Why Modern Websites Use Multiple Page Types

(And How We’ve Built This System on Our Own Site)

Executive summary

Many websites still try to make one page do everything:

  • Rank in Google
  • Convert traffic
  • Explain the business
  • Work for ads
  • Work for AI search

That approach no longer works well.

Modern, high-performing websites use different page types for different jobs, each optimized for how traffic actually arrives and how buyers actually decide.

At a high level:

  • Pillar pages are built to rank, educate, and establish authority

  • Landing pages are built to convert high-intent traffic (especially from Google Ads)

  • GEO / AI-optimized pages are built to be clearly understood and cited by AI systems

This isn’t theoretical.
We’ve designed IndustriousGrowth.com using this exact architecture.

This post explains why this model works, how the pieces connect, and how we’re applying it ourselves.

The core mistake: assuming one page can do every job

Most underperforming websites share a common assumption:  “If we just make this page good enough, it should rank, convert, and explain everything.”

In reality, different visitors arrive with very different intent:

  • Organic search visitors are often learning or evaluating
  • Paid search visitors are often ready to act
  • AI-driven visitors are often extracting and summarizing information

Trying to serve all three with the same page usually produces:

  • Pages that don’t rank as well as they should
  • Ads that don’t convert efficiently
  • Messaging that feels either too vague or too dense

Modern sites solve this by separating concerns — intentionally.

Page type #1: Pillar pages (authority & ranking)

On our site, pillar pages are where we teach and demonstrate understanding.

What these pages do

Pillar pages are optimized to:

  • Rank for broad, high-value search topics
  • Establish credibility and depth
  • Educate buyers who are still forming their thinking
  • Signal topical authority to Google

Examples from Industrious Growth

Live pillar pages on our site include:
  • Growth Marketing Tactics (our core offer and philosophy)
  • Who We Work With (fit, constraints, buyer profile)
  • How We Work Together (process, expectations, boundaries)
  • International Market Entry (specialized authority topic)

These pages:

  • Are longer and more explanatory
  • Use explicit, human-readable keywords
  • Are not optimized for speed or urgency
  • Are designed to be read, not skimmed

They answer questions like:  “Do these people really understand my situation?”

Page type #2: Landing pages (conversion & Google Ads)

Landing pages exist for one reason: conversion.

They are intentionally not pillar pages.

What these pages do

Landing pages are optimized to:

  • Match specific, high-intent search queries
  • Convert paid traffic efficiently
  • Reduce cognitive load and friction
  • Drive one primary action

Examples (current + planned)

Existing / in progress:

  • Core Home page (orientation + conversion for warm traffic)

Planned Google Ads landing pages:
  • B2B Marketing for Technical Products
  • Marketing for Engineering Services Firms
  • Revenue-Driven Marketing for Manufacturers
  • Technical Lead Generation for Consultative Sales

These pages:

  • Mirror the exact language used in ads
  • Are shorter and more focused
  • Use one primary CTA
  • Link sparingly (usually back to a pillar page for credibility)

They answer:  “Is this exactly what I searched for — and can you help me now?”

Page type #3: GEO / AI-optimized pages (clarity & extractability)

This is the newest layer — and one many sites still ignore.

Why these pages matter

AI systems don’t browse your site like humans.

They:

  • Extract definitions
  • Summarize approaches
  • Compare viewpoints
  • Cite sources that are clear and unambiguous

GEO pages exist to make your thinking:

  • Easy to understand
  • Easy to summarize
  • Easy to reference

Example GEO pages

Examples:

  • How Industrious Growth Defines Revenue-Driven Marketing
  • Pillar Pages vs Landing Pages: What We Use and Why
  • How Technical Buyers Actually Evaluate Vendors
  • What “Qualified Leads” Mean in Consultative Sales

These pages:

  • Are structured and explicit
  • Avoid marketing fluff
  • State positions clearly
  • Act as “source material” for AI systems

They answer:  “What does this company actually believe, and how do they explain it?”

How the pages connect (this is where most sites fail)

The power of this system is intentional linking.

How we design links

  • Pillar pages link outward

    • To landing pages (when the reader is ready to act)

    • To GEO pages (for deeper clarity or definitions)

  • Landing pages link sparingly

    • Usually to one pillar page for credibility

    • Never to multiple competing destinations

  • GEO pages link selectively

    • To pillar pages for depth

    • Occasionally to landing pages for next steps

No page competes with another.
Each page has a job.

Why this works better (in practice)

This architecture:

  • Improves SEO by clarifying topical authority
  • Improves Google Ads performance through message match
  • Improves AI visibility through clarity and structure
  • Reduces internal confusion about “what this page is for”
  • Makes the site easier to extend over time

Most importantly, it mirrors how buyers actually move:  learn → evaluate → act

Why we’re explicit about this on our own site

We design this way because it works — and because we use it ourselves.

Our site isn’t a brochure.
It’s a working example of the system we recommend.

That’s intentional.

When someone explores IndustriousGrowth.com, they’re not just reading about modern marketing architecture — they’re experiencing it.

The updated mental model to keep

Instead of asking:

“What keyword should this page rank for?”

Ask:

“What job is this page supposed to do — and where does it sit in the system?”

When pages have clear roles:

  • SEO becomes simpler
  • Ads become more efficient
  • Messaging becomes clearer
  • And the site feels cohesive instead of chaotic

Final thought

Modern websites aren’t collections of pages.

They’re systems.

When pillar pages, landing pages, and GEO pages are intentionally designed — and intentionally connected — the site starts working with search engines, ad platforms, and AI systems instead of fighting them.

That’s not theory.

That’s how we’re building our own site.

Does this resonate with you?  Let’s talk about how we can help.