Hello, fellow content peeps!

Yesterday was a leap day! What did you do with your extra day this year?

Did you embrace the spirit of the day? Do something new?

I love the idea of shaking things up.

Things have been tough in my part of the industry. So, this week, I thought I would lighten the mood a bit and embrace this spirit of leap year. It can be scary to take a big leap, but what if we just did something new that shook up our world a bit?

I think we could all use some fresh ideas.

But first, a word from our sponsor.

First, Can We Talk About the Future of SEO Again?

After the whirlwind news from last week’s SEO files, we’ve learned that Google is further expanding its publisher relationships.

In an announcement that came out this week, Google is paying selected (invite-only) publishers to recreate content with AI and giving them a small piece of the Google pie.

This is another misstep in Google’s core product, and while it’s just an experiment of sorts, it further degrades Google’s trust in publishers producing original content.

Google is losing the plot right now.

They have greatly underestimated the importance of quality publishers and have quite quickly eroded the trust of many.

Almost six months after the so-called Helpful Content Update, we still have not seen any real recovery stories.

And amazing publishers are having to make some tough decisions right now:

What is the solution here?

While Google continues to face new lawsuits from publishers, there isn’t much that the indie or even mid-sized publishers can do right now to appease the Google gods.

It is what it is.

It’s tough to see my fellow publishers face these hard truths right now, but the stark clarity of the situation presents new opportunities.

What if we didn’t need Google?

This is something that has been on our radar for quite some time. While we’ve been able to ride the Google rollercoaster for over a decade, this erosion of trust and degradation in the search landscape hits differently.

Yes. I think changes are still happening, but too little, too late if they make turnarounds now.

I’m excited about a future where we can create content without just serving SEO. It’s quite freeing. I think in the larger landscape our product and businesses will get better.

Even businesses that still see those wins in search should take heed — it’s time to think outside the Google box.

We’ve created a world with so much copycat content to satisfy SEO requirements.

We’ve spent countless hours reading the Quality Raters Guidelines, analyzing and decoding every cryptic message from Google, attending SEO seminars…

We’ve done it all.

For years, content teams and SEO were at odds.

Creatives couldn’t fully unleash. SEO still had to be done.

But what if we could build content that our audience wanted and loved? What if we could throw the constructs out and try something new?

That sounds a lot more fun, right?

For me, this is fun.

We’ve been doing this in our content for a while. Letting our creative experts pitch ideas for new topics, but what if we take this a little bit further?

Which is why I love the idea of getting closer to our audiences and taking that leap.

Ask Your People What to Create

This week, on one of our growing YouTube channels, our editor asked our subscribers which video we should create next, and we got a ton of votes and responses!

Then, he reached out again and asked if he should create one massive guide of 50 ideas or break it up into ten mini-guides.

Let our most engaged people get a vote!

(They voted for the massive guide!)

This is just the start, and it reminds me of the good old days as a young content strategist who spent countless hours interviewing customers or conducting focus groups for new marketing initiatives. The ideas came from them!

I love having a direct connection with people who read this newsletter. It motivates me (even on those tough weeks) to keep writing, to support sharing, and to make a contribution.

So, thanks for that!

The Future of Search Marketing As It Stands Right Now

Search marketing still works for many.

Many pockets of our digital world do not feel the same effects of the Google apocalypse that content publishers have been through.

But heed my words; there are still many valuable lessons for other content publishers who may rely on search as a traffic driver.

As much as this enforced pivot is painful for our core business, I am excited about digging in and finding new opportunities.

We’re happy to lead the way in finding better playbooks and updated strategies that can help everyone!

Lessons we've learned in indie publishing. The BLUF of It All.

Don't buy on rented land.

Yes. This hits home again. While we’ve known this for a while, my core belief in business has also been to double down on what is working.

But we can no longer let one platform's whims determine our business's success or failure.

So, my advice to all is:

Build on something portable.

Find an audience you can port anywhere.

Email lists.

Owned communities.

Find new ways to connect with your biggest fans.

I’ll share more about what we’re working on, but this is my north star.

So, this all brings me back to the theme of the day. Taking a leap!

One of the challenges I face in my day-to-day is finding that renewed energy to keep trying new things. To give myself the freedom to experiment. To suck at something.

But what if we let the spirit of this extra day this year encourage us to take that leap?

So, I did some thinking on what this could look like for us in content and our lives and careers…

Taking Leaps in Content

Embrace new technologies: Spend an afternoon testing out some new AI technologies just for fun. Brainstorm ideas or rewrite some random thoughts into new voices or tenses. Don’t worry about the outputs; this is a creative exercise and a chance to learn something new!

Create interactive content for your audience: Try thinking outside the box and leap forward with a new form of content, like a quiz or an infographic, or create a new downloadable guide for your audience. Push yourself to take a new spin and create something fresh.

Get on video. Video forces you to express your ideas differently. I think everyone who creates content should at least give the video a try. You don’t need to start a YouTube channel or jump into TikTok. Make a video to share with your email list. Jump on a Facebook Live to tell others what you’re working on.

A few years ago, I accidentally went live to my family and friends' Facebook while doing a business update! It was one of the best blunders I’ve made, as so many of my personal friends and family loved hearing what I was up to. That was a leap!

Start a podcast: Start the type of podcast you would want to listen to. Do it for fun. Don't worry too much about the tech if you are in a fun niche (or aren’t afraid to go against the business norms). Some of my favorite podcasts are recorded from the car or while someone is on a walk. Take the leap and start sharing your thoughts, or find interesting people to talk to.

Taking Leaps in Life and Career

Do a career or talent swap experiment with a friend. If you’ve been curious about another role or industry, consider reaching out to someone in that industry and see if you could do a career swap. I’ve done a services swap with others before, and it can be really fun to see behind the scenes of a new role while letting them into my world a bit, too!

Public speaking! Okay. I know this one is a giant leap for most of us, but you don’t have to start big on this one to get out of your comfort zone. Years ago, I was invited to a local business group to speak on any topic I wanted. So, I dusted off my idea for a new digital course I was working on and ‘tested’ it as a live talk with a small, intimate audience. That leap was super valuable and helped me structure the offering!

Start that side project you’ve been mulling over. I’m a firm believer in having a side project that lights up your soul. Whether it be finally creating your own GPT, starting a newsletter, or selling t-shirts, do it.

Learn a new skill outside of business. For those of us who are self-admitted workaholics, doing anything just for the fun and pleasure of learning something new can be tricky. A couple of years ago, I decided to learn how to curl (yes, the Canadian sport). While I never chose to join a league or make it a real pastime, I learned a few new skills, and now I feel more confident walking around on the ice.

Be a digital nomad for a month or a weekend. For those of us lucky enough to be able to work from anywhere, work from a brand new location for a while. Take a weekend away in a hotel or a new city, or move your laptop somewhere new for a month. Let the fresh environment inspire new ideas and shake things up!

Have a ‘Yes Day’ for new ideas: Have a day where you say yes to every new idea or request that comes your way, within reason. Don’t tell anyone; just pick a random day in your calendar. See what happens.

Host a fail fest. Gather up some of your friends, fellow biz friends, or marketing nerds and host a fail fest. Ask everyone to bring their most notable failure stories and swap the tales!

The lesson here is:

It’s time to shake things up in our world.

I hope these ideas inspired you to do something new this leap year!

Check out the new Content Foward site!

As we’ve seen, eComm and SaaS brands currently win in the search landscape.

As an indie publisher, where content IS our product, it’s been frustrating to see how easy it is for these brands to dominate the SERPs, but this also led us to a big revelation.

What if we could take our content playbooks and help our friends in Saas, Services, or eComm have their own media wing?

We’ve been working with a few select partners over the years, and it’s a lot of fun for us, too.

So, we decided to rebrand the Content Forward site to provide some of these services, and the response has already been amazing.

Have a look at the new Content Forward site to learn more!

🤔 Content Musings of the Week

🌀 It's okay to feel slightly unhinged when so many things are changing. Creative energy almost always feels unhinged at first; go with it.

💡 Quality over quantity, always. The debate between long and short content misses the point — it's the quality and relevance that matter. Aim to meet search intent with precision and guide your readers to deeper dives when necessary.

🌟 Striving for greatness in content is a journey, not a destination. My top tip? Always aim to add value. Whether it's a deep dive or a quick tip, ensure your content leaves the reader enriched.

Things to Read, Watch, and Ponder

▶️ Want the ultimate playbook for SaaS content marketing? Our contributor, Mia Comic, wrote this in-depth treasure trove for SaaS marketers who want to elevate their content game. With practical insights and some fresh strategies, this is a must-read gem! Read it now!

▶️ LinkedIn without the cringe! If the thought of marketing yourself on LinkedIn (or other social media) makes you cringe, you're not alone. This piece on Medium offers relatable insights and actionable tips to transform your LinkedIn presence from cringe-worthy to genuinely engaging without losing your authenticity. Read it now!

▶️ Superpath has released its content marketing salary report with some interesting findings again this year. There appears to be a significant increase in content marketing salaries this year, with B2B content marketers seeing the biggest jump. Find out more and see why this could be happening here.

▶️ Addressing the Gender Gap in SEO: Lidia Infante has pulled together the data again this year to evaluate the gender gap in SEO representation. We still have a long way to go, but we’re progressing! Get that report here!

This idea of leaping excites me this week. As content professionals, we can get so bogged down in the data, the news of the day, the KPIs, and OKRs that we lose sight of why we really love this industry.

So, let this leap year, and me, right now, give you permission to go for it! If you do take a leap, I’d love to hear about it!

Have a great week!

Cheers! Amy

Some Bonus Newsletters You’ll Love

If you want to get into the weeds on these topics, here are some newsletters that I read regularly that I think you’ll enjoy: