Look, I get it. You’ve probably been told a dozen times that you need to "blog" to get more customers.
So, you sit down on a Sunday night, rattle off 500 words about a job you did in Indooroopilly, hit publish, and... nothing. No phone calls. No emails. Just a lonely page on your website that nobody reads.
Most of what you read online about content is rubbish. People treat a business website like a personal diary. It’s not. Your website is a salesperson that never sleeps. If that salesperson is just standing on the corner shouting random facts at passersby, they aren't going to close many deals.
If you want Google to actually send people your way, you need a plan. In the marketing world, nerds call this "pillars and clusters." I call it "organising your site so people actually hire you."
Why Your Current Strategy Is Burning Cash
Most small business owners in Brisbane are busy. You’re on the tools, you’re managing staff, or you’re quoting jobs. You don’t have time to waste on stuff that doesn’t work.
When you write random, disconnected posts, Google gets confused. It doesn't know what you're an expert in. One day you're talking about a bathroom Reno, the next you're talking about a new van you bought.
If you want to win, you have to prove to Google—and your customers—that you are the go-to authority for a specific thing.
We see this all the time. A client will spend thousands on a writer to churn out generic articles, but content doesn't sell if it isn't structured to lead a customer toward a booking. You’re essentially paying for digital wallpaper. It looks nice, but it doesn’t put money in the bank.
The "Pillar" – Your Big Money Maker
Think of a Pillar as the foundation of your house. It’s a big, meaty page on your website that covers a massive topic.
If you’re a landscaper, your Pillar might be "The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Renovations in Brisbane."
This page shouldn't be a quick 300-word blurb. It needs to be the best damn resource on the internet for that topic. It should answer every basic question a customer has before they pick up the phone.
Why? Because when someone spends five minutes reading your guide, they start to trust you. By the time they get to the bottom, they don't want to call three other blokes for a quote. They want to call you because you clearly know your stuff.
The "Clusters" – Answering the Nitty-Gritty
Now, you can’t fit every single detail into one page. That’s where the Clusters come in. These are smaller, more specific articles that link back to your main Pillar page.
Sticking with the landscaper example, your cluster articles might be: Best plants for Brisbane’s humidity How much does a retaining wall cost in Queensland? How to stop your lawn dying in a summer heatwave
Each of these smaller articles helps you show up when people search for specific problems. But here’s the trick: every single one of those small articles must link back to your main Pillar page.
It creates a web. Google sees all these helpful articles pointing to one main page and thinks, "Right, these guys actually know everything there is to know about landscaping." Then, you start climbing the rankings.
How to Turn Questions Into Cash
I’ll let you in on a secret. The best content ideas aren't in some fancy keyword tool. They’re in your sent folder and your voicemail.
What are the three things every single customer asks you before they hire you? "How long will it take?" "What happens if it rains?" "Why are you more expensive than the guy down the road?"
Stop repeating yourself on the phone and write it down. When you turn questions into calls, you’re doing two things: you’re saving yourself time, and you’re pre-selling the customer before you even meet them.
If a lead has already read your article on why cheap materials fail after two years, they aren't going to haggle with you on price. They already know why you’re worth the extra money.
Don't Forget the Proof
I’ve seen plenty of businesses get the "structure" right but still fail to get bookings. Why? Because they use those boring, fake stock photos of people in hardhats smiling at a clipboard.
Nobody believes those photos.
If you’re writing a cluster article about a specific job you did, use your own photos. We’ve found that real customer photos do more for your conversion rate than a thousand words of perfect prose ever could. People want to see that you’ve actually done the work in suburbs they recognise.
The Honest Truth About Timelines
I’m not going to sit here and tell you that if you write five articles today, your phone will be ringing off the hook by Friday. That’s a lie, and any agency telling you that is taking you for a ride.
This is a long game.
Usually, it takes 3 to 6 months to see real movement from this kind of strategy. But here’s the difference: once it starts working, it doesn’t stop. Unlike Google Ads, where the leads dry up the second you stop paying, a solid pillar and cluster setup keeps working for years.
It’s like buying a piece of equipment for your business. It’s an upfront cost, but it pays for itself every single day it’s in service.
What Should You Do First?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t try to build five pillars at once. Start with one.
1. Pick your "Money Maker": What’s the one service you provide that has the best profit margin and you actually enjoy doing? That’s your Pillar. 2. Brainstorm 5 Questions: Write down the 5 most common questions people ask about that service. Those are your Clusters. 3. Write Like You Talk: Don’t worry about sounding like a professor. Write like you’re explaining it to a mate at the pub. Use short sentences. Be direct. 4. Link Them Up: Make sure every cluster article has a clear link back to the main service page and a big, obvious button that says "Call for a Quote."
Is This Worth Your Time?
Honestly? If you’re already so busy you’re turning work away, maybe not.
But if you want to stop competing on price, if you want better quality leads, and if you want to actually own your presence on the web instead of renting it from Google Ads, then yes. It’s the only way to win long-term.
Most of your competitors are too lazy to do this. They’ll keep posting random photos to Facebook that disappear in an hour. While they’re doing that, you’ll be building an asset that brings in customers while you sleep.
If you want to chat about how to set this up for your specific trade or service, we’re here to help. At Local Marketing Group, we don’t do fluff. We just focus on what gets the phone ringing.
You can reach us here: https://lmgroup.au/contact