Hello, fellow content peeps!

Welcome to another week.

This week, I want to do something a bit different. There’s just been so much going on in the world of SEO and content marketing lately that I thought we could do a state-of-the-industry review this week.

The past year in content marketing and SEO has been challenging for many of us.

But I think the die-hards amongst us are still excited for what’s next. The old SEO / content marketing playbooks may not serve us anymore, but that can be good!

What’s Keeping Content Marketers Up at Night

No surprises here; the State of Content Marketing report from Minuttia came out and surfaced a few things here that are keeping us up at night:

1. The ROI of Content Marketing

2. Predicting and Driving Results of Content Marketing Spend

3. The Organic Search Uncertainties

What’s new here really?

We have always had to show the ROI of our efforts. That’s not new.

We have always been asked to predict and drive results.

We have always had to play nice with the moving goalposts of content creation for SEO.

So, why does this year feel different?

I think this LinkedIn post from George Chasiotis breaks down where we are quite nicely. And I love his advice for us:

These changes aren't just altering how we do content marketing; they're reshaping the very fabric of online interaction.

This year feels different because it is different.

While the big things that keep us awake haven’t changed much, our usual playbooks, strategies, and channels are changing. That’s a big shift for many of us in this industry.

And we talk about it all the time here.

That’s why I’m glad we’re here together. It’s an exciting time to be in content marketing, but we must adapt.

SEO for Content Lead Growth is Not Enough, But Is This a Bad Thing?

Okay. I still love SEO. When done right, it can still be an important channel to build traffic.

Despite all the uncertainties in SEO, I still think it’s a great lever to support an overall content marketing strategy.

But, it can no longer be the only lever for growth.

It can be a tougher hill to climb for those of us who care about the long game and the real businesses behind SEO strategies.

Mark my words.

The easy ways don’t always work as great as certain SEO' gurus” claim either.

There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors in SEO guruland.

Many so-called gurus manipulate data, sell the quick-win dream, and sell their advice based on quicksand.

We’ve all heard about the great SEO heist and subsequent manual action from Google, in which the SEO bragged about the results they were getting on Twitter, but here’s the hidden lesson for all of us discussed in this article from Search Engine Land.

Even when the SEO strategy was ‘working’ — it wasn’t really driving the right traffic for business growth. As Andrew Holland points out:

“The content didn’t align with the business model for the brand.”

Yeah. I like to call this a smoke-and-mirrors SEO strategy, and I’ve seen it many, many times in our industry.

But it’s not what drives real, lasting business growth.

It’s not the type of SEO that authentic publishers should aspire to either. This is why we always need to look beyond the flash when it comes to our SEO strategies overall.

I love how Andrew concludes this article and reiterates my sentiments on content marketing as a strategy moving forward nicely:

But this got me thinking.

How much content do I consume that comes directly from Google these days?

In creating these newsletters, I never use Google to find and share the resources that I share.

Even in my everyday life, I don’t use Google as much as I used to.

So, where do we get our information from then?

One of the sources that I love is what Tracey Wallace called Network Sharing in her latest newsletter:

“The types of content I most love are typically really really obscure––and are shared in private Slack channels, in group texts, or just mentioned among friends or colleagues. This is how ideas and content have already been shared, of course. Between us, in casual moments, when we can’t get something off our mind or when a topic comes up and we remember this related thing. Are you producing content that can be that thing? How do you optimize for network sharing? Is it research and a fantastic story that brings the data to life? Is it a video so creative folks couldn’t look away? Is it a new feature your company is demoing that takes people’s breath away? What is it that will get the people talking––not necessarily on social media, but within their circles and spheres of influence? This requires conversation with your customers. This requires research and trial & error. It also requires creativity and boldness, and of course the ability to get your internal team on board. No easy feat, but a worthy one.”

Yes! This is where I consume the most content. I have a few favorite Slack groups, Facebook groups, and networking groups that I always go to for inspiration.

I also share my favorite videos and memes with select friends on TikTok or Instagram. If you’re in that group, you’re welcome!

Great, helpful content still gets shared! Brands, publishers, and marketers that can figure this out will lead the pack and continue to find new audiences.

Is Google Losing the Vision?

We don’t often hear from Google's insiders, but this viral post from Diane Hirsh Theriault, a Software Engineer at Google, offers great insights into what’s happening (behind the scenes):

After the somewhat subdued announcement from Google last week that has us thinking that SGE might not move forward as planned, we’re seeing another glimpse of what could really be happening with Google now.

There’s a lot Google still has to do to improve, but they are also up against a lot of factors this year, namely AI, spam, and the anti-trust lawsuit, to name a few.

And, at least for now, it would seem that Google’s flagship product is suffering.

This, my friends, is what can happen when there is a lack of vision in a company.

I’m not an internal employee at Google, so I cannot comment on what’s happening inside those walls, but I can speak a bit about vision.

I’ve worked with many amazing business leaders over the years and can tell you that when there are many unknowns, shifts, and possibilities — the vision for the company can quickly get murky.

And a murky, unclear, undefined vision can quickly erode an entire company. People need a North Star.

And, yet, it’s almost impossible to chart a clear course with so much uncertainty and pivots.

It’s tough to build a plane while you’re flying it.

And that’s what we’re all up against these days.

So, here we are.

I hope that Google can figure this out. I know how tough it can be to innovate, pivot, and build in private; I can only imagine what the leadership at Google is facing.

As we move into another week in content marketing and SEO, I want to share some of the things that are keeping me motivated this week:

Things I’m Excited About in My Content World This Week

• I love that many of my friends and colleagues who had traffic dips after HCU are pushing to keep publishing fresh content with new vigor, energy, and a renewed strategy.

• Pulling out our old Pinterest traffic growth strategy with an updated, better EEAT twist. We have a ton of authentic videos and images to share. Can’t wait to see what this new and improved Pinterest strategy will do (we still have traffic from Pinterest to build on over the years as well).

• Fresh, authentic Reddit + better brand-building strategies. We’re testing a few things. I’ll keep you posted!

• We’re still looking for some seriously talented freelance writers for our external partner role!

🤔 Content Musings of the Week

👟 I feel the same way about expert writers for editorial as I do about running shoes for running. You don’t need running shoes to run, but they sure do help.

🌐 In a world where digital personas and online gurus can be meticulously crafted, authentic expression becomes even more valuable and rare.

🎥 Introverts can be really good on video if they are talking about something they are super passionate about.

🌈 We can either look for the triggers, those things that bring us down, or we can look for the glimmers, those tiny moments of joy in our lives. We might not get to choose what’s happening to us, but we can choose what we look for.

Things to Read, Watch, and Ponder

▶️ The team at Sistrix just released the first of a two-part series on the top SEO winners of 2023. No big surprises here; user-generated sites such as Reddit Quora saw big gains in 2023. See the results for yourself here!

▶️ I love these tips on explaining content marketing to anyone (including your family and friends) from this gem by Ann Gynn. Get the tips here!

▶️ Google has admitted that there was a search ranking bug where sites disappeared from search results over the weekend. You can read about that here.

▶️ Many things need to happen before you create a robust B2B content marketing strategy. This breakdown guide from Ryan Law gives a straightforward overview of what’s needed. Check it out here!

Thank you for reading! There is a lot of noise out there, and it means so much that you all spend a few minutes every week with my musings and thoughts!

Have a great week!

Cheers! Amy

P.S.) If you want to discuss your content marketing strategies further or need a fresh look at what you are doing now, my calendar is open! Book a 30-minute session with me here!

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: