# Pillar page A pillar page is a page that covers a whole topic at an overview level and links to detailed pages on each part, which link back. Also called a hub and spokes or a topic cluster. It gives you one clear page for the broad query, many for specifics and internal links across the set. Updated 2026-09-14 · Source: https://porteur.ai/glossary/pillar-page ## Why a pillar page matters on a small site It tells search engines where your topic starts. Your spoke pages then rank for the long tail and send context back to the hub. It helps users. Someone on "/guides/seo" can scan a clear overview, then click "On‑page SEO", "Technical SEO" or "Link building" without getting lost. It prevents thin, overlapping posts. You decide the boundaries once, then add focused pages that do not cannibalise each other. ## Planning a topic cluster 1. **Pick one broad search** Choose a head term like "email marketing" or "page speed" that a single product page cannot satisfy. The pillar targets this broad query. 2. **Map 6 to 12 spokes** List subtopics users need: for "page speed" that may be "Largest Contentful Paint", "render‑blocking resources", "image optimisation" and "third‑party scripts". 3. **Set URLs and scope** Use a clean structure, for example "/guides/page-speed" for the pillar and child paths for spokes, like "/guides/page-speed/image-optimisation". 4. **Write the overview** Cover definitions, key steps, common pitfalls and links to each spoke. The pillar should be worth reading on its own, not a link list. 5. **Publish spokes and link both ways** In each spoke, link back to the pillar with descriptive anchor text. From the pillar, link to each spoke near the relevant section. > Publish the hub only when it stands alone as an overview and at least three spokes are ready. A fixed example: "/guides/page-speed" introduces Core Web Vitals and links to "/guides/page-speed/largest-contentful-paint" and "/guides/page-speed/third-party-scripts". Each spoke links back with "page speed guide" as anchor text. ## How to measure a pillar page - Search Console, Performance: the pillar should earn impressions on the broad query and related head terms. Spokes should pick up specific queries. - Search Console, Pages tab: check clicks per spoke. Low‑click spokes may need clearer links from the pillar or tighter titles. - Search Console, Queries tab on the pillar: confirm the intent is informational. If transactional queries dominate, you built a landing page, not a pillar. - Internal links: the pillar should have links in and out to every spoke. Fix any orphan spokes. - User paths: in product analytics, see if readers click from the pillar to the right spoke and return. Add short summaries above each link if they do not. A healthy set: the pillar shows rising impressions with steady clicks, spokes gain clicks on long‑tail terms and time on page is higher than your average article. ## Traps to avoid - A thin hub: a list of links with no overview. Write sections, definitions and short how‑tos before you list links. - Too many spokes at once: start with six to twelve. Beyond that, split into a new cluster or the hub becomes vague. - Mixed intents: do not cram pricing tables or CTAs meant for "/pricing" into a pillar. Keep it informational and navigational. - Duplicate blurbs: avoid copy‑pasting the same paragraph on every spoke. Summarise each spoke uniquely on the pillar. - URL sprawl: do not scatter spokes across "/blog/" and "/guides/". Keep one structure so crawlers and users see the set. - Unclear anchors: link with specific text like "Core Web Vitals guide" rather than "read more". ## Questions ### What is the main difference between a pillar page and a landing page? A pillar page is an informational hub for a topic and links to deeper pages. A landing page is for conversion on one offer. Use "/guides/email-marketing" as a pillar. Use "/free-trial" as a landing page. ### Can you give me an example of a pillar page? "/guides/page-speed" covering Core Web Vitals, image optimisation and render‑blocking resources, with links to each spoke. Each spoke, like "/guides/page-speed/largest-contentful-paint", links back to the hub. ### What is the difference between pillar pages and topic clusters? A topic cluster is the whole set: the pillar plus its spokes. The pillar page is the hub in that set. Build both together, not one without the other. ### How long should a pillar page be? Long enough to explain the topic and send readers to the right spokes. Do not pad. If you can cover it well in 1,500 words, stop there. If it needs more, add clear sections and links. ### Can a product page be a pillar page? Usually no. A pillar is informational and links to educational spokes. A product "/pricing" or "/features" page serves a different intent. Link from spokes to these pages when it helps the reader. ## Read next - [Internal linking for a small site: which pages link to which](https://porteur.ai/guides/internal-linking-for-seo): Decide which pages rank. Build hubs, write clear anchors, fix orphans, and crawl your site to map links you control. - [Topical authority](https://porteur.ai/glossary/topical-authority): What topical authority means, how to plan a topical map, link hubs, and read real signals without chasing third party scores. - [Keyword clustering](https://porteur.ai/glossary/keyword-clustering): Keyword clustering groups queries that one page should answer. Use results-page overlap to form clusters, then build one strong page for each. - [Search intent: what the results page tells you to build](https://porteur.ai/guides/search-intent): Learn the four intents, read intent from the results page, and fix pages that will never rank by changing their kind, not just the words. - [Thin content](https://porteur.ai/glossary/thin-content): Thin content is a page with little value of its own. See why it drags a small site, how to spot it, and how to expand, merge or remove. - [On-page SEO checklist: the twelve things on the page](https://porteur.ai/guides/on-page-seo-checklist): The twelve page elements that move clicks and rankings, with examples you can copy to your own product pages today. Want to see if your site has a real pillar or a thin hub, and what rivals cover on the same topic, from one URL in about thirty seconds and free, with three findings shown whole? Try Porteur’s check. Free check: https://porteur.ai/