Pillar posts have become quite the cliche out there in the blogosphere, and they’re very easy to pick out: they’ll be relatively long, informative, and more often then not they’ll consist of numbered lists of useful tips or resources. Most of the time, a pillar post will extensively cover a solitary topic, explaining, in detail, how to go about doing something in particular.

But let’s face it: their main purpose is to drive traffic to your blog. Am I right?

Now, I know you’re asking yourself, “What are the qualities of a great pillar post?” I’ll tell you, just give me a moment…where’d I put my magical checklist of blog tips? Ah, here we go:

1.) It’s definitive.

A pillar post should be final. It should be the end-all-be-all of your chosen topic, or at the very least it should aspire to be. In other words, it should be something others will constantly turn to as a resource for your particular topic. That’s an idealized version of what a pillar post should be, sure, but it’s the mindset you should have when you set out to create one.

That means taking your time writing it, being thoughtful and above all else making it worthwhile and valuable to your readers. It should go over and beyond the call of duty of your other posts (they’re Grunts in comparison to this post, which is itself a Hunter…and sorry about that random Halo reference).

2.) It’s timeless.

The information contained in pillar posts should not be time-sensitive. It should be as useful two years from now as it is today (barring any cataclysmic changes in your topic’s field or the universe in general). In this way, it will continue to drive traffic and remain relevant well into the future.

3.) It contains useful links & sources.

Two reasons for this: one, you’ll be providing more value to your readers by presenting them with links to other resources; and two, if you’re linking to other blogs, there’s a good chance you’ll pick up back-links and, perhaps, spark the interest of another blog’s author. They may stop by to say “Thanks” or leave a comment. Always a bonus.

4.) It is, itself, linkable.

Your pillar post should be something other bloggers will want to link to. This post will not only be read, it will be celebrated and itself used as a resource in future blog posts. Heck, you might even find yourself linking to it in the future for reference.

5.) It is unique.

You may be thinking, “Well, what do you know about unique, Rob? You’ve only just created the 9,749th blog post about pillar articles on the Internet.” And you’re right. The difference between this post about pillar articles and every other post about pillar articles, however, is that it’s my post about pillar articles. Even if the information you’re sharing has been regurgitated time and again, that doesn’t mean you can’t put your own spin on it.

So there you have it: five keys to a great (or at least a terribly decent) pillar post. There is, however, one extra bonus key to great pillar content: you have to advertise it. Toss it around the social networks, promote it on forums related to your topic. Promote it as much as you promote your blog as a whole. Heck, if it’s good enough, someone may submit it to Stumbleupon or Digg (which is very likely with a successful pillar post). Then, you can just sit back and watch the fortune and glory trickle in.

I’m sorry. Did I say “fortune and glory?” I meant blog traffic.

But, in the blogosphere, they’re very similar.