pillar-pages

# Pillar Pages & Topic Clusters ## Overview Pillar pages are comprehensive, authoritative pages that cover a topic broadly and link to detailed cluster content on specific subtopics. This architecture signals to Google that you're the authority on the topic, boosting rankings across the entire cluster. ## Authoritative Foundations - **Ahrefs / Backlinko — Content Cluster Model** — Content Cluster Model - **Eli Schwartz — Product-Led SEO** — Product-Led SEO - **HubSpot Topic Cluster Model** — Lifecycle stages, object model, and workflow enrollment patterns. - **Google Search Central — SEO Starter Guide** — SEO Starter Guide ## When to Use - "Build a pillar page" - "Topic cluster strategy" - "Cornerstone content" - "Pillar page for [topic]" ## Step-by-Step Process ### Phase 1: Pillar Topic Selection A pillar topic must be: - **High search volume:** 500-5,000+ monthly searches - **High business value:** Directly related to your product/ICP - **Broad enough for clusters:** At least 10-15 subtopics - **Evergreen:** Not news-dependent, will be relevant for years - **Competitive but winnable:** Check current top 10 — if they're all DR 70+ sites and you're DR 30, pick a different pillar ### Phase 2: Cluster Mapping Map the pillar's universe: - **Core subtopics:** 8-12 key areas the pillar must cover - **Cluster content:** 3-5 detailed articles per subtopic - **Question clusters:** The 20-30 questions people ask about this topic (from People Also Ask, Reddit, Quora, custome...