Create Original SEO Content That Ranks

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.

I found a page ranking #1 despite breaking every SEO rule in the book. Here's what I discovered about this page that's ranking for a keyword with 58,000 monthly searches: ↳ DR 22 ↳ Horrible URL structure; includes year and month ↳ Meta description is ridiculously long at 192 WORDS (not characters) ↳ Has less than 1/10th the backlinks of the next best ↳ Looks like it was designed in 1995 But here's the fascinating part - despite breaking these many SEO "rules," it's outranking websites that are DR 90+. The reason? Experience. The page is about a specific type of bread, and the author has done something remarkable. They've purchased every single brand of this bread available, photographed each one, and provided detailed feedback about whether they'd buy it again. This isn't an isolated case. I've observed this pattern across various industries, and I believe this is what future SERPs will increasingly look like. Google is prioritizing content that: - Shows real effort and dedication - Demonstrates genuine experience - Comes from actual users with real perspectives You might have noticed this trend with Reddit threads appearing more frequently in search results, too. It's the same principle - authentic, user-generated content taking precedence. Why is Google moving in this direction? Two main reasons: 1. This type of content provides better training data for their LLMs 2. It better serves user intent and needs I tested this approach with an architecture/interior design client. Instead of writing generic content about a specific design style, we created questions for the architects to answer via voice notes, which we then transformed into content. The key takeaway is that you need to develop a system for capturing and showcasing genuine experiences and unique perspectives in your content. This means incorporating real-world knowledge, personal insights, and authentic viewpoints into your content strategy. Without this experiential element, your content risks getting lost in the growing sea of AI-generated material that users increasingly ignore. And if you have real content, it seems that you can break every other rule in SEO and get away with it. What do you think?

Most SEO content reads like a high school research paper - people just regurgitate what is already said in the Google search results. Let's look at how to create content that actually helps readers while still ranking well. (full video sharing examples in the comments) I'm going to share the contrast between "basic SEO content" and high-quality writing by contrasting two SEO articles we found in the SERP focused on targeting the keyword "omnichannel reporting." Basic SEO content: "Omnichannel reporting is essential in today's digital landscape where businesses need a 360-degree view of customer interactions across multiple touchpoints" Just empty words that say nothing specific. Better version: "To do omnichannel reporting right, you need to standardize data across channels. Example: Amazon shows pageviews while GA tracks users - you need to align these metrics to compare performance" Basic SEO content fills space with jargon: "Prevent data silos by implementing a holistic approach to reveal customer behavior and interactions across channels" What does this actually mean? 🤔 Better version: "Most companies store Shopify data separately from Amazon sales. This makes it impossible to see total product performance across all sales channels without manual spreadsheet work" Basic content relies on generic stats: "87% of businesses say omnichannel is important" Better content explains specific problems: "If you have multiple Shopify stores, you can't aggregate their data in one dashboard" Basic content tells readers obvious things: "First, identify the metrics relevant to your business" Better content assumes readers know basics and dives into unique insights from real experts. Basic content avoids mentioning products. Better content shows specifically how your product solves problems: "Our tool automatically standardizes views vs. pageviews across channels so you can compare performance" Key takeaways for how to produce better content: -Without subject matter input, writers default to basic "Google research paper" content. Use interviews to inform your writing if you're not the expert. -Use specific examples and real scenarios. -Don't be afraid to show how your product helps solve the problem.

SEO content can work...without being crappy "SEO content." A few tips: 👉 Be clear on your audience and their intent. Someone googling "how to advertise on CTV" does NOT need the first paragraph to cover "What is CTV?". But someone searching for "ctv advertising" might actually need that high-level intro. Think critically about why someone would search for the given keyword—and then provide content appropriate for that situation. 👉 Include expert takes. Talk to internal and/or external SMEs. Use their insights in your content. Quote them if possible. Go BEYOND what lives in your head or has already been published on Google. 👉 Use colorful examples and case stories. Examples and case stories make hard concepts tangible—and they're another way to make your content stand out from everything else on the interwebs. 👉 Include useful visuals. Turn processes into graphics. Record a video explainer of a dense topic. Grab a screen recording to show how something works in your platform. 👉 Ignore suggested word counts. Use however many words you need to help the person searching get what they need out of the search. That may be more or less than SEMrush or Ahrefs tells you to write. 👉 DON'T ignore formatting. Make sure to use headers, lists, pull quotes, etc. as appropriate to illustrate your points—while making your content easier to consume. *** Your turn—What tips do you have for creating SEO content that doesn't suck?

Share What Only You Can See If you want your content to stand out in an AI-driven world, don’t just repackage what’s already out there. Offer something real. Something specific. Something only you could say. That might be customer behavior you’ve observed. Patterns from your own data. A way of framing things others haven’t considered. When your content carries original thinking or firsthand insight, it does more than get clicks—it earns trust. AI tools notice this too. LLMs increasingly pull from sources they see as reliable and distinct. If your site consistently publishes that kind of work, it’s more likely to be cited or surfaced in retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems. Ahrefs did this well recently. They analyzed millions of AI Overviews and search queries, then shared their findings with the SEO world. It didnt come across as recycled wisdom-it was something new that made people (and machines) pay attention. Make your content worth referencing. Not by being louder. But by being original. https://lnkd.in/e-4HVfaK

How I optimize blog article content before publishing to ensure "perfection": Most people hit publish too soon. They write, skim once, and send it live. That's not how you get GREAT results. SEO content isn’t just well-written—it’s structured, formatted, & designed to rank. Steal my SOP and get better SEO results: 1. Keyword Optimization - Ensure primary keyword appears naturally in the title, intro, and subheadings. - Add secondary & LSI keywords where relevant. 2. Headline & Meta Data - Write a compelling SEO title (H1) w/ the primary keyword. - Optimize the meta title & description for CTR. 3. URL Structure - Keep it short, clean, and keyword-rich. - For example: website/seo-checklist 4. Header Formatting (H1, H2, H3) - Use a clear hierarchy (H1 for title, H2s for sections, H3s for subtopics). - Break content into scannable sections. 5. Internal Linking - Link at least 3-5 relevant articles on your site. - Use descriptive anchor text (not just "click here"). 6. External Links to Authority Sources - Add at least 2-3 links to high-authority sources. - Open in a new tab for better user experience. 7. Readability & Formatting - Short paragraphs (2-3 lines max). - Use bullet points & bolding to highlight key takeaways. - Add quotes, callouts, and dividers for flow. 8. Image Optimization - Use at least one image per major section. - Add descriptive alt text with keywords. - Compress images to reduce load time. 9. Mobile & UX Check - Preview the post on mobile devices. - Ensure fast load speed & easy navigation. 10. Featured Snippet Optimization - Structure answers in lists, tables, or short paragraphs. - Use FAQ sections for more visibility. 11. Call-to-Action (CTA) Placement - Guide the reader to next steps (subscribe, book a call, read another post). - Place CTAs naturally—not forced. 12. Grammar & Proofreading - Run through Grammarly & Hemingway. - Read the post out loud to catch awkward phrasing. 13. SEO Final Check - Scan with SurferSEO or Clearscope for keyword coverage. - Ensure it's not over-optimized (avoid keyword stuffing). --- What did I miss? ♻️ REPOST if you learned something new. P.S. TrioSEO has mastered this process. Not happy with your SEO? Reach out & let's chat.

How to write SEO / GEO content that actually ranks AND gets cited by AI? Here's a reusable SOP. GEO is not a replacement for SEO. It's what you layer on top of solid SEO fundamentals to make your content citable by LLMs. The basics still matter. GEO just makes good content findable in a new channel. So what exactly goes into a high-quality SEO/GEO article? Three things. 𝟏. 𝗗𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗽 Beyond the basics - core keywords, supporting keywords, search intent - I now run two extra checks before writing anything: -> 𝗔𝗜 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 Ask ChatGPT and Perplexity: "What are the best [your keyword] tools in 2026?" Which brands get cited? How did they get cited, what content format, what structure, what phrasing made the AI pick them over everyone else? -> 𝗔𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 + 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗻 What prompts are people actually typing into ChatGPT to search for this topic? It's different from Google queries. Your content needs to match both. 𝟐. 𝗚𝗘𝗢 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗘𝗢 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: -> Open with a direct 2–4 sentence answer + TL;DR. -> Under every H2, lead with a 30–50 word clean answer. No links, no hedging, direct and confident ->Rewrite H2s as real questions -> Natural language > keyword stuffing -> Comparison tables for head-to-head content, one of the most extractable format for AI 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀: -> Hard numbers and percentages > vague claims like "many users prefer" -> Direct quotes from named experts with credentials -> At least one original insight, data point, or framework that can't be found elsewhere → A data chart or comparison table in every article 𝟑. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 Before writing, map out the full cluster: -> 1 pillar article (comprehensive, 3000+ words) -> 3–5 supporting pieces that interlink naturally -> Go beyond blog format, add tool pages, use case pages, comparison landing pages This builds a natural internal linking structure. Google rewards topical authority. AI models reward comprehensive coverage from a single source. I automated the research part of this SOP: the AI visibility check, question mining, competitor analysis, expert quotes, and open-sourced it. GitHub link in comments. Feel free to use it and look froward to any feedback!

Our organic traffic hit an all-time high last month. Here's the repeatable system we built after 2 years of trial and error: The 8 strategies we used: 1. We targeted 3-5 word long-tail keywords exclusively: Generic terms have massive competition, but specific phrases like "How to create professional headshots for LinkedIn" capture 70-92% of all search traffic with higher conversion rates. 2. Every quarter, we refreshed our top-performing pages before writing anything new: We spent 60 days updating existing content with current statistics, new examples, and refreshed dates. Search engines prioritize fresh content, and updating what already ranks better requires less effort than building authority for completely new pages from scratch. 3. We built content clusters with one 3,000+ word pillar page linking to supporting articles. Our main guide covers the entire topic comprehensively, while shorter articles (800 words) dive deep into specific subtopics and link back to the pillar. This helped Google understand our topical authority and created multiple discovery pathways for users. 4. Page speed optimization: 50% of users abandon sites that take longer than 2 seconds. So we implemented lazy loading for images below the fold and compressed all images. We aimed for <3-second load times since mobile performance directly impacts rankings with Google's mobile-first indexing. 5. We optimized for conversational, question-based queries that people use in voice search: Instead of targeting professional headshots, we created content answering "how do I get a professional headshot without a photographer" using natural language. Voice search and AI tools favor content that directly answers specific questions users ask. 6. Instead of chasing backlinks, we created linkable assets that naturally attracted links: We focused on original research, free tools, and comprehensive resource lists that other sites want to reference. Quality backlinks from highly relevant, authoritative sources outweigh many links from low-quality sites. 7. We structured content with FAQ sections answering common questions in 40-60 words: These short, direct answers target featured snippets at position zero. One FAQ section earned us 12 featured snippets, driving an additional 2000+ monthly visitors from questions we previously ranked on page two for. 8. Weekly reviews of Google Search Console instead of monthly check-ins: We identified a rising keyword that jumped from position 18 to position 8, created supporting content around it within 48 hours, and captured the traffic spike before competitors noticed. Weekly monitoring lets you act on opportunities as they emerge. If this was helpful, make sure to save it for later! Have any questions? Comment below and I'll try to help. 

How top 1% SEOs build authority – A checklist I wish I had 5 years ago (Don’t miss #6!) Most people struggle with SEO because they try to rank for high-competition keywords too soon or lack a strategy. The top 1% follow a structured, step-by-step process that builds authority over time. Here’s the exact roadmap 👇 1. Identify Your Niche & Topics ↳ Pick a niche where you can create expert-level content. ↳ Understand your audience’s pain points and what they search for. ↳ Find long-tail keywords that match your expertise and authority. 2. Keyword Research Done Right ↳ Start with low-competition, high-intent keywords. ↳ Use SEMRush, Ahrefs, or Google Keyword Planner to analyze search volume. ↳ Avoid high-tier keywords early—Google won’t trust you yet. 3. Create High-Quality Content ↳ Write in-depth, well-researched articles, guides, and tutorials. ↳ Focus on solving real problems for your audience. ↳ Use AI tools to scale content production while maintaining quality. 4. Optimize for SEO ↳ Place keywords naturally in headlines, subheadings, and content. ↳ Optimize meta descriptions, images (alt text), and structured data. ↳ Make sure your content is readable, engaging, and valuable. 5. Internal Linking Strategy ↳ Connect your content to improve navigation and authority flow. ↳ Link from high-performing pages to boost newer content. ↳ Help search engines understand your site structure. 6. Build Backlinks (Smart, Not Spammy!) ↳ Guest post on relevant, high-authority sites in your niche. ↳ Create link-worthy content (original research, data studies, unique insights). ↳ If backlink outreach isn’t an option, keep publishing top-tier content. 7. Track, Analyze & Optimize ↳ Use Google Analytics and Search Console to track keyword performance. ↳ Identify high-ranking content and double down on similar topics. ↳ Optimize content that isn’t ranking—SEO is an ongoing process. 8. Scale to Competitive Keywords ↳ Once you dominate long-tail keywords, target more competitive ones. ↳ Strengthen your domain authority with continued content and links. ↳ SEO is a long-term game—those who stay consistent win. Final thoughts 👇 → Most people fail in SEO because they skip steps. → The top 1% execute with patience and precision. Which step are you focusing on right now?

It’s Not ChatGPT, It’s the Right Prompt That Ranks. Too many marketers are blaming the tool instead of learning how to use it correctly. As an SEO expert, I don’t just type random commands into ChatGPT — I craft prompts that are designed to rank, convert, and deliver results. If you’re struggling to grow your website or create powerful content, here are 3 real prompts I personally use that can change the game: ✔️ Blog Series Prompt (Topical Authority Building) “Create a 10-part SEO blog series around the keyword ‘plant care tips.’ Each blog should focus on a different sub-topic (e.g., watering, lighting, seasonal care), with suggested H1, 3 H2s, and a short 1-paragraph description for each. Ensure the overall series builds topical authority and supports internal linking.” ✔️ Competitor Gap Prompt (Content Gap SEO) “Using the website [yourdomain.com], compare it with these 3 competitor URLs: [competitor1.com], [competitor2.com], [competitor3.com]. Identify 15+ keywords they rank for but I don’t. For each keyword, include monthly search volume, competition level, and page intent (informational, transactional, navigational). Present in a table format.” ✔️ Landing Page Prompt (Conversion-Focused Content) “Write a fully SEO-optimized landing page for a digital marketing agency offering local SEO services. Use the AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) framework. Include a strong CTA, FAQs with schema markup suggestions, and benefit-driven copy. Maintain a friendly but professional tone with language optimized for conversion.” ✅ These aren’t just prompts, they’re strategies. If you want real growth, stop guessing. Start prompting with purpose. Save this post and try one today.