Pillar Page Content Planner
SEO & SearchintermediateClaude 3.5 Sonnet or GPT-4o. Both excel at structured content planning and can generate detailed, hierarchical outlines. Claude is slightly better at understanding topic relationships and creating logical content flows; GPT-4o is faster for generating multiple variations. For pillar pages, either model will produce excellent results, but use Claude if you need deeper strategic thinking about content gaps.
When to Use This Prompt
Use this prompt when developing a comprehensive SEO content strategy around a core topic. It's ideal for CMOs planning 6-12 month content roadmaps, content teams building topic clusters, or agencies structuring client SEO campaigns. Works best when you have a clear primary keyword and understand your audience.
The Prompt
You are an expert SEO content strategist specializing in pillar page architecture and topic clusters.
## Your Task
Create a comprehensive pillar page content plan for the following topic:
**Topic:** [Your Main Topic/Keyword]
**Target Audience:** [Your Ideal Customer Profile]
**Current Ranking Position:** [Current rank or 'Not ranking']
**Business Goal:** [Lead generation/Sales/Brand awareness/Education]
## Content Structure Requirements
1. **Pillar Page Overview**
- Recommended word count
- Primary keyword and 3-5 secondary keywords
- Meta title and meta description (under 160 chars)
- H1 and suggested heading structure (H2s, H3s)
2. **Core Content Sections**
- 6-8 main sections with brief descriptions of what each should cover
- Key points to include in each section
- Recommended content depth (beginner/intermediate/advanced)
3. **Cluster Content Mapping**
- 8-12 related subtopic cluster pages that should link back to this pillar
- Suggested cluster keywords for each
- How each cluster page supports the pillar page
4. **Internal Linking Strategy**
- Anchor text recommendations for linking cluster pages to pillar
- Suggested placement of internal links within pillar content
- Cross-linking opportunities between cluster pages
5. **SEO Optimization Checklist**
- On-page SEO elements to prioritize
- Schema markup recommendations
- Image optimization suggestions
- Content formatting best practices
6. **Content Timeline**
- Recommended order to create pillar and cluster content
- Estimated time to see ranking improvements
- Maintenance and update schedule
## Output Format
Provide the plan in a clear, actionable format that a content team can immediately begin executing. Use bullet points and short paragraphs for scannability.
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Tips for Best Results
- 1.Specify your target audience and business goal clearly—this helps AI recommend appropriate content depth and CTA placement rather than generic advice.
- 2.Include your current ranking position if known; AI will suggest more aggressive keyword targeting if you're not ranking, or optimization focus if you already rank.
- 3.Ask the AI to create a 'content gap analysis' section by requesting it compare your pillar plan against top 3 current ranking pages.
- 4.Request a separate 'quick wins' section identifying which cluster pages could rank fastest to build momentum before tackling harder keywords.
Example Output
# Pillar Page Plan: "B2B SaaS Onboarding Best Practices"
## Pillar Page Overview
- **Word Count:** 4,500-5,500 words
- **Primary Keyword:** B2B SaaS onboarding best practices
- **Secondary Keywords:** SaaS user onboarding, customer onboarding process, onboarding software
- **Meta Title:** B2B SaaS Onboarding Best Practices: Complete Guide (58 chars)
- **Meta Description:** Learn proven SaaS onboarding strategies to reduce churn, accelerate time-to-value, and improve customer success. (115 chars)
- **H1:** The Complete Guide to B2B SaaS Onboarding Best Practices
## Core Content Sections
1. **Why SaaS Onboarding Matters** - Explain impact on retention and LTV
2. **Key Onboarding Metrics** - NPS, time-to-first-value, feature adoption
3. **Pre-Launch Onboarding** - Account setup, role assignment, data migration
4. **In-App Onboarding** - Guided tours, tooltips, progressive disclosure
5. **Training & Documentation** - Knowledge bases, video tutorials, webinars
6. **Ongoing Support & Engagement** - Check-ins, success plans, upsell triggers
7. **Measuring Onboarding Success** - Analytics, feedback loops, iteration
8. **Common Onboarding Mistakes** - What to avoid and how to fix
## Cluster Content (8 pages)
- "How to Create an Effective SaaS Onboarding Checklist"
- "SaaS Onboarding Software: Comparison & Selection Guide"
- "Reducing Time-to-Value in SaaS: 5 Proven Strategies"
- "Customer Onboarding Automation: Tools & Best Practices"
- "SaaS Onboarding Email Sequences That Convert"
- "Building a SaaS Onboarding Program From Scratch"
- "SaaS Onboarding Metrics: What to Track and Why"
- "Interactive Onboarding vs. Self-Service: Which Works Better"
## Internal Linking Strategy
- Link cluster pages using natural anchor text like "SaaS onboarding software" and "time-to-value strategies"
- Place 2-3 cluster links in relevant pillar sections
- Use contextual links that add value to reader journey
## SEO Checklist
- Include FAQ schema markup
- Add comparison tables with alt text
- Optimize images with descriptive filenames
- Use clear subheadings with target keywords
- Include statistics and original research
## Content Timeline
- Week 1-2: Publish pillar page
- Week 3-8: Publish 2 cluster pages per week
- Month 3+: Monitor rankings and update pillar quarterly
Related Prompts
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Courses, workshops, frameworks, daily intelligence, and 6 proprietary tools — built for marketing leaders adopting AI.
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