Package Content (Pillar + Supporting)

Why use it: Topic clusters signal authority to search engines. A pillar article becomes your definitive resource, while supporting articles capture long-tail traffic and funnel readers to the pillar.

Best for: Complex topics with multiple subtopics, high-value keywords worth building authority around, or content hubs that need depth.

How Package Content Works

Content Architecture

Pillar Article (1):

• Comprehensive cornerstone content (2,500+ words)
• Covers the main topic at a high level
• Links out to supporting articles for deep dives
• Generated from Pillar Content briefs created in Authority Building

Supporting Articles (3-4):

• Archetype-driven articles that expand specific aspects
• Link back to the pillar and to each other
• Generated automatically based on the pillar topic and research data

Infographic (Optional):

• Visual representation of pillar concepts
• Generated if unique data angles exist

Creating Package Content

Step 1: Generate a Pillar Content Brief

1. Go to Authority Building → Pillar Content
2. Click Scan for Opportunities
3. Review AI-detected opportunities (comprehensive guides, original research, interactive tools)
4. Accept a recommendation → Brief is created

What the brief includes:

• Deep research with citations
• Content type classification (comprehensive guide, original research, etc.)
• Link potential scoring
• Interactive data visualizations (if statistics exist)

Step 2: Generate the Pillar Article

1. Open the Pillar Content brief
2. Click Generate Pillar Article
3. Wait 3-5 minutes for generation
4. Review and edit the pillar content

Step 3: Generate Supporting Pieces

Automatic package generation starts after pillar completion.

The platform:

1. Analyzes the pillar topic and research data
2. Selects 3 article archetypes that best complement the pillar
3. Generates each supporting article in parallel (5-10 minutes total)

8 Possible Archetypes:

• Comparison Article – "[A] vs [B]: Complete Guide"
• How-To Guide – "How to [Action Related to Topic]"
• Myth-Buster – "X Myths About [Topic] Debunked"
• FAQ Hub – "[Topic]: Your Questions Answered"
• Checklist – "The Complete [Topic] Checklist"
• Timeline – "The Evolution of [Topic]: A Complete History"
• Beginner's Guide – "[Topic] 101: A Complete Beginner's Guide"
• Cost/Value Analysis – "What Does [Topic] Really Cost?"

Selection logic: ILLIXIS analyzes the research data for signals (e.g., if "misconceptions" appear frequently, Myth-Buster is prioritized).

Working with Package Content

Viewing Package Pieces

In Content Hub:

1. Open any piece from the package
2. Click the Content Package tab
3. See all pieces with colored type badges:

• Green = Pillar Article
• Purple = Infographic
• Cyan = Statistics/Comparison/etc.
• Orange = Expert Trends/Timeline/etc.

Navigation: Click any piece to jump between package articles.

Internal Linking

Automatic linking structure:

• Pillar links to all supporting pieces
• Supporting pieces link back to pillar
• Supporting pieces cross-link to related siblings

In the editor:

1. Click Internal Links tab
2. See suggested links from the linking engine
3. One-click insert anchor text into content

Link scoring: Suggestions are ranked by:

• Topic overlap (Jaccard similarity)
• Semantic relevance (vector similarity)
• Package membership (prioritized)

Editing and Regenerating

Edit Individual Pieces

1. Open the piece in Content Hub
2. Click Edit Content
3. Make changes
4. Click Save (status changes to "Has unpublished changes")

Warning: Edits are local until you publish/schedule the content.

Regenerate a Single Piece

1. Open the Pillar Content brief
2. Scroll to Package Pieces section
3. Click regenerate icon next to the piece you want to redo
4. Confirm regeneration
5. Wait 3-5 minutes for new version

Use case: If one supporting article doesn't fit the pillar angle, regenerate just that piece.

Regenerate Entire Package

1. Open the Pillar Content brief
2. Click Regenerate Entire Package button
3. Select which pieces to regenerate (pillar + supporting)
4. Confirm
5. Wait 10-15 minutes

Warning: This overwrites existing content. Only do this if the entire package needs a fresh strategy.

Publishing Package Content

Option 1: Publish All at Once

1. Open the pillar article in Content Hub
2. Click Content Package tab
3. Use bulk actions to publish all pieces
4. Set publish date/time (or publish immediately)

Best for: Launching a new topic cluster.

Option 2: Publish Gradually

1. Publish pillar article first
2. Wait 1-2 weeks for indexing
3. Publish supporting pieces one per week

Best for: Avoiding content overload, testing pillar performance before committing to full cluster.

Best Practices

Topic Selection

Good pillar topics:

• High search volume (1,000+ monthly searches)
• Multiple subtopics worth 500+ word articles
• Topics where you want to own authority
• Complex topics competitors cover poorly

Bad pillar topics:

• Simple, single-facet topics ("what is [X]")
• Topics with no subtopics
• Low-volume keywords (<100 searches/month)

Package Structure

Ideal package:

• 1 pillar (2,500-4,000 words)
• 3 supporting pieces (1,200-2,000 words each)
• 1 infographic (if data exists)

Total content: ~8,000-12,000 words across 5 assets.

Internal Linking Strategy

From pillar to supporting:

• Link to each supporting piece 1-2 times
• Use descriptive anchor text ("learn about [subtopic]" not "click here")
• Link in context (within paragraphs, not in a "related articles" sidebar)

From supporting to pillar:

• Link to pillar 2-3 times per supporting piece
• Use topic-based anchor text ("[main topic]", "complete guide to [topic]")
• Reference the pillar as the "comprehensive resource"

Between supporting pieces:

• Cross-link when topics naturally overlap
• Don't force links where they don't fit

Troubleshooting

"No archetype suggestions available"

Cause: Insufficient research data in the pillar brief.

Fix:

1. Ensure the Pillar Content brief used deep research
2. If research is too shallow, delete the brief and rescan
3. Accept a different pillar opportunity with richer research

"Supporting article doesn't match pillar"

Cause: Archetype selection didn't analyze the pillar correctly.

Fix:

1. Open the Pillar Content brief
2. Regenerate just that supporting piece
3. If it still doesn't fit, manually edit the content

"Package pieces aren't linking correctly"

Cause: Internal linking suggestions didn't detect package membership.

Fix:

1. Open each supporting piece
2. Click Internal Links tab
3. Manually insert links using the suggestion tool
4. Ensure pillar is linked 2-3 times per piece

"Infographic didn't generate"

Cause: No unique data angles found in the pillar brief.

Fix: Infographics require data points from deep research. If none exist, you won't get an infographic. Generate one manually using the Infographic feature instead.

FAQ

Q: Can I add more supporting pieces later? A: The UI currently generates the initial 3-4 pieces. Future versions may support an "add to package" option.

Q: Can I use an existing article as the pillar? A: No. Pillar articles must be generated from Pillar Content briefs to include the deep research data needed for archetype selection.

Q: What if I only want 2 supporting pieces? A: Currently, the system always generates 3 archetypes. You can delete one piece after generation. Future versions may make archetype count configurable.

Q: Can I change which archetypes are selected? A: Not in the UI. Archetype selection is automatic based on research signals. If you want different archetypes, regenerate the package and hope for different selections, or manually create content and link it to the pillar.

Q: Do package pieces count against my quota? A: Yes. Each piece (pillar + supporting + infographic) counts as a separate article generation against your plan's quota.

Q: Can I export the entire package to WordPress/Shopify? A: Yes. Each piece can be published individually to your CMS. Use the bulk publish feature to schedule all pieces at once. Internal links will be preserved if you publish to the same site.

Related Features

• Authority Building – Where pillar opportunities are detected
• Pillar Content Briefs – The brief type that creates package content
• Internal Links – AI-powered linking suggestions across your content
• Content Hub – Where all package pieces are managed
• Link Magnets – Former name for Pillar Content (pre-December 2025)