Jan 12, 2026
Content Pillars for Startups: How to Choose Your 3-5 Core Topics
Averi Academy
Averi Team
7 minutes
In This Article
This guide helps you choose the right pillars from the start—topics where your expertise, your audience's needs, and your business goals all intersect.
Updated
Jan 12, 2026
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TL;DR
🎯 Content pillars are the 3-5 core topics you'll own. They're strategic choices, not random categories.
📊 Use the four-criteria test: Expertise (can you own it?), Audience need (do they care?), Business relevance (does it lead to your product?), and Depth (enough for 20+ pieces?).
✂️ Fewer is better for startups. Three focused pillars beat ten scattered ones. You can always expand later.
🔍 Define your unique angle for each pillar. The topic isn't enough—what makes your perspective different?
📋 Document your pillars with angles, subtopics, target keywords, and funnel stage focus.
🔄 Revisit annually, not monthly. Pillars need time to work. Give them 6-12 months before major changes.
Content Pillars for Startups: How to Choose Your 3-5 Core Topics
You can't own every topic. But you can own the right ones.
Content pillars are the 3-5 core themes that define what you write about.
They're not random topics you happen to cover, they're strategic choices about where you'll build authority, what searches you'll capture, and how you'll differentiate from competitors who write about everything and own nothing.
Most startups skip this decision entirely.
They publish whatever seems interesting that week, creating a scattered blog with no clear expertise signal. Six months later, they wonder why their content isn't ranking or converting.
This guide helps you choose the right pillars from the start—topics where your expertise, your audience's needs, and your business goals all intersect.
What Content Pillars Actually Are (And Aren't)
A content pillar is a broad topic area that:
You'll create multiple pieces of content around
Connects directly to what your product or service does
Matters to your target audience
Has enough depth to sustain ongoing content creation
Content pillars are not:
Blog categories (which are organizational, not strategic)
Keywords (which are specific, not thematic)
Content formats (like "case studies" or "how-to guides")
Temporary campaigns or seasonal themes
Think of it this way: If someone asked "What is [Your Company] known for?", your content pillars should be the answer. Buffer is known for social media marketing advice. Shopify is known for ecommerce and entrepreneurship guidance. HubSpot is known for inbound marketing methodology.
What are you known for?
Why Startups Need Fewer Pillars, Not More
The instinct is to cover everything. More topics means more opportunities, right?
Wrong. For startups, breadth is the enemy.
The focus advantage:
Approach | Content Depth | Authority Signal | Ranking Potential |
|---|---|---|---|
10 topics, 5 posts each | Shallow | Weak | Low |
3 topics, 17 posts each | Deep | Strong | High |
Same 50 pieces of content. Radically different outcomes.
When you concentrate on fewer topics:
You build genuine expertise (and it shows in your content)
Search engines recognize you as an authority faster
Your audience associates you with specific problems
Content creation becomes easier (you're not constantly context-switching)
Internal linking strengthens (more related content to connect)
The magic number is 3-5. Fewer than 3, and you risk being too narrow. More than 5, and you're spreading too thin. Start with 3 if you're early-stage.
The Pillar Selection Framework
Choosing pillars isn't guesswork. It's the intersection of four criteria:
The Four-Criteria Test
Every potential pillar should pass all four:
1. Expertise: Can you credibly own this topic?
Do you have genuine knowledge, experience, or unique perspective here? Can you create content that's better than what already exists?
This doesn't mean you need decades of experience. Your expertise might come from:
Building a product that solves this problem
Deep research into a specific domain
Unique data or insights from your users
Contrarian perspective based on real experience
Warning sign: If you'd need to research from scratch for every piece, you probably don't have enough expertise.
2. Audience: Does your target audience care about this?
Is this a topic your ideal customers actively seek information about? Does it connect to their pain points, questions, and goals?
Validate by checking:
What questions do they ask on sales calls?
What do they search for? (Check keyword demand)
What topics generate engagement in your space?
What problems come up repeatedly?
Warning sign: If you can't name specific audience pain points this topic addresses, it's probably not the right pillar.
3. Business Relevance: Does this lead toward your product?
Great content that doesn't connect to your business is just… content. Your pillars should create a natural path toward your solution.
This doesn't mean every piece is promotional. But if someone masters the topic you're teaching, they should logically want (or need) what you sell.
Warning sign: If there's no logical connection between the topic and your product, it won't drive business results.
4. Depth: Is there enough here for ongoing content?
A pillar should sustain 20+ pieces of content. If you'd exhaust the topic in 5 posts, it's too narrow—make it a subtopic under a broader pillar instead.
Test depth by asking:
Can you break this into 10+ subtopics?
Are there multiple angles (how-to, strategy, mistakes, tools, trends)?
Will this topic still be relevant in 2 years?
Is there enough search demand across related keywords?
Warning sign: If you struggle to brainstorm 10 subtopics, the pillar is too narrow.
The Pillar Selection Process: Step by Step
Step 1: Brainstorm Potential Pillars (20 minutes)
List every topic area that could potentially be a pillar. Don't filter yet—capture everything.
Sources for ideas:
What problems does your product solve?
What questions do prospects ask before buying?
What do customers struggle with after buying?
What expertise does your team bring?
What topics do competitors cover?
What's happening in your industry?
Aim for 10-15 potential pillars.
Example brainstorm for an email marketing SaaS:
Email marketing strategy
Email copywriting
Marketing automation
List building
Email deliverability
Email design
A/B testing
Customer retention
E-commerce email marketing
Newsletter creation
Cold email outreach
Marketing analytics
Lead nurturing
Email personalization
Step 2: Score Each Pillar (30 minutes)
Rate each potential pillar 1-5 on the four criteria:
Pillar | Expertise | Audience Need | Business Relevance | Depth | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Email marketing strategy | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 20 |
Email copywriting | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 16 |
Marketing automation | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 18 |
List building | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 17 |
Email deliverability | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 16 |
Cold email outreach | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
Scoring guide:
5 = Strongly meets criterion
4 = Mostly meets criterion
3 = Somewhat meets criterion
2 = Weakly meets criterion
1 = Doesn't meet criterion
Step 3: Identify Your Top 3-5 (15 minutes)
Sort by total score. Your top-scoring pillars are your candidates.
But don't just take the top 5 mechanically. Consider:
Coverage: Do your pillars cover different stages of the customer journey? Ideally, you want at least one pillar for each:
Awareness (broad educational content)
Consideration (evaluation and comparison content)
Decision (implementation and optimization content)
Differentiation: Do any pillars give you unique positioning competitors don't have?
Balance: Is there a mix of proven demand (high-volume keywords) and potential ownership (lower competition)?
Step 4: Define Your Angle for Each Pillar (30 minutes)
A pillar topic isn't enough. You need a unique angle—what makes your take different from the hundreds of other pieces on the same topic.
Your angle might come from:
Specific audience: "Email marketing for e-commerce brands"
Methodology: "Data-driven email marketing using behavioral triggers"
Philosophy: "Email marketing that respects your subscribers"
Stage/size: "Email marketing for startups scaling to $10M"
Contrarian take: "Why most email marketing advice is wrong"
Document each pillar with:
Pillar topic
Your unique angle
Why you're credible here
How it connects to your product
5-10 example subtopics
Step 5: Validate with Quick Research (30 minutes)
Before committing, validate each pillar:
Search demand check:
Are people searching for related terms?
What's the total keyword opportunity across subtopics?
Is demand growing or declining?
Competition check:
Who ranks for key terms?
How strong is existing content?
Is there room for a new voice?
Audience check:
Ask 3-5 ideal customers if they'd find this valuable
Check if related content performs on competitors' sites
Look for questions in communities (Reddit, Quora, Slack groups)
Adjust your
pillar selection based on validation findings.
Content Pillar Examples (From Real Startups)
Example 1: Buffer (Social Media Tool)
Pillars:
Social media marketing
Small business
Flow (productivity/work)
Why it works:
All three connect to their product (social media scheduling)
Clear audience alignment (small business marketers)
Each pillar has massive depth potential
Mix of functional (social media) and aspirational (productivity)
Example 2: Ravio (Compensation Benchmarking)
Pillars:
Compensation management
Equity compensation
People leadership
Why it works:
Tightly connected to their product
Specific to their audience (HR/People leaders at startups)
Each pillar breaks into many subtopics
Avoids generic "HR" that would be too broad
Example 3: Shopify (E-commerce Platform)
Pillars:
Starting a business
E-commerce and retail
Marketing and growth
Business operations
Why it works:
Covers the full journey of their customer
Broad enough for massive content depth
Each pillar leads toward Shopify as the solution
Strong brand association with entrepreneurship
Example 4: What a SaaS Startup Might Look Like
Company: Marketing analytics tool for B2B startups
Pillars:
Marketing measurement (core to product)
B2B marketing strategy (broader context)
Marketing operations (adjacent expertise)
Angles:
"Marketing measurement for startups who can't afford data teams"
"B2B marketing strategy that actually works before Series B"
"Marketing ops for lean teams—automation without complexity"
Common Pillar Selection Mistakes
Mistake 1: Too Many Pillars
The problem: Trying to own 8-10 topics spreads you too thin. You never build depth anywhere.
The fix: Force yourself to choose 3-5. If you have more, rank them and save the rest for later. You can always expand pillars once you've established authority in your core topics.
Mistake 2: Pillars Too Broad
The problem: Choosing "marketing" or "technology" as a pillar. You'll never own something that vague.
The fix: Narrow until you can realistically compete. "Marketing" → "B2B content marketing" → "Content marketing for SaaS startups." Find the specificity level where you can own the conversation.
Mistake 3: Pillars Too Narrow
The problem: Choosing topics so specific you run out of content ideas in a month.
The fix: If you can't brainstorm 20+ subtopics, the pillar is too narrow. Make it a subtopic under a broader theme.
Mistake 4: No Business Connection
The problem: Choosing interesting topics that don't lead toward your product.
The fix: Every pillar should have a logical path to your solution. If someone becomes an expert on your pillar topic, they should naturally want what you sell.
Mistake 5: Copying Competitor Pillars
The problem: Choosing the same pillars as larger competitors, then being surprised when you can't compete.
The fix: Find adjacent angles they're not covering. If competitors own "project management," maybe you own "project management for remote agencies" or "async project management."
Mistake 6: Ignoring Search Demand
The problem: Choosing pillars based only on what you want to write about, without validating that audiences search for related terms.
The fix: Check keyword opportunity for each pillar before committing. Zero-demand pillars can work for thought leadership, but shouldn't be your primary focus.
The Pillar Documentation Template
Once you've selected your pillars, document them. This becomes your content strategy foundation.
CONTENT PILLAR: [Topic Name]
Unique Angle: [What makes our perspective different from competitors?]
Why We're Credible: [What gives us authority on this topic?]
Audience Connection: [What pain points/questions does this address for our target audience?]
Business Relevance: [How does this connect to what we sell?]
Core Subtopics:
[Subtopic 1]
[Subtopic 2]
[Subtopic 3]
[Subtopic 4]
[Subtopic 5]
[Subtopic 6]
[Subtopic 7]
[Subtopic 8]
[Subtopic 9]
[Subtopic 10]
Target Keywords:
[Primary keyword cluster 1]
[Primary keyword cluster 2]
[Primary keyword cluster 3]
Funnel Stage Focus: [ ] Awareness | [ ] Consideration | [ ] Decision
Pillar Page Topic: [The comprehensive guide that anchors this pillar]
Create one of these for each pillar. Review and update quarterly.
From Pillars to Content: Next Steps
Choosing pillars is the foundation. Now build on it.
1. Create Topic Clusters for Each Pillar
Break each pillar into subtopics. Map out 10-20 pieces of content you could create.
For each pillar:
Identify one pillar page (comprehensive guide)
Map 8-15 cluster articles (specific subtopics)
Plan internal linking between them
Learn more: Content Clustering & Pillar Pages: Building Authority in AI and SaaS Niches
2. Prioritize by Impact
Not all content is equal. Prioritize cluster content by:
Keyword opportunity (volume + difficulty)
Buyer intent (closer to purchase = higher priority)
Competitive gap (easier wins first)
Content you can create well right now
3. Build Your Content Calendar Around Pillars
Rotate through pillars to build balanced depth. If you publish 4 pieces monthly with 3 pillars:
Week 1: Pillar A
Week 2: Pillar B
Week 3: Pillar C
Week 4: Pillar A (continuing)
This ensures you're building authority everywhere, not neglecting some pillars.
4. Track Pillar Performance Separately
Measure how each pillar performs:
Traffic by pillar
Rankings by pillar topic cluster
Conversions attributed to pillar content
Engagement metrics by pillar
This tells you which pillars are working and where to double down.
When to Revisit Your Pillars
Content pillars shouldn't change frequently—that defeats the purpose. But they're not permanent.
Revisit pillars when:
6-12 months of data: You have enough performance data to see what's working
Business pivot: Your product focus changes significantly
Market shift: Your industry evolves (new problems, new competitors)
Audience expansion: You're targeting new segments
Resource change: You have capacity for more (or need to focus on fewer)
Questions to ask during review:
Is this pillar generating traffic and conversions?
Are we actually producing content for this pillar?
Has our expertise or credibility changed?
Has audience interest shifted?
Should this pillar expand, contract, or be replaced?
Don't abandon a pillar just because it's underperforming after 3 months. Content compounds over time—give pillars 6-12 months before making major changes.
Or, Let Averi Build Your Pillars and Content Clusters Automatically
Everything above works. The four-criteria test is solid. The selection process is proven.
But here's what typically happens: founders spend an afternoon choosing pillars, document them beautifully, then struggle to actually build content clusters, maintain balanced publishing across pillars, and track pillar performance separately.
The strategy exists. The execution stalls.
What if your pillars, topic clusters, and ongoing content queue were generated automatically—based on your actual brand, competitors, and market opportunities?
That's what Averi's content engine does. It analyzes your business to suggest pillars, generates topic clusters for each, and queues content that builds authority systematically.
How Averi Automates Pillar Strategy
Manual Process | What Averi Does Instead |
|---|---|
Brainstorm potential pillars: List topics based on product, audience, expertise | Averi scrapes your website to understand your brand, then suggests pillars based on your positioning and market gaps |
Score pillars on four criteria: Rate expertise, audience need, business relevance, depth | Averi evaluates potential pillars against competitor content, keyword opportunity, and your documented ICPs |
Define unique angles: Differentiate your perspective for each pillar | Averi identifies angles competitors aren't covering based on gap analysis |
Map topic clusters: Break pillars into 10-20 subtopics manually | Averi generates complete topic clusters with pillar pages and cluster content mapped automatically |
Track pillar performance: Build custom reports by pillar | Built-in analytics track performance by pillar, showing which topics drive results |
The result: instead of a one-time pillar selection exercise, you get ongoing strategy that adapts as you learn what works.
From Pillars to Content Queue—Automatically
Choosing pillars is just the beginning. Averi turns pillar strategy into executable content:
Automated Cluster Generation: For each pillar, Averi maps out pillar pages and cluster articles with target keywords, recommended formats, and internal linking structure. You approve the structure—not build it from scratch.
Balanced Content Queuing: Averi automatically rotates content across pillars to ensure you're building depth everywhere. No more accidentally neglecting Pillar C while overproducing for Pillar A.
ICP-Aligned Topics: Every topic is filtered through your documented ideal customer profiles. You're not just building topical authority—you're building authority with the right audience.
Internal Linking Built In: As your content library grows, Averi suggests internal links that strengthen your pillar structure. Topic clusters emerge naturally as you publish.
Pillar Performance Without Custom Dashboards
Most founders never track pillar performance separately because it requires custom analytics setup. Averi does it automatically:
Traffic by pillar: See which topic areas drive the most visitors
Rankings by pillar: Track how your authority is building in each area
Conversion by pillar: Know which pillars generate leads, not just traffic
Recommendations by pillar: "Pillar B is underperforming—here are three high-opportunity topics to strengthen it"
When data shows a pillar isn't working, you'll know—and have specific actions to take.
The Ongoing Engine vs. One-Time Selection
Manual pillar selection gives you a strategy document. Averi gives you a living system.
One-Time Pillar Selection | Averi Content Engine |
|---|---|
Choose pillars once, hope you got it right | Continuously validate pillars against performance data |
Manually map topic clusters | Automated cluster generation with keyword targeting |
Build content calendar around pillars by hand | Balanced queuing across pillars automatically |
Track pillar performance with custom reports | Built-in pillar analytics with recommendations |
Revisit strategy annually (if you remember) | Ongoing optimization based on what's working |
Every piece of content makes the engine smarter. Averi learns which pillars perform for your brand, which subtopics convert, and where to focus next—then adjusts recommendations accordingly.
The Complete Picture
Pillar selection is one part of the content engine workflow:
Strategy: Averi learns your brand and suggests pillars based on positioning, competitors, and market gaps
Clusters: Each pillar gets a complete topic cluster with pillar page and supporting content mapped
Queue: Topics are prioritized by keyword opportunity, competitor gaps, and ICP alignment
Creation: AI-assisted drafting with internal linking suggestions that strengthen pillar structure
Publishing: Direct to your CMS, stored in your Library for future context
Analytics: Performance tracking by pillar informs the next content cycle
The founder's job becomes strategic oversight—approving pillars, validating angles, ensuring brand alignment—not manually building and tracking content clusters.
The choice: Spend an afternoon selecting pillars and building clusters by hand, or set up an engine that does it continuously and improves over time.
See How Averi's Content Engine Works →
Additional Resources
Content Strategy & Planning
Content Clustering & Pillar Pages: Building Authority in AI and SaaS Niches
Content Velocity for Startups: How Much to Publish (And How Fast)
BOFU Content Strategy: The Pages That Actually Convert B2B SaaS Buyers
SEO & Discovery
SEO for Startups: How to Rank Higher Without a Big Budget in 2026
AI-Powered SEO for B2B SaaS: Getting to Page 1 Without an Agency
The Future of B2B SaaS Marketing: GEO, AI Search, and LLM Optimization
Beyond Google: How to Get Your Startup Cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Search
Content Creation
How to Create Thought Leadership Content That Doesn't Sound AI-Generated
AI vs Human Content: Finding the Right Balance in Your Marketing
Scaling Content Creation with AI: Why Human Expertise Still Matters
Crafting Your Brand Voice: Guide to Tone and Emotional Triggers
Small Team Marketing
How to Run a One-Person Marketing Team with AI as Your Secret Weapon
The 60-Minute Marketing Week: What Seed-Stage Founders Should Actually Do Every Monday
Tools & Workflows
How to Build an AI Content Engine That Grows Your Startup in 2026
The Simplest Content Marketing Stack for Early-Stage Startups
Key Definitions
FAQs
How is a content pillar different from a blog category?
Blog categories are organizational—they help readers navigate your content. Content pillars are strategic—they represent topics you're deliberately trying to own. Your categories might mirror your pillars, but pillars come first as a strategic choice.
Can I have sub-pillars within a main pillar?
Yes. Large pillars often break into sub-pillars. "Email marketing" might have sub-pillars of "email copywriting," "automation," and "deliverability." What matters is that you're building depth systematically, not scattering content randomly.
What if my pillars overlap with competitors?
Some overlap is inevitable—you're in the same industry. The differentiation comes from your angle, not the topic itself. Competitors might cover "content marketing." You might cover "content marketing for bootstrapped B2B startups." Same broad topic, different ownership opportunity.
Should one pillar be more important than others?
Often, yes. You might have one "hero" pillar that's most central to your product, with supporting pillars that address adjacent needs. Weight your content production accordingly—maybe 50% to your hero pillar, 25% to each supporting pillar.
How do I handle topics that don't fit my pillars?
Occasionally creating off-pillar content is fine—especially if there's a timely opportunity or strong audience request. But if you're constantly creating off-pillar content, your pillars might need adjustment. Keep 80%+ of your content within defined pillars.
What if I'm not sure we have expertise in a topic?
Expertise develops. If you're building a product in a space, you're gaining expertise. The question is whether you have enough foundation to create valuable content now. If you'd need months of research just to write a basic piece, wait. But if you can add genuine value based on what you already know, proceed.
