--- title: Case Study 1 --- [Skip to content](https://www.pillarbase.ai/case-study-1#main-content) [![Pillarbase Logo](https://www.pillarbase.ai/hs-fs/hubfs/Pilarbaselogo.png?width=1134&height=497&name=Pilarbaselogo.png)Homepage](https://www.pillarbase.ai?hsLang=en) - [PBM](https://www.pillarbase.ai/pbm?hsLang=en) - Product - [Discovery](https://www.pillarbase.ai/discovery?hsLang=en) - [Strategy](https://www.pillarbase.ai/strategy?hsLang=en) - [Content](https://www.pillarbase.ai/content?hsLang=en) - [Performance](https://www.pillarbase.ai/performance?hsLang=en) - [Optimization](https://www.pillarbase.ai/optimization?hsLang=en) - [Pricing](https://www.pillarbase.ai/pricing?hsLang=en) - [Results](https://www.pillarbase.ai/results?hsLang=en) - [Who is Ryan?](https://www.pillarbase.ai/who-is-ryan?hsLang=en) - [Blog](https://www.pillarbase.ai/blog?hsLang=en) [Log In](https://app.pillarbase.ai/auth/login?next=%2F) - [PBM](https://www.pillarbase.ai/pbm?hsLang=en) - Product - [Discovery](https://www.pillarbase.ai/discovery?hsLang=en) - [Strategy](https://www.pillarbase.ai/strategy?hsLang=en) - [Content](https://www.pillarbase.ai/content?hsLang=en) - [Performance](https://www.pillarbase.ai/performance?hsLang=en) - [Optimization](https://www.pillarbase.ai/optimization?hsLang=en) - [Pricing](https://www.pillarbase.ai/pricing?hsLang=en) - [Results](https://www.pillarbase.ai/results?hsLang=en) - [Who is Ryan?](https://www.pillarbase.ai/who-is-ryan?hsLang=en) - [Blog](https://www.pillarbase.ai/blog?hsLang=en) [Log In](https://app.pillarbase.ai/auth/login?next=%2F) Case Study # How an HOA management platform built search authority across an entire category. Over 14 months, this HOA management platform used Pillar-Based Marketing to build a deep, durable search presence across traditional rankings and AI-powered search results. [See What Pillarbase Could Find](https://www.pillarbase.ai/client-pillar-request?hsLang=en) Client type ### An HOA management platform The client needed to become visible across a wide HOA software landscape: payments, websites, accounting, bookkeeping, finance, policy, voting, reserve reports, comparisons, and emerging AI-related topics. ## Quick Wins 48 Active topic pillars 2,082 Page-one rankings 6,952 Total rankings across pages 1–3 27.6% AI query citation rate The challenge ## They were not trying to win one keyword. They needed to own the conversation. HOA management software is not a single-topic market. Buyers search across payments, websites, mobile apps, accounting, finance, voting, reserve reports, policy questions, comparisons, and operational problems. ### Build the full topic map Instead of chasing isolated blogs, Pillarbase helped organize the market into a portfolio of topic pillars that covered the full buyer journey. ### Publish, measure, expand Early pillars established the foundation. New pillars then launched faster because they benefited from the authority already created by the earlier content. ### Win traditional and AI search The strategy did not stop at Google rankings. It also measured whether AI-powered search systems were citing the client when answering relevant questions. The strategy ## A compounding pillar system, not a one-off content push. The most important part of this case study is the pattern: early pillars built authority, then new pillars started launching from a stronger baseline. 1 ### Start with foundational categories The first wave focused on core HOA software topics like payments, software, websites, and mobile app searches. 2 ### Expand into adjacent buyer problems Once the core pillars gained traction, the strategy expanded into accounting, bookkeeping, finance, loans, voting, policy, reserve reports, and governance topics. 3 ### Cover high-intent comparison searches The platform then targeted comparison and review-style categories where buyers were actively evaluating HOA software options. 4 ### Move into emerging categories early Newer pillars, including AI-related HOA topics, positioned the client ahead of competitors in categories that are still developing. The proof ## Four examples show how the system compounded. The full report includes dozens of pillars. These examples make the pattern easier to see. Core category ### HOA payments Grew from 47 total rankings in the first run to 502 total rankings, with 139 on page one. **968%** increase in total rankings Competitive category ### HOA software Became the most-cited domain in AI search for HOA software queries, ahead of larger competitors. **47.2%** AI query citation rate Fast expansion ### HOA accounting Launched later in the campaign and grew from 4 rankings to 372 total rankings in under five months. **372** total rankings New category ### HOA document storage Reached 114 rankings and a 16.6% AI citation rate in its first full measurement cycle. **114** rankings in the first cycle Why it matters now ## The client did not just gain rankings. They built an AI search moat. Across tracked AI Mode data, the client was cited in thousands of AI-generated responses. In core categories like HOA software, HOA websites, and HOA payments, AI systems cited the client at rates above 44%. **6,696** AI queries where the client appeared **16,585** client citations in the latest measurement cycle **7** pillars above a 35% AI citation rate The takeaway ## What this means for agencies and their clients. ### Pillarbase makes the strategy visible Instead of guessing what content to create, the team could see the market, organize the topics, and build a clear roadmap. ### Ryan’s process turns content into a system The result was not a random collection of blogs. It was a structured authority engine built around pillars, sub-pillars, and related buyer questions. ### The advantage compounded over time New pillars started gaining traction faster because the earlier pillars had already strengthened the domain’s authority. ### The strategy prepared them for AI search As AI tools become part of how buyers research software, the client is already being cited across high-value questions. Ready to find your client’s pillar opportunity? ## See what a pillar-based strategy could uncover for one of your clients. Pillarbase helps agencies find the topics, structure the strategy, generate the content, track performance, and optimize over time. 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