Building the Right Foundation for Cornerstone Content — Here’s Everything I Know

I bear in mind precisely the place I used to be after I stumbled upon the idea of cornerstone content material for the primary time. It was a recent winter’s morning in late December, and the sunshine glistened over the frosted floor … Okay, I child, I child.

So, the cornerstone content material mannequin is not precisely ‘Moon Touchdown’ materials. However, it did utterly revolutionize how I take into consideration and implement content material technique.

As a junior content material marketer, it gave me my first logical framework for creating, organizing, and managing content material manufacturing. Earlier than then, it kinda felt like I used to be throwing content material concepts on the wall till one thing, something, caught. There was nothing to “dangle my hat on,” so to talk.

Other than a logical framework, cornerstone content material additionally gave me a tried and examined methodology to extend search engine visibility for my shoppers. I additionally know for a incontrovertible fact that cornerstone content material shaped a part of the SEO content strategy that also drives tens of millions of visits to the HubSpot weblog at this time.

Curiosity piqued? Cool! Please maintain studying to study from me and a few unbelievable leaders within the web optimization business.

Desk of Contents

To totally perceive cornerstone content material, I‘d argue you should additionally perceive cluster content material. They’re sort of like two halves of an entire that work collectively to kind the pillar (aka cornerstone) cluster content model. Confused? No sweat, let me break this down.

A chunk of cornerstone content material, like an article, features as an introduction to a complete subject class or subcategory of content material in your web site. Merely put, it introduces your viewers to a core subject or subtopic that you simply already cowl or plan to cowl rigorously.

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Cluster content material, however, acts as supplementary content material that expands upon and helps your cornerstone content material.

Instance

As an instance you run a music web site. Due to the character of the positioning, you typically share a number of articles about numerous music genres like pop, metallic, and punk.

Within the cornerstone mannequin, every style would turn into like a unique class or cornerstone subject you write about. On this instance, a cornerstone piece of content material is perhaps one thing like “A whole historical past of punk music” or “One of the best punk music from the 70s till now.”

In the meantime, cluster content material would contain extra area of interest articles that relate to and thus assist the cornerstone content material. In order that is perhaps one thing like “One of the best pop-punk songs from the early 2000s” or “American vs. British punk: what is the distinction?”

Do not imagine me? Backlinko analyzed 4 million Google search results and located that “solely .63% of Google searchers clicked on one thing from the second web page.” Merely put, if search engine customers don‘t discover what they want, they’re extra prone to regulate their search phrases than scroll past web page one.

Thus, search engine visibility issues. That is why SEOs put a lot effort into incomes page-one ranks for our employers and/or shoppers. Fortunate for us, cornerstone content material may help.

Professional Insights

As Mersudin Forbes, a portfolio SEO director and company advisor with 15 years of web optimization expertise, says, “For me, as an web optimization Advisor, this [cornerstone content] is at all times steering in the direction of search engine visibility. However it actually does go method past this.”

He explains that the idea can prolong to “any sort of visitors or engagement you wish to optimize in your net properties or different mediums equivalent to newsletters.”

Professional tip: Try HubSpot’s SEO starter pack for extra methods to spice up your search engine visibility.

Make your first impression rely.

In keeping with Netcraft’s 2024 Web Server Survey, over 1.5 billion web sites are on-line at this time. Even in case you solely rely the energetic websites — round 200 million — the competitors for on-line consideration is fiercer than ever.

Mix the above with ContentSquare information highlighting that the common time individuals spend on a web site is dropping. Nicely, that fierce competitors simply bought fiercer.

The crux? Whenever you get a reader’s consideration within the SERPs and earn their click on, it is advisable make it rely.

Professional Insights

Ben Goodey, the founding father of Spicy Margarita Content, and I agree that cornerstone content material may be your greatest pal right here.

“I discover cornerstone content material actually necessary as a result of it is typically the primary piece of content material you create as an organization,” says Goodey. “It units the bar in your fashion and high quality — and is due to this fact very prone to dictate how good content material that follows is.”

He provides: “As a result of cornerstone content material can be extra top-of-funnel ‘final information’ fashion content material, it is typically your viewers’s first large touchpoint with you. You could have the chance to seize a variety of consideration, place your stake within the floor as a model, and make it crystal clear to your viewers who you’re and the way you do issues. It is an effective way to attach with audiences and instill your model from the off.”

Your pal and mine, Ryan Jones, the Advertising Supervisor at SEOTesting, shares how this primary impression may help your model set up authority inside its area.

“Probably the most essential advantage of cornerstone content material is that it helps your model set up authority inside its area,” says Jones.

“A well-researched, informative piece of cornerstone content material positions you as an authority inside your area. This helps construct credibility together with your web site’s readers and encourages them to spend extra time in your web site and discover the opposite content material you supply.”

Cut back your bounce price.

Your bounce rate is the proportion of oldsters who click on on one in all your web site’s pages after which depart with out changing or visiting any extra pages.

Enjoyable factoid alert: In keeping with the HubSpot State of Marketing Report, the common web site has a bounce price of round 37%. As for a “good” bounce price? Jetpack chalks that up at between 26% and 40%. In the meantime, a “unhealthy” bounce price is round 56% to 70%.

The great, the unhealthy, and the common estimates apart, bounce charges can differ massively between industries and niches. So, whereas it isn’t at all times the be-all and end-all, it may point out whether or not an internet web page:

A) Matches a consumer’s search intent.

B) Offers a superb consumer expertise.

C) Makes a superb first impression.

A + B + C = a satisfying, slightly than irritating, consumer expertise.

On condition that ContentSquare information finds one in three customers finish net classes on account of frustration, offering a seamless consumer expertise ought to be high of thoughts for all publishers.

Nothing in life is assured. That mentioned, a high-quality piece of cornerstone content material is extra prone to scale back your bounce price by completely breaking down a subject. This can give customers the whole lot they want in a single place (so they do not must exit your web site).

And naturally, funnel customers by means of a sequence of associated content material items (offering seamless subsequent steps). All of those components culminate in lowering consumer frustration.

Professional Insights

Mersudin Forbes additionally emphasizes the significance of creating it straightforward for customers to navigate your web site by means of cornerstone content material, finally aiding UX.

“Cornerstone/pillar content material ought to be straightforward for customers to grasp and navigate to out of your info structure,” says Forbes. “Placing it on the forefront of what you’d need your customers to seek out.”

He additionally explains that your cornerstone content material “ought to assist funnel customers to different supporting and associated items of knowledge.” This enables “you to cluster your different items of content material round your core subject areas.”

The kicker? A logical pillar-cluster content material breakdown is useful for consumer expertise.

Help with hyperlink acquisition.

Concerning web optimization, I am an on-page and content material lady lately. That mentioned, I truly began in hyperlink constructing (i.e., off-page.) I labored on a number of link-building campaigns as a visitor publish author for a blogger outreach platform.

Other than writing the visitor posts, I recognized high-quality and related websites and pitched article concepts to those publishers.

Primarily based on this, I can inform you first-hand how arduous hyperlink acquisition may be. However there is a motive we maintain revisiting the link-building nicely in web optimization.

In keeping with Ahrefs, 96.55% of all pages of their index “get zero visitors from Google, and 1.94% get between one and ten month-to-month visits.” One of many high causes these pages get zero visitors? They haven’t any backlinks.

As Ahrefs places it: “Backlinks are one in all Google’s high three rating components, so it in all probability comes as no shock that there is a clear correlation between the variety of web sites linking to a web page and its visitors.”

However slightly than chasing these much-needed hyperlinks, cornerstone content material encourages them to return to you. As a author for a excessive area authority web site (hey, HubSpot!) I can attest to this.

I‘m at all times searching for unbelievable content material or analysis reviews to reference as a result of they add authority to my writing. (When you’ve made it this far, I’ve already linked to Backlinko, Netcraft, ContentSquare, JetPack, and Ahrefs.)

And I am not the one one who thinks this.

Professional Insights

“Cornerstone content material is nice for hyperlink acquisition,” says SEOTesting’s Advertising Supervisor Ryan Jones. “Reviewing all of the link-building campaigns I’ve run over time, cornerstone content material has at all times been probably the most profitable.”

He provides: “There are a number of causes for this, however the primary one is that your web site’s cornerstone content material is commonly your greatest content material. Extra individuals are prone to hyperlink to it due to that. You possibly can then use the cornerstone content material to drive authority to different pages in your web site.”

Assist content material repurposing efforts.

The price of content material manufacturing can quickly add up — shout out to ClearVoice, who did the math so we don’t have to. For even “a minimally staffed content material staff,” you may seemingly pay round $197,066 per 12 months.

Content material repurposing (i.e., reusing all or components of a content material piece throughout totally different channels so it reaches new audiences) is one option to get extra mileage from that funding.

Which means cornerstone content material aids your web optimization technique and your broader content marketing plan. Additional, it may additionally show you how to earn income out of your content material funding.

For instance, data from HubSpot finds that 63% of entrepreneurs say social media drives the best ROI of all advertising channels, whereas 43% cite e-mail.

Cornerstone content material in your web site is the perfect option to maintain a gradual supply of content material within the hopper to gasoline these different channels.

Professional Insights

Once I first began as a child marketer, I used to be accountable for content material throughout my employer’s weblog and social media. Throughout this time, I spotted the unbelievable advantage of getting weblog and social content material to work collectively cohesively.

I‘d create two weblog posts a month, equating to about 4 to eight social posts.

Not solely would weblog content material assist socials (so I’d direct people to our firm pages from there), however socials would assist the weblog (so I might hyperlink to blogs within the feedback of social posts.)

I’ll say this: Generally, you‘re higher off creating content material for a selected channel from scratch slightly than reusing content material initially meant for one more. That mentioned, you’ll at all times have concepts for socials or e-mail when you could have a financial institution of high-quality cornerstone web site content material handy.

My most popular key phrase analysis instrument is Keywords Everywhere. For my part, you actually can‘t go improper with the value, and it fits my key phrase analysis fashion completely.

Plus, as a author, I’m always stumbling upon hidden gems whereas researching within the SERPs, so even when I am not doing the technique, I can feed these key phrases again to the strategist if they need them!

To get began, I‘m going to double-check that the Key phrase’s In every single place Chrome extension is turned on and set to the proper area. For this instance, I‘m utilizing ’United States.’

I’ll stroll on the wild aspect and make an informed guess on the search time period ‘web optimization information.’ The time period brings up a good quantity of search quantity.

However the competitors is simply too sturdy for my liking. You possibly can estimate this utilizing the price per click on (CPC) or the Competitors metrics in Key phrases In every single place. You will see these underneath the search bar.

You can too look straight on the SERPs. At a look, the web sites rating for this search time period have such excessive authority and experience on this subject that it could be nearly unattainable to rank alongside them. (That’s until you have been additionally a web site with excessive authority and experience on this space.)

Primarily based on the above findings, it is time to search for hidden gems on the right-hand aspect of the browser. Right here, Key phrases In every single place shares “Folks Additionally Search For,” “Topical Key phrases,” “SERP Key phrases,” “Associated Key phrases,” and “Lengthy-Tail Key phrases.”

By “hidden gems,” I‘m searching for low-competition key phrases with first rate sufficient search quantity to justify changing into pillar content material.

That mentioned, I like to stay versatile right here. If the key phrase analysis takes me in one other course that may profit the meant viewers, so be it! Because the saying goes, “We are able to’t battle the waves, however we will study to surf.”

I‘ve scoured by means of some longer tail key phrases, and the “web optimization information” topic, normally, is tremendous aggressive. So, I’m taking a diversion.

My first new piece of cornerstone content material throughout the natural search cluster will now be concerning the various kinds of web optimization. I am going to break the preliminary key phrases for this piece down within the following method:

Goal key phrase. Kinds of web optimization in digital advertising – 50 month-to-month search quantity

Associated key phrases.

• Kinds of web optimization in digital advertising with examples – 10 month-to-month search quantity
• Kinds of SEO – 880 month-to-month search quantity (As a result of excessive authority websites dominate the SERPs, I see this as a longer-term funding. That‘s why it isn’t my goal key phrase, regardless that the search quantity is increased.)

Professional tip: To make sure an concept warrants a complete article, test the outcomes pages for the goal key phrase. At first look, I can see that Google is prioritizing pages devoted to answering this question. That is against this question forming solely a part of a broader piece of content material, as a single H2, for instance.

4. Differentiate cornerstone vs. supplementary content material in your subject clusters.

Okay, that is a clumsy step to separate as a result of in case you‘re like me, this often runs in tandem together with your key phrase analysis. (I’m just about parsing out cornerstone and supplementary content material all through my key phrase analysis.)

Nevertheless, as I mentioned within the key phrase analysis stage, my method isn‘t the one method! So I’m excited that Mersudin Forbes, who has over 15 years of expertise in web optimization, shared their insights on differentiating key content material vs. supplementary items.

“Your mind-set about ‘cornerstone’ content material must be extra about the way you prioritize, section, and construction content material discovery in your web site,” says Forbes. “In case your customers can discover what they want simply, it’s seemingly (outdoors of technical points) that Search engines like google will too.”

Instance

Forbes recommends differentiating key content material “that solutions the primary issues you remedy, vs. what ache factors your prospects have and ‘supplementary’ items of knowledge that assist your providers or solutions.”

He breaks it down as follows:

• Key pillar/content material = cornerstone content material that customers ought to be capable to discover shortly inside your navigation and construction.
• Supplementary/cluster content material = supporting items you may home underneath the primary cornerstone content material pillars and use to reference between the pillar items of content material and supporting items.

Professional tip: Forbes recommends utilizing instruments like Keyword Insights, “which can cluster the entire queries and methods individuals search your info on-line/by means of search engines like google right into a set of tightly shaped matters and associated articles, all mechanically sorted by important subject pillars and clusters of content material.”

5. Use a content material tracker.

When you begin to get a bunch of subject clusters on the go along with cornerstone content material and supplementary items inside them, you find yourself with A LOT of information.

Which means you may want someplace to retailer and work with the information and monitor content material manufacturing.

Whether or not you comply with my methodology utilizing Key phrases In every single place or work with one thing like Key phrase Insights and collect plenty of information directly, this level stands.

For this subject cluster (Natural search > sorts of web optimization), I‘d wish to add the goal and associated key phrases for the cornerstone piece of content material to a devoted content material tracker.

I’d additionally wish to rinse and repeat the above for 3 to 5 supplementary items to bolster the cornerstone content material.

When you‘re , I’d take a look at supplementary items masking the various kinds of web optimization individually that I might featured within the cornerstone piece. That could possibly be a bit about on-page web optimization, off-page web optimization, and technical web optimization.

Instance

I often have a “Content material Concepts” tab or comparable on a spreadsheet to trace pillar-cluster content material ideation. Inside this tab, I’ll usually have “Title,” “Focus key phrase,” “Supporting key phrases,” and “Pillar” columns at a naked minimal. I am going to even have columns to assist me monitor your complete manufacturing course of.

If somebody needs a “DIY” content material technique (so I create a method for them to execute in-house), I‘ll add extra columns. For instance, I’ll embrace additional particulars about URL construction and inner linking as a result of I see enterprise homeowners getting this improper probably the most typically.

This is perhaps too “handholdy” for some strategists — particularly for a one-off content material technique. However I would like the consumer to implement the plan slightly than have it sit gathering mud in a Google Drive folder someplace.

Professional tip: Wish to keep away from getting overwhelmed by information? Break your content material ideation and monitoring down into smaller steps. For context, my first spherical of key phrase analysis for content material technique usually contains round 12 content material concepts in whole.

When you publish 4 posts a month, that is a three-month technique. The particular breakdown of the 12 concepts is perhaps one thing like three subject clusters, together with a cornerstone piece and three supplementary items for every.

6. Create a content material temporary.

Now that you simply‘ve researched and parsed your cornerstone items out of your supplementary ones, it’s time to create a content material temporary.

A content material temporary is a doc which you could give to your author(s) in order that they’ll create your cornerstone content material.

I do know many people use instruments to automate content material briefing, however truthfully, I don‘t discover them useful. I’d a lot slightly dive into the outcomes pages myself to see how we will attain sufficient consensus to please Google whereas differentiating ourselves as a model.

(As soon as once more, my method is not the one method! Loads of people within the business get good outcomes from utilizing content material briefing instruments.)

For me, briefing writers entails looking the goal key phrase straight through Google utilizing a VPN set to the area my consumer is focusing on. Then, I am going to shortly scan the highest rivals to see what they cowl in every bit.

However I am additionally what they do not cowl as a result of that is the place we will stand out as a model and supply a greater consumer expertise.

Instance

By no means created a content material temporary for writers? No stress, this is what I usually embrace in mine:

• My contact particulars in case the author wants clarification on something
• The aim of the article
• Hyperlinks to any documentation like fashion or model tips
• web optimization information factors

• Goal key phrase
• Associated key phrases/key phrase cluster
• Meta title
• Meta description (for the author so as to add)
• URL
• Advised content material size
• Really useful inner hyperlinks

• Article focus
• Content material define

• Advised H2s/H3s
• Any notes underneath particular headings

7. Begin content material manufacturing.

After getting your content material temporary, it is time to cross it over to your author and belief them to work their magic.

Keep in mind: Each time you’re taking an important motion, like briefing a author or publishing content material in your web site, you may wish to replace your content material tracker.

In any other case, the content material manufacturing course of can go unmanaged, unchecked, and get actual messy actual quick.

8. Replace and constantly enhance your content material.

Ryan Jones, the Advertising Supervisor for SEOTesting, recommends updating your cornerstone content material commonly, and I couldn‘t agree extra. “All SEOs know that Google prefers recent content material,” says Jones.

“Hold your content material updated and carry out common refreshes to make sure you’re giving your readers one of the best content material you may!”

Other than pleasing the Google Gods, you can begin gathering actual efficiency information insights after a content material piece is dwell.

Which means slightly than making educated guesses about consumer conduct, you may see how or if individuals are discovering your content material.

Professional tip: I like to recommend checking in with Google Seach Console to see what phrases individuals are utilizing to seek out your cornerstone content material. If you have not optimized for these phrases already, you should use the information to tell your content material refresh.

A content material refresh could possibly be so simple as updating a number of current H2s with these phrases or including new sections to the piece if people ask queries your content material would not particularly reply.

I is perhaps biased, however in relation to developing final guides, HubSpot is without doubt one of the greatest publishers to do it. As for this Instagram Marketing Ultimate Guide, the very first thing that strikes me is its complete nature. That is usually what you need for a bit of cornerstone content material.

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The article additionally opens up with some statistics exhibiting that the piece is research-backed and evidence-based, which builds credibility proper from the beginning.

I additionally like how readability has been factored in. So, for instance, there are many visuals, headings, and examples all through.

2. HubSpot’s “Final Information to web optimization in 2024”

Okay, now you may undoubtedly accuse me of bias with this choose as a result of I‘m the writer of HubSpot’s Ultimate Guide to SEO.

As with the earlier instance, this piece is complete. I did a deep dive right here, from breaking down the definition of web optimization to describing the various kinds of web optimization, sharing high suggestions from different business consultants, and extra.

I additionally thought-about the viewers‘s subsequent steps with this piece. Not solely did I embrace related inner hyperlinks all through, however I directed readers to the ’Full web optimization Starter Pack‘ with a transparent name to motion within the publish’s conclusion.

3. Sound of Life‘s “’90s Music Tendencies That Formed a Decade”

Sound the bias alarm once more: We’re off the races with one other content material piece scribed by your gal, Rachael.

In all equity, I am that includes ’90s Music Trends That Shaped a Decade as a result of a) I do know it is a pillar piece and b) based mostly on Zoe Ashbridge’s glorious web optimization content material technique, my penmanship, and the beautiful work from the writer’s editorial staff, we beat Wikipedia for the featured snippet.

This instance highlights that with the proper components in place, your pillar content material may even beat high-authority websites like Wikipedia. In my humble opinion, the piece works as a result of we coated a variety of related details about ’90s music developments.

That mentioned, slightly than simply masking keyword-driven headings mindlessly, we ensured the piece was editorial-led with a selected angle. The editorial staff additionally did a improbable job curating and embedding Spotify playlists and songs to interrupt up the textual content and improve readability.

We additionally linked to supplementary content material all through the publish and added related inner hyperlinks alongside a transparent name to motion on the backside of the article.

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