar Pages Can Achieve
📊 Case Study: HubSpot
After reorganising 10,000+ blog posts into pillar-cluster architecture:
Improved rankings for over 2 million keywords
📊 Case Study: Human Marketing E-commerce Client
Implementing a comprehensive pillar page strategy:
From 500 monthly visitors to nearly 190,000—transforming the blog into a profit center
📊 Case Study: 3PL Central
Data-resource-focused pillar content:
Industry Benchmarks
Frequently Asked Questions About Pillar Pages
How long should a pillar page be?
Aim for 2,000-5,000 words, with 3,000 being the sweet spot according to most experts. However, quality and organization matter more than word count. A well-structured 2,000-word pillar page can outrank a poorly organized 4,000-word post. Cover your topic comprehensively, but don't pad content just to hit a word count.
Should pillar page content be gated behind a form?
No. Pillar page content must be fully accessible and ungated. Google cannot crawl content behind forms, so gated pillar pages defeat their SEO purpose entirely. The recommended approach is keeping all content visible while offering an optional downloadable PDF version for those who want it. This lets you capture leads without sacrificing search visibility.
How many cluster pages should support a pillar page?
Target 8-15 cluster pages per pillar. Fewer than 8 may not demonstrate sufficient topical depth to search engines. More than 15 often indicates your topic is too broad and should be split into multiple pillar pages. Each cluster should address a specific question or subtopic that people actually search for.
How often should pillar pages be updated?
Treat pillar pages as "living documents" that require regular updates—at minimum quarterly, or whenever significant changes occur in your topic area. Update statistics, add new insights, remove outdated information, and refresh examples. Stale content with old data signals to both search engines and AI systems that your content is no longer authoritative.
Can pillar pages rank for AI answer engines like ChatGPT?
Yes, but they require specific optimization. Structure content with answer-first sections, include statistics with source citations, add expert quotes with attribution, and make each section independently understandable. Princeton University research found that these practices can improve AI visibility by 30-41%. Traditional SEO and AI optimization overlap significantly, so well-optimized pillar pages can rank for both.
What's the difference between a pillar page and a landing page?
Pillar pages are educational resources designed to rank in search and demonstrate topical authority. They're content-rich, link to related content, and serve users seeking information. Landing pages are conversion-focused, typically minimal in content, designed for specific campaigns, and often don't link out to other content. Both have their place, but serve fundamentally different purposes.
Getting Started with Your Pillar Page Strategy
Pillar pages remain one of the most effective content strategies for building topical authority and organic visibility—but success in 2025 requires treating them as evolving resources that serve both traditional search engines and AI answer engines.
The organizations seeing 7-10x organic growth are those that:
- Invest in genuine expertise—content must demonstrate first-hand experience, not just well-researched summaries
- Structure for AI extraction—lead with answers, include statistics and citations, make sections standalone
- Maintain living documents—regular updates keep content authoritative for both Google and AI systems
- Build complete topic clusters—pillar pages only work when properly linked to supporting content
The bar for "proper execution" has risen substantially since pillar pages first emerged. But the documented results—traffic increases from 43% to 37,900%—confirm that pillar pages remain highly effective when done right.
Need Help Building Your Pillar Page Strategy?
We help B2B companies create topic clusters that drive organic growth and AI visibility. As a HubSpot Diamond Partner, we combine SEO expertise with platform implementation to build content strategies that deliver measurable results.
Let's Talk About Your Content Strategy →Last updated: December 2025. This guide is regularly updated to reflect changes in search algorithms, AI answer engine behaviour, and content strategy best practices.
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