Content Curation for SEO

After managing hundreds (maybe thousands) of SEO campaigns… I've distilled content creation down to a science. Here are 6 core pillars that actually move the needle: 1. Smart Keyword Selection Search volume is a vanity metric. Focus on these factors instead: • Relevance to your business goals • Commercial intent signals • Click-through rate potential Pro tip: 60% of Google searches end without a click. Pick keywords where people actually click through to websites. 2. The Uniqueness Factor Google's drowning in AI-generated content. Your advantage? Being genuinely different. Here's how: • Conduct original research (even small studies work) • Share first-hand experience and opinions • Create fresh data sets • Build user-generated content around polarizing topics AI can't replicate human experience. Use that. 3. Perfect Intent Matching Want to rank? Match the format that's already working (while adding your unique spin). Simple process: • Search your target keyword • Study the top 3 results • Note the content format (list, guide, comparison) • Create something similar but better If Google shows informational content, don't try to rank commercial pages. Work with the algorithm, not against it. 4. Content Quality Standards Great content isn't about word count. It's about clarity and engagement: • Write like you're talking to one person • Use simple language (no jargon) • Break up text with headings and bullets • Add visuals that actually add value • Edit ruthlessly 5. Topic Authority Building One great page isn't enough. Build supporting content around your main topic: • Start with branded keywords (easiest wins) • Target competitor comparisons • Create problem-aware content • Build educational resources Each piece should link to others, creating a content hub that Google loves. 6. Technical Foundation All the great content in the world won't rank if your technical SEO is broken: • Page speed under 3 seconds • Mobile-first design • Proper URL structure • Internal linking strategy • Schema markup where relevant Stop pumping out random blog posts. Start building strategic content assets that serve your business goals. Every piece should either educate your audience or move them closer to becoming customers.

The anatomy of a perfect SEO blog post: After analyzing 1,000+ top-ranking articles, here's the exact formula: 🎣 The Hook (First 100 words) Start with a surprising statistic or bold statement Promise specific value ("Here's the exact process...") Address the reader's pain point immediately Include your target keyword naturally 📋 Content Structure (H2/H3 Hierarchy) H1: Primary keyword + compelling angle H2s: Subtopics covering search intent completely H3s: Detailed breakdowns and examples Use numbered lists and bullet points for scannability 🔍 SEO Optimization Checklist ✅ Target keyword in first 100 words ✅ LSI keywords throughout content ✅ Meta description 150-160 characters ✅ Title tag 50-60 characters ✅ URL slug short and descriptive ✅ Alt text for all images ✅ Internal links to 3-5 relevant pages ✅ Schema markup for rich snippets 📊 User Experience Elements Short paragraphs (2-3 sentences max) Subheadings every 200-300 words Visual breaks (images, videos, infographics) Fast loading speed (<3 seconds) Mobile-optimized design Clear call-to-action 📝 Content Depth Requirements 2,000+ words for competitive keywords Cover topic comprehensively Answer all related questions Include expert quotes and citations Provide actionable takeaways Add unique insights or data 🔗 Authority Building Author bio with credentials Link to authoritative sources Include original research or data Showcase relevant experience Add social proof (testimonials, case studies) 📈 Performance Optimization Optimize for featured snippets Target "People Also Ask" questions Include FAQ section Add table of contents for long content Optimize for voice search queries Real Example: Our article "Complete SEO Guide for SaaS" follows this formula: 🎯 4,200 words comprehensive coverage 🎯 23 actionable tips with examples 🎯 12 internal links to related content 🎯 3 original case studies 🎯 Featured snippet optimization Results: #1 ranking for "SaaS SEO" (3,600 monthly searches) Content Promotion Strategy: Share on LinkedIn with engaging hook Email to newsletter subscribers Post in relevant communities Reach out to mentioned experts Create social media snippets Repurpose into other formats Common Mistakes to Avoid: ❌ Keyword stuffing (keep density under 2%) ❌ Ignoring search intent ❌ Poor internal linking ❌ No clear value proposition ❌ Weak introduction ❌ No call-to-action Pro Tip: Write for humans first, optimize for search engines second. Google rewards content that genuinely helps users. What's your blog post writing process?

Most don't use ChatGPT and AI for SEO. Here's what you're missing: 1/ Keyword Research AI can expand your seed terms into hundreds of variations. Prompt: “List 20 long-tail keywords similar to ‘ecommerce SEO’ with traffic potential.” 2/ Keyword Clustering Group related keywords into themes for one piece of content. Prompt: “Cluster these 30 keywords into 5 groups based on search intent.” 3/ Search Intent Labeling Label keywords as Informational, Commercial, or Transactional. Prompt: “Categorize these 25 keywords into intent types with reasoning.” 4/ Content Ideation Generate blog, landing page, or resource ideas around core keywords. Prompt: “Give me 10 blog ideas for ‘AI in SEO’ targeting SaaS founders.” 5/ Blog Title Creation Come up with attention-grabbing, SEO-friendly titles. Prompt: “Create 10 engaging listicle titles for ‘SEO content strategy’.” 6/ Outline & Subtopics Map H1s, H2s, and FAQs before writing. Prompt: “Build a content outline for the keyword ‘best SEO tools 2025’.” 7/ First Draft Writing Spin up a draft in minutes that you then refine. Prompt: “Write a 1,000-word blog post for ‘technical SEO checklist’ with bullets and examples.” 8/ Metadata Generation Create SEO titles and meta descriptions at scale. Prompt: “Write 5 meta descriptions under 155 characters for ‘AI SEO tools’.” 9/ Content Optimization Improve readability, add entities, and boost on-page SEO. Prompt: “Rewrite this blog section to be shorter, clearer, and optimized for ‘E-E-A-T SEO’.” 10/ E-E-A-T Enhancement Layer in experience, authority, and trust signals. Prompt: “Suggest ways to add first-hand experience to this article about link building.” 11/ Internal Linking Suggestions Build smart interlinks between related posts. Prompt: “Suggest 5 internal linking opportunities between these blog URLs.” 12/ Competitor Content Gap Analysis Compare your site against a competitor’s top pages. Prompt: “Analyze competitor.com/blog and find 10 content gaps we can cover.” 13/ Repurposing Blog Content Turn articles into LinkedIn posts, threads, and videos. Prompt: “Rewrite this blog intro into a 7-post LinkedIn carousel script.” 14/ Featured Snippet Optimization Rewrite answers for conciseness and snippet capture. Prompt: “Write a 45-word answer for ‘What is technical SEO?’” 15/ Backlink Outreach Drafting Generate outreach email drafts for link building. Prompt: “Write a polite email asking to add our guide to their resources page.” AI is not here to replace SEOs. It’s here to speed us up and systemize tasks. The key is adding strategy, human judgment, and brand voice. SEOs who mix AI + expertise will always win. Find this useful? Repost ♻️ to help others learn too. P.S. Want SEO to drive leads to your business? Let's chat: https://lnkd.in/gYccSVY8

Today, let's do the reality checks for the content you plan, publish, optimize, promote, and monitor to work for your SEO and marketing strategy: Content Planning Have you established clear content goals and objectives? Keyword Strategy Is your keyword strategy aligned with your content planning? Competitor Analysis Have you analyzed your competitors' content to identify gaps and opportunities? Content Calendar Do you have a content calendar in place to ensure consistency in content production and publication? Content Audit Have you conducted a thorough content audit of your website? Thin or Low-Quality Content Is your content genuinely valuable and informative, or is it shallow and of low quality, or created just for the sake of creating it to avoid getting badly affected by Google's Helpful Content Update? E-E-A-T Guidelines Does your content demonstrate expertise on the topics you cover? Are the authors and contributors of your content experienced in their respective fields? Is your content authoritative and well-referenced? Is your content trustworthy and transparent? Content Duplication Is your content unique, or is it duplicated from other sources, including your own site? Content-Length vs. Quality Are you solely focused on content length, or are you prioritizing quality? Audience-Centric Approach Is your content tailored to address the needs, interests, and pain points of your target audience? Content Relevance and Freshness Is your content up-to-date and relevant to your target audience's current needs? Content Format Diversity Are you exploring different content formats (e.g., blog posts, videos, infographics) to cater to various audience preferences and improve engagement? Over-Optimization Are you excessively optimizing your content with keywords, making it sound unnatural? Content Governance Do you have clear guidelines and workflows for content creation, editing, and approval? Content Promotion Are you planning how to promote your content effectively? Content promotion is as important as content creation. Measurement and Analysis Are you tracking and analyzing the performance of your content, such as engagement rate, average session time, etc.? Alignment with Brand Identity Does your content align with your brand's tone, voice, and values? Multilingual and International SEO If you target international audiences, have you optimized your content for different languages and regions? User Feedback and Reviews Are you listening to user feedback and reviews to improve your content? Are there any other reality checks you put in to gauge the quality of the content? Please share them in the comments below. #SEO #ContentStrategy #SaaS #B2B #eCommerce #ContentWriting #D2C #GrowthMarketing #GrowthStrategy

This strategy took my blogs from page 5 to page 1 (Writing content but not ranking? Read this) When I first started writing SEO content, I had no clue. ↳ I stuffed keywords like my life depended on it ↳ I chased trends instead of solving problems ↳ I focused on word count, not quality None of it worked. My posts got buried. Here’s the ranking framework that changed everything: 1. Intent First 2. E-E-A-T Always 3. Optimise, Then Publish Let me explain 👇 1. Understand Search Intent ↳ Google wants to give users exactly what they're looking for ↳ Know the 4 types: Informational, Navigational, Commercial, Transactional ↳ Match your content format and tone to the searcher's goal ↳ Stop guessing analyze the top 5 results for every keyword 2. Show E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust) ↳ Add personal examples or real stories = Experience ↳ Mention credentials or cite expert opinions = Expertise ↳ Build topical authority with interlinked, deep content = Authority ↳ Keep your site fast, mobile-friendly, secure = Trust 3. SEO Polish Before You Publish ↳ Use one main keyword naturally no stuffing ↳ Add semantic keywords (LSI) for context ↳ Write catchy, clear meta titles & descriptions ↳ Use headers, bullet points, and images to improve readability Bonus Tip? ↳ Google ranks helpful content, not robotic text ↳ Write like you’re helping a real human (because you are!) ↳ Focus on value, not just volume SEO content isn't just about writing. It’s about aligning with Google's mission: "Organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” —-------------- P.S. Was this helpful

SEO content briefs go beyond just keywords. They offer writers a clear, comprehensive guide, ensuring the content aligns with both SEO goals and user needs. Here’s why they are indispensable: -Context and Clarity: Writers receive more than just keywords; they get a full picture of what they need to achieve. -Aligned Goals: Ensures everyone, from content creators to SEO strategists, is on the same page about the objectives. -Efficiency and Effectiveness: Streamlines the content creation process, making it more efficient and targeted. 🔍 Our Process for Crafting SEO Content Briefs Creating an impactful SEO content brief involves several key steps. Here’s our approach: 1. Keyword Research: We begin with thorough keyword research, identifying the primary keywords that the content should focus on. 2. Semantic Keyword Research: Next, we delve into semantic keyword research, identifying related topics and phrases. This ensures the content covers a topic comprehensively and contextually. 3. Search Intent Analysis: Understanding the ‘why’ behind searches is crucial. We analyze search intent to ensure that the content meets the users' needs and search engine expectations. 4. Goal & CTA: Understanding what the goal of creating this content is will help you measure the impact and analyze how it ends up performing. Not every piece of content will have the same goal or purpose, so it's important to understand the purpose of this content before it gets created. This helps us analyze and report on performance and avoid using the same templated metrics for each piece of content. 5. Outline Building: Finally, we construct a detailed outline, structuring the content to flow logically while incorporating all the SEO insights we’ve gathered. 🎁 Get A Copy Of Our Content Brief Template This template is a culmination of our experience in SEO and content strategy, designed to guide you in creating content that ranks and resonates. Sign up for our newsletter and the content brief template will be sent to you. Remember, the strength of your SEO content starts with the brief you create. A well-crafted brief is not just a document; it's a tool that shapes engaging, relevant, and search-optimized content.

Are your blogs ranking against each other? When you get the content decay list, one relatively simple fix is content consolidation, since it involves more editing than creating from scratch. This strategy is particularly effective at the start of an SEO project, because editing existing content helps you quickly learn your client's style and their industry. Your 2 easy targets for content consolidation: → Merge content that are overlapping - you don’t need both competing with each other. → Combine thin content pieces - together, they are stronger. Tip: use the search operator below to find your targets quickly: “Site:domain.com [keywords]” Now, for the fix: Pick the stronger primary keyword  → The one with higher traffic potential or lower keyword difficulty → Or both Study SERP for keyword intent and Google's ranking preferences. → What’s the first thing users want to see? → What’s Google ranking? Decide on your content format. → What’s Google ranking on top? a blog, homepages, product page, local pages, best [xx] listicles, or maps? Learn from the top 3 search results and build a unique content structure. → Write your content with a TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read) section at the top. → Give your readers what they want immediately, followed by detailed explanations. A few practical examples to guide you: 📄 'What is XX' content should start with a direct 🅳🅴🅵🅸🅽🅸🆃🅸🅾🅽, followed by relevant and historical information. 🛠️ 'How to' content need to present the 🆂🆃🅴🅿🆂 first, before diving into background details. ☑️ Listicles should list the 🆃🅾🅿 5 🅸🆃🅴🅼🆂 upfront, then the methodology, the full list, and explanations can follow. ⚔️ For 'A vs. B' blogs, begin with a summary 🅲🅾🅼🅿🅰🆁🅸🆂🅾🅽, perhaps in a table format, before elaborating. After all these hard work, don't forget to improve your searchability: → Ensure your keyword is in the URL and your title tag → Use <h1>, <h2>, and <h3> (don’t get crazy with the hierarchy) → Add relevant internal links → Add alt tags for images → Don’t forget 301 redirects to preserve backlink juice Consolidation in content is not about losing uniqueness; it's about enhancing clarity and relevance.

I decided to consolidate two pages and improve content on one of our blogs. The result? A 626% increase in clicks in 12 months and a huge boost in keyword rankings. I saw an opportunity to merge two overlapping assets: https://lnkd.in/eGnjJxQh https://lnkd.in/eDmnEK8H The goal? Crack the top 5 for the primary keyword. Because once you're there, you don’t just rank for one query, you unlock visibility for thousands of related terms. So I consolidated the content, improved UX and clarity, and made the page a more complete resource. It worked. This wasn’t just a rewrite. It was about combining the ranking power of two assets into a single, stronger page. Content consolidation works especially well when: -You’ve got multiple pages targeting similar terms -Some of them are underperforming -You can build one more comprehensive, high-quality resource -The new version better satisfies search intent More often than not, your next SEO win isn’t a brand new blog post. It’s hiding in your existing content, waiting to be refined and unified.

I work on sites with over 2000 pages And most of my clients share this common problem: → Keeping website content up-to-date without a big team. So, here’s a (3-step framework) on how we manage content efficiently, And you can do it too: Step 1: Focus on pages with Maximum Conversions These pages are the ones that bring in the most amount of money. This also means that they rank in the top 10. 1. Get their content up-to date 2. Check for accurate schema types 3. Optimize headings, meta and page structure 4. Add sections for information gain (content, images, tables) 5. Improve conversion rates by optimizing elements on the page This will provide you with instant ROI. Step 2: Merge and Delete Combine pages targeting the same topics. Below is a content consolidation framework: 1. Find pages with overlapping topics. 2. Merge them into one comprehensive page. 3. Delete redundant pages to avoid confusion. 4. Redirect old URLs to the new, optimized page. 5. Ensure old internal links point to the new page. Tips for consolidation: • Group similar content for better user experience. • Keep the most valuable information. • Use analytics to decide what to keep and what to merge. • Regularly audit for new opportunities to consolidate. • Keep the page that is ranking the best. Step 3: Build Links (in competitive niches) In the meantime, build high-quality backlinks. You can: 1. Reach out to industry influencers. 2. Guest post on reputable sites. 3. Share your updated content on social media. 4. Collaborate with other websites for link placements. This balanced approach saves time. It ensures your site remains relevant. No need for a big team to stay on top. There you have it - a framework for efficient content management. It may be challenging at first. But ignoring outdated content is a bigger risk. Your website deserves to stay fresh and valuable. And if you need help with streamlining your website content and driving better ROI, Book a call today, there's just one slot left. Let’s make your content work smarter, not harder. Follow me: Kapil Ochani, if you haven't yet. #WebsiteOptimization #ContentStrategy #SEOFramework

Content clustering is SEO survival. Here is why (& how to do it)👇 Google’s been doubling down on real, authentic topical authority. It no longer cares about a single “ultimate guide.” It wants to see an ecosystem: interlinked content that proves you actually own a subject. When you cluster and link properly, you: ✅ Build authority: Google sees your site as the hub, not just a series of one-off articles. ✅ Guide readers: People don’t get lost in rabbit holes and follow a clear path. ✅ Organized chaos: Your links are tidy, intentional, and context-driven. 👉👉👉👉👉👉 And the REAL money maker: You boost conversions because traffic funnels up to the high-intent, money pages that actually MATTER. Trying to have a high-performing linking routine is nearly impossible without content clusters. It is too messy. This is the linking structure I used to increase CVR & traffic for the past 7 years. I know it looks like a headache (and it definitely can be - anyone who says otherwise is lying) but.. Planning your links in this pathway will save you time later on. How? When you know what articles you will be linking to, you can: - Include them in your brief or prompt - Prepare anchor text even if your content is published yet - Link more quickly without any rewriting necessary ❌ CAVEAT: Content clusters won’t always be this neat & tidy with TOFU, MOFU, BOFU in these positions. Things overlap. Paths are a little chaotic. And that’s okay. The point isn’t perfection. It’s logic. So, focus FIRST on logical topics, respective sub-topics, and logical pathways for humans and search engines (notice I said humans first 😉). Thoughts? PS. I'll do a detailed post on how to build clusters from scratch & for existing content next week so leave your questions on this below!