What is Cornerstone Content?
Last Updated on 20th September 2023 by Ajmer Singh
If you’re a blogger, then you know that creating content is a necessary part of the job.
But what kind of content should you be creating? And how can you make sure it will help your website’s SEO?
In this post, we’ll discuss What is cornerstone content ( or Pillar content) and why it’s so important for SEO.
We’ll also provide tips for creating your own cornerstone content. Let’s get started!
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Cornerstone Content Overview
Cornerstone content is defined as the most important information on your page and provides users with high-quality information.
It is one of the most important parts of an SEO campaign because it will be written for users (not search engines), which means that it has to be useful, interesting and relevant to them.
The cornerstone content is a type of website content that is considered the most important in a webpage.
This cornerstone content helps search engines to better understand what your page is about, which in turn helps improve indexing and ranking.
It’s usually located at the top and it can be considered as an introduction to what you will be speaking about on that page.
It is used to provide readers with useful and invaluable information that they might not find anywhere else on your websites, such as new research findings or even some unique statistical data.
When users will come across a page, they’ll scan through its content and if it’s good enough, they’ll stay.
However, you might be wondering how to find cornerstone content ideas for your website.
Here are some ways:
Think of what kind of information would help people the most so that they can lead better lives or work more efficiently?
Look through your blog categories and brainstorm about what topics should be covered on each page.
Look at the company’s press releases to see if they contain any interesting information.
Go through other competitors’ websites and see what kind of high-value, useful content they have.
20+ Tips to Create Cornerstone Content
1. Questions
What are readers struggling with? What do they want to know more about?
Think of some questions and write down the answers on your website.
2. Numbers and statistics
Numbers make for great content but you need to make sure that they’re useful and relevant for users.
Try talking about industry-specific numbers or even your website’s numbers.
3. Unique industry insights
Industry-specific and unique information is always great for content and it can be shared easily by other websites.
For example, if you own a pet shop, share some interesting facts about animals that your visitors might not know.
This way, you’ll become an authority to them!
4. Latest breakthroughs
Did your company just discover something groundbreaking? Did you just receive a patent on some new equipment?
Don’t let this information go to waste – share it on your website!
This will attract the attention of other companies in your niche who might be able to partner with you or hire you for their projects.
5. Pro Tips
Everyone seems to love pro tips! Whether you’re sharing the best practices for email marketing or debunking SEO myths, they always find an audience!
6. New tools and resources
If your company creates any new tools or resources, don’t keep them a secret!
Share them with your readers so that they can get the most out of your website.
However, make sure that it’s not only about your products and actually contains valuable advice for them.
7. Case studies
Case studies are one of the best types of content that you can share with other companies in your niche.
Because it appeals to their audience’s interests and helps them solve similar problems.
Sharing case studies about your clients is a great way to build trust and show that you can actually help other businesses succeed.
8. White papers
White papers are long-form pieces of content that talk about a specific topic in detail, typically more than 10 pages!
This type of content is usually found only on industry blogs and not on company websites.
Because it is very long-winded and can be used as a great marketing tool to attract potential clients.
9. Guides
If you don’t have too much time, try creating some short guides that provide quick bits of information about the topic they’re dealing with.
This way, your readers can digest smaller bits of information on the go!
10. Infographics
If you don’t have too much time and want to attract as many readers as possible, try creating an infographic that contains lots of graphical depictions of data.
This is a great way for companies with a little-to-no online presence to gain visibility and become trusted authorities in their industries.
11. Commentary
If you’ve experienced something interesting in your day-to-day life, share it with your readers!
Sharing commentary and discussing the latest news in the industry is a great way to build relationships with other companies and blogs.
However, make sure that it’s useful for them and not just about yourself.
12. Research/surveys
If you have the budget for it, try commissioning a survey for your audience!
This will show that you care about their opinions and are willing to go the extra mile to help them solve their problems.
13. DIY guides
These types of guides are useful for readers with little to no experience in your industry.
Your job is to provide them with all the information that they need to become experts in your field!
14. What others think about you
If other companies are talking about you or influencing their decisions in some way, don’t keep it to yourself!
Share this information with your readers so that they know that they’re dealing with a reputable company that they can trust.
15. What you think about others
If other companies or influencers are affecting their followers, don’t keep it to yourself!
Share this information with your readers so that they know who to avoid and who they should do business with.
16. Press releases
If you have any important news to share with your readers, make sure you do it in an organized way by publishing press releases on your website!
Don’t forget to include some background information on the topic so that they know why this matters.
17. Inspirational content
After a hard day of work, there’s nothing better than reading or watching something that motivates you.
Share this type of content with your readers so that they know you care about their well-being and are willing to do anything for them!
18.” how-to” guides
This is one of the most common types of content shared on company websites because it allows people to learn what to do without wasting too much time!
It usually contains step-by-step guides that help readers save valuable time.
19. ” why” guides
This type of content is usually aimed at beginners who don’t understand the “whys” behind what you’re sharing with them.
This will help them to become experts in your industry much faster!
20. Blog posts
While it may take longer than other types of content, blogging is still an important part of content marketing.
By creating in-depth blog posts, not only are you providing your readers with valuable information but you’re also building backlinks to your website!
Benefits of cornerstone content!
1. Enhances your brand image.
Including cornerstone content on your website allows you to prioritize quality over quantity, thus increasing the credibility of your online presence.
And making it easier for readers to identify who you are and what you stand for.
2. Increases rankings and improves search engine optimization.
One of the main reasons why Google introduced this new algorithm was to reward websites that provide the best quality content.
By including cornerstone content on your website, you are telling Google that you care about providing your readers with valuable information.
Which will make it easier for them to assume authority in their industry.
3. Increases brand awareness and customer loyalty.
By sharing non-promotional content with your readers, you are being transparent about who you are and what you do.
This will help your audience to connect with your brand on a more personal level which will increase the likelihood of them recommending your services or products to others.
People tend to recommend content that they like more often than content that they feel indifferent about.
When readers like and share your content, it will show up on their friends’ newsfeeds.
Which will make it easier for them to learn about your brand and become interested in what you have to say.
5. Increases website traffic and expands your audience base.
The more non-promotional content you share with your readers, the more likely it is for them to bookmark your website or subscribe to your newsletter.
This will lead to an increase in website traffic and also build a list of leads that might turn into potential customers!
Importance of Cornerstone content!
1. Identify your target audience.
By sharing this type of content with your readers, you are learning more about their habits and lifestyle.
Which will give you a better understanding of who they are and what they want from your business.
2. Creates a two-way communication platform for both parties [you and your readers].
Including cornerstone content on your website gives you a chance to learn about what your readers want and allows them to know more about you in return.
This will create a connection between both parties which will lead to better cooperation!
3. Makes it easier for search engines to index your website.
Since cornerstone content includes many informative elements, it usually takes up more space on your website which allows search engines to index your pages faster.
This will make it easier for people to find you online and build your authority in your industry!
4. Helps you stay updated with current trends.
By reading the cornerstone content shared by other companies who are well-known in your industry, you can learn about the latest developments and/or new practices in your industry.
This will allow you to stay up-to-date with what’s going on in your market which will help you make better decisions when it comes to running a business!
5. Helps you keep away from being penalized by search engines.
If a website has been providing its readers with valuable and informative content, it will most likely get a High authority from Google.
This means that your website won’t be affected by the Panda or Penguin algorithm changes which might have otherwise resulted in a penalty.
6. Build relationships with other companies in your industry [online].
Including cornerstone content on your website allows you to build relationships with companies that are also active in your market.
This will give you the chance to figure out what your competitors are doing right and it will help them learn more about your business as well!
7. Increases visitor retention rate.
Visitors tend to leave a website if they don’t find any useful information on it which is why it is important to share content that interests your readers.
This will help you retain your current visitors and attract new customers to your business!
8. Increases conversion rate.
If you are able to find out what really interests your readers, you are more likely to build trust with them which will make it easier for them to become your customers.
This means that you are way more likely to increase your conversion rate!
9. Helps establish yourself as an industry leader.
By sharing content related to your industry, you are showing off your knowledge which will make it easier for you to become a thought leader in your niche.
Having this authority will help people trust the information that you are sharing with them!
10. Helps attract high-quality backlinks.
Since websites that are sharing cornerstone content are deemed to be more trustworthy, they are more likely to attract high-quality backlinks from other websites.
Which will result in an increase in their search engine rankings!
Why Cornerstone content is important for SEO?
1. Helps attract high-quality backlinks.
2. Is easy to rank for certain keywords.
3. Increases your authority in your industry.
4. Builds trust between you and other companies in your industry.
5. Makes it easier for search engines to index your website pages.
6. Helps search engines understand what your business is about.
7. Creates a two-way communication channel with both you and your readers.
8. Increases visitor retention rate on your website!
9. Provides you with new ideas for future blog posts or products!
10. Gives you the opportunity to become an industry leader!
Wrapping Up
As we all know, the internet is a huge place and there are hundreds of blogs that will tell you how to do everything from cooking eggs to making your own furniture.
It’s important not only to be able to read these blog posts but also to understand what they’re talking about and whether or not it applies to your situation.
One way for understanding content on an even deeper level is through cornerstone content.
Articles written by experts who have done research into their niche area so that readers can get expert insight without having to spend days researching themselves.
Cornerstone content isn’t just informative; it has the potential to transform someone’s life!
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