Josien Nation’s Post

Ever wonder why some blog posts succeed while others fail? After years of working on content strategies, here’s what I’ve learned: → Keyword research is just the beginning: Finding the right keywords is only the first step, it's crucial to guide your content creation process. → Search intent is your North Star: Understanding the true purpose behind a user's search is essential to create content that meets their needs. → Structure matters more than you think: Organizing your content clearly and logically helps both readers and search engines understand and value it. Use headings, bullets, and short paragraphs for readability. → Optimization is an ongoing process: Continuously updating and refining your content keeps it relevant and improves its performance over time. Include compelling CTAs, relevant internal and external links, and ensure your meta descriptions are engaging and keyword-rich. But the real magic? Solving the searcher’s problem better than anyone else. This approach has helped me boost site traffic by 40%. What’s your approach in creating high-traffic content?

3 Tactics to Optimize for Google’s ‘Helpful Content’ Update (save this for later) Google’s Helpful Content Update is here to prioritize high-quality, user-focused content. Want to stay ahead? Here’s how to make sure your content is hitting the mark ↓ Focus on People-First Content ↳ Write for your audience, not for the algorithm. Address real questions, solve problems, and avoid keyword stuffing. Showcase Your Expertise ↳ Use real-life examples, case studies, and expert insights. Make it clear why readers should trust your advice. Keep Content Clear and Concise ↳ Cut out the fluff! Break content into digestible sections, use visuals, and keep it easy to read. Creating helpful content will drive more relevant traffic and keep users coming back for more. P.S. Repost if you found this useful 

Lots of talk about Information Gain lately - and I love it! But have we adjusted our content creation workflows? No... Quick recap: the idea of Information Gain (IG) is that Google might judge content based on whether it contributes something new and valuable or simply rehashes what other results already say. IG might expand into areas like backlinks or EEAT (more in my latest Memo, link in comments). But more importantly, I think we need to prioritize insights in the way we produce content. How many marketing teams do original research for their content? How many marketing teams talk to users / customers on a regular basis? Not many. Not enough. You get the point. If you want to surface real insights, they need to come from somewhere. And they need to be baked into the content creation process. Thanks for attending my Ted Talk.

What's one thing that often gets forgotten when companies analyze their content? User experience. Companies often audit their content to make sure they're using the best keywords, their articles are optimized in all the ways they need to be, and there aren't (many) typos or errors. But what's often forgotten is the reader's experience. - Is there enough whitespace in this article to make it readable? - Does the title reflect the content? - Where do we encourage the reader to go next? - Have we addressed their pain points? - Does this article fit within a larger context (and have we provided that context) or does it exist on its own? - What questions will readers have after they read this article and can we point them in the right direction for answers? - Are there lots of pop ups that will annoy readers? When you review your content, make sure you're analyzing it from your readers' perspective. After all, without readers you content would just sit there, published but doing nothing. #ContentMarketing #ContentStrategy #ContentAnalysis

Discover the secret to endless content without burning out Breathe new life into your old content with these 6 simple tricks Content creation feeling like a treadmill? You're not alone. Many marketers struggle to keep up with the demand for fresh content. But here's the game-changer: You don't need to create new content constantly. The key is refreshing what you already have. Here's how to make your old content feel brand new: Update visuals: A new image can revive an underperforming post. Add timely information: Make it relevant to current events. Reword the headline: Craft it to be specific, actionable, and intriguing. Refresh the writing: Improve readability and flow. Add multimedia: Include videos or podcasts to engage different learning styles. Highlight your comeback: Show readers the post's journey. I've used these techniques to double the engagement on old posts. One refreshed article went from 100 views to over 1,000 in just a week! Benefits: By refreshing old content, you can: • Save time and energy • Improve SEO rankings • Reach new audiences • Maximize the value of your existing work Which of these techniques will you try first? Share in the replies!

20% of your results come from 80% of your efforts. But here’s the problem. In content marketing, you have no idea what that 20% is. As you get more experience, or hire people with it, you may have a higher hit rate than others. But you’ll still have pieces that you think will crush, that fall flat. And others, that you think will be duds, will take off. So what’s the answer? Sure, study what’s worked for others. Emulate them. But ultimately, you just have to create and publish, then learn and iterate. That’s the only surefire way to succeed with content.

I see this mistake all the time: excessive content creation. It happens so easily. You find a keyword, and you create a page or an article around it. The problem? Your piece accidentally misses the mark on search intent. As a result, it doesn’t rank well or ends up languishing on page three of search results. It can be perplexing when you think you’ve done everything right. Often, when I work on improving rankings, my task involves combining information. I end up: a) Amalgamating blog posts—sometimes five separate blogs are consolidated into one. b) Improving content architecture by linking everything together—blogs are added to product pages, or case studies are integrated with services. Anyone can create content. But can you create content in a way that gets you the visibility you deserve?

PSA: You already have content. You already have content ideas in the content you have already created. You just forgot about them. No content for today? Here's your permission slip to dig through your archives and: Option One: Straight up repost that shit Option Two: Re-record it, re-created it, or re-write it with fresh energy I recently went back to my archived blog posts from my old brand and turned 10 blog posts into 30 LinkedIn posts for next month.  Why did I take the time to do this? Even as a content strategist, I hit those creative ruts too. But I still want to show up for my audience and my community. Because here's the truth about consistency - sometimes it's not about creating new stuff, it's about making your existing content work harder for you. Stop staring at a blank screen and start raiding your own content vault.

The content world moves fast—like, blink and you’ve missed it fast. But not all content needs to expire faster than a tweet. Timeless, SEO-rich content thrives, pulling in value long after it’s published. Here’s how to build that: 1️⃣ Focus on Evergreen Topics: Write about themes that don’t fade with trends. Guides, how-tos, and industry FAQs are your best friends. Think: “How to Choose the Right SaaS Platform,” not “Top SaaS Trends of 2023.” 2️⃣ Answer Questions Your Audience Is Actually Asking: Use tools like Google’s “People Also Ask” or Answer the Public to uncover real questions your audience wants solved. 3️⃣ Invest in Quality, Not Just Keywords: Stuffing keywords? That ship sailed in 2010. Today, Google favors content that’s insightful, well-structured, and genuinely useful. Keywords matter, but context is king. 4️⃣ Refresh, Don’t Rewrite: Got a high-performing post from two years ago? Update stats, refine examples, and re-optimize for new keywords. It’s the easiest way to keep the content fresh without reinventing the wheel. 5️⃣ Create Clear, Skimmable Layouts: People skim. Bullets, subheads, and short paragraphs are your secret weapons to keep them engaged. If they can’t find value at a glance, they’re gone. Content that lasts isn’t just a lucky guess; it’s a deliberate strategy. At Deep Level, we’ve helped tech brands turn knowledge into SEO-rich resources that continue delivering leads and engagement long after the publish date. Feeling like your content could use a timeless edge? Let’s talk about crafting pieces that don’t just fill the moment but own it. Drop us a message—we’re here to help your ideas stick. 👇 #ContentStrategy #SEOTips #EvergreenContent

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time you plan your content. One of the most powerful (and time-saving) strategies? Repurposing your existing content. Think about it: 🗂️ That insightful blog post you wrote last year? It can be broken into bite-sized social media tips. 🎥 That live session you hosted? Pull quotes or key moments and turn them into carousel posts or reels. 📄 That client FAQ document? Perfect for a series of LinkedIn posts answering those common questions. Here’s why repurposing works: 1️⃣ It maximizes the value of the content you’ve already created. 2️⃣ It keeps your message consistent across platforms. 3️⃣ It ensures your audience sees your best insights (because let’s face it, not everyone saw it the first time!). 𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽: When planning content in advance, start by reviewing what you already have. Highlight key topics or evergreen pieces that can be refreshed, updated, or adapted for a new audience or format. Content creation doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Sometimes, the gold is already in your archives—you just need to dust it off. What’s one piece of content you can repurpose this week?