How does a pillar page differ from regular website pages in terms of structure and purpose?

A pillar page is quite different from your regular website pages in terms of its structure, purpose, and overall role within your content strategy. Here are the key distinctions:

Structure and Depth

While normal pages focus on a specific subtopic or keyword, a pillar page is a comprehensive, long-form piece covering a broad core topic from multiple angles in much greater depth. We're talking guides that could be thousands of words across many sections and subheadings.

Purpose

Your regular pages are typically created to target particular keywords and queries. A pillar page's main purpose is to establish topical authority and serve as an industry-leading resource on that overarching subject matter.

Content Organization

Most pages have a linear structure covering that singular subtopic. Pillar pages are divided into multiple sections exploring various aspects and subtopics under that broad umbrella theme.

Internal Linking

Regular pages may link out, but pillar pages are designed as content hubs. They use internal linking to connect out to more detailed supporting content pieces that expand upon each subtopic section. This reinforces content topic clusters.

Keyword Targeting

Pillar pages include relevant keywords, but they're not hyper-focused on specific terms. The goal is overall topical comprehensiveness, not sole focus on certain phrases.

Promotion

You'll promote a regular page through your usual channels for a while. But pillar pages get treated as cornerstones, long-term resources that get continually promoted, updated, and pushed as definitive guides.

So in essence, pillar pages are your authoritative content, meant to establish your brand as a trusted expert on core topics. The supporting content explores subtopics and keywords in more focused ways that are all linked back to that pillar hub.