{"id":146715,"date":"2022-09-09T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-09T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=146715"},"modified":"2026-01-06T07:49:41","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T12:49:41","slug":"content-pillars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-pillars\/","title":{"rendered":"Content Pillars: What They Are &amp; How to Build Them for SEO &amp; AI Visibility"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"intro-txt\">If you\u2019re reading this, you\u2019ve probably heard about the concept of content pillars and <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/topic-clusters\/\">content clusters<\/a>.<\/div>\n<p>They are a logical, SEO-friendly way to organize your content, and they\u2019re only becoming more important in&nbsp;2026.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"post-146715-_pn3qzkjjprjh\"><\/a><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"What are content pillars?\" data-section=\"what-content\">What are content pillars?<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>Content pillars (also called \u201cpillar pages\u201d, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-hub\/\">content hubs<\/a>\u201d or \u201cpillar content\u201d) are high-level introductory guides that cover a broad&nbsp;topic.<\/p>\n<p>Think of them like a hub with spokes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The pillar = hub (broad overview)<\/li>\n<li>Cluster content = spokes (detailed deep-dives)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1410\" class=\"wp-image-194527\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-network-diagram-showing-topic-clusters-la.jpg\" alt=\"Ahrefs' network diagram showing topic clusters (large pink circles) connected to core content subtopics (medium blue circles) and repurposing\/promotion nodes (small orange circles) via blue linking lines.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-network-diagram-showing-topic-clusters-la.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-network-diagram-showing-topic-clusters-la-482x425.jpg 482w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-network-diagram-showing-topic-clusters-la-768x677.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-network-diagram-showing-topic-clusters-la-1536x1354.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p>In between the hub and spokes you have internal links, and the flower-like petals you see in the visual above represent the channels for promoting your content\u2014but we\u2019ll get to that&nbsp;later.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike regular blog posts that target specific longer-tail keywords, content pillars target broad topics, known as \u201chead&nbsp;terms\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>For example, our guide on \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/seo-basics\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-basics\/\">SEO basics<\/a>\u201d is an example of a content pillar\u2014it covers the topic broadly and we link back to it from related, longer-tail supporting resources like our blogs on<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/keyword-research\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-research\/\"> keyword research<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/on-page-seo\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/on-page-seo\/\"> on-page SEO<\/a>, and<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/topical-authority\/\"> topical authority<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1314\" class=\"wp-image-194528\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-internal-links-report-showing-backlinks-to.jpg\" alt=\"Ahrefs' Internal Links report showing backlinks to the &quot;SEO basics&quot; pillar page\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-internal-links-report-showing-backlinks-to.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-internal-links-report-showing-backlinks-to-662x425.jpg 662w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-internal-links-report-showing-backlinks-to-260x166.jpg 260w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-internal-links-report-showing-backlinks-to-768x493.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-internal-links-report-showing-backlinks-to-1536x986.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/p>\n<p>Usually, pillar page topics have higher search volume and, therefore, higher competition.<\/p>\n<p>The reason some SEOs and marketers are able to rank for these popular topics is because they\u2019ve built defensible content pillars that get lifted by the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/internal-links-for-seo\/\">internal links<\/a> coming from their supporting \u201cspokes\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>These \u201cspokes\u201d pass on what is known as<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/pagerank\"> PageRank<\/a>\u2014the value assigned to their backlinks, based on their <strong>quantity<\/strong> and <strong>quality<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The more quality associations you can build between your content through internal linking, the more authority flows to your pillar pages, giving them a better shot at ranking for those competitive terms.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"post-146715-_xqidy0ockvie\"><\/a><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"What are the benefits of using a content pillar strategy?\" data-section=\"what-benefits\">What are the benefits of using a content pillar strategy?<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>Content pillars are important for SEO because they:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Improve organic search and AI visibility <\/strong>through strong internal linking and semantic connections<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rank for competitive keywords<\/strong> by covering topics comprehensively<\/li>\n<li><strong>Build topical authority<\/strong> by demonstrating your experience, education, authority, and trust (<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/eeat-seo\/\">Google E-E-A-T<\/a>) across a subject area<\/li>\n<li><strong>Create strong internal linking<\/strong> structures that pass<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/pagerank\"> PageRank<\/a> efficiently<\/li>\n<li><strong>Create a clearer content hierarchy<\/strong> that helps search engines and AI crawl and understand your&nbsp;site<\/li>\n<li><strong>Improve user experience<\/strong>, making it easier for readers to find related content and consume more<\/li>\n<li><strong>Attract more quality links, <\/strong>since pillar pages are natural starting points for people learning about a&nbsp;topic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In this guide, you\u2019ll learn how to create a content pillar for your website.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"post-146715-_oeeua32thwxk\"><\/a><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Why are content pillars even more important now?\" data-section=\"content-pillars\">Why are content pillars even more important now?<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>Content pillars matter more now because they help you rank in traditional search <em>and<\/em> increase your chances of getting cited by AI platforms.<\/p>\n<p>AI systems like ChatGPT literally map out how <strong>close<\/strong> your content is to specific topics in their \u201cunderstanding.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When you build content pillars\u2014clusters of interconnected articles on the same topic\u2014you\u2019re essentially teaching the AI that you\u2019re a strong, consistent source on that subject, because it sees your brand repeatedly associated with those concepts.<\/p>\n<p>And AI assistants are more likely to cite or reference sources they have learned are deeply connected to a&nbsp;topic.<\/p>\n<p>With traditional search declining and AI answers taking over, being recognized as topically authoritative by these systems is becoming essential for visibility.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"post-146715-_yrjcqn4e8hea\"><\/a><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How to create content pillars\" data-section=\"create-content\">How to create content pillars<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>There are two approaches to creating your pillar content:<\/p>\n<h4><a id=\"post-146715-_35gruhein8eq\"><\/a>Turn existing content into a pillar page<\/h4>\n<p>Audit the performance of your existing content to check it\u2019s worth upgrading to a pillar. You can do this by checking organic performance (e.g. via GA4), email performance (e.g. via Mailchimp), and social engagement (e.g. via LinkedIn Analytics) to confirm your audience cares about&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n<h4><a id=\"post-146715-_mgcxyb2fznr1\"><\/a>Create a pillar page from scratch<\/h4>\n<p>You can also create your hub content from scratch, following the five steps&nbsp;below\u2026<\/p>\n<h3><a id=\"post-146715-_lrapn4tf8n4i\"><\/a>1. Find the main topic to create a content pillar around<\/h3>\n<p>Grab a seat, a pen and paper (or laptop), then brainstorm ideas for content pillars. If you\u2019re familiar with the niche, many topics should come to&nbsp;mind.<\/p>\n<p>For example, I\u2019ve been breakdancing for the past 10 years, and I can think of plenty of topics for pillar pages (e.g., types of power moves, must-know footwork steps, and&nbsp;more).<\/p>\n<p>Alternatively, you can also use Ahrefs\u2019<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\"> Keywords Explorer<\/a> to find ideas. Just enter a broad term related to your niche and go to the Matching terms report.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1722\" height=\"1062\" class=\"wp-image-194529\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/matching-terms-report-via-ahrefs-keywords-explor.png\" alt=\"Matching terms report, via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer showing keywords related to &quot;Yoga&quot;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/matching-terms-report-via-ahrefs-keywords-explor.png 1722w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/matching-terms-report-via-ahrefs-keywords-explor-680x419.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/matching-terms-report-via-ahrefs-keywords-explor-768x474.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/matching-terms-report-via-ahrefs-keywords-explor-1536x947.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1722px) 100vw, 1722px\"><\/p>\n<p>However, not every term here will be a suitable topic. What\u2019d you want are topics that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Have search traffic potential:<\/strong> Look at the Traffic Potential (TP) column beside each keyword to see its search traffic potential.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Are broad enough:<\/strong> The topic shouldn\u2019t be so narrow that there aren\u2019t any subtopics to talk about. And it shouldn\u2019t be so broad that your pillar page is 50,000 words long either. As a general rule of thumb, look for topics with between 10 and 20 subtopics.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For example, let\u2019s compare the topic \u201cyoga poses\u201d against the criteria:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Has search traffic potential:<\/strong> The topic\u2019s TP is 33K (in the US&nbsp;alone)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Is broad enough: <\/strong>&nbsp;There are potentially hundreds of yoga poses to cover. But if we narrow down to the \u201cbest\u201d ones for beginners, there should be a nice range for a pillar page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you\u2019re a yoga site, this could be a fantastic topic for a content pillar.<\/p>\n<h4><a id=\"post-146715-_6hhcwln5v6yw\"><\/a>Use Parent Topics to organize your cluster<\/h4>\n<p>If you\u2019re still unsure of how to connect your pillar and cluster pages together, or which keywords to assign to relevant pages, use <a href=\"https:\/\/help.ahrefs.com\/en\/articles\/13040767-what-is-parent-topic-and-how-to-use-it\">Ahrefs\u2019 Parent Topics<\/a> report to build your pillar structure from the ground up:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Find your pillar candidates<\/strong>: Enter seed keywords into Keywords Explorer and cluster by Parent Topic\u2014the biggest rectangles show you the broad topics with the most search volume that should become your pillar pages.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"826\" class=\"wp-image-194530\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-parent-topics-report-tree-map-visualizati.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' Parent Topics report tree map visualization, showing keyword clusters organized by parent topic, with &quot;koa&quot; and &quot;reserve america&quot; as the largest clusters, followed by camping-related terms.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-parent-topics-report-tree-map-visualizati.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-parent-topics-report-tree-map-visualizati-680x274.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-parent-topics-report-tree-map-visualizati-768x310.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-parent-topics-report-tree-map-visualizati-1536x620.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Identify cluster content<\/strong>: Click into each Parent Topic to see all the long-tail variations (like the 131 keywords under \u201ccampgrounds near me\u201d)\u2014these become your supporting cluster posts that link back to the pillar.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"883\" class=\"wp-image-194531\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/keyword-research-table-showing-131-camping-related.png\" alt=\"Keyword research table showing 131 camping-related search terms with metrics like search volume, keyword difficulty, CPC, and competition scores.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/keyword-research-table-showing-131-camping-related.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/keyword-research-table-showing-131-camping-related-680x293.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/keyword-research-table-showing-131-camping-related-768x331.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/keyword-research-table-showing-131-camping-related-1536x662.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Measure the impact of your content pillar<\/strong>: Check if your existing pages are actually ranking for the Parent Topic you intended, or if Google sees them differently\u2014this tells you whether you\u2019ve structured things correctly or need to consolidate\/reorganize.<\/p>\n<p>The treemap visualization makes it obvious which topics deserve pillar treatment versus which are just subtopics that belong under a bigger umbrella.<\/p>\n<h3><a id=\"post-146715-_ptnsl32t6h75\"><\/a>2. Figure out what you need to cover in your content pillar<\/h3>\n<p>The key here is to choose subtopics that are highly related to the main topic. Here are a few ways to find&nbsp;them:<\/p>\n<h4><a id=\"post-146715-_cfwi4yfhnuou\"><\/a>A. Draw on your own expertise<\/h4>\n<p>If you\u2019re an expert or familiar with the niche, then you probably have an idea of what you need to cover. For example, if you\u2019re a yoga teacher, you likely already know the different types of yoga poses that beginners should master first.<\/p>\n<h4><a id=\"post-146715-_7orm95fds622\"><\/a>B. Check Wikipedia<\/h4>\n<p>If your topic exists on Wikipedia, it\u2019s a great way to find subtopics since everything is already organized properly.<\/p>\n<p>For example, Wikipedia has a page called \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_asanas\">List of asanas<\/a>,\u201d where different yoga poses are arranged in a&nbsp;table:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1228\" height=\"1024\" class=\"wp-image-194532\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/list-of-asanas-via-wikipedia.png\" alt=\"List of asanas, via Wikipedia\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/list-of-asanas-via-wikipedia.png 1228w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/list-of-asanas-via-wikipedia-510x425.png 510w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/list-of-asanas-via-wikipedia-768x640.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1228px) 100vw, 1228px\"><\/p>\n<h4><a id=\"post-146715-_x1bm7mdch2rj\"><\/a>C. Get ideas from \u201cQuery groups\u201d in Google Search Console<\/h4>\n<p>In 2025, Google introduced \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/blog\/2025\/10\/search-console-query-groups?utm_source=convertkit&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=%20%E2%9C%A8%20Core%20Updates%3A%20The%20top%2010%20SEO%20news%20stories%20of%202025%20%5B5%20January%5D%20-%2020262816\">Query groups<\/a>\u201d, a Search Console Insights feature that groups similar search queries.<\/p>\n<p>It shows you distinct queries that reflect a similar user intent. Use these keyword groupings to build your pillar strategy.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1182\" class=\"wp-image-194533\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/query-groups-in-google-search-console-table-show.png\" alt=\"&quot;Query groups&quot; in Google Search Console Table showing top search queries driving site traffic, with schema checker (1.85M clicks, up 937%) leading, followed by SEO and robots.txt.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/query-groups-in-google-search-console-table-show.png 1920w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/query-groups-in-google-search-console-table-show-680x419.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/query-groups-in-google-search-console-table-show-768x473.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/query-groups-in-google-search-console-table-show-1536x946.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"><\/p>\n<p>Discover new intent clusters and decide whether they deserve their own pillar page, or find out which keywords are already driving traffic to existing pages so you can upcycle them into a pillar.<\/p>\n<p>You can also check where you might be <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-cannibalization\/\">cannibalizing<\/a> yourself with separate pages that could be consolidated.<\/p>\n<h4><a id=\"post-146715-_b4fiakp2s3ci\"><\/a>D. Analyze the competition<\/h4>\n<p>Since the main goal of a content pillar is to rank for the main topic, you can look at the current top-ranking pages to see what they\u2019re covering.<\/p>\n<p>Do this either by scrolling through page one of the SERPs and clicking through each page manually, or by checking out the Content report in Ahrefs\u2019<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo-toolbar\"> SEO Toolbar<\/a> to get a quick check on your competitors\u2019 focus subtopics\u2014including H2s, H3s, H4s,&nbsp;etc.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1282\" height=\"908\" class=\"wp-image-194534\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-seo-toolbar-content-report-for-verywells.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' SEO Toolbar Content report for VeryWell's article on the best yoga poses for beginners, showing H1 and H2 headings\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-seo-toolbar-content-report-for-verywells.png 1282w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-seo-toolbar-content-report-for-verywells-600x425.png 600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-seo-toolbar-content-report-for-verywells-768x544.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1282px) 100vw, 1282px\"><\/p>\n<p>You can also head to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/serp-checker\">Ahrefs\u2019 SERP Overview<\/a> report in Keywords Explorer.<\/p>\n<p>It will show you which <strong>page type<\/strong> to emulate, and give you a breakdown of the dominant search <strong>intent<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1009\" class=\"wp-image-194535\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-serp-overview-table-showing-yoga-poses-sea.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' SERP Overview table showing yoga poses search results with metrics like traffic, backlinks, and keywords. Page type column is highlighted, showing article and guide types. Right panel displays user intent analysis.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-serp-overview-table-showing-yoga-poses-sea.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-serp-overview-table-showing-yoga-poses-sea-680x335.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-serp-overview-table-showing-yoga-poses-sea-768x378.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-serp-overview-table-showing-yoga-poses-sea-1536x757.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/p>\n<p>But if you\u2019re looking for a bit more guidance, head to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/ai-content-helper\">Ahrefs AI Content Helper<\/a> and drop in your focus keyword.<\/p>\n<p>It will scour all of your pillar page SERP competitors, map their topics and entities, then advise you on what to write, and score you against it\u2014in fact I\u2019m doing it as we&nbsp;speak\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1263\" class=\"wp-image-194536\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/screenshot-of-ahrefs-ai-content-helper-showing-an.jpg\" alt=\"Screenshot of Ahrefs' AI Content Helper showing an article titled &quot;How to Build Successful Content Pillars&quot; with formatting tools and sidebar.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/screenshot-of-ahrefs-ai-content-helper-showing-an.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/screenshot-of-ahrefs-ai-content-helper-showing-an-680x419.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/screenshot-of-ahrefs-ai-content-helper-showing-an-768x474.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/screenshot-of-ahrefs-ai-content-helper-showing-an-1536x947.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/p>\n<h3><a id=\"post-146715-_fiajlle6y8r0\"><\/a>3. Create your content pillar<\/h3>\n<p>With your research done, it\u2019s time to create your content pillar.<\/p>\n<p>Think of it as a \u201cportal.\u201d Your goal is to give readers a jump-off point for further discovery of the topic. So keep it relatively light.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re not trying to say everything about every subtopic. Leave it to your cluster pages to provide more detail. Stick to what people need to&nbsp;know.<\/p>\n<p>For example, our<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\"> beginner\u2019s guide to SEO<\/a> only has a one-sentence introduction to each chapter:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1586\" height=\"1012\" class=\"wp-image-194537\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-beginners-guide-to-seo.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' beginner's guide to SEO\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-beginners-guide-to-seo.png 1586w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-beginners-guide-to-seo-666x425.png 666w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-beginners-guide-to-seo-260x166.png 260w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-beginners-guide-to-seo-768x490.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-beginners-guide-to-seo-1536x980.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1586px) 100vw, 1586px\"><\/p>\n<p>If you have the budget, consider creating a custom design for your content pillar. This is what we did for our own. Not only does a good design make it easier and more engaging for readers to consume content, but it also stands out among other guides\u2014hopefully leading to more shares, links, and traffic.<\/p>\n<p>But if you can\u2019t afford a custom design now, don\u2019t worry. You don\u2019t need an incredible design to create useful content pillars. Take a look at<a href=\"https:\/\/zapier.com\/learn\/remote-work\/\"> Zapier\u2019s pillar page about remote work<\/a>\u2014it\u2019s basically hyperlinked text:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1768\" class=\"wp-image-194538\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/zapiers-pillar-page-about-remote-workshowing-mos.jpg\" alt=\"Zapier\u2019s pillar page about remote work\u2014showing mostlye hyperlinked text. \" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/zapiers-pillar-page-about-remote-workshowing-mos.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/zapiers-pillar-page-about-remote-workshowing-mos-492x425.jpg 492w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/zapiers-pillar-page-about-remote-workshowing-mos-768x663.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/zapiers-pillar-page-about-remote-workshowing-mos-1536x1326.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/p>\n<h3><a id=\"post-146715-_ki85jan5ot97\"><\/a>4. Create your cluster pages<\/h3>\n<p>Even though a content pillar is a stand-alone page, it\u2019s almost useless without its supporting cluster pages. So when you\u2019re done with the main pillar page, it\u2019s time to create the rest of the&nbsp;hub.<\/p>\n<p>With the subtopics laid out, you already know what you need to create. It\u2019s simply a matter of executing. But it will take&nbsp;time.<\/p>\n<p>Watch this video to learn how to create content for your cluster pages:<\/p>\n<p>If you have existing content pieces that fit the \u201chub,\u201d then simply interlink them together.<\/p>\n<h3><a id=\"post-146715-_6cr3tcrlz66k\"><\/a>5. Promote your content pillar<\/h3>\n<p>Don\u2019t wait for the content pillar to be discovered\u2014promote it proactively and let people know.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a couple of tactics you can&nbsp;use:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Get it included in newsletters: There should be many newsletters dedicated to curating the best content in your niche.<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/find-email-address\/\"> Find the emails<\/a> of these newsletter writers and pitch your content pillar for inclusion.<\/li>\n<li>Build links: Links are an important<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-ranking-factors\/\"> Google ranking factor<\/a>. So if you want your content pillar to rank high, you\u2019ll need to build links. Read this<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/link-building\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-building\/\"> start-to-finish guide on how to build links<\/a> to your pillar page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Recommended reading:<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-promotion\/\"> 13 Content Promotion Tactics to Get More Eyeballs on Your Content<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"post-146715-_sg7pvk3g5kic\"><\/a><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Content pillar examples\" data-section=\"content-pillar\">Content pillar examples<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>Check out these successful content pillars to inspire your&nbsp;own:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\">SEO: The Complete Guide for Beginners<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/banking\/best\/high-yield-online-savings-accounts\">Best High-Yield Savings Accounts<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/nutrition\/how-to-eat-healthy-guide\">The Definitive Guide to Healthy Eating in Real&nbsp;Life<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can find<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/pillar-page-examples\/\"> more pillar page examples here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"post-146715-_4utqu7i1s2pc\"><\/a><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Learn more\" data-section=\"learn-more\">Learn more<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for more guides on how to create content pillars, I\u2019d recommend checking out these articles:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-topical-map\/\">How to Build an SEO Topical Map (With Template)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-hub\/\">Content Hubs for SEO: How to Get More Traffic and Links With Topic Clusters<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/topic-clusters\/\">How to Build a Topic Cluster in 10 Minutes<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Any questions or comments? Let me know<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/siquanong\"> on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>SEO is essential to marketing any event to help people find it when they search online. Use these SEO tactics to help your events rank&nbsp;high.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>They are a logical, SEO-friendly way to organize your content, and they\u2019re only becoming more important in&nbsp;2026. Content pillars (also called \u201cpillar pages\u201d, \u201ccontent hubs\u201d or \u201cpillar content\u201d) are high-level introductory guides that cover a broad&nbsp;topic. Think of them like<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[335],"tags":[],"coauthors":[339,464],"class_list":["post-146715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-seo","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Content Pillars: What They Are &amp; How to Build Them for SEO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Content pillars organize your content strategy around core themes. Learn what they are, why they matter for SEO, and how to create them.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-pillars\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Content Pillars: What They Are &amp; How to Build Them for SEO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Content pillars are high-level introductions to a topic.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-pillars\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-09-09T06:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-06T12:49:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ahrefs-network-diagram-showing-topic-clusters-la.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1410\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Si Quan Ong, Louise Linehan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Content pillars are high-level introductions to a topic.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@siquanong\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/content-pillars\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/content-pillars\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Si Quan Ong\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e09e43a1a939a6723fb3c1ebd243f2e7\"},\"headline\":\"Content Pillars: What They Are &amp; How to Build Them for SEO &amp; AI Visibility\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-09-09T06:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-06T12:49:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/content-pillars\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2057,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/content-pillars\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/09\\\/ahrefs-network-diagram-showing-topic-clusters-la.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"General SEO\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/content-pillars\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/content-pillars\\\/\",\"name\":\"Content Pillars: What They Are & How to Build Them for SEO\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/content-pillars\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/content-pillars\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/09\\\/ahrefs-network-diagram-showing-topic-clusters-la.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-09-09T06:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-06T12:49:41+00:00\",\"description\":\"Content pillars organize your content strategy around core themes. 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