Creating Blog Content That Satisfies Search Intent

🔖 I have a problem with content briefs. For the most part, they’re built to help writers hit a word count, not help buyers make a decision. And that’s the/my problem. I’ve seen briefs that look like this: 📄 SEO keyword ✅ 📄 H2s mapped out ✅ 📄 Internal links ✅ 📄 “Make it engaging” ✅ 📄 Call to action at the end ✅ And still—the final piece didn’t help the buyer take the next step. Don’t get me wrong, I think the intent is good, but the execution is poor. So the question now is, what should a good content brief actually do? I believe it should act like a bridge: 👉 Between what your audience is searching for 👉 And what your sales team needs to close deals ➡️ Here’s what I mean. When I create briefs, I start with questions like: 1️⃣ What stage of the journey is this content addressing? 🎯 Is the reader still problem-aware, or are they comparing solutions? 🔖This affects tone, structure, CTA, everything. 2️⃣ What’s the underlying pain or trigger that led them here? 🎯 Are they overwhelmed with tools? Looking to reduce costs? Switching from a clunky competitor? 3️⃣ What objections might come up in their head as they read this? 🎯 That the tool’s too expensive? Too technical? Hard to implement? 4️⃣ What would sales say here if this was a live call? 🎯This one’s key. Because if content doesn’t echo sales insights, it’s not ready for revenue. 5️⃣ What’s one story, proof point, or stat that would instantly build trust? 🎯Real case studies, Reddit threads, G2 quotes, internal benchmarks—stuff buyers actually believe. 💡Now let’s get practical. Let’s say I’m writing a blog post for a tool like Freshdesk. ➡️ The topic is: “Zendesk vs Freshdesk: Which One Is Right For Your Support Team?” ❌ A generic brief would say: • Compare features • Use “Zendesk alternative” keyword • Add 3 internal links • CTA to book a demo ✅ A buyer-oriented brief would say: 📌 The reader is likely a VP of CX or Head of Support 📌 They’re frustrated with Zendesk’s siloed UX, long implementation, and tiered pricing 📌 Their internal question is: “Is switching worth the pain?” 📌 The main objection: “Freshdesk looks good, but will migrating mess up our ops?” 📌 Sales says this is the biggest hesitation 📌 Add a case study quote from a company that migrated in under 30 days with no downtime 📌 CTA should not be “Book a Demo”—it should be “See how [Customer X] made the switch.” Same topic. Same intent. Different impact. 💭 (I've attached a post-brief template I use specifically to understand how to approach content from the buyer's perspective.)

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.

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