Content Pillars: Why They Matter and How to Use Them for Your Business
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to figure out what to post on your business’s blog or social media, you’re not alone. Creating content that’s both engaging and strategic can feel like a huge task, especially when you’re juggling everything else that comes with running a business. That’s where content pillars come in.
If you haven’t heard the term ‘content pillars’ before, don’t worry. It’s one of those marketing things that can sound complicated but is actually quite straightforward once you break it down. And, as you may or may not know, I’m all about keeping things simple.
So, basically, content pillars are one of the easiest ways to organise your content to make sure it consistently speaks to your ideal clients.
Understanding content pillars can make your marketing feel much more manageable. And the best part? Once you’ve got them in place, your content will practically create itself (well, almost!).
So, let’s have a look at what content pillars are, why they’re important, and how you can use them to grow your business.
What Are Content Pillars?
At their most basic level, content pillars are the main topics or themes you’ll cover in your content marketing. These pillars should reflect what your business is all about and what your ideal clients care about.
For example, if you’re an accountant, your pillars might be tax tips, business planning, and financial advice. If you’re a plumber, you might focus on common plumbing issues and maintenance tips.
Each piece of content you create should fall under one of these pillars, which helps you stay focused and makes sure you’re consistently speaking to the needs of your ideal clients. And when you're speaking to the needs of your ideal clients you are more likely to connect with them and build the know, like, and trust factor that turns into sales.
Also, having content pillars also makes content creation a whole lot simpler. Instead of staring at a blank screen wondering, “What do I write about today?” you’ve got a set of core topics to pull from, making it easier to come up with new ideas.
Why Are Content Pillars Important?
Now, you might be wondering why you need content pillars in the first place. Can't you just post whatever comes to mind? Well, you could, but that’s a bit like throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping it sticks (which, by the way, I wouldn’t recommend unless you want a messy kitchen).
Content pillars help you stay consistent and strategic, so your content is working for you and your business.
- Consistency: Your ideal clients need to know what to expect from you. If one week you’re talking about your latest product and the next you’re ranting about the weather, people won’t know what your business is really about. Content pillars help you maintain a consistent message that builds trust over time.
- Relevance: By sticking to a few core topics, you’re making sure your content is relevant to your ideal clients. If you’re an accounting firm, your clients probably aren’t interested in random musings about non-financial topics. They’re coming to you for expert advice in your field, and content pillars help you deliver just that.
- SEO: Search engines like Google love organised, focused content. When your website or blog consistently covers specific topics, Google sees you as an authority in that area and is more likely to rank your content higher. That means more visibility for your business.
- Efficiency: Having content pillars saves time. When you’ve got a few main themes to work from, coming up with new ideas is easier. You’re not starting from scratch every time; instead, you’re building on topics you’ve already established as important to your business and ideal clients.
How to Choose Your Content Pillars
So, how do you figure out what your content pillars should be? It starts with understanding your business and, more importantly, your ideal clients. What are the key problems they’re facing, and how can you help them? What questions are they asking, and what do they need to know to make informed decisions?
Here are a few tips to help you identify your content pillars:
- Look at Your Expertise: What are you an expert in? What topics do you know inside and out that your ideal clients need help with? These are natural areas for your content pillars. If you’re an electrician, for example, your pillars could include electrical safety, home energy efficiency, and understanding the benefits of solar.
- Consider Your Ideal Clients: What are the main issues your ideal clients are dealing with? For example, if you’re a marketing consultant (like me), your clients might struggle with understanding (and delivering) social media, content strategy, or SEO. Those could be your pillars.
- Think About Your Services: What services or products do you offer? Your content pillars should align with what you’re selling. That way, the content you create supports your overall business goals and leads potential clients towards working with you.
- Keep It Simple: You don’t need a million content pillars. In fact, it’s better to stick with three to five key pillars. This keeps things focused and manageable, both for you and your ideal clients.
Examples of Content Pillars in Action
Let’s use an independent living retirement village as an example. Here’s how your content pillars might look:
- Lifestyle & Community: Share stories about daily life in the village, upcoming social events, or resident-led activities. Highlight how living in a community setting offers opportunities for social connection and improved well-being.
- Health & Well-being: Provide content around maintaining health in retirement, staying active, and promoting mental well-being. Tips from health experts or personal stories from residents can be especially engaging.
- Downsizing & Moving: Offer advice on making the transition to independent living, from downsizing the family home to the emotional aspects of such a big move. Include practical tips as well as personal experiences from current residents.
- Resident Success Stories: Highlight stories of residents who have thrived in the village environment. Whether it’s forming new friendships, taking up a hobby, or improving their quality of life, these real-life examples can help potential residents picture themselves living there.
Each blog post, social media update, or email newsletter can tie back to one of these pillars. And the best part? These topics are directly relevant to what your ideal clients care about… finding a place where they or their loved ones can enjoy a fulfilling, independent lifestyle in their retirement years.
How Content Pillars Boost SEO
I know SEO can seem a bit overwhelming, but let me simplify it. Google loves well-organised, high-quality content. When you consistently write about a specific set of topics (your content pillars), Google starts to see you as an authority in those areas. This is great for your search engine rankings because Google wants to serve the best, most relevant content to people searching online.
Now, we also have to talk about the influence of AI. Search engines are increasingly using AI to analyse content and understand context. This means AI isn’t just looking for keyword content; it’s looking for relevance, depth, and how well your content answers real questions. AI-driven algorithms, like those used by Google, are getting better at understanding natural language, so your content needs to be written for humans first, not just search engines.
And it’s not just Google you need to consider – social platforms are also being used more like search engines. People are searching on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and even TikTok to find businesses, services, and answers to their questions. If your content pillars are clear and you’re sharing consistent, relevant content across these platforms, you increase your chances of being found when your ideal clients are searching for information.
When your content pillars are well-defined and focused, AI and social platforms’ search functions can more easily connect the dots across your blog posts, website, and social media to understand what your business is all about. That can lead to better rankings on both Google and social platforms because these algorithms can tell that your content consistently addresses key topics that matter to your ideal clients.
When you have strong content pillars, your website and social media presence become more focused. Instead of random content scattered across unrelated topics, everything ties back to your core themes. This makes it easier for AI-powered search algorithms to understand what your site and profiles are about, making it more likely that people will find your business when searching for related information.
Where to Start?
If you’re new to content pillars, don’t stress. Start with three key topics that are central to your business and go from there. You can always adjust your pillars as your business grows or as you learn more about what your ideal clients want.
The key is to stay focused on providing value, and the rest will follow.
Need help figuring out your content pillars? You know where to find me. Together, we’ll make sure your marketing happens and your content works harder for your business.
Trust me, once you start building around content pillars, everything will feel more organised, and you’ll see real results.
