Difference between Pillar Content and Skyscraper Content

Although both focus on creating high-quality content that can attract and retain visitors, they have different approaches, goals, and processes. Here is a detailed explanation of the differences between them, complete with examples and additional explanations.

What is Pillar Content?

Pillar content is an article or main page on a website designed to be a comprehensive and in-depth source of information on a specific topic. This content acts as a "pillar" or foundation for your website, serving as a primary reference for readers and search engines. The main goal of pillar content is to provide a complete guide on a topic so that visitors can find all the information they need in one place.

Characteristics of Pillar Content

1. Comprehensive and In-Depth: Pillar content covers the topic broadly and deeply, including all relevant aspects of the topic and providing detailed explanations.
2. Lengthy: Pillar articles are usually long, often over 2,000 words. The length allows for detailed and in-depth information.
3. Clear Structure: Using subheadings, lists, tables, and other elements to facilitate navigation and reading. A good structure helps readers find the information they are looking for easily.
4. Reference Sources: Providing many internal and external links for further information. Internal links help increase the time visitors spend on your website, while external links add credibility to your content.
5. SEO Friendly: Optimized for primary and secondary keywords to attract organic traffic from search engines. Proper keyword usage, an attractive meta description, and correct header tags are essential for SEO.

Example of Pillar Content

Imagine you have a website about health and fitness. One of the main topics you want to cover is the "Ketogenic Diet." You could create a pillar article titled "The Complete Guide to the Ketogenic Diet: Benefits, Risks, and How to Get Started." This article would cover various subtopics such as:

1. What is the Ketogenic Diet?
2. Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet:
   • Weight Loss
   • Increased Energy
   • Blood Sugar Control
3. Risks and Side Effects of the Ketogenic Diet
4. How to Start the Ketogenic Diet:
   • Foods to Eat
   • Foods to Avoid
   • Sample Daily Menu
5. Tips and Tricks for Success on the Ketogenic Diet

This article would be the primary reference for visitors who want to learn everything about the ketogenic diet. Additionally, you could link to other more specific articles, such as "Keto Recipes for Beginners" or "Best Exercises for the Ketogenic Diet," which are also related to the main topic.

What is Skyscraper Content?

Skyscraper content is a content creation strategy that involves finding popular or high-ranking content in search engines, then creating a better, more comprehensive, and more engaging version of that content. The main goal of skyscraper content is to outperform existing content and achieve a higher ranking in search results.

Characteristics of Skyscraper Content

1. Competitive Research: Starting with finding content that is already successful, in terms of traffic, backlinks, or search engine ranking.
2. Quality Improvement: Creating better content in terms of quality, length, and information. This means adding new information, correcting errors, and making the content more engaging.
3. Attractive Visuals: Adding visual elements such as infographics, images, and videos to attract readers' attention and increase engagement.
4. Active Promotion: Requires active promotion to get backlinks and attract more visitors. This can involve outreach to other websites, sharing on social media, and using other promotional strategies.
5. SEO Focused: Highly optimized for keywords and often uses advanced SEO techniques such as high-quality backlinks and on-page optimization.

Example of Skyscraper Content

Suppose you find an article titled "10 Tips for Weight Loss" that ranks high on Google. You could use the skyscraper strategy to create a better article titled "20 Proven Tips for Fast and Safe Weight Loss." Steps might include:

1. Adding More Tips: Providing 20 tips instead of 10, making your content more comprehensive.
2. Improving and Updating Information: Ensuring all tips are up-to-date and backed by the latest research.
3. Adding Visuals: Including an infographic summarizing the tips, before and after images, and tutorial videos.
4. SEO Optimization: Using more relevant keywords, writing an attractive meta description, and using proper header tags.
5. Active Promotion: Reaching out to websites that have linked to the original article and asking them to consider linking to your more comprehensive article.

Key Differences Between Pillar Content and Skyscraper Content

Approach

• Pillar Content: The pillar content approach is more proactive and focuses on creating comprehensive and in-depth content on a specific topic from scratch. You design the content to be the primary reference for readers.
• Skyscraper Content: The skyscraper content approach is more reactive and focuses on improving existing content. You look for already successful content and create a better version.

Goal

• Pillar Content: The primary goal of pillar content is to be the main source of information on a specific topic on your website. This content is designed to attract organic traffic and be the center of a series of related articles.
• Skyscraper Content: The primary goal of skyscraper content is to outperform existing content and achieve a higher ranking in search results. It aims to attract more traffic and gain more backlinks.

Process

• Pillar Content: The process of creating pillar content involves in-depth research on the topic, writing long and comprehensive content, and SEO optimization. This is usually a one-time, large effort.
• Skyscraper Content: The process of creating skyscraper content involves competitive research, improving existing content, adding visual elements, and active promotion. It often involves multiple iterations and ongoing efforts to promote the content.

Case Study Examples

Example of Pillar Content: "Complete SEO Guide"

Suppose you have a website focused on digital marketing. You could create a pillar article titled "Complete SEO Guide: Strategies, Techniques, and Best Tools for Search Engine Optimization." This article would cover various aspects of SEO such as:

1. Introduction to SEO: What is SEO and Why is it Important?
2. Keyword Research:
   • Keyword Research Tools
   • How to Find Relevant Keywords
3. On-Page Optimization:
   • Content Optimization Techniques
   • URL Structure and Meta Descriptions
4. Off-Page Optimization:
   • Building Quality Backlinks
   • Content Marketing Techniques
5. SEO Tools:
   • Free and Paid Tools
   • How to Use These Tools

This article would be the main reference for anyone wanting to learn SEO in-depth. You could link to other more specific articles, such as "How to Use Google Keyword Planner" or "Guide to Building Quality Backlinks," which are related to the main topic.

Example of Skyscraper Content: "20 Best Techniques to Improve Your SEO Ranking"

Suppose you find an article titled "10 Best SEO Techniques to Improve Your Ranking" that ranks high on Google. You could use the skyscraper strategy to create a better article titled "20 Best Techniques to Improve Your SEO Ranking." Steps might include:

1. Adding More Techniques: Providing 20 techniques instead of 10, making your content more comprehensive.
2. Improving and Updating Information: Ensuring all techniques are up-to-date and backed by the latest research.
3. Adding Visuals: Including an infographic summarizing the techniques, SEO tool screenshots, and tutorial videos.
4. SEO Optimization: Using more relevant keywords, writing an attractive meta description, and using proper header tags.
5. Active Promotion: Reaching out to websites that have linked to the original article and asking them to consider linking to your more comprehensive article.

Conclusion

Pillar content and skyscraper content are two very effective strategies for increasing the visibility and ranking of your website in search engines. Although both focus on creating high-quality content, they have different approaches, goals, and processes. By understanding these differences, you can effectively use both strategies according to your content goals and SEO strategy. Pillar content can be a strong foundation for your website, while skyscraper content can help you outperform competitors and attract more organic traffic.