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Pillar articles aren't your normal article, here's why

  • TommyCarey Level X3
    • 11

    Write the reason you're deleting this FAQ

    Pillar articles aren't your normal article, here's why

    Recently I had a client contact me asking if I knew how to write up a pillar article.  I knew how to write these, but I don't get them requested very often since a lot of website owners don't know what they are.  I've actually written up hundreds of these in the past, and they're pretty fun to do since they're very informative, but they do take some time and research to structure them just right.

    A pillar article can't just be slapped together with a bunch of random content, you need to go at these articles in a different way and be strategic.  You need to show what you're doing, explain what it's all about and then come to a strong conclusion.  If you actually look through my discussions here on SEOclerks you'll see that I actually have a bunch of them written up already.

    My discussions:  https://www.seoclerks.com/faq/u/Razzy/type/questions
    Most recent pillar article of mine:  https://www.seoclerks.com/faq/2403...-make-more-money

    A lot of the pillar articles I've written here in the discussion section are lists.  Did a light bulb just go off in your head and you said to yourself "Is an article with a list in it actually a pillar article!?!?!?!" and the answer is usually YES!  A lot of pillar articles are actually large lists with a good amount of information.  You won't see many of these articles with less than 500 words, you'll actually see them closer to 1,000 words or more.

    Another way to write up a pillar article is by doing reviews of items or services within the article and then coming to a conclusion on them.  This isn't requested as much as the list type articles because they're not needed as often, but I still write them for clients and show them what they can use for their websites beside the standard 4 - 8 paragraph articles or list articles Pillar articles aren



    What do I deem a Pillar Article?

    I define a pillar article as one of the following:

    1. A long article that is written in a way that clearly and concisely explains what the subject is about.
    2. An article that makes you think the author is the main authority on the topic.  It's written in a way that you feel the author did not have to do any research because he or she is such an expert.
    3. The article has a simple, but clear, definition as well as a great body that has examples and a great conclusion to finish it out.
    4. All of the content within the pillar article is unique by showing the authors own writing style as well as being structured extremely well and user friendly.
    5. The article is something called "evergreen" which means there will be value in the content for years to come.  It won't go out of style since the content is evergreen (like a pine tree, get it?).


    Why should you use a Pillar Article?
    • A pillar article may be longer than most, but it's a very attractive thing for website owners and blogger to link to from their own blog posts or pages.  This will almost always help your search engine rankings and authority within the search engines and the community you're in Pillar articles aren
    • You are writing content for your readers, who will love all the unique and well written content.  Please the people and Google will reward you for your actions.
    • A pillar article usually lures in people to read and then share since it's providing a massive amount of free information for anyone to use and love.


    What goes into writing a Pillar Article?
    • Time and Energy!  
      First off you'll need a lot of time and energy.  These types of articles are very demanding on your time, and we all know that time is money, so the better you get at these long articles the better you'll be when it comes to making money or managing your time.  Since these articles are needed to look well researched and longer than your average blog post, it will cut into your work load, if you have one, and restrict you from doing something while you're writing.  You need to focus on these types of articles, so having a little distraction as possible will help you out immensely. 

      For some of my own pillar articles I take around 30 minutes to an hour just to get them written up.  Now some of you are saying "That's not very long at all for a monster sized article!" but what you're forgetting is that it's my own article where I'm adding massive amounts of content that I don't have to research since I've been in my industry for 15+ years.  For some of my clients I take an entire afternoon to write up a well structured and informational pillar article Pillar articles aren

    • You need to have passion! 
      If you don't have a passion for writing, you'll likely hate writing up anything that is extensive.  A pillar article needs to be 1,000+ words of well thought out content related to the website or blog it's going on.  If you can't invest your time and energy into a pillar article, I would suggest that you either do one over the course of a week or simply outsource the work to a credible writer who can do the work for you.

     
    How do I write a Pillar Article?
    If you have a passion for writing, then you'll easily be able to write up a pillar article.  This goes for most things in life, if you have a passion for it, it will be easier for you to accomplish. 

    Here's a brief approach at how you can write up a pillar article:
    1. Pick a topic that you are already familiar with and have experience with as well.
    2. Think of some ideas to add within your pillar article, without researching anything just yet.
    3. Go research your main points of the article you're about to write up (even if you don't think you have to).
    4. Be sure to link to your ideas for bookmarking purposes.  You can remove these links if you'd like, but that's not always necessary with a pillar article.
    5. Sit down and begin writing (or typing like me lol).
    6. Proofread everything when you're done and even ask someone to read it for you.  You'd be amazed at how much you find that needs to be edited or tweaked.
    7. Make sure everything is structured well and flows perfectly.  If you were talking about building a car, you wouldn't start off with what color paint you want to spray on the body, right?  Start with the necessities and take it in steps.



    In Conclusion:
    Writing up a pillar article is much like painting or dancing.  You need to be passionate about it and it will also take time to learn.  You won't be a Van Gogh or Ballerina right off the bat, but over time you can get there and publish amazing works of art Pillar articles aren  Take your time when you're writing a pillar article, if you're under a deadline you'll need to stay diligent with your timelines in order to not have any cram time at the end.  Once you've done everything above, click "Publish" and get your work of art out there for the masses Pillar articles aren  


    Remember to follow me!
    https://www.seoclerks.com/user/Razzy


    Thanks!

    Razzy



    P.S. This is a pillar article lol Pillar articles aren

    #Pillararticles Content & Writing
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    Cristian

    Cristian

    I've actually read about pillar articles recently on Neils Patel's blog. I think this article you've written here Razzy is by itself a pillar article, your explanation is on spot but I think one more mention should be made.
    The way I see a pillar article is well, like a pillar in terms of content on your website. All the other "branches" must connect with the pillar, it had to be in the center of a website's overall content, the most important content that usually links everything together.

    I think every website should have a pillar page with high-quality content that's just the center of everything on that website.
    8 years ago

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    Corzhens

    Corzhens

    I am at a loss with that pillar article and now you are saying about pillar page. I sometimes wonder if my way of learning is proper because I have noticed that the more I read discussions about SEO and e-commerce, the more I get confused. Now this pillar article and pillar page is giving me a headache as if I have a homework from school. Just like then started studying backlinks, I was a novice that until now I feel that way.
    7 years ago

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    overcast

    overcast

    I think of pillar article as a bibliography type resource. So some of your other articles can be linked through the article. And one article linking another can make some really good indexing. So that being said, I think it should be a big learning resource. That seems to be the purpose for the pillar article. And it can be good enough in many ways for the content distribution. And many people choose to have it for their content usage as well. So you get external links in this process too.
    8 years ago

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    coolavender

    coolavender

    I love reading pillar articles and I love that you made a pillar article out of it, @Razzy. As a content writer, I find it exhausting to write one and I admit to writing several pillar articles like a robot without even realizing their potential. I've seen this strategy with some online earning review sites, though, and they're quite effective in linking the different pages of the website. The pillar article, in this case, needs regular updating to include new pages or new online earning methods.
    8 years ago

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    augusta

    augusta

    Oh wow, just learned another way of holding my readers and visitors captive.Learning never ends.Pillar articles, I believe this is just like writing original content from what one has observed overtime without getting any input from other views. This would have been a lot better because it will give the writer the power to simplify all his or her content but we are so used to researching other contents before writing and before we know it we are almost writing alike or putting down the same sentences.Will try to write pillars articles for my blog and see how it goes.
    8 years ago

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    JoeMilford

    JoeMilford

    I have not heard this phrase, "pillar article", Razzy, until you explained it here in your own pillar article, I'd say. Presenting yourself as an expert on the content and giving real world and researched examples of the application of the knowledge found in the content is an awesome approach to one's audience. It is also creates a culture of reliability, I think, between yourself and the audience almost as if you are conducting a type of classroom. The pillar article can become the trunk o the tree, so to speak, on the website, where all of the other branches out and grows from this trunk with its own threads. This might be a poorly worded metaphor, but it seems to make sense to me currently.
    8 years ago

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    kgord

    kgord

    I think a pillar article should encapsulate what your website, business etc. is all about and should be able to reflect your business model. I think it should be looked at as the framework from which all other things flow and branch out, or in the tree analogy, the trunk from which the other branches flow.
    8 years ago

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    limberg

    limberg

    Thanks for this post. I have heard of pillar articles on the past busy didn't really understand their concept of how to make them. Now I realized from your post that pillar articles are what makes a website get noticed. Website owners need to constantly produce pillar articles on order to become relevant and rise above the ranks.

    The only problem is, creating pillar articles require lots of time and effort as compared to regular articles. Then again, I'm sure that the effort would be handsomely rewarded.

    I still, have a question... How often do you create pillar articles? Once a week? Once a month? Every other day?
    8 years ago

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    TimothyAlex

    TimothyAlex

    One critical reason for pillar articles is internal linking. A business may only have a couple of prime keywords that they build their content around. All that other content is designed to support the pillar article.
    8 years ago

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    Authord

    Authord

    Yeah, Pillar articles are important in every website and blog, and it is called pillar articles, because it is that article that needs to be in place for other articles to survive in a place. It is the back bone of every article on your site. And it also helps in strengthening your friendship with google web crawler.
    8 years ago

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    Corzhens

    Corzhens

    Gee, that’s a pretty good article when you give an impression that you are an authority on the subject matter. And I have to agree because when I read blogs of popular bloggers, I sometimes get that impression on the writer. One time I was reading a blog about the free visa of those going to the US. Take note that one of the most elusive visa is that of the US. And that blogger said that you don’t need a US visa anymore. With her air of authority, I believed her while reading the blog although after some time time the falsity sank to my mind.
    8 years ago

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