A cornerstone content strategy helps build brand awareness and trustworthiness. Moreover, it maximizes search engine optimization (SEO) to get quality backlinks and improve search engine rankings. As a result, business websites can increase organic traffic to generate local leads. In essence, cornerstone content pages help increase revenues.
What Is Cornerstone Content?
Cornerstone content is the core or foundation of SEO content strategy. They are the most detailed and vital pieces of content on a website. Rather than selling, cornerstone content pages provide complete information on a particular topic.
Generally, cornerstone content strategy involves creating pages/posts revolving around an area of focus. In addition, they require a solid SEO keyword strategy because cornerstone content pages contain the most important keywords relevant to the business.
Another element required in creating cornerstone content pages is an internal linking strategy. Usually, a strategist would map content to best define a website’s hierarchy, including internal links to other related posts. So, in essence, they act as “pillar pages,” the central focus of a topic.
One way to look at pillar pages is that they are the website’s main attractions. Each cornerstone article links to a cluster of other posts or complementary pieces that elaborate on a particular subtopic.
Besides providing visitors with high-value content, the goal of a cornerstone content strategy is to push pillar pages higher in search results to increase organic traffic. It is thus an integral part of the customer acquisition strategy in the buyer’s journey.
Cornerstone Content vs. Evergreen Content
Evergreen content is a term that often comes up concerning cornerstone content. These two terms are almost always used interchangeably because of their similarities. For example, both are high-value foundational pages or posts that provide valuable information to visitors.
At any rate, evergreen content differs in that it does not have a time frame, so they remain relevant even after years. For this reason, content marketers value evergreen marketing strategies because they attract visitors, even if the posts are old.
Rather than treating cornerstone and evergreen pages as two types of content, SEO content writing services should strive to turn cornerstone content timeless whenever possible. One reason is that evergreen marketing using pillar pages is one of the best SEO techniques to improve search engine rankings and increase organic traffic.
Why Cornerstone Content Matters in SEO Content Marketing
It is almost impossible for typical blog posts to rank for competitive keywords. For this reason, cornerstone content plays a crucial role in SEO keyword strategy. SEO content writing services create these pillar pages to rank for high-volume keywords.
Remember that content marketing aims to attract visitors and generate local leads. Cornerstone content can help fulfill that if it ranks high in search results. So they have to provide value for Google and other search engines to consider them for higher rankings. In addition, high-value posts are more likely to be linked to or shared, further boosting SEO efforts.
The trick is how a content strategist maps the internal linking structure. For example, a pillar page links to other articles and vice versa. Once crawled and indexed, search engines like Google and Bing will interpret pages containing multiple internal backlinks as important pieces that deserve higher rankings.
A well-structured SEO keyword strategy not only helps in site organization. For example, once a cornerstone page appears on search results, related topics may also appear in a hierarchy below the main post. Such exposure, for sure, can attract more site visitors.
For SEO and content specialists, cornerstone content forces them to focus on a particular group of keywords. Hence, they can save time and energy on the most relevant keywords without straying too far from a core topic and avoid a fragmented content strategy.
Despite the potential boost in SEO, creating cornerstone content does not guarantee rankings. Like many SEO strategies, its results may not be evident for weeks or months. Nonetheless, they can help increase site authority and trustworthiness. Furthermore, they help establish credibility and build brand awareness among users.
Why Cornerstone Content Matters to Google and Businesses
Google loves cornerstone content because it provides valuable insights to users. Users will continue using Google Search and its other revenue-generating services if they find good information from search results.
Here are some more reasons why Google and business websites love cornerstone content.
• Establish authority. Cornerstone articles are comprehensive, insightful and valuable. When users come across these articles, they will have a favorable impression and confidence in the business.
• Boost SEO. Cornerstone and evergreen marketing strategy greatly enhance SEO and keyword ranking, which helps drive traffic.
• Natural link-building. Since cornerstone and pillar pages are highly valued, they are shared and linked to the most. As inbound links and traffic increase, the website becomes more authoritative, which enhances search visibility.
• Generate content ideas or topics. After creating cornerstone content, SEO content writing services can continue creating more related posts and a logical content structure.
• Help users find more information. Since cornerstone posts link to other related articles, users can navigate and learn more by clicking on internal links.
What Topics Can Be Cornerstone Content Pages?
When creating cornerstone content, the best way to start is to think of the most important topics to the business.
Consider Thrive as an example. Being an SEO agency, one of its primary services is link-building. So one topic that makes sense is “Links,” which happens to be one of the most important Google ranking signals.
A content strategist could, for example, create this outline:
● SEO Links
○What are SEO links?
○Why are links important to SEO?
○What are the different types of links?
■ Internal links
■ External links
■ Inbound links
Assume, for instance, that the outline covers the main topic comprehensively. Then, a cluster of posts can be built around this cornerstone piece, such as a series of articles on “what is” and “how to” build internal, external and inbound links.
At any rate, any topic can be cornerstone content as long as they are a core part of the business.
Get Started With Cornerstone Content To Enhance Content Marketing
Creating cornerstone content, in summary, provides the following benefits:
• Build brand authority, credibility and trustworthiness
• Enhance brand awareness
• Improve brand reputation
• Get more organic and high-value leads
• Get quality backlinks
• Build an email list (to feed the sales funnel)
Businesses must ensure each cornerstone content has an emotional impact on users to develop a successful content marketing strategy. They must also support the content with data, facts and professional insights. Last but not least is that they should incorporate the business’s brand identity.
For more information on how cornerstone content marketing can generate local leads for your business, contact us at 866-908-4748. Our SEO content specialists can recommend the best evergreen marketing strategy for you and how we create pillar pages to drive organic traffic.
