A pillar page and a landing page serve unique roles. Their purposes and structures vary significantly. Pillar is a long-form, SEO-driven content piece, often exceeding 3,000 words, aimed at building brand authority on specific topics through comprehensive guides or resource articles. In contrast, a landing page is designed explicitly for conversions, targeting visitors who arrive from ads, emails, or social media, with a streamlined focus on actions like sales, email captures, or sign-ups. By uncovering the differences, core features, and best practices for both page types, this guide will help you strategically employ them to maximize your digital marketing efforts.
Pillar Page vs Landing Page: Definitions and Key Features
Pillar content serves as a central hub linking to various related articles. Consider it a one-stop-shop for detailed information, whether a guide, a how-to article, or a resource compendium. It aims to educate and inform readers, providing valuable insights while subtly integrating product or service mentions.
On the flip side, a landing page is all about direct sales. These pages are crafted to capture visitor information, often through forms, and drive specific actions like purchasing or subscribing to a newsletter. Landing content isn’t part of a site’s navigation. It is standalone and designed for campaigns, attracting visitors to click the buying links.
Both types of pages have distinct roles but can complement each other in a robust digital marketing strategy.
Key Features of Pillar Pages:
- Lengthy and Informative: Generally around 3,000 words, packed with valuable information.
- SEO-Driven: Optimized for search engines to boost organic traffic.
- Hub for Related Content: Links to various related articles or subtopics.
- Educational Focus: Aims to provide in-depth knowledge on a specific subject.
- Evergreen Content: Designed to remain relevant and useful over the long term.
Key Features of Landing Pages:
- Conversion-Oriented: Designed to convert visitors into leads or customers.
- Standalone: Single page not included in the website’s main navigation.
- Minimal Distractions: Focused design with clear calls to action.
- Campaign-Specific: Often tied to specific marketing campaigns.
- Form Integration: Includes forms to capture visitor information for follow-up.
Understanding these differences is crucial for leveraging each page type effectively. Each plays a uncommon role.
Purpose of Pillar Pages vs Landing Pages
Understanding their purposes is paramount in shaping your digital strategy. The primary goal of a pillar page is to drive organic traffic while educating visitors on a particular subject. Think of it as the encyclopedia of your website, offering in-depth and comprehensive information on a broad topic. Pillar articles are the cornerstone of content marketing, built around engaging content. They provide extensive, accessible information to establish authority and trust.
Conversely, landing content serves an unsimilar yet equally critical function. Their main objective is to convert visitors into leads or customers. These pages are gatekeepers to valuable content offers, often incorporating forms to capture visitor information. They are the heavy lifters in your conversion strategy, designed to prompt specific actions. They are mainly targeted at minimizing distractions to maximize conversion rates.
To put it briefly, pillar pages and landing pages serve complementary roles in your marketing toolkit. While the pillar aims to educate and nurture, the landing page focuses on immediate action. Both are vital, but their effectiveness depends on their alignment with your goals.
Knowing when to use each page type can make or break your digital marketing efforts. Pillar increases connection with visitors at the top of the funnel. In contrast, landing attracts them to take action further down the funnel.
Structure and Design
When it comes to structure and design, both of them serve different masters. Let’s break down how each operates to support your digital marketing goals.
Pillar Page Structure and Design
The lengthy articles are packed with desired information and are engineered to boost search engine optimization and satifying user. The layout often includes a table of contents at the top, allowing readers to easily navigate through the extensive content. Headers and subheaders are used liberally to make the content skimmable, catering to readers who prefer to scan rather than read every word.
Links to related articles or subtopics are strategically placed within the content and sidebars. This internal linking structure not only enhances user experience but also strengthens the search eninge value of the entire site. Pillar content in web pages generally target the awareness or consideration stages of the buyer’s journey, providing broad yet comprehensive information on a particular topic. This approach helps establish your brand as a guardian in the field.
Landing Page Structure and Design
It is all about getting the job done quickly and effectively. These pages are created with a single purpose: conversion. Whether it’s capturing email data, prompting a purchase, or encouraging a subscription. Minimal distractions are key. You won’t find overlong articles or multiple navigation options here. Instead, the layout is clean and direct, often featuring a bold headline, compelling copy, and a prominent CTA button.
Forms are a standard feature on landing pages, used to capture visitor information for future follow-ups. These forms are usually short, asking for only the most essential details to reduce friction and improve click rates. The design is often campaign-specific, tailored to the target audience and the particular action you want them to take.
Both are essential, but their designs reflect differing roles in your content marketing strategy.
SEO Benefits of Pillar Pages vs Landing Pages
When considering search benefits, they serve clear-cut but complementary roles. Pillar is the champion of organic traffic. They accomplish this by linking to numerous related articles, which bolsters topic authority and improves search engine ranking. Typically, it is an extensive piece of content that provides a broad yet comprehensive explanation of a specific topic. It’s crafted to rank for short-tail and long-tail keywords.
- Enhanced Topic Authority: Linking to related content reinforces subject matter expertise.
- Improved Search Engine Ranking: Optimized for short-tail keywords, boosting visibility.
- Increased Organic Traffic: Long-form content attracts more visitors.
- Stronger Internal Linking: Links to various subtopics improve site structure.
- Long-Term Relevance: Evergreen content remains useful and relevant over time.
Landing pages focus on lead generation and are integral to a marketer’s strategy. They are versatile, useful throughout the marketing funnel. They introduce a brand, help to take immediate action and nurture customer relationships.
- High Conversion Rates: Designed to convert visitors into leads or customers.
- Campaign-Specific Optimization: Tailored to specific marketing objectives.
- Versatile Use: Effective at various stages of the buyer’s journey.
- Immediate Impact: Generates quick results through targeted actions.
- Focused Content: Streamlined design minimizes distractions, enhancing user experience.
Best Practices
Specific strategies can significantly enhance the performance of effective pillar pages and landing pages. Following the best practices for each page type can make all the difference in your marketing action plan.
| Pillar | Landing |
|---|---|
| Start with detailed keyword research when create a pillar page. Ensure the page targets relevant, high-volume search terms. | Craft attention-grabbing headlines that clearly convey the value proposition. |
| Use clear, descriptive headings and subheadings to make the content easily skimmable. | Write persuasive copy that speaks directly to the visitor’s needs and pain points. |
| Incorporate links to related articles and core words within the content. | Use short, optimized forms to capture visitor information with minimal friction. |
| Include a Table Of Content at the top of the page to guide visitors through the content. | Ensure that your CTA is prominent, clear, and compelling. |
| Focus on creating evergreen content that remains relevant over time, providing long-lasting value to your audience. | Keep the design simple and focused, eliminating any unnecessary elements that could distract from the action. |
How many pillar pages should you have?
The number of pages you should have depends on your overall content strategy and business goals. Typically, it’s recommended to have one pillar page for each core topic you want to cover comprehensively.
What is the key differences between pillar pages and cluster pages?
A pillar page serves as the core content hub, providing an overview of a broad topic. A cluster page, or subtopic page, delves into specific aspects of the main topic and links back to the the main content page.
What is the difference between a landing page and a main page?
A landing page is created for specific campaigns and aims to convert visitors. A main page, or homepage, provides a general overview of the website’s offerings and directs users to various sections.
When should you ungate content?
You should consider ungating content when your goal is to bringing more organic traffic and establish leader in a given topic. Pillar pages are often ungated to maximize SEO benefits.
How to create a landing page on HubSpot
To create a landing page in HubSpot, navigate to “Marketing” > “Landing Pages”, click “Create”, choose a template, and customize it with your content and forms to meet your conversion goals.
Pillar page is a content powerhouse while landing page is conversion king. Both has different motive to help the marketer reach their ultimate aim. By strategically leveraging both pillar pages and landing pages, you can enhance your online presence, drive traffic, and achieve a higher conversion rate.
