What is good content? A question that haunts marketers, creators, and business owners alike.
It’s not about word count, keyword density, or how many stock photos you use. Good content serves a purpose: it solves problems, answers questions, and drives specific actions.
With over 7.5 million blog posts published daily, the difference between content that performs and content that disappears isn’t subjective—it’s measurable.
This blog post will show you exactly what makes content “good” by today’s standards, plus actionable steps to create quality content consistently. Let’s get started!
What is Quality Content?
Quality content is material that provides genuine value to its intended audience while helping achieve business objectives.
At its core, good content is not just about what you say, but how you say it and who you’re saying it to. It’s content that:
Addresses a specific need, question, or pain point
Provides genuine value through information, entertainment, or inspiration
Is accessible and easy to consume
Demonstrates expertise and builds trust
Encourages engagement and action
Is optimized for discovery (through search engines and social platforms)
As Google’s algorithms have become more sophisticated, the bar for what constitutes good content has been raised. Today’s content must satisfy basic keyword requirements and demonstrate expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness—the core components of Google’s E-E-A-T principles.
Understanding what is good content requires looking beyond surface metrics to the actual value it provides users. It’s not just about what performs well in analytics but what genuinely helps your audience solve problems or achieve goals.
Key Characteristics of Good Content That Drives Results
Quality content establishes your brand as an authority in your industry. But what specific elements contribute to that quality? Let’s break it down:
1. Audience-Centricity
Quality content begins with deeply understanding your audience. This means knowing:
Their demographics and psychographics
The questions they’re asking
The problems they’re trying to solve
Their content consumption preferences
The language and terminology they use
Content that speaks directly to your audience’s needs will always outperform generic material that tries to appeal to everyone.
2. Original Value
In a world where millions of pieces of content are published daily, originality is non-negotiable. This doesn’t mean you need to invent new concepts. Still, you should add unique value through:
Original research or data
Unique perspectives or insights
Personal experiences or case studies
New combinations of existing ideas
Fresh formats or presentation styles
The characteristics of good content include relevance, accuracy, depth, and engagement. When these elements come together, the content naturally performs better with audiences, search engines, and also with AI search.
Surface-level content rarely performs well. Quality content dives deep into topics, covering them thoroughly and answering related questions. This doesn’t necessarily mean writing longer content—it means covering a topic completely without unnecessary fluff.
Google’s own content guidelines emphasize the importance of demonstrating “first-hand expertise” and providing “original information, reporting, research, or analysis.” This aligns perfectly with the depth component of quality content.
What are Google’s E-E-A-T principles for better content? Well, Google E-E-A-T principles provide a framework for creating content that search engines and users will value. These principles stand for:
Experience: Demonstrating first-hand experience with the topic
Expertise: Showing specialized knowledge and skills
Authoritativeness: Establishing recognition as a go-to source
Trustworthiness: Building credibility through accuracy and transparency
For YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topicsthose that could impact a person’s health, financial stability, or safety—these principles are even more critical.
To align your content with E-E-A-T principles:
Include author bios that highlight relevant credentials
Back up claims with data and citations
Link to authoritative sources
Update content regularly to maintain accuracy
Be transparent about affiliations and sponsorships
4. Strategic Structure and Formatting
Even the most valuable information will go unread if presented as a wall of text. Quality content features:
Clear, descriptive headlines and subheadings
Short paragraphs (typically 2-4 sentences)
Bulleted or numbered lists where appropriate
Strategic use of bold and italic text
Relevant images, charts, or infographics
Adequate white space
Implementing content structure tips like clear headings and short paragraphs significantly improves readability. This is especially important for mobile users who now make up most of the web traffic.
How to Identify High-Quality Content: 10 Essential Indicators
High-quality content is characterized by its depth, originality, and alignment with user intent. Here are ten indicators that help you recognize truly exceptional content:
Addresses a specific need or question comprehensively
Contains original research, insights, or perspectives
Features expert input or authoritative sources
Demonstrates clear structure and logical flow
Maintains consistent quality throughout (no “thin” sections)
Includes relevant, high-quality visuals or multimedia elements
Contains minimal errors in grammar, facts, or logic
Provides actionable takeaways or next steps
Earns engagement through comments, shares, and backlinks
Remains relevant and valuable over time (evergreen)
When evaluating your own content or studying competitors, these indicators provide a framework for objective assessment.
How to Create Quality Content That Wins Every Time
Creating quality content isn’t just about hitting publish; it’s about crafting something that search engines can’t ignore and readers can’t put down. Whether you’re aiming to rank #1 on Google or build a loyal audience, the process boils down to a handful of smart, repeatable steps.
Let’s walk through how to create quality content that stands out in 2025, with practical tips, plus a little help from AI Agents to make it all faster.
1. Conduct strategic research
Quality content begins with thorough research. While many writers skim the surface, truly valuable content dives deep into the subject matter.
Go beyond the first page of Google results to find unique insights
Analyze competitor content to identify gaps you can fill
Explore academic research, industry reports, and expert interviews
Track emerging trends that aren’t yet widely covered
Writesonic’s SEO AI Agent can analyze top-ranking content for any topic in seconds, identifying common patterns and uncovering content gaps competitors have missed.
Instead of spending hours manually researching, you can prompt the AI to gather diverse perspectives and compile key statistics, saving significant time while ensuring your research is comprehensive.
Writesonic AI Agent for conducting strategic research
Check Reddit threads and Quora posts related to your topic
Look at the “People Also Ask” boxes on Google for your keywords
Email 5 existing customers to ask what questions they had before buying
Or just go to Writesonic SEO AI Agent and ask “Find common question about [your topic]” and it will come up with a comprehensive list of questions your audience is asking, organized by topic stage. This saves hours of manual research while ensuring you address the right questions in your content.
Writesonic AI Agent for finding questions your audience is asking
3. Collect data and create an outline before you start writing
Understanding user intent and addressing customer needs is crucial for content that performs well. So, before you start drafting actual content, get all the relevant information needed and create an outline.
Do this:
List 3-5 specific points you want to cover
Find 2-3 statistics or facts for each point
Identify 1-2 real examples that illustrate each point
Note any objections readers might have to your advice
Ask Content AI Agent to “create a content outline for [your topic]” and it will generate a structured outline with placeholder spots for statistics, examples, and counterpoints. This ensures your content has a solid foundation before you start writing.
Writesonic AI Agent for doing research and creating an outline
4. Steal the structure of top-performing content (but not the content)
Why reinvent the wheel? Use what works, but make it your own.
Simply:
Study the 3 top-ranked articles for your topic
Note their word count, heading structure, and content elements
Identify what sections they all include (these are essential)
Look for gaps all three articles miss (your opportunity)
SEO AI Agent can analyze multiple top-ranking articles and generate a “content blueprint” showing their common structure elements, word counts, and content gaps—giving you a proven framework to build upon without the tedious manual analysis.
Writesonic AI Agent for analyzing top-ranking blog posts
5. Create content with unique value and information gain
Content that repeats what’s already available provides little value. Successful content offers unique perspectives or information.
Here’s how you can do that:
Present original data or research findings when possible
Offer unique case studies or real-world examples
Share distinctive insights from your personal experience
Combine concepts in fresh ways that create new understanding
While Writesonic SEO AI Agent can’t conduct primary research for you, it excels at helping you synthesize existing information into fresh perspectives. The AI can suggest unique angles, combine disparate concepts, and help structure your original insights in compelling ways. It can also draft interview questions for experts, helping you gather exclusive insights to incorporate into your content.
6. Establish credibility through demonstrated expertise
High-quality content demonstrates real expertise and authority on the subject matter. To do so, here’s what you need to follow:
Include relevant credentials and experience
Reference authoritative sources and research
Share specific examples from personal experience
Provide depth that goes beyond surface-level advice
Writesonic’s AI can help you identify credibility gaps in your content and suggest ways to strengthen your authority. It can recommend places to incorporate your credentials naturally, identify statements that need additional supporting evidence, and suggest relevant expert sources to cite. The AI can also help you explain complex concepts in accessible language without diluting the expertise.
Writesonic AI Agent for E-E-A-T analysis
7. Integrate strategic FAQs that capture featured snippets
FAQs not only assist readers but also improve your content’s search visibility through featured snippets and People Also Ask boxes.
Research question-based keywords in your niche
Analyze “People Also Ask” sections for relevant topics
Structure questions and answers for featured snippet optimization
Update FAQs regularly based on evolving search patterns
The SEO AI Agent can identify high-potential question keywords by analyzing search patterns and competitor content. It can help formulate concise answers that match Google’s featured snippet format requirements. Writesonic can also suggest follow-up questions that users commonly ask, creating a comprehensive FAQ section that addresses the complete user journey.
8. Illustrate points with compelling examples
Examples transform abstract concepts into practical understanding, making your content more valuable and memorable. Try this:
Include diverse examples that resonate with different audience segments
Use both hypothetical scenarios and real-world case studies
Provide step-by-step examples for processes or techniques
Create before/after examples to demonstrate impact
To speed up the process, you can use Content AI Agent – the tool can help you generate relevant examples tailored to your specific audience. Whether you need hypothetical scenarios, industry-specific case studies, or step-by-step illustrations, the AI can craft examples that make your content more relatable and actionable.
Writesonic AI Agent for generating relevant examples
9. Optimize structure and readability for maximum engagement
Even valuable information gets ignored if it’s poorly structured or difficult to read. So, you need to make sure the content is optimized for readability. Follow these steps:
Create clear, descriptive headings and subheadings
Use short paragraphs (3-4 sentences maximum)
Break up text with bullets, numbered lists, and white space
Place the most important information first in each section
Maintain an 8th-9th grade reading level for most content
Writesonic’s AI Agent can analyze your content’s readability metrics in real-time, highlighting areas that may be too complex or difficult to digest. Moreover, it can suggest better heading structures, identify paragraphs that should be split for readability, and recommend where to add lists or bullet points. The AI can also restructure sentences to improve flow while maintaining your unique voice.
10. Add relevant visuals
Visual elements not only break up text but also improve comprehension and retention of information.
Include charts or graphs to illustrate data points
Use screenshots for demonstrations or tutorials
Create custom diagrams to explain processes or relationships
Add relevant images that enhance (not just decorate) your content
There are various image generation tools like Midjourney, ChatGPT-4o, Writesonic, and more.
11. Ensure flawless grammar and precision
Errors diminish credibility and disrupt the reader’s experience with your content. So, before you publish your content, proofread it carefully.
Conduct multiple rounds of proofreading
Check for technical accuracy of facts and figures
Ensure consistent terminology and formatting
Verify that links are working and sources are current
Writesonic AI Agent provides advanced grammar and style checking that goes beyond basic spell-check tools. It can identify awkward phrasing, passive voice, inconsistent terminology, and other stylistic issues that affect readability.
12. Implement regular content updates
High-quality content isn’t static—it evolves as information changes and performance data reveals opportunities.
Schedule regular content audits (quarterly for critical pages)
Update statistics, examples, and references
Expand sections that analytics show high engagement
Add new information as industry developments occur
Writesonic’s AI can assist with content audits by analyzing existing content against current search patterns and competitor offerings. It can suggest specific sections needing updating, identify outdated information, and recommend new subtopics based on evolving search trends.
Writesonic AI Agent for updating content
Why not give AI Agent a try and see the difference?
Tracking content quality metrics helps you understand how well your content resonates with your audience. But which metrics actually matter? Here’s a framework for evaluation:
1. Engagement Metrics
These metrics tell you how users interact with your content:
Time on Page: How long users spend consuming your content
Scroll Depth: How far down the page users read
Bounce Rate: Percentage of visitors who leave without further interaction
Pages Per Session: Number of pages viewed in a single visit
A high time on page combined with good scroll depth generally indicates that users find your content valuable enough to consume thoroughly.
2. SEO Metrics
These metrics show how well your content performs in search:
Organic Traffic: Visitors from search engines
Keyword Rankings: Positions for target keywords
Backlinks: Links from other websites to your content
Click-Through Rate (CTR): Percentage of searchers who click your result
Good content tends to naturally attract backlinks and social shares, which further enhances its search visibility.
3. Conversion Metrics
These metrics connect content to business outcomes:
Goal Completions: Specific actions taken after consuming content
Conversion Rate: Percentage of visitors who complete desired actions
Lead Quality: Quality of leads generated through content
Revenue Attribution: Sales influenced by specific content
Measuring content effectiveness requires looking beyond vanity metrics to actual business impact. The most beautiful, engaging content in the world isn’t truly “good” from a business perspective if it doesn’t contribute to your goals.
Is AI Generated Content Good for SEO?
You might wonder, does AI content rank on Google? Well, the debate around whether AI-generated content is good for SEO continues to evolve as search engines refine their algorithms. Here’s the current state of affairs:
Google’s Stance on AI Content
Google has clarified that they don’t penalize AI-generated content simply because it’s AI-generated. Instead, they evaluate content based on its quality, regardless of how it was created. Their focus remains on whether the content is helpful, reliable, and created for people first.
The Pros of AI Content for SEO
Scale and Efficiency: AI can help produce more content in less time
Consistency: AI can maintain a consistent tone and style
Research Assistance: AI can gather and synthesize information from multiple sources
SEO Optimization: Some AI tools like Writesonic AI Agent can help optimize content for search engines
The Cons and Limitations
Lack of Original Insights: AI typically repackages existing information rather than providing truly original perspectives
Potential Inaccuracies: AI can sometimes generate incorrect information or “hallucinate” facts
Generic Tone: Without careful prompting, AI content can sound generic and lack personality
E-E-A-T Challenges: AI content may struggle to demonstrate genuine expertise and first-hand experience
Best Practices for Using AI in Content Creation
If you choose to use AI in your content creation process:
Use AI as a starting point, not the final product
Add human expertise, examples, and original insights
Fact-check all information thoroughly
Edit for voice, style, and brand alignment
Focus on adding unique value that AI alone cannot provide
The most effective approach is typically a hybrid one, where AI assists human creators rather than replacing them entirely. This allows you to leverage the efficiency of AI while still infusing content with the human expertise and originality that both users and search engines value.
Create Quality Content Faster With Writesonic AI Agent
Good content combines user value, technical excellence, and strategic alignment. The definition of quality continues to evolve, with increasing emphasis on expertise, authenticity, and user experience.
Creating truly exceptional content requires:
Deep understanding of your audience
Commitment to thoroughness and accuracy
Strategic approach to structure and optimization
Willingness to update and improve over time
By focusing on these elements and leveraging tools like Writesonic’s Marketing AI Agent to streamline the process, you can create content that not only ranks well but genuinely serves your audience and business goals.
Remember that good content is a part of a broader strategy that connects with your audience across multiple touchpoints and moves them toward meaningful action. Start implementing these principles today, and you’ll be well on your way to creating content that truly stands out.
If your website traffic feels stuck in neutral, no matter how much content you publish, you’re not alone.
The good news is that organic traffic is measurable, repeatable, and deeply tied to how useful your content is to real people.
Most content teams out there either scratch the surface or skip the stuff that actually moves the needle. That’s why this guide cuts straight to the point. We’re talking about proven ways on how to increase organic traffic, build authority in your niche, and grow consistent traffic over time.
What is organic traffic, and why is it important?
What is organic traffic and why it’s important
Organic traffic refers specifically to visitors who come to your website through unpaid search engine results, primarily from Google, Bing, Yahoo, and even AI search results. Unlike paid advertising, these users find your content naturally when they search for information, products, or services online.
When someone types a query into Google and clicks on a regular (non-ad) result, that visit becomes part of your organic traffic.
Organic traffic is important as it represents 53.3% of all website traffic, making it the largest source of visitors for most websites.
Plus, most users skip the paid ads that appear in SERPs because they see organic search results as more credible and relevant. In fact, the first page of Google captures at least 71% of web traffic, showing just how important organic traffic is for your website.
Organic traffic offers several advantages:
Economical solutions: Your organic traffic keeps flowing once you invest in content creation and SEO, without paying for each click.
Targeted relevance: These visitors match your content with their specific intent, which leads to better engagement.
Relationship building: Users who find you through organic search often stick with your brand if they like your content.
Long-term sustainability: Your organic traffic stays steady over time, unlike paid campaigns that stop working when you stop funding.
Keep in mind that getting organic traffic needs patience. It can take anywhere between 6 months and a year to see fruitful results from organic traffic efforts. But the sustained growth and higher quality visitors make this investment and wait worthwhile.
What are the factors that drive organic traffic?
Several factors influence how much organic traffic your site gets. While it might seem like a numbers game, most of it comes down to how well you meet search intent and how easy it is for search engines to understand and rank your content.
1. Search engine algorithms and ranking factors
Search engines like Google use hundreds of signals to decide which pages to show in search results. These factors include content relevance, backlinks, site speed, topical authority, mobile-friendliness, and proper use of structured data.
Of course, Google’s algorithms are constantly changing, especially with core updates, but we know what works: content that answers user search queries well, loads quickly, has helpful internal and external links, and offers a great experience on both desktop and mobile.
It’s important to understand that search engines have grown from simple keyword matching to semantic search. This means that Google now prioritizes complex queries and user context relevance instead of just matching keywords to content.
2. User search intent and behavior
User intent shapes how organic traffic flows. Search queries fit into four groups:
Informational (“how to bake a cake”)
Navigational (“Amazon login”)
Commercial (“best running shoes”)
Transactional (“buy Nike running shoes size 10”).
Learning these differences helps create content that matches what users want. For instance, when you search specific queries, you’ll see how “tennis shoes” might show product pages in SERPs, while “how to clean tennis shoes” shows step-by-step how-to pages.
User signals like click-through rate, time spent on page, and bounce rate tell search engines which results work best.
If your content doesn’t align with that intent, it won’t rank, even if it’s well-written. This is why writing a product page for an informational query (like “how to choose running shoes”) won’t work.
3. The relationship between content quality and traffic
Content quality is one of the biggest drivers of organic traffic. Google looks at Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) to rank sites higher, especially for “Your Money or Your Life” topics.
Content relevance also makes a big difference. Pages that cover topics from many angles get more visibility than surface-level content. New, updated content often ranks better, especially for time-sensitive searches.
Quality content leads to better user engagement metrics. This strengthens ranking positions and creates a cycle that brings more organic traffic.
And this doesn’t mean you need to publish daily to get results. A few high-quality, intent-matched pages will do more than dozens of shallow posts.
Good content also earns backlinks naturally, which signals trust and authority to search engines—two things that directly impact rankings and traffic.
How to increase organic traffic on websites in 12 different ways
1. Research keywords that drive relevant traffic
Keyword research serves as the foundation for any organic traffic strategy. But today, keyword optimization should go beyond just finding popular search terms.
The goal is to identify queries your target audience is already searching for, where your content can actually rank and bring in qualified traffic.
Start with keyword research tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush and focus on keywords that show clear intent and are relevant to what you offer. Don’t chase generic head terms. Instead, go for long-tail keywords that signal intent, like “best project management tool for remote teams” instead of just “project management.”
Also, pay attention to keyword difficulty and search volume. Look for opportunities with decent traffic potential but low competition for your content to have a shot.
Keyword research for increasing organic traffic
💡Pro tip: Always check what’s already ranking for your target keyword. That tells you what Google expects, and gives you insight into how you can do it better.
When selecting keywords, consider the following metrics:
Search volume: Indicates the number of searches a keyword receives. While high-volume keywords are attractive, they often come with higher competition.
Keyword difficulty: Assesses how challenging it would be to rank for a particular keyword. Tools like Chatsonic provide this metric to help prioritize efforts.
Cost per click (CPC): Even if you’re focusing on organic search, understanding the CPC can give insights into the commercial value of a keyword.
Once identified, integrate your keywords thoughtfully through:
Title tags and meta descriptions: Ensure primary keywords appear here to signal relevance to search engines and users.
Headings and subheadings: Use keywords to structure content, making it scannable and organized.
Body content: Incorporate keywords naturally, avoiding overuse, which can lead to penalties.
2. Create content that satisfies search intent
Search intent (also called user intent) represents the purpose behind a search query—essentially, what the person hopes to accomplish.
Search engines have evolved significantly, moving beyond simple keyword matching to sophisticated methods prioritizing content matching user intent.
Four main types of search intent exist, each requiring different content approaches:
Informational intent: Users seek answers or knowledge (e.g., “how to bake a cake”). Respond with comprehensive, educational content like guides, tutorials, or detailed articles.
Navigational intent: Users want to find a specific website (e.g., “Facebook login”). Ensure your site appears for your brand name searches.
Transactional intent: Users are ready to buy (e.g., “buy running shoes online”). Create product pages with clear calls-to-action and purchasing options.
Commercial investigation: Users research products before purchasing (e.g., “best smartphones 2024”). Develop in-depth reviews, comparisons, and buying guides.
To identify the right intent for your target keywords, just look at what search results appear when typing a query into Google.
Understanding search intent behind “types of coffee” in SERPs
This will reveal what Google already considers the best match for user intent. Check whether informational articles, product listings, or comparison pages dominate the results.
And pay attention to SERP features—video carousels suggest visual content works well, while shopping results indicate transactional intent. The “People Also Ask” section provides valuable insights into related questions users have around your topic.
Once you understand the intent, create content that aligns perfectly with it. This means matching both format (blog post, product page, video) and substance to what users expect.
When content satisfies search intent, visitors stay longer on your page, reducing bounce rates and signaling to Google that your content deserves higher rankings.
Remember that search intent for specific keywords can change over time as products become more familiar or market conditions shift.
3. Build a strong internal and external link profile
Links act as pathways that help users and search engines navigate your website. A resilient link profile combines strategic internal connections and quality external backlinks.
Internal links connect pages within your website and create a well-laid-out hierarchy that signals importance to search engines. Google uses these connections to find content and determine relevancy and value.
More importantly, pages that receive numerous backlinks are perceived as more important, potentially boosting their search rankings.
Here are some guidelines to ensure for your internal and external links:
Use standard HTML anchor elements with proper href attributes.
Write descriptive anchor text that explains the destination.
Avoid generic phrases like “click here” or “read more.”
Links should be crawlable (not hidden in JavaScript, forms, or plugins).
Your internal linking strategy should create a clear website architecture that resembles a pyramid with your homepage at the top. This structure lets link equity flow through your site smoothly and improves ranking potential for all pages.
Remember that quality matters more than quantity for external links or backlinks from other websites. Each quality backlink is an endorsement that shows Google your content deserves attention.
Here are some approaches that work best for link building:
Get links from relevant, authoritative domains in your industry with a high DR (domain rating).
Diversify your link sources (social media, industry blogs, news sites).
Track your backlink profile using tools like Google Search Console.
Remove harmful links using Google’s Disavow tool when needed.
4. Build topical authority through content clustering
Topic clusters are a powerful content organization method that builds topical authority and signals your expertise to search engines in specific subject areas.
While traditional content creation treats articles as standalone pieces, topic clustering takes a different approach by creating an interconnected content ecosystem.
At its core, a topic cluster consists of three essential elements:
Pillar page: Covering a broad topic comprehensively.
Multiple cluster pages: Exploring related subtopics in detail.
Internal links that connect these pages.
Topic cluster structure
This structure resembles a hub-and-spoke model, with the pillar page acting as the central hub and cluster pages as the spokes radiating outward.
The benefits of topic clustering extend beyond basic SEO:
Increases visibility: Sites with robust topic clusters can rank for multiple related keywords simultaneously.
Enhances user experience: Interconnected content helps readers navigate through related information easily.
Builds search engine trust: Demonstrates your expertise and credibility to readers and search engines as you create content for a particular niche.
To get started with building topical authority, you need to identify the central topics related to your business. Next, create a detailed pillar page about the main subject.
Then develop cluster articles that target specific long-tail keywords related to the main topic.
For example, a pillar page about “email marketing” could link to cluster pages about “email marketing analytics,” “email marketing strategies,” and “automated email marketing”.
Finally, make sure your pillar page links to all cluster pages, and they should link back. This optimizes the flow of link authority throughout the cluster.
5. Creating cornerstone content and linkable assets
Cornerstone content refers to extensive, authoritative resources demonstrating your expertise on critical topics. They act as foundations that support smaller, more specific content pieces across your site.
Examples include:
A page about the latest SEO conferences that people can share and refer to.
A statistics page about the growing use of artificial intelligence.
Detailed guides and eBooks.
FAQ pages.
The best cornerstone should separate itself from standard content. First, you should cover subjects central to your business offerings or industry expertise.
Second, it should provide exceptional depth, significantly more comprehensive than regular blog posts.
Third, cornerstone content should target broad, competitive keywords with substantial search volume.
Identify core topics directly connected to your primary business objectives.
Research thoroughly to ensure complete topic coverage from every angle.
Structure content hierarchically with clear headings and subheadings.
Incorporate visual elements like infographics, charts, and videos.
Update regularly to maintain relevance and accuracy.
Most importantly, your cornerstone articles deserve prominent positions in your site architecture.
You should feature them in the main navigation menus, link them from your homepage, or create dedicated resource sections.
This placement shows their importance to visitors and search engines.
Your cornerstone content and topic clusters can also work together in a mutually beneficial way. Cornerstone articles often serve as pillar pages within topic clusters. Supporting cluster pages link back to these main articles.
Keep in mind that evergreen, authoritative cornerstone content creates lasting assets. These assets will generate organic traffic for years and establish your site as an authoritative resource in your niche.
6. Refresh and optimize existing content
Steps to refreshing existing content for increasing organic traffic
Data shows that content refreshing is actually a powerful SEO strategy. Content teams who regularly update their old articles are twice as likely to report strong results from their content marketing efforts.
Refreshing content works effectively for several reasons:
First, you’re working with content already vetted and indexed.
Second, you’re building upon existing authority instead of starting from scratch.
Third, you maintain valuable backlinks that contribute to your page’s ranking potential by keeping the original URL.
You can spot content that needs attention by looking for these opportunities:
Articles ranking in positions 5-20 that need a small boost to reach page one.
Pages that once ranked high but now see declining traffic.
Content with outdated statistics or information.
Posts that saw high engagement when first published.
Your content refresh process should include:
Updating with fresh statistics, examples, and sources with current information.
Incorporating or removing additional sections that match changing search intent.
Additional keywords you’ve found since publication.
Better formatting and visual elements to improve readability.
Fixed broken links and a stronger internal linking structure.
Likewise, consider performance metrics, like your page’s existing monthly traffic, when deciding what to update.
Remember that regardless of how thorough your update, never change the URL. This preserves existing backlinks and maintains accumulated authority.
7. Improve site speed and mobile experience
Google has clearly stated that extremely slow pages are less likely to rank well.
Back in 2010, Google announced that site speed would influence search rankings, and by 2018, they officially expanded this to mobile search with the “Speed Update”.
This update particularly targets pages delivering the slowest experience to users.
The impact of slow loading extends beyond just rankings. Research shows 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take longer than 3 seconds to load.
To improve your site’s speed, focus on these high-impact changes:
Optimize images through compression and proper sizing—images make up 50-90% of most pages.
Minimize code by removing extra characters from CSS, JavaScript, and HTML.
Enable browser caching to keep page elements on users’ devices.
Upgrade hosting because shared hosting limits performance.
Implement a CDN to serve content from nearby servers.
For mobile optimization, responsive design remains the preferred approach. This allows your site to adapt automatically to different screen sizes without duplicate content or redirects.
You can check your site’s performance regularly using tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to identify specific issues and provide actionable recommendations for improvement.
8. Implement schema markups for rich results
Schema markup is a specialized code that enables search engines to display your content in enhanced formats known as rich results. These take up more real estate in search engine results pages (SERPs) and typically attract more attention than standard listings.
In short, this code signals to search engines what your page is about, the metadata, and the URL, allowing your website to be crawled.
Here’s an example of how schema markups affect the way your page results appear in search engines:
Schema markups for increasing organic traffic
Several types of schema markup are particularly effective:
Product schema: Shows prices, availability, and ratings directly in search results.
Review schema: Displays star ratings that build trust.
FAQ schema: Significantly expands your SERP real estate by showing question-answer pairs directly in results.
Video schema: Enhances visibility in video carousels and adds video badges on mobile.
Add the validated code to your HTML, ideally in the head section, or through Google Tag Manager.
After implementation, monitor performance through Google Search Console’s Enhancements section. This area shows if your schema is working correctly and identifies any errors that need fixing.
Even the most exceptional content will remain invisible if search engines can’t properly crawl and index your website.
Crawlability refers to how easily search engine bots can access and navigate your site, while indexation determines whether your pages actually appear in search results.
Numerous issues can prevent proper crawling, such as:
Misconfigured robots.txt files might accidentally block important pages or entire sections of your website.
Incorrect usage of noindex tags or canonical tags sends confusing signals about which content should appear in search results.
These technical errors often result in significant traffic losses without site owners even realizing the problem exists.
Common crawlability obstacles include:
Broken links and 404 errors that waste crawl budget and create dead ends.
Orphan pages with no internal links pointing to them, making them virtually undiscoverable.
Inadequate XML sitemaps that fail to guide search engines to your important content.
Poor internal linking structures that bury valuable pages too deep in your site architecture.
Crawl traps like infinite spaces, pagination issues, or parameter-based URLs.
Identifying these issues requires periodic technical SEO audits.
Google Search Console is a great way to get insights on indexed pages, submission errors, and crawl anomalies. The URL Inspection tool further helps diagnose specific page problems, showing exactly how Google views your content.
For comprehensive site analysis, consider specialized SEO tools like Screaming Frog that systematically crawl your entire site, flagging technical issues based on established best practices.
10. Leveraging social media and community building
Social media isn’t a direct SEO ranking factor, but it plays a strong supporting role in growing organic traffic.
When your content gets shared, discussed, or linked through social channels, it increases visibility, attracts relevant visitors, and encourages backlinks—all of which impact organic performance over time.
Start by repurposing your content.
You can turn blogs into LinkedIn posts, Twitter threads, Reddit responses, or carousel posts. Tailor the format to the platform, but always include a clear CTA back to your site. The goal is to bring more eyes to your content in places where your audience already spends time.
Make sure you pick platforms based on audience behavior for social media promotion. For example, LinkedIn works well for B2B. Reddit and Slack groups are better for niche topics.
💡Pro tip: Focus on a few channels where you can stay consistent rather than spreading yourself thin.
Community building is just as important. Participate in relevant discussions, share helpful insights, and drop links only when they genuinely add value. Over time, this builds trust and increases the chances of repeat visits and shares, indirectly supporting your SEO.
In short, social and community engagement helps you drive qualified traffic, earn backlinks, and stay top-of-mind, while supporting your long-term SEO efforts.
11. Prioritizing UX metrics
Google doesn’t just rank content based on keywords and links—it also looks at how users interact with your site. This means that if users are bouncing fast, not scrolling, or not clicking, search engines will consider your content not helpful.
Some of the key UX metrics that influence organic performance include:
Bounce rate: A high bounce rate can mean your content didn’t match what users expected, or your page took too long to load. Both are red flags for Google.
Time on page: More time spent usually means users found the content engaging and relevant. This is a strong signal of content quality.
Pages per session: If users explore other pages after landing, it tells Google your site offers value beyond just one post.
Click-through rate (CTR): This metric refers to the percentage of people clicking your results on SERP.
To improve these metrics, focus on clarity and usability. Ensure your content is easy to scan, mobile-friendly, and loads quickly.
Add clear headings, visual elements, and relevant CTAs that guide the reader. Avoid intrusive popups or clutter that can frustrate users and hurt engagement.
Also, think about intent. If someone lands on your page and doesn’t quickly find what they came for, they’ll leave. Structure your content to answer key questions at the very beginning, then go deeper for users who want more.
Bottom line: Better UX keeps users on your site longer and signals content quality to search engines, both critical for organic traffic growth.
12. Core web vitals optimization
Core Web Vitals directly influence how Google ranks your website, acting as measurable signals of page experience quality. Understanding and optimizing these metrics offers a straightforward path to better search visibility.
Google’s Core Web Vitals consist of three essential metrics that assess real-world user experience:
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures loading performance, specifically how quickly the largest content element becomes visible. Aim for LCP under 2.5 seconds to provide a good user experience. Pages taking longer than 4 seconds are considered poor performers.
Interaction to Next Paint (INP) evaluates responsiveness or how quickly your site responds to user actions like clicks or taps. For optimal user experience, strive for INP below 200 milliseconds.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) quantifies visual stability, whether elements move unexpectedly while loading. Keep CLS scores under 0.1 for good stability. Scores above 0.25 indicate significant problems that frustrate users.
For LCP: Optimize images, remove unnecessary third-party scripts, and consider upgrading your web host.
For INP: Minimize JavaScript, remove non-critical third-party scripts, and defer code execution.
For CLS: Use set size attributes for media elements, reserve space for ads, and avoid adding new content above the fold.
Remember that although content relevance and quality remain important ranking signals, Google uses Core Web Vitals to assess whether users can effectively access your content.
A site with excellent content but poor Core Web Vitals might still lose ranking opportunities to competitors with better page experience metrics.
How to measure, track, and analyze organic traffic
Knowing how much organic traffic you’re getting is just the starting point. What really matters is understanding where it’s coming from, what users are doing, and where your site has gaps or growth potential.
That’s where smart measurement and analysis come in. Here’s how you can do this:
1. Start with Google Search Console (GSC)
Google search console performance for analyzing organic website traffic
GSC gives direct insight into how your site performs in search. Focus on these metrics on Google Search Console:
Impressions show how often your pages are being displayed in search results.
Clicks reveal how many users actually clicked on your links.
Click-Through Rate (CTR) helps spot missed opportunities — if impressions are high but clicks are low, your titles or meta descriptions likely need work.
Average position tracks where your page appears in SERPs. Monitor trends for important keywords over time — a slow drop might indicate outdated content or stronger competition.
Use the “Pages” + “Queries” view to tie performance back to specific keywords. Identify which queries are driving the most traffic and where you’re ranking just outside page one (positions 11–20). These are your quick wins.
2. Use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to track user behavior
While GSC shows how users find you, Google Analytics tells you what they do next. Focus on these metrics on GA4:
Engagement rate: Are visitors scrolling, clicking, or just bouncing?
Session duration: Helps identify whether your content holds attention or needs reworking.
Conversion rate: Tracks whether visitors are completing key actions — signing up, downloading, booking, etc.
Landing page reports: See which pages are driving organic entries and how well they perform post-click.
Use event tracking in GA4 to monitor micro-conversions, like scroll depth, button clicks, or video views, to reveal subtle UX issues.
3. Build custom dashboards to save time
Digging through reports each week isn’t scalable. Instead, create a custom “Organic Traffic” dashboard in GA4 by:
Navigate to Reports > Library > Create New Report.
Set organic traffic as your segment (filter by Default Channel Grouping = Organic Search).
Add dimensions like landing page, device type, source/medium, and geography.
Save different views to compare performance weekly or monthly.
You can also integrate GSC data into GA4 or Looker Studio to see keyword performance and user behavior in one view.
4. Use your data to find what’s working
Raw data is only useful if you act on it. Here’s how to spot real opportunities:
Pages with decent impressions but low CTR: Improve titles, meta descriptions, or consider rich results (like FAQs or schema).
Content decay: If rankings and traffic for older posts are dropping, refresh the content and update internal links.
Ranking just outside page one: Optimize for keywords in positions 11–20 — tweak the content, add supporting articles, or build links.
High-traffic, low-conversion pages: Rework your CTAs, add trust signals, or improve form UX to reduce friction.
Remember, SEO is a long game. But consistent analysis helps you make smarter decisions, prioritize updates, and compound your wins over time.
FAQs
1. How can I improve my organic traffic?
Start by identifying what your audience is actually searching for and create content that directly answers those questions.
Use long-tail keywords, build internal links between related posts, and make sure your pages are mobile-friendly and fast.
You can also refresh outdated content, improve page titles and meta descriptions, and focus on intent-matching content. Over time, small improvements compound and lead to a significant increase in organic traffic.
2. How to optimize for organic traffic?
To optimize for organic traffic, focus on both your content and your website structure. Use tools like Google Search Console and GA4 to track what’s working, then improve titles, update content, and fix technical issues like crawl errors or slow loading times.
Implement schema markups, ensure strong internal linking, and match each page’s format and tone to the search intent behind the keyword.
3. How to increase organic social traffic?
Organic social traffic comes from unpaid posts and shares on platforms like LinkedIn, Reddit, or Twitter. To grow this, repurpose your blog content into engaging formats like carousels, threads, and infographics.
Share consistently, join relevant communities, and add value in discussions. This builds trust and encourages people to visit and share your site, helping your content reach new audiences without relying on ads.
4. What is the best source of organic traffic?
The best source of organic traffic is typically Google Search, which accounts for over half of all website visits.
That said, other sources like YouTube, Reddit, and LinkedIn can also drive steady organic traffic when used strategically. The most reliable traffic comes from content that ranks well for relevant search terms and continues to deliver value over time.
As more consumers choose the internet and social media to interact with the brands they love, the need to be active on social media with content has increased for businesses. And every platform demands a different type of content to be successful. For example, Reels are the way to grow on Instagram for a lifestyle brand.
And research supports this. Creating content consistently generates over 3x as many leads as outbound marketing, it can be daunting to create so much content manually.
Whether you are a content creator, a marketer, or an entrepreneur, the content creation tools discussed in this blog post will help you nail the execution of your content marketing strategy.
11 Content creation tools to boost your productivity and make you more efficient
With so many content creation tools in the industry, finding the perfect ones could be daunting. In this blog post, we have divided the tools into 3 different categories and chosen the best ones for you in each category.
Content Research Tools
AI Content Creation Tools
Image Sourcing Tools
Content Research Tools
Deciding on the right content topics that bring results is not that easy. If you are still relying only on Google auto-populated prompts then your efforts are going to be half-baked.
Content research tools provide insights into what topics are trending in your industry, what your target audience is searching for, and how to optimize content for search engines. These tools will help you get results for your efforts.
Here are the best content research tools to help you should know about.
#1. ChatSonic – Like ChatGPT
There is no better tool than Chatsonic – Like ChatGPT with superpowers for content research. ChatGPT is a conversational AI technology that can understand, respond to, and generate text-based outputs.
Chatsonic is the best alternative to ChatGPT as it overcomes the limitations of ChatGPT. You can speed up your content research by giving voice commands instead of typing, which is not possible on ChatGPT. The best part is the response speed is 2-3x faster than Google.
Unlike ChatGPT by OpenAI, which is updated with data before 2021, Chatsonic is trained on billions of data sets and is powered by Google Search to generate factual content on current events in real time. So you never have to worry about the content’s accuracy and freshness.
As a content creator, you know how important it is to write for your audience. It is also not easy to always put yourself in their shoes while writing content. Chatsonic’s persona mode makes this easy for you. Just select the persona and you are good to go.
Another interesting thing Chatsonic does is generate unique and mesmerizing images with voice commands.
Chatsonic remembers the previous conversations and gives you the experience of interacting with a real person. You need not go back to page 1 and save time with your content research.
ChatSonic comes with a ChatGPT API that you can easily integrate into your own apps.
You can create interesting Twitter threads with Chatsonic’s Twitter bot. You can do this live on Twitter. No copy-paste.
ChatSonic allows you to save, alter, or download your chats. You can access your content research conversations whenever you want.
Pricing
It is completely free to use. You’ll get 25 generations every day.
Picking the right topic to appeal to your audience is critical to content creation.
SEMrush Topic Research Tool makes this job easier by providing many potential content ideas for you to explore further. You can get started by prompting the major topic and location to this content creation tool and it will result in 1000s instant content ideas.
Pros
The topic research tool comes with a search volume that can serve as a parameter to choose the topics.
SEMrush has an extensive toolkit for SEO, content creation, market research, advertising, and SMM to help with your overall marketing strategy.
Writesonic an all-in-one AI writer, is integrated with SEMrush to speed up your content creation process.
Cons
The user interface can be intimidating to start with and has a steep learning curve.
It goes a little to the expensive side.
Pricing
SEMrush and all its content marketing toolkits come with a starting price of $119.95 per month.
When to use
If you are a full-suite digital marketing agency with a flexible budget, you can choose SEMrush to identify high-performance keywords and analyze them.
#3. Answer The Public
Another popular tool for content creation and topic research is Answer The Public now acquired by NP Digital. It is a freemium keyword analyzer tool that visualizes search questions and suggested terms. It gathers the information from search queries on Google and Bing.
Once you enter a topic and set location preference, it visually lists all possible relevant questions like what, when, why, how, and which around the said topic. Simply put, Answer The Public identifies meaningful keywords so you don’t waste time creating content on endless content ideas.
Pros
It is simple to use and provides a comprehensive list of keywords for your content marketing strategy.
This content creation and research tool let us export the search as an image or a CSV file. This way, you can show complex research to your stakeholders or clients in an easy-to-understand format.
Cons
Answer The Public does not show information like search volume, keyword difficulty, and other ranking factors, which can make it difficult to choose the right keywords.
Pricing
The free version is limited to 3 searches per day. You can upgrade to premium plans for unlimited searches at $99 per month.
When to use
Answer The Public can be a lifesaver when doing keyword research for blog posts and other long-form articles.
#4. BuzzSumo
As a content creation tool, Buzzsumo takes topic and keyword research to the next level by taking keyword analysis to social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
This AI content creation tool pulls the popular posts based on the keywords you specify, including their social media shares and likes metrics. The search results can be further filtered based on language, location, date, publisher, and more.
BuzzSumo
Pros
Buzzsumo presents different types of results ranging from blog posts to social media with metrics for a search term. And you can access all this in one place.
The Chrome extension is a time saver since you can access the insights on the go.
Cons
While Buzzsumo provides insights for major social media platforms, it doesn’t include trending platforms like Snapchat and Tiktok.
Pricing
It is free for up to 10 searches per month. As required, you can upgrade to the Pro Plan at $99/ month.
When to use
Suppose you are focussing on the bottom-of-the-funnel conversions, using Buzzsumo’s monitoring feature. In that case, you can track phrases that signal purchase intent, such as “Your competitor + alternative” or “Your brand + reviews.”
AI Content Creation Tools
With so much competition on the internet, the only way to win the content game is to produce high-quality content at scale. AI content creation tools are a saviour for businesses like yours. They use natural language processing and generation models to understand human language and produce original content on any given topic.
AI content generators are revolutionizing the way content is created, allowing you to focus more on the creative aspects of content
#5. Writesonic
Writesonic is one of the best AI content creation tools, and its speciality is creating human-like long-form copies for blogs, whitepapers, and short-form copies for landing pages, social media posts, and everything in between,
As an AI content creation tool, Writesonic has over 80+ content writing templates , designed to end writer’s block. These tools can inspire you, provide feedback on your writing style and tone and even help you brainstorm potential topic ideas for your content.
The AI Article Writer, with latest updates, can now generate a 2000+ word SEO-optimized article in less than a minute. It suggests a list of relevant keywords and upon selecting, it will automatically generate a blog that consists of all the selected keywords to give you an article that ranks the SERPs. You can further edit the article using the ‘Sonic Editor’ which is a doc-style editor with AI powers!
Writesonic AI Article Writer 4.0
Pros
If you are out of ideas for your blog – use the AI blog topic idea generator that helps with blog topic suggestions with just a keyword idea.
Besides the 4-step AI article writer that provides customization at each step, you can use the Instant article writer that generates a 1500-word article instantly in about 30-40 seconds.
Generate landing pages without any hassle with the Website Copy Generator that generates a complete landing page with code where you just need to copy-paste it into your CMS.
Paraphrasing tool helps you rewrite anything you want from sentences to paragraphs to even articles. Writesonic offers an article rewriter that helps with rewriting without changing the meaning and keeping it 100% plagiarism-free.
Increase your brand reach on social by creating social media copy with ease. Writesonic offers social media content template tools – Instagram Caption Generator, Instagram Hashtag Generator, LinkedIn Post Generator, Youtube Video Script Generator, Tweet Generator, TikTok script generator and more.
Boost your product sales by using the Product Description Generator that gives out the exact description you need to increase sales for your products.
The AI art generator can autogenerate AI images to go with your content, saving you hours of dredging the internet for the perfect image.
Chatsonic, which is trained on billions of datasets from trusted sources and powered by Google Search generates content on current events and trending topics in real time. This ChatGPT alternative also understands voice commands. You can ask Chatsonic about anything under the sun.
Bulk content generator can be a huge time saver if you want quicker processing time for content you want to produce in bulk.
Writesonic is integrated with top SEO tools (SEMrush and SurferSEO), editing tools (Copyscape and Grammarly), and admin tools (WordPress and Zapier) to make your content creation workflows a cakewalk.
Pricing
You can start using Writesonic for free – no credit card is required to sign-up and use it for free.
If you’d like to use up more words and the premium features of Writesonic, you can opt for the long-form plan starting from $12.67/ month for 19,000 premium words. You can take a quick look at the pricing snap below.
Writesonic pricing
When to use
💡
Writesonic is a perfect AI addition to your marketing toolkit, whether you are a solopreneur, a marketing agency, or even a business that has a marketing team that needs a faster turnaround time. If you want to generate high-quality content fast, then Writesonic is for you.
Jasper (formerly known as Jarvis) is an AI content creation tool that is used for creating long-form articles, whitepapers, and ebooks. You can create blog posts and articles by providing a few sentences or prompts on your topic.
This AI writing tool also has 25+ language options and 50+ templates to make your content-writing process easy.
Jasper
Pros
The Boss Mode creates content 5X faster and requires minimal editing.
Owing to Jasper’s integration with Surfer SEO, your content is SEO-optimized.
Cons
For first-time users, Jasper’s content creation has a learning curve. You’ll have to refer to help documents to learn to write prompts so that Jasper responds relevantly.
Even though they say Jasper is trained on 10% of the internet, fails to generate accurate content for overly technical topics.
The copy generated is not up to the mark
Lacks some great features like the website copy generator, social media post generator, ad copy generator, and more.
Pricing
Jasper’s Starter pack comes at $29 per month with 20,000 words credit. But if you are creating long content, you will need the Boss Mode, which costs $59 per month with 50,000 words credit.
There is no free version to try and explore the features of Jasper. You need to add your credit card details to sign-up for Jasper.
Jasper AI pricing
When to use
Jasper’s main forte is long-form content writing. You can generate content for blog posts and landing pages.
#7. Copy.ai
AI content creation tool Copy.ai runs GPT-3 language model to create human-like textual content. It mainly focuses on writing short-form copies, product descriptions and generating ideas for content.
Copy.ai
Pros
Copy.ai is good for generating ideas and brainstorming in general. You can say goodbye to writer’s block.
A clear user interface does a great job of guiding first-time users.
It offers a free version of up to 2000 words every month with a 7-day free trial of the pro plan in the first month.
Cons
This AI content writing tool lacks integrations with SEO tools, meaning you’ll have to add the keywords manually.
There are chances that the output generated has some plagiarized content. There is no plagiarism checker, so it is hard to identify and change the content immediately.
Pricing
As a free AI content creation tool, Copy.ai has a free plan to test out the features. However, the pro plan starts at $49 per month.
When to use
Copy.ai is a great paragraph rewriting tool when you already have a piece of content and want to spruce it up. It is better to avoid Copy.ai for long-form content like blog posts as you have to generate each blog section separately.
Image sourcing tools
Even though image libraries like Pexels, Unsplash, and Shutterstock have millions of images, finding the right image for your content is quite challenging. You might spend more time looking for an image than writing.
Image sourcing tools are invaluable for content marketers looking to add visual appeal to their content. They are an easy and affordable way to ensure your content stands out and looks professional with relevant images.
#8. Photosonic
Don’t we hate spending hours online looking for that perfect and unique image to go with the generated content? Photosonic, the best AI image generator, content creation tool that can put an end to that endless task.
As the name suggests, Photosonic uses the power of AI and machine learning to create the most relevant images based on your creative suggestions. It is based on the latest text-to-image AI model and is trained on a powerful neural network after analyzing millions of photos online.
You can customize the quality, diversity, and style of the resulting images by adjusting the description and rerunning the model.
Photosonic
Pros
Photosonic can generate images within Writesonic software, which means you can create images and content at the same time.
You have complete commercial rights to reproduce, display, and distribute the images generated with Photosonic.
You can use Photosonic to enhance or modify existing images by adding text annotations or filters.
You have full rights to use the images that Photosonic creates with your input for any personal or commercial purpose.
You can generate images by giving voice commands with the help of Chatsonic – similar to ChatGPT but with superpowers.
Pricing
Photosonic starts with a free plan where you can generate 10 photos each day with 15 credits. There is a basic plan ($10/ month for 100 credits) and an unlimited plan for $25/ month.
When to use
For busy marketers, writers, and business owners, content creation tools Photosonic and Writesonic can work in tandem to create a ready-to-publish article within a few minutes.
DALL-E and DALL-E-2 are powerful AI art generators that use OpenAI’s GPT3, a natural language generation model to create visual content that is as close to human language as it has ever been.
DALL-E-2 is an improvement from its predecessor (DALL-E) in terms of size and quality. Powered by AI and machine learning, the AI art generator DALL-E-2 has trained over the neural net with billions of images and artwork and their description in natural language, and can now replicate it.
DALL-E-2
Pros
One can upload existing artwork to create images similar to them too.
The more detailed description you provide, the better the image quality.
Cons
When you begin, the images from DALL-E can be irrelevant, inconsistent, or distorted. It takes time (and credits = money) to get it right.
DALL-E -2 is currently in beta and has its interested applicants on a long waitlist.
Pricing
Charges on a credit system, where 1 credit can generate 4 images. And when you sign up, you receive 50 credits and then 15 credits every month. You can also purchase 115 credits for $15 each.
When to use
If you are very good at giving prompts with details, then DALL-E-2 can be a good fit. If you struggle to write prompts then it is best to consider a less hassle tool like Photosonic.
#10. MidJourney
Midjourney is an AI-powered image generator that acts as your AI creative sidekick which turns your imagination into unique art within seconds. No more do you have to hunt for stock images or wait for your design team for new creatives.
This AI content creation tool provides images based on descriptive text.
MidJourney is still in its closed beta stage. Currently, you can use the software on a PC or through the discord server app, upon gaining access.
Midjourney
Pros
You can even choose the aesthetic and visual style for your images.
The images generated are covered under the Creative Commons Noncommercial 4.0 Attribution International License.
Cons
You’ll need a Discord login as Midjourney works entirely on Discord. Not everyone might be comfortable using it on Discord.
Pricing
You can try up to 25 images using the MidJourney bot on the Discord server. Further, you can subscribe to their plans:
Basic – $10/month for 200min/month
Standard – $30/month for 15 hours /month
Corporate – $600/month for 120min/month
When to use
It can be of great help if you are looking to generate some art than regular landing page images.
LogicBalls
LogicBalls is a powerful AI writing tool and a great ChatGPT alternative, offering over 4000 AI tools for content creation, marketing, and SEO. It helps businesses and individuals generate high-quality, optimized content effortlessly.
Pros
Extensive tool library covering diverse industries
Multi-language support for a global audience
Affordable pricing with free access for basic use
Rich text editor & bookmarking for better workflow
Cons
Free plan has limited word usage
Some advanced tools require a premium plan
Learning curve due to a vast number of features
Pricing
Free – Limited tokens & features (10,000 words/month)
Paid – Starts at $9.99/month ($5/month yearly plan) for more tokens & advanced tools
When to Use?
Use LogicBalls for SEO content, social media posts, marketing campaigns, sales copies, and general writing tasks. Ideal for content marketers, businesses, and freelancers looking for an AI-driven writing assistant.
A robust tech stack of content creation tools makes you more efficient
AI content creation tools are game changers. These tools don’t only revolutionize the way content is created but also save you time from posting repetitive content.
Looking at and going through so many tools can be quite overwhelming. The best thing to do is look for an all-in-one content creation tool.
🤩
Our best suggestion is Writesonic!
Use Writesonic’s 80+ powerful features like Instant article writer, paraphraser, website copy, and many more to fulfill every content requirement you might have. Photosonic, a part of Writesonic can help you generate the perfect image to add visual appeal to your content. The best thing is you can use both Writesonic and Photosonic by just giving voice commands on Chatsonic.
Many content marketers get so caught up in brainstorming new ideas and creating new articles that they forget about the valuable content they’ve already produced. But truthfully, your existing body of work has just as much value as anything new that you produce.
Why, you ask?
Well, by auditing and optimizing your existing content, you can often achieve a significant increase in traffic, engagement, and return on investment (ROI). So don’t discount the value of your existing work — you can leverage it to drive even more value for your business.
But how, exactly, do you go about auditing your content?
Just like any other marketing effort, auditing your content requires careful planning and execution. In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about content audits, including what they are, why they’re important, and how to conduct them.
So, let’s get started!
What is a content audit?
A content audit is an analysis of your website’s existing content, a comprehensive assessment of both the quantity and quality of your content, in addition to how well it aligns with your current business goals. For example, if your current objective is to increase website traffic from organic search, you would want to analyze how well your existing content is optimized for relevant keywords.
What are the benefits of conducting a content audit?
A website content audit can be a lengthy process, taking anywhere from several hours to several months to complete, depending on the size and scope of your website. But, the benefits of a content audit greatly outweigh the costs.
Some of the key benefits of conducting a content audit include:
Improved website performance.One of the main goals of a content audit is to improve your website’s overall performance. By taking a close look at your existing content, you can identify areas where your website is falling short and make the necessary changes to improve its overall effectiveness.
Valuable tool for decision-making. After completing a content audit, you will have a comprehensive understanding of your website’s strengths and weaknesses. With this information, you’ll make educated decisions about where to allocate your resources going forward.
Keep your online presence polished and accurate. The way you present your content says a lot about your brand. You want to be seen as current, professional, and competent. That means keeping up with emerging trends and developments in your field to ensure your position as an industry leader. But, without proper auditing, it’s easy for out-of-date or off-base content to get mixed in with the rest. Regular content audits are essential to refining your website and upholding your reputation. They will help identify obsolete elements that need updating or replacing and discard irrelevant content that no longer serves a purpose.
A comprehensive review of content library. By conducting a regular content audit, you can create and maintain a centralized repository of your company’s content. This “content library” can be an invaluable resource for other departments within your organization. For example, if the sales team has access to the content library, they can easily recycle and repurpose existing material for their own needs — saving time and resources.
Maximize your content marketing ROI. By understanding what content is performing well and why, you can invest more time and resources into creating similar content that will resonate with your audience. Likewise, if you identify underperforming content, you can make adjustments to improve its effectiveness.
In short:
A content audit is a powerful tool you can use to improve your website, content marketing strategy, and overall online presence.
How do you conduct a content audit?
For a wide range of reasons, you may be considering a content audit. Maybe you aren’t getting the results you want from your current content strategy. Perhaps your website is due for a redesign, and you want to ensure that your content will work well with your brand’s new voice. Or maybe you simply want to assess what kind of content you have and where it stands against your marketing goals.
Whatever the reason, you’ll want to take these six steps to ensure your content audit is thorough and effective::
Step #1: Define your goals
A content audit can review a virtually limitless number of objectives and metrics. But if you want your content audit to be productive and not turn into a meaningless exercise, you’ll need to focus on a few specific goals.
Defining your goals upfront will guide you in determining which content is worth keeping and where you should focus your energies moving forward.
Some commonly pursued content audit goals include:
Identifying which pieces of content are most popular and generate the most engagement
Assessing which content is outdated or no longer relevant
Finding opportunities to improve content marketing ROI
Analyzing user behavior to determine which content is most effective at driving conversions
Step #2: Choose a content type
After you’ve determined your goals, you will choose which content you’ll be auditing, which will vary depending on your specific objectives.
For example, if you’re trying to increase traffic from organic search, you’ll want to focus on auditing your blog posts and web pages. But if your goal is to improve your conversion rates, you might want to analyze your email marketing content or landing pages.
Step #3: Compile your data
Now that you know what type of content you want to audit, it’s time to start building a queue of all that content in one place.
If you have a small website with fewer than 50 pages, you can probably do this manually. However, if you have a large website with hundreds or even thousands of pages, you’ll need to use a tool like Screaming Frog to automatically generate a list of all the pages you need to review.
Step #4: Categorize your content
The next step is to categorize your collected data or URLs. This will help you understand what you have and how it fits into your overall content strategy. You can do this manually using a spreadsheet, or use online task management apps like Wrike or Monday if you want a more streamlined system.
There are many different ways you can categorize your content.
Rankings (position in SERPs, traffic from organic search, etc.)
Action needed (update, delete, etc.)
These are just a few of the content audit categories. Feel free to get creative and add any other metrics that you think will be helpful for your specific goals.
Step #5: Analyze your data
Now that you have your content audit data, you’ll need to analyze it critically. This step will help you understand what’s working well and where there’s room for improvement. So, take a step back and look at your content metrics holistically to get an idea of where your site’s content is currently standing.
For example, your web page might be getting a lot of traffic, but if you have a high bounce rate and low session duration, that means users are interested in your topic but didn’t find what they wanted from your content.
On the other hand, maybe you have great engagement metrics but low rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs), which could be a sign that your content needs to be better optimized for search engine visibility.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you analyze your content:
Make sure you’re looking at the right data points. Depending on your goals, you’ll want to focus on different metrics. For example, if you’re trying to increase traffic from organic search, you’ll want to focus on metrics like rankings and traffic from Google.
Identify content that is missing from your site. This could be content that’s relevant to your audience but you haven’t covered yet, or it could be content that’s missing altogether (like a 404 error page).
Look for underperforming pieces. Any piece of content that isn’t meeting your expectations is a candidate for further analysis. This could be content with low engagement metrics, rankings, or conversion rates.
Check for outdated content. Outdated content can hurt your website in many ways, from decreased rankings to lost traffic. So, it’s vital to identify any content that needs to be updated or replaced.
See if there are any knockout content pieces. As you look at your data, you might also come across some stellar content, pieces that have outperformed your expectations in some way. Identify these pieces so you can learn from them and replicate their success.
Use these pointers to assess your content thoroughly and make well-informed decisions.
Step #6: Create a list of actions
We’ve come to the final step of your content audit. You have analyzed your posts and know what needs to be changed. Now you can delete, update, re-write, or restructure your posts as needed.
To get started, take a look at your content audit report and start cataloging each piece of content according to what needs to be done with it. Then, set up a section for material that must be updated, a section for content that must be deleted, and so on.
Following this grouping process, you can start creating action items. For each category, devise a plan for how you will address it. Some common instances of website content audit insights and action items include:
We’ve come to the final step of your content audit. You have analyzed your posts and know what needs to be changed. Now you can delete, update, re-write, or restructure your posts as needed.
To get started, take a look at your content audit report and start cataloging each piece of content according to what needs to be done with it. Then, set up a section for material that must be updated, a section for content that must be deleted, and so on.
Following this grouping process, you can start creating action items. For each category, devise a plan for how you will address it. Some common instances of website content audit insights and action items include:
1.Conversion rate While looking at your content audit report, you might notice that one of your landing pages has a low conversion rate. This could be due to several factors, such as poor design or copy that doesn’t speak to the needs of your target audience. In this case, your action item might be to redesign the page and test different versions to see what converts best.
2. Social media engagement If you see that your posts aren’t getting a lot of likes, comments, or shares, take that as a sign to step up your social media game. Increase your posting frequency, use different types of content (such as videos or infographics), or make content on current topics that will be relevant to your audience.
But if the logistics of doing all this seem overwhelming, you could outsource the care of your social media accounts to a digital marketing agency. Here, your action item is to vet several potential agencies and select the one that meets your needs.
The best way to find the right digital marketing agency is to create a checklist of questions or criteria you want your partner to meet, just like how agencies create an onboarding checklist when they welcome a new client. Doing this will help you narrow your list of potential agencies and make the most informed decision.
3. Content repurposing In some cases, you might find that you have content that’s not getting much traction. But instead of deleting it, you can repurpose it and give it new life. Say you have a blog post that didn’t perform well — you could turn it into an infographic or a video.
You could also take the best parts of several underperforming blog posts and combine them into one super post. Repurposing content takes limitless forms, so get creative and see what you can come up with.
4. Website traffic You might also discover that your website isn’t getting as much traffic as you’d like. If that’s the case, you’ll need to dig deeper to find out where the traffic is coming from and what’s causing the drop-off. Once you know what the problem is, you can take steps to correct it.
For example, if you’re not getting much organic traffic from Google, you might need to work on your SEO. But, if you want to focus on driving traffic from other sources, look into email marketing to promote your content. Other ways to increase traffic to your website include:
Run paid ads on social media – If you want to increase the amount of traffic your website gets, you need to make sure your potential customers can see it. Paid social media ads are an effective way to do this. Take, for example, this ad from Charity Water promoting their webpage.
You can also target your ads to specific demographics, interests, or even behaviors, making it easy to get your website in front of the right people.
Use QR codes – QR codes are those black and white squares that look like barcodes. When scanned with a smartphone, they can take the user to a specific website.
You can use QR codes on your printed materials, such as business cards or flyers, to drive traffic to your website. All you need is a dynamic QR code generator and a place to put the code
Employ influencer marketing – By working with influencers, you can benefit from their creativity and reach while also tapping into the trust they have already established with their audiences. This can result in increased referral traffic to your website.
No matter what insights you uncover or what action items you decide on, the important thing is that you use the content audit to improve your website to make it the best it can be.
5. Re-create content It may happen that a portion of your content is no longer appropriate for its intended audience. When this occurs, you have the option to either recreate it or update it, so it’s fresh and meaningful. However, sometimes that can be a challenge when you lack the resources or the time to do it.
In these cases, you can use OpenAI’s latest prodigy ChatGPT to generate content on demand. ChatGpt is an open-source AI tool that uses natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to create content as per the prompts you provide. This makes ChatGpt the perfect asset for content recreation tasks.
All you have to do is provide ChatGPT with the instructions it needs to create content. The tools will then generate multiple drafts for you to choose from. A word of caution, though: ChatGPT does have its limits, one of which is the generation of irrelevant responses to queries. So, no matter how pointed your prompts are, there’s a chance ChatGPT could miss the mark.
Alternatively, you can also use Writesonic’s ChatSonic, which has been designed to beat the limitations of ChatGPT. It is always running, so you don’t have to worry about getting “at capacity” prompts, or long result lags. Plus, it is much more reliable as it can generate content from recent events, which might not be available in ChatGPT’s limited dataset.
Start content auditing today!
Content audits might seem like a lot of work, but they’re essential for any website that wants to maintain a high-quality, engaging, and successful content strategy. By performing regular content audits, you can ensure that your website’s content is always up to par and achieving your goals.
If you want your brand to grow and connect with your audience, following the right people is crucial.
The best content marketing influencers don’t just share ideas—they show you how to put them into action.
By learning from their experiences and insights, you’ll discover new strategies, creative approaches, and practical tips that can make a real difference in your content game.
In this blog, we’ve rounded up a list of influencers who can help you stay on top of your content marketing efforts and keep you moving forward in your career.
Why should you follow content marketing influencers?
What worked yesterday might not work tomorrow. That’s why staying up to date through the help of content marketing experts is crucial.
Content marketing influencers and top bloggers in the industry are always looking for what’s new—whether it’s a shift in Google’s algorithms, a new AI copywriting tool, or a fresh approach to audience engagement.
By keeping up with them, you’ll be in the loop before everyone else, allowing you to adapt your strategies and stay competitive.
2. Learn from those who’ve been there, done that
Experience is the best teacher, and the best content marketers have plenty of it.
They’ve tried, tested, and refined strategies that drive real results. When you follow these content marketing experts, you’re not just getting theory—you’re getting proven tactics used by the best in the business.
Their blogs, webinars, and social media posts are packed with actionable tips to help you avoid common pitfalls and succeed faster.
3. Get actionable advice you can implement today
One of the best things about following top bloggers and content marketing influencers is the wealth of practical advice they share.
Whether it’s a new tool, a content strategy tweak, or an SEO hack, these influencers break down complex concepts into easy-to-follow steps.
You can take their advice and put it into action immediately, seeing results in your content marketing efforts without wading through a lot of trial and error.
4. Boost your creativity and motivation
Let’s face it—content creation can be exhausting, especially when you hit a creative block.
That’s where following content experts can make a huge difference. Their innovative approaches and creative content can spark new ideas and keep you motivated.
These people can show you how to think outside the box, offering fresh perspectives to help you breathe new life into your content strategy.
5. Helps build a network that supports career growth
The best content marketers know that success doesn’t happen in isolation.
Engaging with content experts on platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, or other social media can lead to collaborations, mentorships, and partnerships.
You’re not just following influencers—you’re building a network of industry leaders who can support your growth and share opportunities you might not find on your own.
Top 30 content marketing influencers to follow ASAP!
Let’s get straight to it—these are the industry’s best content marketers you should follow.
They have the insights and strategies to make a real difference for your brand. Meet the content marketing influencers who can help you take your knowledge to the next level:
1. Neil Patel
Neil Patel – Top content marketing influencer
Area of expertise: Digital strategy, SEO, content marketing
Why you should follow them: Neil Patel has become a household name in digital marketing because he shares everything he knows—literally.
As the co-founder of Neil Patel Digital, he’s been leading SEO and content marketing.
Neil’s blog posts are packed with actionable advice, covering everything from content creation to advanced SEO strategies.
His approach is practical and based on his own experiences running multiple successful businesses, so you know you’re getting tips that actually work. You’ll also find him hosting frequent webinars related to content, SEO, and digital marketing. So keep an eye out through his social media!
Here’s a more comprehensive and detailed version for each influencer:
2. Ann Handley
Ann Handley – Top content marketing influencer
Area of expertise: Content creation, storytelling, digital marketing
Why you should follow them: Ann Handley is a pioneer in content marketing, recognized for her ability to humanize content and connect with audiences on a deeper level.
As the Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs and author of the best-seller “Everybody Writes,” Ann offers unparalleled insights into effective content creation and storytelling.
Her approach centers on the belief that great content is not about the brand but the audience, which is why her work resonates so strongly with content creators and marketers alike.
Ann’s frequent speaking engagements and newsletters provide practical tips and inspiring advice for creating engaging and conversion-worthy content.
Area of expertise: Content marketing strategy, brand storytelling
Why you should follow them: Joe Pulizzi is often credited with founding the modern content marketing movement.
As the founder of the Content Marketing Institute and author of “Epic Content Marketing,” Joe has shaped the way brands approach content strategy.
His expertise lies in helping businesses understand the value of building an audience through consistent and valuable content. Joe’s work focuses on creating content that tells a story and drives long-term business growth.
His latest ventures include The Tilt, a platform dedicated to content entrepreneurs, and the Orange Effect Foundation, showcasing his commitment to using content for profit and purpose.
Joe is one of the top content marketers you must follow if you’re looking to build a content-driven business from the ground up.
Area of expertise: SEO, content strategy, audience building
Why you should follow them: Rand Fishkin, co-founder of Moz and SparkToro, is a highly respected figure in the world of SEO and content marketing.
Known for his candid transparency and willingness to share his successes and failures, Rand’s insights are invaluable for anyone serious about building an online audience.
His expertise in SEO is well-documented through Moz’s Whiteboard Fridays, where he simplified complex SEO topics into accessible lessons.
Through his software, SparkToro, Rand focuses on audience intelligence, helping marketers understand where their audiences spend time online, what they talk about, and how to engage with them effectively.
If you’re looking for data-driven insights combined with a deep understanding of audience behavior, Rand is one of the content marketing influencers you can’t afford to miss out on.
Area of expertise: SEO, link building, content marketing
Why you should follow them: Brian Dean, the founder of Backlinko, has earned a reputation as one of the top bloggers and content marketing experts in the SEO space.
Brian’s content is known for its depth and practical application, particularly his famous “skyscraper technique,” which revolutionized how marketers approach link building and content creation.
His blog, Backlinko, is a go-to resource for anyone looking to boost their SEO efforts with innovative and proven advanced strategies.
Brian’s advice is always backed by data, and his step-by-step guides make it easy for marketers to replicate his success.
For those aiming to dominate search rankings and drive more organic traffic, following Brian Dean is a no-brainer.
Area of expertise: Marketing, leadership, storytelling
Why you should follow them: Seth Godin is a name synonymous with innovation in marketing. With a career spanning decades, Seth has authored numerous best-sellers, including “Purple Cow” and “This Is Marketing,” where he challenges marketers to rethink traditional approaches.
His daily blog is a masterclass in brevity and wisdom, offering insights that are as profound as they are practical.
Seth’s philosophy centers on the idea that marketing should build relationships and create meaningful change rather than just selling products.
For those looking to not just keep up with trends but also set them, Seth is one of the top content marketing experts whose wisdom will guide you toward becoming a more impactful marketer.
Gary Vaynerchuck – Top content marketing influencer
Area of expertise: Social media marketing, content creation, entrepreneurship
Why you should follow them: Gary Vaynerchuk, commonly known as Gary Vee, is a dynamic force in digital marketing and entrepreneurship. As the CEO of VaynerMedia, Gary has built a massive following through his energetic and no-nonsense approach to social media marketing and content creation.
His content is packed with practical advice on building personal brands, social media hacks, and scaling businesses.
Gary’s multi-platform presence—from YouTube and Instagram to LinkedIn and podcasts—ensures he always shares fresh, actionable insights.
Gary Vee is one of the best content marketers to follow for marketers and entrepreneurs looking to hustle and grow their online presence.
Area of expertise: Content marketing, customer experience, social media strategy
Why you should follow them: Jay Baer is a seasoned digital marketer and the founder of Convince & Convert. His consultancy helps brands enhance their customer experience through strategic content marketing tips.
Jay’s work focuses on creating content that attracts and retains customers by improving their overall experience.
His books, such as “Youtility,” highlight how helping, rather than selling, can be the key to success in content marketing.
Jay’s content is perfect for those looking to integrate social media and content marketing strategies that deliver real customer value.
His podcast, “Social Pros,” is a must-listen for marketers looking to stay ahead of the curve. If newsletters are more your thing, you can sign up for his biweekly issue, “The Baer Facts.”
Area of expertise: Content marketing, digital strategy, brand building
Why you should follow them: Heidi Cohen is the Chief Content Officer at Actionable Marketing Guide. Her blog is a go-to resource for marketers seeking practical, actionable advice on content marketing.
Heidi’s expertise spans digital strategy to brand building, and she’s known for breaking down complex concepts into manageable steps.
She shares insights for marketers at all levels, whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your content strategy. Her content is packed with tips to help you create compelling content and build stronger brands.
Michael Brenner – Top content marketing influencer
Area of expertise: Content marketing strategy, digital marketing, B2B marketing
Why you should follow them: Michael Brenner, CEO of Marketing Insider Group, is a highly influential voice in B2B content marketing who emphasizes creating content that drives measurable business outcomes.
He advocates customer-centric marketing, which focuses on creating valuable content that resonates with an audience.
His book, The Content Formula, is a must-read for marketers who want to understand how content can drive ROI.
Michael’s content is rich with case studies and real-world examples, making him one of the top content marketers to follow if you’re serious about B2B marketing.
Here’s the continuation for the remaining influencers:
11. Liraz Postan
Liraz Postan – Top content marketing influencer
Area of expertise: SEO, content strategy, digital marketing
Why you should follow them: Liraz Postan is a content marketing expert focusing on SEO and content strategy.
With extensive experience working with leading global brands, Liraz is known for her data-driven content creation and optimization approach.
Her content is packed with actionable advice on driving organic traffic and improving site visibility through effective SEO practices.
Liraz’s blog and social media channels are rich resources for anyone looking to enhance their digital marketing efforts with practical, evidence-based strategies.
Area of expertise: B2B marketing, content strategy, account-based marketing
Why you should follow them: Pam Didner is a B2B marketing strategist and author of “Global Content Marketing,” where she expertly bridges the gap between strategy and execution.
Pam’s insights into account-based marketing (ABM) and content strategy are invaluable for B2B marketers looking to create targeted, compelling content that aligns with business goals.
Her blog and speaking engagements provide actionable tips on developing and implementing a content strategy that resonates with specific audiences, making her one of the top content marketers to follow.
Area of expertise: Content marketing, social media, digital strategy
Why you should follow them: Jeff Bullas is one of the top bloggers in the industry, known for his expertise in leveraging content and social media to drive business growth.
His blog is a top resource for practical advice on topics like content marketing, blogging, and social media strategy.
Jeff’s ability to stay ahead of digital trends and provide actionable insights makes him a must-follow for marketers looking to enhance their online presence and drive results through content.
For more deep insights and his opinions on content marketing, check out his blog or his email newsletter, “Jef’s Jabs.”
Andy Crestodina – Top content marketing influencer
Area of expertise: Content strategy, web design, analytics
Why you should follow them: Andy Crestodina is the co-founder of Orbit Media, known for his analytical approach to content strategy and web design.
Andy’s work is an excellent resource for marketers looking to create content that engages and converts.
His book Content Chemistry, is a comprehensive guide to the science of content marketing, offering practical advice on optimizing content for better performance.
Andy’s ability to blend creativity with data-driven insights makes his content essential for anyone looking to improve their digital marketing efforts.
Area of expertise: Social media, content marketing, digital strategy
Why you should follow them: Mark Schaefer is a globally recognized author, speaker, and marketing strategist who has made significant contributions to content and digital marketing.
With decades of expertise, Mark’s work emphasizes the human side of marketing, emphasizing the importance of building relationships and creating authentic content that resonates with audiences.
His weekly newsletter “[grow]” offers deep insights into social media and content marketing.
His book, “The Content Code,” is a must-read for anyone looking to unlock the secrets to content marketing success, making Mark one of the best content marketers to follow.
Area of expertise: B2B marketing, influencer marketing, content strategy
Why you should follow them: Lee Odden is the CEO of TopRank Marketing and a leading authority in B2B content marketing and influencer marketing.
Lee’s content is known for its practical, results-oriented approach, particularly when it comes to integrating influencer marketing into content strategies.
His blog, TopRank Blog, is a valuable resource for marketers who want to learn how to build and execute effective content marketing strategies that leverage influencer relationships.
Lee’s data-driven insights and case studies make him a must-follow content expert for B2B marketers aiming to improve their content marketing efforts.
Area of expertise: Social media marketing, personal branding, content creation
Why you should follow them: Kim Garst is a social media strategist and the founder of Boom! Social, a consulting agency focused on helping businesses grow their online presence.
Kim is one of the top content marketers who excels in personal branding and content creation, mainly through social media channels.
Her practical tips and actionable advice are invaluable for anyone looking to build a strong personal brand and effectively use social media to engage with their audience.
Kim’s content is both timely and relevant, making her a key influencer for those navigating the ever-changing landscape of social media marketing.
Area of expertise: Social media strategy, content marketing, personal branding
Why you should follow them: Rebekah Radice is a social media strategist and the founder of RadiantLA, where she helps businesses and entrepreneurs build a solid online presence.
Rebekah’s content is rich with actionable advice on creating and implementing effective social media strategies.
She is known for her ability to combine content marketing with personal branding, making her content particularly valuable for those looking to establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry.
Rebekah’s in-depth guides and practical tips make her one of the best content marketers to follow for social media success.
Area of expertise: Growth marketing, content strategy, SaaS marketing
Why you should follow them: Sujan Patel is a growth marketer and the co-founder of Mailshake, a platform designed to help marketers drive more leads and sales through email outreach.
Sujan is known for his no-nonsense approach to growth marketing, making him a key influencer among content marketing experts. His content is packed with actionable strategies for scaling marketing efforts, particularly in the SaaS space.
Sujan frequently shares case studies and real-world examples of successful growth tactics, making his insights particularly valuable for those looking to implement effective content strategies that drive measurable results.
If you’re particularly interested in effective email outreaches and the synergy between sales and marketing, be sure to give Sujan a follow!
Area of expertise: Content writing, SEO, content strategy
Why you should follow them: Julia McCoy is the founder of Express Writers and a content marketing expert with a deep understanding of content creation and SEO.
Julia’s content focuses on helping businesses and marketers create high-quality content that drives traffic and conversions.
Her blog and educational resources are perfect for improving content writing and SEO skills.
Julia’s practical and results-driven approach makes her content a must-follow for anyone serious about content marketing.
With his in-depth reviews and tutorials, you should definitely check him out if you’re interested in optimizing your marketing workflow and improving results.
Ian’s content is particularly relevant for those looking to stay ahead of the curve in terms of the latest tools and technologies in digital marketing.
Area of expertise: LinkedIn marketing, B2B marketing, social media marketing
Why you should follow them: Melonie Dodaro is a LinkedIn expert and the author of “LinkedIn Unlocked.” Her focus on social selling and personal branding makes her a key influencer for marketers leveraging LinkedIn.
Melonie’s practical tips and actionable LinkedIn marketing advice ensure you’re making the most of the platform.
With over 14 years of experience with B2B brands, Melonie specializes in executing strategic digital marketing campaigns, sales enablement, account-based marketing, and more.
She regularly shares insights on creating a compelling LinkedIn profile, building a network, and generating leads through LinkedIn, making her content particularly valuable for B2B marketers.
Area of expertise: SEO, search engine news, content marketing
Why you should follow them: Barry Schwartz is the founder of Search Engine Roundtable and a leading voice in the SEO community.
His content focuses on the latest developments in search engine technology and how they impact content marketing.
If you’re someone in the SEO or digital marketing space who wants to stay updated on Google search engine news and algorithms, definitely check out Barry Schwartz’s insights!
Jesse McFarland – Top content marketing influencer
Area of expertise: Digital strategy, content marketing, social media management
Why you should follow them: Jesse McFarland is a seasoned digital strategist and a prominent figure in content marketing and social media management.
With a strong background in developing and executing digital strategies that drive engagement and growth, Jesse’s insights are invaluable for marketers looking to elevate their content and social media efforts.
He shares practical advice on leveraging data to craft compelling content strategies, optimizing social media presence, and methods for boosting SEO rankings.
Jesse’s approach is grounded in real-world experience, making him one of the content marketing experts you should follow to create content that attracts and retains customers.
And in case you’re into podcasts, Jesse is also the host of Brands and Brews Marketing, where he covers everything related to marketing.
Marcus Sheridan – Top content marketing influencer
Area of expertise: Content marketing, sales enablement, customer experience
Why you should follow them: Marcus Sheridan is a content marketing expert and the author of “They Ask, You Answer,” a book that has become a must-read for marketers looking to align their content marketing efforts with their sales strategy.
Marcus’s content is highly focused on creating content that answers customer questions and drives sales.
His practical tips and actionable advice ensure your content always aligns with your business goals.
Marcus regularly shares case studies and real-world examples of implementing sales enablement techniques in your content marketing efforts, making his content particularly valuable for marketers looking to improve their sales and customer experience.
Area of expertise: SEO, content strategy, digital marketing
Why you should follow them: Anna York is a seasoned content marketing expert specializing in SEO and content strategy.
With years of experience helping businesses optimize their online presence, Anna is known for blending technical SEO with creative content marketing, ensuring that content ranks well and resonates with audiences.
Her insights are particularly valuable for marketers looking to enhance their SEO strategies while crafting content that drives engagement and conversions.
Anna regularly shares practical advice on effectively integrating SEO into content marketing efforts, making her a must-follow for anyone serious about improving their digital marketing results.
Michael Stelzner – Top content marketing influencer
Area of expertise: Social media marketing, content strategy, digital marketing
Why you should follow them: Michael Stelzner, CEO and founder of Social Media Examiner is a leading voice in social media marketing and content strategy.
Mike is known for his in-depth knowledge and hands-on approach to helping businesses leverage social media to grow their brands.
Through his popular podcast, “Social Media Marketing,” and the annual Social Media Marketing World conference, Mike offers valuable insights and actionable tips for staying ahead in the fast-paced world of digital marketing.
His content is perfect for marketers looking to enhance their social media presence, create compelling content strategies, and stay updated on industry trends.
If you’re just starting out in the marketing world and need easy-to-understand tips, Mike is one of the top content marketers you should follow to keep your game going strong.
Area of expertise: SEO, digital marketing, content strategy, copywriting
Why you should follow them: Matt Barker is a seasoned digital marketer with a strong focus on SEO, content strategy, and compelling copywriting.
As the owner of Matt Barker Copy, he shares actionable insights on content marketing and copywriting and is dedicated to helping businesses optimize their online presence.
He’s known for his ability to blend data-driven strategies with creative content, driving organic traffic and improving search engine rankings.
Matt also has an email newsletter where he regularly shares tips on crafting persuasive copy, making him one of the top bloggers to follow for anyone looking to enhance their writing and marketing skills.
His content is a go-to resource for marketers who want to create content that not only ranks well but also resonates with audiences.
Richard van der Blom – Top content marketing influencer
Area of expertise: LinkedIn strategies, social selling, B2B marketing
Why you should follow them: Richard van der Blom is a leading expert in LinkedIn strategies and social selling, making him a go-to authority for professionals and businesses looking to maximize their presence on LinkedIn.
As the founder of Just Connecting, Richard has helped over 200 global companies and thousands of professionals optimize their LinkedIn profiles, boost their engagement, and drive business growth through effective social selling techniques.
He is mainly known for his in-depth LinkedIn algorithm reports, which provide actionable insights into how the platform operates and how users can leverage these insights for better reach and visibility.
Richard frequently conducts workshops, webinars, and training sessions that equip professionals with the skills needed to excel on LinkedIn.
Area of expertise: Content marketing, brand strategy, AI in marketing, copywriting
Why you should follow them: Audrey Chia is the founder of Close with Copy, a content marketing consultancy where she helps businesses craft compelling narratives that drive conversions.
With a strong background in brand strategy and digital marketing, Audrey has built a reputation for blending creative copywriting with cutting-edge technology, including AI in content creation and marketing.
She regularly shares insights through her newsletter, offering practical advice on integrating AI tools into marketing strategies to enhance workflow.
Audrey is a must-follow influencer if you’re looking for foolproof insights, especially around using tech like ChatGPT for marketing.
Thriving in content marketing means learning from the best, and these content marketing influencers are your go-to sources for practical, game-changing insights.
They don’t just talk theory—they show you how to put it all into action and see real results.
And when you’re ready to implement those insights, Writesonic is here to help!
With Writesonic’s AI-powered platform, you can easily create high-quality content in minutes using the same strategies these top content marketers rely on.
Whether you’re aiming to boost SEO, craft engaging blog posts, or drive more conversions, Writesonic gives you the tools to make it happen.
Start creating standout content with Writesonic today and take your marketing to the next level.
While researching for your article or essay, you might have encountered a sentence or a paragraph that’s so intriguing that you thought you must include it in your content! But you can’t use those exact words, right?
Well, paraphrasing is the way to do that. However, the idea is not to steal someone’s content but to capitalize on it by drafting a much better version while adding your input and research.
You can always have your own piece written and make it more intuitive to your audience while using the original one as a reference.
E.g.
‘It’s easier said than done’
‘Although the idea sounds like a good one in theory, it will still be difficult to actually execute it.’
Both the above sentences have similar meanings, but they appear different. That’s a classic example of paraphrasing.
But how do you paraphrase while keeping the essence of the original sentence intact and still not plagiarising?
That calls for some tips and tricks! And here, we have got you covered.
In this blog, we will explain what is paraphrasing, why you might need to paraphrase, how to paraphrase, and the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing.
Let’s dive in.
What is paraphrasing?
Paraphrasing is the process of restructuring or tweaking a paragraph so that it represents the same meaning or idea from the original statement but with different sentence construction, choice of words, formats, or, possibly, tone or voice.
It means making the meaning clearer, especially in a shorter and simpler form, along with your thoughts/comments. In addition to borrowing, clarifying, or expanding on information and your comments, paraphrasing is doing all the above-stated actions without plagiarizing the information.
Why do people paraphrase?
There are several reasons why people paraphrase. Following are some of the reasons for paraphrasing.
Paraphrasing helps avoid plagiarism.
It also provides support for claims or adds credibility to the writing.
It demonstrates your understanding and provides an alternative method to using indirect and direct quotes in your own words (referenced) infrequently.
Paraphrasing in academic research helps utilize source material for writing essays, providing evidence that the essay is appropriately referenced.
Paraphrasing in writing helps you ensure that you use sources to communicate something important to your readers.
What is paraphrasing plagiarism?
Plagiarism is stealing someone else’s ideas without acknowledgment. Plagiarism can come in several forms: global, verbatim, patchwork, paraphrase, and self-plagiarism. However, apart from global plagiarism, other types of plagiarism are often accidental.
Although paraphrasing is accepted, rephrasing sentences or paraphrasing someone else’s idea without citing or acknowledging is considered paraphrasing plagiarism. Even when translating someone else’s words, if the translated text from another language is not cited, this is also a type of paraphrasing plagiarism.
How to paraphrase?
When it comes to paraphrasing, you can either do it manually or use an AI-powered tool like Writesonic to rephrase your content. While we will guide you through both processes, here is how to paraphrase with Writesonic Content Rephraser.
Check out the steps below:
Log in to Writesonic or sign up (if you haven’t already done so!).
Search for Content Rephrase and select the tool from the results.
content rephrase
On the Content Rephrase v2 window, put the text in the Content box.
Select the Words Length from the drop-down for the rephrased content.
Select your Brand Voice / Tone of Voice from the list.
Finally, hit the Generate button.
If you are not satisfied with the output received, simply click on the Regenerate button.
If you want, you can also paraphrase manually without using any tool. Here is a guide on different techniques to paraphrase effectively,
What is the difference between summarizing and paraphrasing?
Summarizing is a concise statement that briefs the contents of the passage. On the other hand, paraphrasing is just rewriting sentences using your own words. In fact, there is more than one difference between summarizing and paraphrasing.
Check out the comparison chart to learn the differences between summarizing and paraphrasing, besides their definition.
Basis
Summarizing
Paraphrasing
Definition
Summarizing refers to the concise statements and key points of the original work or piece
Paraphrasing refers to restating the texts or passages in your own words based on your comprehension
Underlines
The central idea of the original sentence
Simplifies and clarifies the original sentence or texts
Length of the text
It is shorter when compared with the original writing or piece
It is almost the same length as the original statement
Objective
To express the general concept of the piece or work briefly using a precise language
To break down the complex words into more comprehensible and simple words
Uses
When you want to provide a quick review of the topic or piece
When you want to present your point of view in different words while incorporating the authors’ ideas as well
Doesn’t include
Unnecessary information, details, examples, and reader’s interpretations
Problematic language, lengthy quotes, same words from the original passage or phrases from the original sentence.
Top 5 tips and tricks to follow while paraphrasing
Following are 5 digestible paraphrasing tips you can incorporate when paraphrasing your sentences.
Identify the important parts
You can’t paraphrase until you understand the meaning! In fact, paraphrasing demonstrates your understanding of the original material. Thus, read the original content until you get enough ideas to explain it in your own words.
Once you have the original concept, reduce it to the key points, and don’t focus on the sentence structures at the start. Another way to rewrite or reword the source without losing your key points is to use a paraphrasing tool.
Change up the words
Change the words using synonyms while noting down the concepts or key points. However, if you face writer’s block and can’t find the right words, which can make your content incompetent, use rewording tools.
AI rewording tools can come up with synonyms, organize your phrases, and enhance your sentence structure. Moreover, an AI wording tool ensures the content is unique, original, and plagiarism-free.
Make sure meaning is preserved
Although paraphrasing requires rewording and changing the words, ensure that the same meaning must be maintained along with the ideas. In addition to that, keep your word choices lucid and simple to convey the relevant information from the source without sticking too close to the original source.
One way to keep your writing consistent when paraphrasing is by using paraphrasing tools. The AI tool can alter the sentence structure while maintaining the original meaning.
Double-check for grammar and punctuation
When paraphrasing, double-check and compare the paraphrased copy with the original passage. Make adjustments to ensure it’s completely rewritten. Also, make sure that the grammar and punctuation are correct.
Double-checking your work for grammar and punctuation by reviewing it more than once improves its quality. Paragraph rewriters use AI for paraphrasing, which can tweak the tonality and narrative, ensure a grammar check, and make the content concise and conceivable.
Use an online paraphrasing tool like Writesonic
As stated previously in the article, using a paraphrasing tool is the fastest way to paraphrase your sources without plagiarizing them. One such creative AI writing tool that assists you with paraphrasing is Writesonic.
Writesonic is trained on billions of parameters. It refines the grammar, spelling, and style to generate original, paraphrased content. In addition to that, Writesonic generates unique and plagiarism-free content that resonates with the target audience with just one click.
With AI chatbots like ChatGPT by Open AI and ChatSonic by Writesonic taking away all the limelight, they can also be used effectively for paraphrasing text.
Different strategies for paraphrasing
Even though there are AI paraphrasing tools to make the work easier, the following are different strategies you can use to paraphrase your sentence.
Understanding the main ideas
One of the strategies for successful paraphrasing is understanding the source’s main idea and writing style. When you understand the idea behind the sentence, it becomes easier to explain in your own words.
After taking note of the important nouns and verbs, see which synonyms might be appropriate to replace. You can use a synonym that expresses the same meaning for the key concepts or points in the original sentence.
Making connections
When you use synonyms, it is given that the structure may also need a little changing. So, instead of just swapping a single word, make appropriate changes around the words to make sense of the sentence. Here, your paraphrasing skills come into play.
Here is an example of paraphrasing: “According to scientists, there is another method to achieve a pollution-free environment.”
The paraphrased content would say something like – “Scientists found an alternate way to attain a pollution-free environment.”
In the above sentence, the adjective ‘according to’ is swapped with the verb ‘found’ along with other necessary changes. These changes are made to maintain a harmonious connection between the words and to make the sentence sensible while retaining its meaning and avoiding plagiarism.
Focusing on syntax
The syntax is the arrangement of words in a specific order written in well-formed phrases or sentences. While paraphrasing is about restating or rewording, ensure to focus on the well-structured and grammatically correct sentences by making appropriate connections or paraphrases.
Benefits of paraphrasing
Paraphrasing has some benefits that you can reap in aspects of your writing skills and learning abilities.
Improves writing skills
Paraphrasing requires you to change the passages in your own words, which may help refurbish your writing skills. Rewriting or paraphrasing is essential in writing essays or research papers.
Paraphrasing allows you to express ideas or information with a fresh set of words to make the same thing sound more interesting or even simpler. You can see paraphrasing as an opportunity to enhance your writing skills without plagiarizing someone else’s work. This includes rewriting and expressing the ideas in your own voice.
Increases comprehension
Comprehension is understanding the written material and explaining what is read. At the same time, paraphrasing demonstrates your understanding of the complex details from the source and your ability to explain the connections between main points. Therefore, it’s obvious that you can comprehend a text better when you paraphrase it.
Moreover, it was found that paraphrasing for comprehension is an excellent tool for reinforcing reading skills. It can assist by identifying the main ideas, finding supporting details, and identifying the original author’s voice.
So when you rewrite the sentence in your own words, you can double-check your comprehension. This helps improve your awareness and allows you to gain a better understanding of the content, and allows you to write better.
Enhances understanding
To paraphrase words or phrases, you must extract their meaning by reading the material again and again and fully understanding the context. This allows the reader to understand the original statement more clearly by adding more clarity to it. So, when you paraphrase the original phrase, you articulate your thoughts and ideas more clearly and come up with new insights and perspectives on the topic.
Saves time & energy
Creating content from scratch is difficult and requires much time and energy. It requires you to do proper research, which is both time and energy-consuming.
An easy solution to the painstaking process is paraphrasing your sentence with appropriate citations. This will allow you to create the content without spending much time on research and ideation, saving much of your time and energy.
Helps avoid plagiarism
Among all the benefits, the most favorable benefit of paraphrasing is that it helps you avoid the accusation of plagiarism. You are simply committing plagiarism (an offense as stated by the federal government) when you use the same idea and speech from the original text, word by word.
However, by rewording the original source, you can present the ideas in your own words and easily avoid plagiarism. What’s more, paraphrasing can save you in both accidental and deliberate cases of plagiarism.
Paraphrasing examples
Now that we have known all about paraphrasing, its reasons for use, and its benefits, let’s look at some examples of paraphrasing and how exactly you can paraphrase.
Apples are domesticated trees and fruit of the rose family which is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. They are predominantly grown for sale as fresh fruit, although apples are also used commercially for vinegar, juice, jelly, applesauce, and apple butter and are canned as pie stock. Fresh apples are either eaten raw or cooked. Cooked apples are used in a variety of ways. They are frequently used as a pastry filling, apple pie being the archetypal American dessert.
Apples are domesticated trees and fruit of the rose family, and they are one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. Apples are primarily grown for fresh fruit sales, though they are also used commercially in the production of vinegar, juice, jelly, applesauce, and butter, as well as canned pie filling. They are consumed either raw or cooked. However, a variety of recipes call for cooked apples. Apple pie is the most iconic American dessert, where apples are frequently used as a filling for pastries.
The word paper originated from the reedy plant papyrus. Papyrus plants grow abundantly along the Nile River in Egypt. Prior to the invention of the paper machine, papermaking can be traced to about 105AD, when Ts’ai Lun— an official in the Imperial court of China, created a sheet of paper by using mulberry, old rags, and other bast fibers along with fishnets, and hemp waste. By the 14th century, a number of paper mills existed in Europe. And later in 1798 Nicolas-Louis Robert in France constructed a moving screen belt that would receive a continuous flow of stock and deliver an unbroken sheet of wet paper. In 1800 a book was published comprising practical methods for manufacturing paper from wood pulp and other vegetable pulps.
The term “paper” comes from the name of the reedy plant papyrus which thrives along Egypt’s Nile River. Prior to the invention of the paper machine, papermaking can be traced back to 105AD, when Ts’ai Lun, an official in the Imperial court of China, created a sheet of paper from mulberry and other bast fibers, as well as fishnets, old rags, and hemp waste. By the 14th century, Europe had several paper mills. Later, in 1798, Nicolas-Louis Robert in France built a moving screen belt that would take in a constant flow of stock and deliver an intact sheet of wet paper. In 1800, a book was published that detailed practical methods for making paper from wood pulp and other vegetable pulps.
Final Words
Once you grasp the concept of paraphrasing, it can be a powerful tool for writers. It provides several benefits in aspects of writing and learning skills. The correct way and right use of paraphrasing can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism.
However, note that successful and correct paraphrasing requires the use of multiple techniques each time. So, it is not sufficient to simply replace the keywords or the main concepts with synonyms.
One of the easiest ways to reword the original source is by using an AI writing tool. Writesonic is a well-known AI paraphrasing tool that can refine grammar, spelling, and style to generate original plagiarism-free AI content.
“Just do it” – What does this tagline remind you of? Mostly, immediately, Nike. These three words propelled Nike to the path where you see it today.
Likewise, you might have also seen opinion pieces such as The New York Times Op-Eds or other journalistic content pieces that shake up the world and challenge the norm.
Both types of content are essential for brands and the world in general. The first is a classic example of copywriting, and the second is content writing.
However, is one better than the other, or do they hold the same value? Can the person who wrote the popular tagline write a well-researched content research piece as well? Or is there any difference at all in how these content items are written?
Copywriting vs. content writing, what is the difference? This is a popular question, and it is still confusing. In this blog, let’s explore the details and what makes copywriting different from content writing.
What is Copywriting?
At its core, copywriting can be described as the art of persuasion on paper (or screen). It’s a specialized form of writing that focuses on compelling the reader to take a specific action, such as making a purchase, subscribing to a newsletter, or engaging with a brand.
Here is an example of copywriting from the famous brand Dollar Shave Club.
Copywriting example from Dollar Shave Club
The banner ad’s impactful tagline, “SHAVE TIME. SAVE MONEY.” creatively replaces “Save” with “Shave” to grab attention and deliver the message effectively. The brand’s bold approach to copywriting showcases its expertise in establishing a powerful brand voice.
Goals of copywriting:
Copywriting usually serves three purposes – persuade, sell, and convert.
Copywriting aims to persuade readers to take action, sell a product or service, or convert a curious browser to a buyer or an observer to a subscriber.
Key characteristics of copywriting:
Copywriting distinguishes itself from content writing with the following elements:
Emotional Triggers: Uses emotional hooks such as fear of missing out (FOMO), security, and instant gratification to persuade readers.
Compelling CTAs: Features clear and compelling calls to action (CTAs) that guide readers on the next steps.
Brevity and Impact: Focused on short, impactful messages that grab attention and prompt immediate action.
Persuasive Language: Employs persuasive language and techniques to influence reader decisions.
Examples and applications of copywriting:
Advertising: PPC ads, social media ads, and product pages.
Marketing Materials: Sales emails, video scripts, and promotional content.
Website Elements: Landing pages, CTAs, and pop-up messages.
Understanding the nuances of copywriting is crucial for anyone looking to influence consumer behavior or drive sales through written content.
It’s a blend of psychology, marketing, and creative writing designed to engage readers emotionally and motivate them to act. Integrating effective copywriting techniques can significantly enhance your conversion rates and overall marketing success, whether creating an ad campaign, updating your website, or sending out a newsletter.
What is Content Writing?
While copywriting is all about the immediate call to action, content writing takes a longer yet equally crucial approach.
Content writing is the art of educating, entertaining, and engaging your audience, establishing a bedrock of trust and credibility that sets the stage for future sales.
Content writing usually aims to inform, educate, and captivate readers, offering valuable information, insights, and entertainment. Its focus lies in providing in-depth knowledge, building brand authority, and connecting with the audience rather than directly promoting or selling a product or service.
For example, the Writesonic Blog is an example of content writing. Here, there are several helpful blog posts for the readers to understand the product and several aspects of marketing including content writing, SEO and AI chatbots.
Content writing example from Writesonic blog
Key characteristics of content writing:
Informative and Educational: Focuses on providing in-depth information, insights, and analysis to educate and enlighten the audience.
Storytelling and Narrative: Utilizes storytelling techniques to captivate and engage readers, fostering a deeper connection and understanding of the subject matter.
Long-Form and Comprehensive: Emphasizes detailed and comprehensive content that thoroughly explores topics, trends, and industry insights.
Authentic and Relatable Tone: Aims to establish authenticity and relatability through its tone and style, building trust and credibility with the audience.
Examples and applications of content writing:
Blog Posts and Articles: In-depth articles, thought leadership pieces, and industry analysis that provide valuable insights and information.
Educational Content: How-to guides, tutorials, and informative resources that aim to educate and empower the audience.
Thought Leadership Pieces: Opinion pieces, expert interviews, and commentary that contribute to industry discourse and knowledge sharing.
Brand Storytelling: This involves compelling narratives, brand stories, and case studies that showcase the brand’s values and impact.
Understanding the nuances of content writing is essential for creating valuable, informative, and engaging content that resonates with the audience and contributes to brand authority and thought leadership.
What are the key differences between copywriting and content writing?
Copywriting and content writing are important elements of digital marketing. However, it is essential to understand the difference between copywriting and content writing to know how to use them well.
Here are some differences:
Copy sells, content informs
A copy is written to sell a product or service, but content writing aims to educate, inform, or entertain the audience.
Copy creates urgency, content inspires emotions
The main objective of copy is to make readers take the desired action, whereas the objective of content is to build an engaged audience.
Copy is generally short form, content is long-form
Copywriters write copy for ads, billboards, product catalogs, social media, emails, and more, whereas content writers write content for blog posts, articles, press releases, magazines, and more.
Copywriting is concise, content is comprehensive
Copywriting employs short-form copy for quick attention-grabbing, while content writing produces long-form pieces with an engaging storytelling style.
Copywriting prioritizes conversion, content prioritizes SEO
Copywriting emphasizes conversion over SEO, while content writing strategically incorporates SEO to improve search rankings and drive organic traffic.
Copywriting offers higher earning potential in dynamic agency settings, while content writing demands specialized knowledge for establishing thought leadership.
Copywriting converts, content sustains
Copywriting helps you convert scrollers by hooking them with a few words. However, to retain the reader, you need content to sustain their interest.
Knowing when to use copywriting versus content writing is crucial for achieving your marketing goals. By leveraging the strengths of each approach, you can drive sales with a compelling copy or build a loyal audience with informative content.
What is common between copywriting and content writing?
It doesn’t always have to be copywriting vs. content writing; both overlap and complement each other. Here’s how:
Ultimate objective: Both aim to convert customers or generate sales, albeit through different pathways. Copywriting directly prompts action, while content writing nurtures the relationship, leading to conversions.
Engagement and value: Both writing styles emphasize the need to engage the audience and provide value. Engaging the reader is paramount, whether through persuasive sales copy or informative content.
Comprehensive marketing approach: Using copywriting and content writing in a marketing strategy allows for a more comprehensive approach. This dual strategy engages customers at different journey stages, from awareness and consideration to decision-making.
Although there is a difference between copywriting and content writing, this combined approach helps you reach more people and build stronger connections with your audience, leading to longer-lasting engagement and more conversions.
When to Use Copywriting and When to Use Content Writing?
Should you write a blog to help bring in more conversion or should you run an ad campaign? How do you decide?
Whether to use copywriting or content writing in your marketing strategy hinges on your business goals. Here’s a breakdown to help you make the right choice:
Let’s assume your goal is to increase sales or leads:
Your best choice here is copywriting.
Why?
Copywriting is crafted to drive immediate action. It’s the go-to option when your primary objective is to boost sales, generate leads, or prompt any direct response from your audience. This approach uses compelling call to action (CTA) and compelling calls to action (CTAs) to convert readers into customers or subscribers swiftly.
Now let’s assume your goal is to build relationships and establish thought leadership:
Now your best choice would be content writing
Why?
Aim to cultivate a long-term relationship with your audience and position your brand as a credible authority. Content writing should be your strategy of choice. You can attract and retain an audience through informative, engaging, and SEO-optimized long-form content, fostering trust and credibility over time.
Other goals and their content format:
Copywriting
Content Writing
Goals
Aims for immediate action
Builds trust and credibility
Focuses on conversions and sales
Engages the audience with valuable information
Utilizes short-form, persuasive content
Employs long-form, SEO-friendly content
How to create effective content for copywriting and content writing?
Whether it is copywriting or content writing, quality is always a top priority. To help you in this process, we have some tools that collaborate with you.
Chatsonic is our generative AI tool that can help you create any form of content.
Create taglines
Chatsonic example for taglines
Here are the results.
Chatsonic example for taglines
Isn’t that simple? Now you have a starting point for your content and can tweak it from here with your expertise.
What about content writing? We have several tools to help you do that too.
Create blog post
Article Writer 6 is our AI blog writer than can help your content experts create blog posts along with AI as a collaborator. They can use it to create helpful articles and edit it as needed.
Here is the first step of creating the article. You have to follow all the steps provided on the left hand side.
Article Writer 6
Once you complete all the steps, read here for a detailed explanation of the steps. You will see a well-written, professional blog written based on your input. You can then click on “Start Editing” and further make changes. optimize for SEO, use Chatsonic to add more content, and so on. It is like your very own article writing assistant from the first step to the last.
Here are some amazing examples of copywriting and content writing done well.
First up, we have this billboard from Spotify.
Here is a tagline by Barkbox, a pet product subscription brand.
Trello’s landing page copy that conveys everything important
Now for some content writing examples.
Here is Lenny’s Newsletter. This product newsletter is packed with information and is a buzzing success.
ChatGPT Alternatives blog by Writesonic that generates thousands in traffic every month and helps readers explore alternatives beyond ChatGPT.
Blog example from Writesonic’s ChatGPT Alternatives
Ebook by Hubspot about Instagram for Business which is detailed and extremely helpful for social media marketers and small businesses.
How do the metrics differ in measuring success in copywriting and content writing?
Copywriting and content writing are used for different content purposes, and the metrics used to measure the effectiveness of the content pieces are also different.
Metrics to measure success in copywriting:
Click-Through Rate (CTR): It measures the percentage of people who click on a link after viewing a piece of copy. A higher CTR indicates that the copy effectively motivated the audience to take action.
Conversion Rate: It tracks the percentage of people who completed a specific action after interacting with the copy, such as purchasing or signing up for a newsletter. A higher conversion rate signifies that the copy persuades the audience to take the desired action.
Engagement Metrics (Likes, Shares, Comments): It indicate audience interaction and interest in the copy. Higher engagement metrics reflect the effectiveness of the copy in capturing and retaining the audience’s attention.
Bounce Rate: It measures the percentage of visitors who navigate away from the site after viewing only one page. A lower bounce rate suggests the copy effectively engages visitors and encourages them to explore further.
Metrics to measure success in content writing:
Page Views and Unique Visitors: These metrics track the number of times a page has been viewed and the number of distinct individuals who visited the page. Higher page views and unique visitors indicate the effectiveness of the content in attracting an audience.
Average Time on Page: This measures visitors’ average time on a page. A higher average time on the page suggests that the content is engaging and valuable to the audience.
Social Shares and Backlinks: They reflect how the content is shared on social media and linked to other websites. Higher social shares and backlinks indicate that the content resonates with the audience and provides value.
SEO Performance (Keyword Rankings, Organic Traffic): This tracks the rankings of targeted keywords and the amount of organic traffic the content generates. Improved SEO performance signifies that the content is effectively optimized for search engines and attracting relevant traffic.
Integration of Copywriting and Content Writing in a Marketing Strategy
Email Marketing Campaigns:
In email marketing, compelling copywriting is strategically woven into subject lines, body content, and calls to action to entice recipients to open emails and take desired actions. Content writing, in the form of long-form content like newsletters and informative articles, enriches the email body with valuable insights, positioning the company as an industry authority.
Email newsletter from Writesonic
Social Media Marketing:
For social media, concise copywriting is utilized in posts to engage the audience and drive click-throughs. Content writing shines through visually appealing content such as infographics, videos, and blog posts shared to inform, entertain, and educate the audience.
Social media carousel post from Writesonic
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising:
In SEM and PPC campaigns, persuasive ad copy entices users to click and visit landing pages. Content writing on landing pages provides detailed product/service information, addressing customer needs and guiding them toward conversions.
Which leads to a landing page using content writing dedicated to this solution.
Website Content:
Compelling copywriting in headlines, taglines, and product descriptions captures visitors’ attention and drives actions. Informative content writing in blog articles, guides, and FAQs offers valuable information, answers queries, and boosts search engine visibility.
Website content example from Writesonic
By seamlessly integrating copywriting and content writing across marketing channels, businesses can craft a cohesive narrative that resonates with their audience, fosters engagement, and drives conversions and brand loyalty.
How to allocate resources between copywriting and content writing efforts (especially with limited resources available)?
When it comes to deciding how to allocate resources between copywriting and content writing efforts, especially when resources are limited, businesses can consider the following strategies:
Understanding Marketing Goals
It’s important to start by understanding the specific marketing goals and objectives. For instance, if the primary goal is to increase brand awareness and engagement, then it may be more beneficial to focus on content writing to create informative and shareable content. On the other hand, if the goal is to drive immediate conversions, then giving priority to copywriting for persuasive ad copy and landing pages might be more effective.
Analyzing the Audience
Understanding the target audience and their preferences is crucial. If the audience prefers in-depth, long-form content, it might make sense to allocate more resources to content writing. Conversely, if they respond well to succinct, compelling messaging, then prioritizing copywriting efforts could be more effective.
Strategic Content Planning
Developing a content calendar and planning content creation efforts strategically is key. This approach allows for a balanced allocation of resources over time, ensuring that both copywriting and content-writing needs are addressed as part of a cohesive strategy.
Flexibility in Resource Allocation
Considering resource flexibility is essential. For instance, during peak sales seasons, it may be wise to allocate more resources to copywriting for promotional materials and product descriptions. At other times, the focus may shift to content writing for evergreen content and thought leadership pieces.
Outsourcing and Collaboration
When internal resources are limited, businesses can consider outsourcing certain aspects of copywriting or content writing to freelancers or agencies. This can help maintain a balance without overburdening the existing team.
Performance Monitoring and Iteration
Continuously monitoring the performance of both copywriting and content writing efforts is crucial. Based on the performance data, adjusting the allocation of resources to focus on the areas that are delivering the best results can be beneficial.
Cross-Training and Skill Development
Encouraging cross-training and skill development within the team allows team members to contribute to both copywriting and content writing efforts, maximizing the available resources.
Budget Allocation
It is important to allocate the budget based on the specific needs and goals. For example, if paid advertising is needed, a portion of the budget may be allocated to copywriting for ad creatives and landing pages.
By considering these strategies, businesses with limited resources can make informed decisions about allocating their time, budget, and personnel between copywriting and content writing efforts to maximize their impact and achieve their marketing goals.
What pays more: copywriting or content writing?
When comparing the earning potential of copywriting and content writing, it’s essential to understand that they serve different purposes in the marketing and communication world. Although both involve writing, their focus, style, and impact on a brand’s objectives differ.
Let’s discuss the money side of things. The average salary for a copywriter in the US is $73,000, and a content writer’s is $70,000.
Copywriting, which involves creating persuasive and action-oriented content, generally pays more than content writing. For instance, an American Writers and Artists Inc. (AWAI) survey revealed that experienced direct-response copywriters reported significantly higher incomes than generalist writers or content creators.
Now, why the pay gap?
Copywriting is directly tied to driving conversions and sales, making the impact of compelling copy on a company’s revenue more tangible and, thus, more valued.
Also, copywriters often deal with short-form content like ad copy and taglines, where the success of the content is quickly seen, demonstrating the direct value of copywriting.
But hold on, content writing can also be a lucrative gig!
In fact, it can pay even better than many copywriting jobs. How is that possible?
Content writing often requires knowledge of specialized technology, finance, healthcare, and law. Because of the complexity and specificity of their content, writers with expertise in these fields can command higher compensation.
Moreover, content writing can involve creating in-depth articles, whitepapers, and guides. Well-researched long-form and evergreen content that provides substantial value to readers is highly sought after and can command higher rates.
And let’s not forget about the importance of SEO-optimized content. Content writers with strong SEO skills who can create content that ranks well in search engines are in high demand and often receive higher compensation.
So, as you can see, both copywriting and content writing have their strengths and opportunities, and it’s all about finding the right fit for your skills and expertise!
Copywriting and content writing – The ultimate duo for achieving marketing success
In wrapping up, it’s clear that both copywriting and content writing play vital roles in a comprehensive content marketing strategy. A skilled copywriter brings persuasive finesse, while a proficient content writer delivers well-researched, engaging content that drives conversions and captivates audiences.
Let’s face it, creating any type of content can sometimes feel overwhelming. This is where AI can step in as a valuable ally in the content creation process. Tools like Writesonic and Chatsonic can support skilled content writers and copywriters by helping generate ideas, refine language, and elevate overall content quality. Businesses can blend human creativity with AI’s analytical capabilities to supercharge their content marketing endeavors by teaming up with AI as a content partner.
Ready to experience the power of AI in content creation?
How do content writing and copywriting compare in terms of their purpose?
Content writing and copywriting serve different functions. Copywriting is crafted with the intent to persuade an audience, aid conversion, or promote sales, whereas content writing aims to educate readers or foster relationships. Both are valuable tools in marketing and should be employed thoughtfully and with a strategic approach.
What are some typical errors that copywriters should avoid?
Copywriters should be cautious of several pitfalls, including a failure to understand their target audience, creating weak headlines and subheadings, neglecting the use of storytelling, presenting dense blocks of text, omitting a clear call-to-action (CTA), ignoring the inclusion of customer testimonials and social proof, and not highlighting a unique selling proposition (USP).
In terms of earnings, do copywriters have an advantage over content writers?
Generally, copywriters tend to earn more than content writers. This is attributed to copywriters’ direct impact on driving sales and generating revenue within a business, which is often reflected in their compensation.
Is the field of copywriting becoming too crowded?
Copywriting has surged in popularity over recent years, largely due to the rise of social media. While many try their hand at this profession, only a select few sustain success over the long term. From my experience as a copywriter who has collaborated with various clients, the market can be described as oversaturated sometimes but there is always room for work once you figure out your niche.
How do copywriting and content writing contribute to a brand’s overall marketing strategy?
Copywriting creates convincing content for advertisements, websites, and promotional materials, driving sales and brand awareness. Content writing provides valuable, informative content like blog posts and articles, enhancing credibility and SEO.
What skills are required for copywriting versus content writing?
Copywriting requires creativity, effective writing, consumer psychology understanding, and impactful messaging. Content writing demands research, engaging writing, SEO knowledge, adaptability, and content marketing understanding.
How can businesses leverage AI to enhance both copywriting and content writing strategies?
Businesses can use AI for content generation, personalization, SEO optimization, content curation, and language processing to streamline content creation, improve quality, and connect with their audience.
Want to know why sites like WebMD dominate health-related searches while other medical websites struggle to rank? Or why does Investopedia appear for almost every finance-related query?
Well, search engines prioritize sites that showcase expertise in specific topics. The pages that rank well and those that don’t usually differ because of one significant factor: topical authority.
Today, it’s not just important to create content and build backlinks. Search engines have evolved to recognize true subject matter expertise, and they’re increasingly favoring websites that demonstrate deep knowledge in specific topics.
This comprehensive guide will guide you through everything you need to know about topical authority – from understanding its fundamental concepts to implementing proven strategies to rank higher and attract more organic traffic. Let’s get started!
What is Topical Authority
Topical authority refers to a website’s perceived expertise and credibility in a specific subject area.
Topical authority is the most important part of SEO, where your website aims to establish authority in one or more topics, which gives search engines an idea that the website has the potential to rank for related keywords.
Your site gains topical authority through high-quality, connected content that shows deep expertise. The essential elements of topical authority are:
Complete topic coverage with detailed content
Semantic relationships between related subtopics
Strong internal linking structure
Reliable content quality and expertise
Fresh content updates and maintenance
Here’s a simple analogy: If you needed heart surgery, would you go to a general physician or a cardiac specialist? The specialist, right?
That’s exactly how search engines think when ranking content. They want to show users content from true subject matter experts.
Topical Authority Example
Let’s break this down with a practical example from the AI writing tools industry.
Let’s say you’re building a website about AI content creation. To establish topical authority, you’d need comprehensive coverage of topics like:
“what is AI writing”
“how do AI writers work”
“best prompts for AI writing”
“AI content detection”
“how to write with AI”
“AI writing vs human writing”
“AI writing tools pricing comparison”
“AI content optimization tips”
“how to avoid AI detection”
“AI writing for different industries”
When you cover all these related subtopics thoroughly, search engines starts to recognize your site as an authoritative source for AI writing-related information.
This isn’t just about creating random content – it’s about building a complete knowledge hub that answers every possible user question about the topic.
Here’s an example, let’s say you search for ‘ai content detectors.’
You might see that Copyleaks with 74 DR is ranking on 2nd position, whereas Grammarly with 90 DR is ranking on 9th position. That’s why topical authority is important.
Domain Ranking
Topical Authority vs. Domain Authority: What’s the Difference?
While these terms might sound similar, they serve different purposes in SEO:
Domain Authority (DA) measures your website’s overall strength and credibility. It’s influenced by factors like:
Age of your domain
Number of quality backlinks
Overall site metrics
Topical authority assesses content depth and subject expertise. You might have:
Lower DA but high topical authority in a niche
High DA but weak topical authority in specific topics
In short, your website’s domain authority works like its general reputation, while topical authority reflects its specialized knowledge.
Think of it this way: A new medical blog might have low domain authority but could build strong topical authority in “diabetes management” through comprehensive, expert content. Meanwhile, a high-DA news website might lack topical authority in medical topics despite its overall strong domain metrics.
Why is Topical Authority Important for SEO?
Topical authority plays a significant role in modern SEO. A sustainable, long-term content strategy that delivers consistent results makes topical authority significant. Here’s why it is important:
Enhanced Search Visibility: Search engines are getting smarter at understanding context and relationships between topics. When you demonstrate strong topical authority, your content is more likely to rank for not just your target keywords but also related terms and variations.
Better User Experience: By covering topics comprehensively, you create a one-stop resource for users. This reduces bounce rates and increases time on site – both positive signals to search engines.
Competitive Edge: While many websites focus on individual keywords, building topical authority helps you dominate entire subject areas. This creates a moat around your content that’s harder for competitors to replicate.
Rank Higher: As search algorithms become more sophisticated, they’re better at recognizing genuine expertise. Sites with strong topical authority are better positioned to maintain rankings through algorithm updates.
Higher Conversion Rates: When visitors see you as an authority in your field, they’re more likely to trust your recommendations and convert on your offers.
How does Topical Authority Work?
Search engines have developed new ways to understand and review topical authority. Google now processes about 99,000 search queries every second, showing remarkable information processing changes.
How search engines assess topic expertise
Search engines no longer rely on simple keyword matching. They understand context and expertise better. Modern algorithms review content by looking at:
Content depth and breadth
Semantic relationships between topics
User interaction signals
Content freshness and updates
Expert authorship signals
Key algorithm updates affecting topical authority
The experience of sophisticated topical authority assessment started with Google’s Hummingbird update in 2013. This update changed how search engines understand the content context. Google modified its E-E-A-T guidelines to include “Experience” in 2022. The helpful content system became part of the core algorithm in March 2024.
E-E-A-T and topical authority connection
Topical authority links directly to Google’s E-E-A-T principles. Google has adopted an all-encompassing approach to reviewing website value through recent updates, especially the March 2024 Core Update. This update aims to reduce low-quality, unoriginal content in search results by 45%. This shows how significant authentic expertise has become in building topical authority.
Google’s recent algorithm changes have strengthened the connection between E-E-A-T and topical authority. The system now rewards content that shows genuine expertise and penalizes artificial or superficial topic coverage.
How to Build Topical Authority: A Step-by-Step Guide
Now, let’s come to the most important part: how to build topical authority. Here’s a step-by-step guide that will help you:
Step 1: Pick your niche
Selecting the right niche to showcase your expertise is the first significant step in building topical authority.
Your perfect niche should meet these criteria:
Enough breadth to create substantial content
Specific focus to show clear expertise
A match with your knowledge and experience
Rich with potential subtopics
The right fit for your target audience
Many websites rush into overly narrow niches. To name just one example, rather than limiting yourself to “eco-friendly startups,” start with “startup investing” and develop the eco-friendly angle as a subtopic.
Success in niche selection depends on balancing breadth and depth perfectly. You need enough specificity to showcase genuine expertise while keeping the scope wide enough for detailed content coverage.
A food industry business might focus on “organic and plant-based cooking.” This creates space to become an authority while keeping a clear topical focus.
Note that picking a niche is just the beginning. The real goal is to become the go-to source in your field. This requires consistent creation of high-quality, in-depth content that shows your expertise and builds trust with audiences and search engines alike.
Here’s a quick rundown of my approach and how I choose and define niche:
a) Audit Your Current Position
What topics do you already rank for?
Where do you have existing expertise?
What unique insights can you offer?
b) Analyze Market Opportunities
Is there enough search volume?
What’s the competition level?
Are there content gaps you can fill?
c) Assess Scalability
How many subtopics can you cover?
Is there room for future growth?
Can you maintain consistent quality?
Pro Tip: Choose a niche that’s specific enough to dominate but broad enough to scale. For instance, instead of targeting “AI tools” (too broad) or “AI email subject line generators” (too narrow), focus on something like “AI writing tools.”
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don’t pick a niche just because it’s trending. I’ve seen countless websites jump on the “crypto content” bandwagon without any real expertise. That’s like getting ready for a disaster.
Step 2: Do topic-based keyword research
After choosing the niche, the next step is doing detailed keyword research. Traditional keyword research often falls short of establishing genuine topic expertise.
There are multiple powerful tools that can help build topical authority through strategic keyword research. These effective options include
Writesonic Keyword Research – A comprehensive keyword research tool that gives you data regarding keyword difficulty, volume, and traffic.
Google Keyword Planner – Perfect for simple research and completely free.
Moz Keyword Explorer – Offers 10 queries per tool per month with 1,000 keyword suggestions.
SE Ranking – Great for tracking keyword performance over time.
Topic-based keyword research should focus on finding relevant queries that people actually search for. This strategy helps us build complete coverage instead of targeting individual keywords.
Screaming Frog and similar specialized tools are a great way to get technical SEO insights. These tools ensure your content’s proper structure and indexing, which builds topical authority effectively.
The goal extends beyond finding keywords – it uncovers topics that establish your expertise in your chosen niche. Strategic use of these tools helps map out a complete content plan covering all aspects of your topic.
Here’s my proven process for doing topic-based keyword research:
a) Start with Seed Topics: Create a list of main topics within your niche. For an AI writing tool website, these might include topics like “AI Content Creation,” “AI Writing Assistants,” “AI Content Generation,” and more.
b) Expand Using Topic Clusters: For each seed topic, identify related subtopics. For “AI Content Creation”: Types of AI content, AI content workflows, AI content optimization, and so on.
c) Pay Attention to Search Intent: Break down the keywords by user goals, such as informational (how AI writing tools work), navigational (best AI writing tools), and so on.
d) Use Advanced Research Tools: I generally prefer to Answer the People to discover the most searched topics, Content Generator for topic ideas, and Writesonic Keyword Research tool for keyword analysis.
Pro Tip: High-volume keywords aren’t everything. A mix of related topics builds stronger topical authority. If you write about “content marketing,” explore related topics like content strategy, content planning, and content distribution.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don’t fall into the keyword-stuffing trap. I once saw a website cram every AI-related keyword into its content. Guess what? They tanked in rankings. Quality over quantity, always!
Step 3: Select a wide breadth of topics to cover
Building topical authority requires more than just focusing on individual keywords. SEOs know this well – and this is why a majority of them make topical authority a vital part of their content strategy.
A broader approach to topic coverage works better. Take social media marketing as an example. Rather than just writing about posting tips, you should include:
Brand development strategies
Community management techniques
Influencer collaboration approaches
Social listening methodologies
Analytics and measurement
Platform-specific strategies
Your content should cover not just the main topic but all semantically related subjects that interest your audience. This way, the search engines can find and understand the content easily, which helps establish their site’s authority.
Here’s my approach:
Map the core topic: Find out the primary keyword and the subtopics. For example, the primary keyword is “AI writing.”
Use AI to scale the research process: Next, I use Chatsonic to find subtopics related to “AI writing.” This includes beginner-level topics, technical topics, and more.
Create content buckets: Organize the topics in content buckets like educational topics, problem-solving content, and more.
Prioritize the topics: Next, see which topics are more important based on search volume, competition, business relevance, and user intent.
Pro Tip: Your topic selection should focus on broad subjects rather than keywords tied to one specific area. This lines up with Google’s semantic search capabilities that aim to understand user intent instead of matching keywords.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don’t create shallow content just to cover more topics. I’ve seen websites publish 100+ thin articles that got zero traction. Better to have 20 comprehensive pieces than 100 superficial ones.
Bonus Tip: Use Writesonic’s AI Topic Cluster to identify the top-ranking keyword clusters for pillar and supporting content pages.
Step 4: Use relevant subtopics to build content depth
The next step is to explore each subtopic further to create meaningful content depth. The majority of the websites focus on content length, yet the complete coverage of chosen topics makes the real difference.
Creating successful content depth needs more than meeting a specific word count. A complete resource should address everything about a topic. These components help to build proper content depth:
Semantic Relationships: Identify and cover related concepts that help search engines understand topic connections
User Intent Coverage: Address various search intents within each subtopic
Expert Insights: Include authoritative views and ground applications
Supporting Evidence: Back claims with data and research
Keywords alone don’t cut it anymore when developing content depth. The broader context of interconnected topics matters more.
Here’s my approach:
Create depth with the pyramid method: The content structure I mainly prefer – Overview, Details, Expert Insights.
Come up with subtopics: Ensure your content maintains quality while covering all crucial elements of the topic.
Add layers of value: For each subtopic, add practical elements, technical details, and expert insights to make it high-quality and relevant.
Implement E-E-A-T framework: Create in-depth and high-quality content by focusing on experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.
Add relevant visuals: Don’t just tell – show! Add infographics, screen recordings, video clips, and more to make the content more engaging.
Balancing breadth and depth has become a vital part of strategy. While the previous step covers many topics, this covers each one deeply. This means you explain not just the what but also the why, how, and when of each subtopic.
Pro tip: We found that tools like Writesonic’s Topic Clustering tool help identify semantically linked topics we might miss otherwise. This approach lets us create more complete content that builds topical authority naturally.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don’t confuse length with depth. I’ve seen 5000-word articles that say nothing valuable. Focus on meaningful insights rather than word count.
Search engines have evolved a lot over the last several years. Creating valuable content isn’t just about what you write – it’s about understanding and meeting user intent.
Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines now emphasize E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) content. Content creation requires focus on these fundamentals:
Authenticity: Share real experiences and insights
Practical Value: Provide practical information
User Experience: Ensure content is easily digestible
Technical Accuracy: Back claims with reliable data
Search Intent Match: Line up content with user needs
Different search queries need different types of content. These are the main types of search intent to think about:
Informational – Users seeking knowledge or answers
Commercial – Users comparing options
Transactional – Users ready to take action
Navigational – Users looking for specific websites
Matching search intent affects rankings directly. Websites that develop strong topical authority see notable improvements in search engine rankings and organic traffic.
Here’s my approach:
Understand the search intent.
Create content aligning with the search intent.
Try to cover as many subtopics as possible.
Share personal experience, expertise, and insights.
Ensure the content is factually correct, up-to-date, and provides value.
Make it easy to read, scan, and digest.
Add relevant visuals and internal links.
Pro Tip: Use Writesonic’s AI Article Writer to nail the right tone and style for different intent types. I’ve seen engagement rates jump 40% just by matching content style to user intent!
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don’t create content just to rank. I’ve seen websites stuff keywords into mediocre articles and wonder why they don’t convert. Quality always wins.
Step 6: Build relevant internal points
Internal linking forms the backbone of our topical authority strategy. Proper internal linking can substantially boost our site’s authority signals to search engines.
Effective internal linking goes beyond connecting pages. It creates a logical content structure that helps both users and search engines understand our expertise. Search engines use these internal links to find new pages and understand relationships between different content pieces.
These internal linking practices have proven most effective:
Use descriptive anchor text that provides context
Link strategically from high-authority pages
Place important links higher on the page
Maintain a clean linking structure
Regularly audit internal links
Avoid automated linking
The best approach is to link the pillar pages to all relevant supporting content while each supporting page links back to its pillar page. Search engines understand the hierarchical relationship between content pieces through this two-way linking.
Anchor text optimization needs special attention in our internal linking strategy. Using varied, descriptive anchor text enables search engines to better understand our linked pages’ content. But we avoid overusing exact-match anchor text since it appears unnatural.
Pro tip: Placing internal links near the top of the pages has substantially reduced bounce rates and improved dwell time.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Over-linking pages
Using generic anchor text
Creating forced connections
Neglecting regular updates
Ignoring user journey
Step 7: Build relevant internal points
Fresh, accurate content forms the life-blood of our topical authority strategy. Content updates go beyond fixing broken links or updating statistics – they showcase our expertise and help us stay relevant in our niche.
Regular content updates affect our topical authority a lot. Google tends to rank content higher when it sees the website as an expert resource. This became even more important after Google started emphasizing “expertise” and “reputable websites” in their Quality Rater Guidelines.
Here’s my content update checklist to build strong topical authority:
Review and verify all facts and statistics
Update outdated information and examples
Check and refresh internal links
Add new insights and industry developments
Make sure E-E-A-T principles stay intact
Verify all external links are still relevant
Pro Tip: Updating content isn’t about making it longer – it’s about making it better. Adding new information that others haven’t covered yet (what many call “information gain”) matters more now.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Only updating dates
Ignoring user feedback
Forgetting to republish
Not tracking changes
Neglecting old content
How to measure topical authority
Topic Share measurement helps us track our topical authority success. This proven metric shows the percentage of traffic a website receives from keywords within a specific topic. Traditional SEO metrics typically focus on individual keyword rankings.
The topical authority measurement relies on these key metrics:
Domain and Page Authority scores
Quality of relevant backlinks
Content depth assessment
Organic traffic patterns
User engagement metrics
Expert citations and mentions
Traditional Metrics
Topic Share Metrics
Individual keyword rankings
Overall topic coverage
Generic backlink count
Relevant industry links
Page-level metrics
Topic cluster performance
Generic traffic
Topic-specific traffic
This method helps us learn about our topical authority position and growth opportunities. Our data shows websites with strong topical authority maintain better rankings. They achieve this even with fewer backlinks than their competitors.
Common Topical Authority Mistakes to Avoid
There are some critical mistakes that can hurt your topical authority efforts. Let’s look at these pitfalls and how you can avoid them.
Many websites pump out massive amounts of content without thinking about quality or relevance. This strategy doesn’t work well. Now the websites with higher topical authority can outrank competitors who have higher domain authority and more backlinks.
These are the most common mistakes we see:
Focusing on quantity over quality content
Ignoring user search intent
Creating disconnected content pieces
Neglecting content updates
Missing internal linking opportunities
Duplicating content across topics
Common Approach
Better Strategy
Random content creation
Strategic topic clusters
Generic keyword targeting
Search intent focus
Isolated articles
Interconnected content
Set-and-forget content
Regular updates
Many websites try to rank for broad topics without building authority in smaller, related subtopics first. For example, I analyzed a site that wanted to compete for “digital marketing” before establishing expertise in areas like social media or content marketing.
Content Quality vs. Quantity
Our analysis shows that sites with genuine expertise through quality content perform better than those focused on content volume. This lines up with Google’s E-E-A-T principles, which we covered earlier in this piece.
Poor topic research is another big mistake. Sites rush into content creation without understanding their topic’s scope. The result is shallow coverage that fails to show real expertise to users and search engines.
Successful websites treat topical authority like building a skyscraper. They start with solid foundation content and add supporting content systematically. Everything connects through proper internal linking. This well-laid-out approach works better than random content creation.
Note that building topical authority isn’t about gaming the system. It’s about showing real expertise in your field. Sites that create authentic value and avoid these common mistakes get better search rankings and user engagement.
Build Topical Authority with Writesonic
Topical authority is a vital component of SEO success in today’s digital world. From picking the right niche to keeping your content fresh that shows real expertise – topical authority needs careful planning, solid research, and steady execution.
The right topic selection combined with effective keyword research and content clustering builds a strong foundation. This approach helps establish your website as an authority.
Content creation at scale challenges many websites. Tools like Writesonic help simplify this process while you retain control over quality that builds topical authority.
Real topical authority comes from showing genuine expertise through detailed, well-laid-out content that meets user needs. These strategies work best when you track progress with our suggested metrics and sidestep common mistakes that could slow you down.
Building topical authority takes time. A systematic approach will turn your website into a trusted resource in your chosen niche. Focus on creating valuable content around your core topics and watch your organic visibility grow steadily.
Ready to establish yourself as a leader in your niche?
What does topical authority mean in SEO, and how can it be established?
Topical authority in SEO refers to the extent to which a website comprehensively and accurately covers a specific subject or topic through detailed, credible, and high-quality content. Search engines like Google tend to favor websites that exhibit deep expertise in a particular niche, as this allows them to provide the most authoritative and relevant content to users.
What are the steps to build authority in SEO?
To establish authority in SEO, you should focus on several key actions:
Create an informative ‘About’ page.
Include detailed bios for all article contributors.
Infuse your unique expertise, personality, and experiences into every piece of content.
Aim to produce definitive content that stands as the best source of information on the topic.
How can I enhance my page’s authority in SEO?
Increasing your page authority involves:
Producing outstanding content that authoritative websites would want to link to.
Actively promoting your content to increase visibility.
Developing and implementing a robust link-building strategy to encourage more high-quality backlinks.
How many articles are needed to establish topical authority?
Achieving topical authority requires more than just writing a single article on a subject. It involves creating multiple related articles that cover various aspects of a topic comprehensively. No single article can address all facets of a topic in depth, so a broad and interconnected collection of content is necessary to build your topical credibility.
How can you achieve topical authority if you need to focus on a niche for Google to recognize your blog’s theme?
To gain topical authority while maintaining a niche focus, it’s crucial to select a niche that you can cover extensively and authoritatively. By creating a wide array of content within this niche, you can demonstrate in-depth knowledge and expertise, which in turn helps Google and other search engines recognize and prioritize your site in search results.
Ever spent hours creating content only to hear “This isn’t what we wanted” from your client or manager?
You’re not alone.
The majority of content revisions happen because of unclear expectations and poor communication between stakeholders.
This is exactly why a content brief is crucial for successful content creation. It outlines everything from target audience and tone of voice to SEO requirements and content structure.
The best content briefs ensure everyone involved understands the project’s goals, requirements, and deliverables before typing the first word.
Whether you’re managing a team of writers or creating content yourself, having well-crafted content brief templates can transform your content creation process. They help maintain consistency, reduce revision cycles, and ensure your content hits the mark every time.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of creating effective content briefs, and share practical examples. Let’s dive in!
Understanding Content Briefs and Their Purpose
Content fuels modern marketing, but creating content that resonates with your audience isn’t as simple as putting words on a page. We need a systematic approach to ensure our content hits the mark every time.
What is a Content Brief?
A content brief is a strategic document that provides writers with comprehensive instructions and guidelines for creating written content. It’s more than just a set of requirements – it’s the foundation that ensures each piece of content aligns with your overall marketing goals and resonates with your target audience.
Why Content Briefs Matter for Content Strategy
Content briefs are essential because they keep your content focused and consistent. The content teams rely on content briefs to maintain quality and consistency. They serve multiple crucial purposes:
Time and Cost Efficiency: Well-crafted briefs save time and money by minimizing lengthy revisions and rewrites.
Brand Consistency: They help writers maintain your brand’s unique voice across all content pieces.
SEO Optimization: Briefs improve your chances of ranking by clearly outlining audience needs, target keywords, and search intent.
Competitive Edge: They guide writers in addressing content gaps your competitors may have missed.
Common Content Brief Myths
Let’s clear up some misconceptions that might stop you from using content briefs effectively:
Content briefs are only for blogs: Though the majority of marketers use content briefs for blog posts, content briefs work just as well for white papers, social media content, and other formats.
Content briefs limit creativity: A well-laid-out brief actually creates boundaries where writers become more creative and focused.
Content writers should build content strategies: This common mistake can hurt your ROI. Writers excel at writing, but the strategy needs different expertise.
You can automate the entire brief creation process: Tools help, but you still need human insight to understand audience needs and brand messaging.
Content briefs work best when they mix SEO requirements with editorial direction. Teams that use complete content briefs see an increase in organic traffic.
Content briefs are the foundations of consistent, high-quality content that strikes a chord with our audience and helps us reach our marketing goals.
Different Types of Content Briefs
Different content goals require different types of briefs. Here are the main categories:
SEO-Focused Briefs: These include:
Target keywords and search intent analysis
SERP feature opportunities
Competitor content analysis
Technical SEO guidelines
Creative Briefs: These focus on:
Visual deliverables
Brand storytelling elements
Design specifications
Campaign objectives
Remember, the type of brief you choose should align with your content goals and target audience needs. Whether you’re creating a blog post, whitepaper, or social media content, having the right brief template ensures consistent quality across all your content assets.
Essential Components of an Effective Content Brief
Let’s dive into the building blocks that make up an effective content brief. This is what makes the difference between a good brief and a great one.
Must-have elements
Here are the essential elements of every content brief:
Target Audience Details: Clear definition of who we’re writing for
Primary Keywords: Main search terms to target
Content Structure: Detailed outline with headers
Word Count: Specific length requirements
Search Intent: Understanding why people search for this topic
Style Guidelines: Brand voice and tone requirements
Internal Linking Strategy: Relevant pages to link within content
Optional elements to consider
These additional elements can take your content brief from good to phenomenal, though they’re not always needed:
Style Guide: Maintain consistent brand voice
Competitor Analysis: Identify the content gaps
Reference Material: Provide inspiration and sources
Adding an on-page SEO checklist brings extra value to the process. Semantic keywords and SERP features make great additions when they fit. These elements help create more thorough and effective content.
Trust me, these extras make all the difference between content that performs and content that dominates.
Content brief format options
Here’s something most people miss: your brief’s format matters just as much as its content. The secret sauce? Organizing everything into logical chunks that make sense.
Think of it like building blocks:
Complex projects? Go for the detailed template
Quick content piece? Keep it lean and mean
Something in between? Mix and match to fit your needs
Your team’s workflow and content complexity should guide the format choice. A detailed template or a simplified approach both work well – what matters most is how clearly it conveys information to content creators.
Remember: these components aren’t just random checkboxes – they’re your blueprint for content success. Mix, match, and customize until you find your perfect recipe. That’s how you create briefs that don’t just guide but inspire.
Pro Tip: Try Chatsonic to create comprehensive briefs in minutes. It analyzes top-ranking content and suggests the perfect structure and keywords automatically.
How to write a content brief: A step-by-step guide
Content brief planning needs smart thinking and attention to detail. Good content briefs need proper groundwork, which makes a big difference in the final output quality.
Step 1: Plan your content brief
A solid plan forms the foundations of a content brief that guides writers to produce exceptional content. You need a clear roadmap for a content brief before getting into specifics. Here’s a process:
1. Create a Working Title
Draft a preliminary title that captures the essence of your content
Keep it clear and specific to guide the writer’s direction
2. Define Clear Objectives
Outline what you want to achieve with this content
Specify measurable goals for the piece
3. Identify Target Audience
Document who you’re writing for
Include relevant demographic and psychographic details
Set Content Parameters
Determine word count requirements
Specify content format and style priorities
Here’s a practical checklist that will help you cover all significant planning elements:
Planning Element
Key considerations
Content Purpose
Brand awareness, lead generation, informational, or something else
Target Audience
Demographics, pain points, needs, etc.
Content Format
Blog post, white paper, case study, or more
Success metrics
Views, conversions, engagement
Starting with a simple template that adapts to your specific needs works best. This approach helps maintain consistency and allows flexibility for different content types and purposes.
Note that the planning phase sets the foundation for our content brief. Taking time to plan these elements will set you up for success in the later stages of brief development. A well-laid-out brief guides writers and content creators to create effective digital assets and marketing materials.
Step 2: Choose the right Keywords
Picking the right keywords is a vital step that creates an effective content brief. The content brief’s keywords fall into two main categories:
Primary Keyword: This is the main target keyword that accurately describes the content’s core topic.
Secondary/Semantic Keywords: These support our primary keywords and help establish topical relevance.
A strong keyword strategy will get your content properly indexed and ranked. Here’s what we look for when selecting target keywords:
Relevance to Topic: The keyword must precisely match our content’s main focus
Search Intent Alignment: Understanding what users expect to find
Reasonable Competition: Balancing search volume with ranking difficulty
Content Opportunity: Potential to provide unique value
Struggling with keyword research? Writesonic’s keyword research tool helps streamline this process and identify primary keywords for our content brief.
Writesonic Keyword Research Tool
The platform analyzes search patterns and competitor data to help make informed decisions about keywords that will drive the best results.
Why Keywords Matter in Content Briefs
Keywords in content briefs serve a purpose beyond SEO. They help maintain relevance and line up with the content goals. Also, it helps writers better understand the content direction through specific keyword instructions that show:
The main topic focus and its variations
Related concepts that need coverage
How to maintain topical relevance throughout the content
Clear keyword guidance in content briefs helps writers create well-optimized content that meets our audience’s needs.
Step 3: Conduct a SERP Analysis
The next significant step in creating a content brief that works involves a full SERP (Search Engine Results Page) analysis after selecting target keywords. This analysis helps you understand what works in your space and how to make content more competitive.
Looking at top-ranking pages for our target keywords reveals patterns and opportunities. A complete SERP analysis needs to cover:
Content Format: Article type, structure, and presentation
Content Depth: Level of detail and comprehensiveness
Content Length: Average word count of top performers
User Intent: What questions are being answered
Featured Snippets: Opportunities for position zero
SERP analysis helps you understand:
Content gaps in existing articles that you can fill
Common themes across top-performing content
Special features like tables, images, or videos
User engagement signals (comments, shares)
Content freshness and update frequency
Pro Tip: Use Writesonic’s AI Content Gap Analyzer to quickly analyze the content gaps and identify opportunities. It saves hours of manual research!
Writesonic AI Content Gap Analyzer
Incorporating SERP Analysis into Your Content Brief
The best way to use SERP analysis in content briefs is to give writers clear, useful guidance. Writers need specific directions on how to outperform existing content, not just a list of observations.
Top-performing articles with case studies should become a requirement in the brief. The same applies if successful content typically features expert quotes – we add this to our content specifications.
Making Strategic Decisions
The SERP analysis leads to informed decisions about:
Content structure and formatting
Required elements (images, videos, charts)
Topics and subtopics to cover
Optimal content length
Unique angles to explore
Content briefs created this way guide writers to produce work that stands out from current rankings. Note that SERP analysis isn’t about copying others. These insights help us spot opportunities to create better content. Understanding what works well and what’s missing in current search results lets us develop briefs that lead to exceptional content.
Step 4: Create a Tentative Outline
A strategic outline acts as the backbone of our content brief and will give detailed coverage with logical flow. Here’s how you can create a content outline that work:
Review SERP Analysis Insights
Identify common structural elements
Note successful content patterns
Map out content gaps to fill
Structure Main Sections
Create clear, descriptive headings
Arrange topics in logical order
Include estimated word counts per section
Detail Subsections
Break down complex topics
Include specific points to cover
Note required examples or case studies
Add Content Requirements
Specify data points needed
Mark areas requiring expert quotes
Indicate visual content placement
Writers understand exactly what we need when we arrange our outline components in a structured format. Here’s our breakdown:
Outline Component
Purpose
Example
Main Headings
Core topic organization
“Understanding Content Briefs”
Subheadings
Detailed topic breakdown
“Benefits of Content Briefs”
Key Points
Must-cover information
“Include definition, purpose, examples”
Content Elements
Required components
“Add expert quote, statistics, case study”
The outline development arranges with content goals and gives clear direction to writers. This means:
Including specific instructions for each section
Noting where to incorporate primary and secondary keywords
Marking opportunities for internal linking
Highlighting areas requiring special attention
The outline becomes a detailed roadmap that guides writers through content creation. However, it should stay flexible enough for creative input from writers while you retain control of the core structure needed for successful content.
This balance helps us achieve strategic goals and create engaging content that strikes a chord with our audience.
A good outline shows the depth and breadth of coverage needed with clear markers for supporting elements like statistics, examples, and expert insights. This approach sets up our content for success right from the start.
Step 5: Make a List of Internal Links to Include
Internal linking is a significant element of the content brief that many overlook. A strategic internal linking structure improves both user experience and SEO value.
Clear internal linking guidance in our content brief helps writers create cohesive content that supports the site architecture. Here’s how to approach incorporating internal links:
Here’s a framework specifies internal linking requirements in content briefs:
Link Type
Purpose
Implementation Guide
Contextual Links
Support main arguments
Place within relevant paragraphs
Definition Links
Explain complex terms
Link to glossary or detailed articles
Related Content
Expand topic coverage
Add in “Related Articles” section
Conversion Links
Guide user trip
Include relevant product/service pages
The content brief documentation ensures:
Link text priorities allow natural variations
Required links get proper placement
Content structure suggests optimal link spots
Each link’s value comes with context
Internal linking requirements in content briefs ensure each content piece serves the audience and broader content strategy. This systematic approach builds a stronger, more interconnected website that delivers value throughout the user’s trip.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Content Briefs
Content marketers at all levels can stumble when creating content briefs. A good understanding of common pitfalls helps you craft better briefs that lead to improved content outcomes.
Information overload
The biggest mistake in content brief creation comes from overwhelming writers with too much information. Writers get confused instead of clarity when they receive repeated, conflicting, or unnecessarily detailed instructions.
These factors typically cause information overload in content briefs:
Excessive technical jargon
Redundant instructions
Too many competing priorities
Overly detailed background information
Multiple conflicting examples
Clear, concise instructions guide writers without overwhelming them.
Unclear instructions
Writers might produce content that misses the mark without clear instructions. Content turns out well-written but doesn’t meet brand requirements or strategic goals when instructions lack clarity.
These clarity issues come up often due to:
Vague descriptions of deliverables
Ambiguous tone guidelines
Poorly defined objectives
Confusing formatting requirements
Inconsistent style priorities
Clear and concise instructions upfront substantially reduce time spent on revisions and edits. This approach streamlines processes and helps maintain consistency across content pieces.
Missing crucial details
Missing essential information from content briefs can derail even simple content projects. Writers often don’t receive these vital elements:
Format-specific requirements
Internal linking strategies
Reference material guidelines
Brand voice specifications
Technical specifications
Content briefs need all critical information that shapes an article while making it insightful and valuable. This includes important statistics, relevant facts, and reference articles that support the content’s goals.
Addressing these common mistakes, head-on creates content briefs that serve as effective roadmaps for our content creation process. Taking time to craft clear, complete briefs that avoid these pitfalls improves content quality and reduces revision cycles.
Note that a content brief should be thorough without being overwhelming, clear without being rigid, and detailed without being excessive. Finding this balance gives our content creators the ability to produce exactly what we need.
Create a top-notch content brief using Writesonic
You’ve got the blueprint – now it’s time to build something amazing.
The blog post has broken down every crucial step in crafting killer content briefs, from nailing those goals and really getting your audience to structuring information like a pro and sidestepping those pitfalls.
Here’s the thing: a well-crafted content brief isn’t just another document gathering digital dust. It’s your content’s foundation, writer’s compass, and quality guarantee all rolled into one. Trust me – the hours you invest in developing solid briefs will save you days of revision headaches later.
Remember: Your content brief isn’t set in stone. Start simple, gather feedback, and let it evolve. It’s a document that grows stronger with every project. Follow these guidelines, and you’ll create briefs that don’t just guide writers – they inspire them to deliver exactly what you need every single time.
Your next amazing content piece starts with a brilliant brief. Ready to write a great content brief?
Q1. What is a content brief, and why is it important?
A content brief is a strategic document that provides clear instructions and guidelines for creating written content. It’s important because it aligns content creators to understand project goals, reduces revision cycles, and ensures consistency across all content pieces.
Q2. What are the essential components of an effective content brief?
An effective content brief should include a clear project description, target audience insights, content objectives, word count requirements, and primary keywords. Optional elements like SEO checklists and semantic keywords can also enhance the brief’s effectiveness.
Q3. How do you define content goals and understand your target audience?
To define content goals, use the SMART framework: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Understanding your target audience involves analyzing their behavior, demographics, and identifying the people most likely to benefit from your product or service.
Q4. What are some common mistakes to avoid when writing content briefs?
Common mistakes include information overload, providing unclear instructions, and missing crucial details. To avoid these, focus on clear and concise instructions, organize information systematically, and ensure all essential elements are included in the brief.
Q5. How can you improve the clarity of your content brief?
To improve clarity, use simple language when explaining technical concepts, provide specific examples to illustrate expectations, and include clear guidelines for tone, style, and brand voice. It’s also helpful to get feedback from team members and test the brief with a sample writing assignment.
Becoming a content writer doesn’t involve rocket science, to be honest. If you’ve got a flair for writing and a topic to write on, you can write away to your heart’s will.
However, becoming an in-demand, up-to-date content writer who can deliver what businesses want? That requires some level of knowledge and guidance and a lot of practice.
But how exactly do you get started with content writing? In this guide, I’ll cover all of this. From telling you what a content writer is to discussing the skills, tools, and steps for how to become a content writer — this comprehensive guide is all you require to kick-start your career.
Again, no rocket science. Dive in and see for yourself.
First things first…
What Is a Content Writer?
A content writer is someone who creates written content for businesses. This can be blogs, whitepapers, guides, ebooks, or any other long-form content, usually used as marketing material by businesses.
Don’t confuse this with the other term i.e. copywriting. While copywriting feels similar to content writing, it includes more ad copies, social media posts, landing pages, and other short-form content, making it a different niche altogether.
For simplicity’s sake, let’s only focus on how to be a content writer in this guide.
Now, content writing is one of the best career options you can choose if you like writing. Most content writers in the U.S. make around $61k on average every year, which is a good amount.
However, if you think that all that content writers do is write, then you’re missing out on the bigger picture. Apart from writing, content writers also need to research topics, conduct competitor analysis, edit written content, do search engine optimization, and sometimes, also design graphics.
Sounds confusing? Let me break it down by going through each skill in depth.
Essential Skills To Become a Content Writer
If you want to become a content writer, you need a host of skills under your belt. Some of the top content writer skills include:
Writing: This one’s obvious. If you want to know how to become a content writer, you need to be fairly good at writing. Adapting to different tones and writing styles is also something you’d want to learn.
Editing: Spotting grammar errors, fixing comprehension issues, fact-checking, and other editing tasks. This is something you need to do to make sure your content is polished and easy to read.
Research: Before starting to write, developing a fair understanding of the given topic is crucial. You can either search the topics through Google, look for news articles and whitepapers, or even refer to books. But to do this, you should know how to research — a key skill to become a content writer.
Search engine optimization (SEO): If businesses are commissioning long-form content, especially blogs, and whitepapers, it’s usually to rank on the first page of SERPs and get more organic traffic. Search engine optimization (SEO) makes this possible. SEO is the strategy of placing certain keywords and links in the content to make it rank higher in search results. If you’re well-versed in SEO, it makes you more valuable as a content writer (more on this later).
Familiarity with AI tools: AI writing and editing tools are becoming more mainstream. In the past few years, businesses have become more open to and actually want to streamline their content creation process using AI. If you want to be a content writer who’s highly productive and up-to-date with the latest trends, a knowledge of AI tools is a must.
This list isn’t comprehensive. Say one of your clients wants complimentary graphics with a blog post. Then, having design skills might also come in handy. Or say a niche company that deals with medicine or law hires you as a writer. Having knowledge of these fields proves to be a great advantage.
You can read more about the characteristics and skills required to become a content writer in this guide.
Ultimately, different skill types can earn you different writing jobs. But the crux of the career — writing, editing, research, and recently, AI — remains the same.
Tools of the Trade: What Content Writers Use
When I first started writing, I’d carry out the research and editing process manually. But soon I learned that using tools and technologies to handle these mundane tasks, allowed me to focus on the more productive processes, such as actually writing or editing.
If you also want to start two steps ahead of other content writers, here are some tools to consider:
Writing and editing software that helps generate blog posts, listicles, how-to guides, whitepapers, and a lot more. A good example is Writesonic’s Article Writer 6.
Content management systems like WordPress and Ghost to upload and manage content on the client’s website.
Research, fact-checking, and brainstorming tools. My go-to tool is Chatsonic for these use cases.
If required, try learning the basics of design tools like Photosonic and Canva.
Now that you’re familiar with the skills and tools you require, let’s move on to the part you’re waiting for the most — “How to become a content writer?”
How To Become a Content Writer: Your Step-By-Step Guide
To become a content writer, you need to first develop your writing and SEO skills, take courses and get certifications, and build a strong portfolio. This will further help you explore new opportunities and market yourself, which contributes to your experience.
I’ll explain each step of how to become a content writer in detail below:
1. Develop Your Writing Skills
If you expected to complete a degree or course to directly become a content writer, let’s take a step back. Unlike many other careers, content writing is skill-heavy. While a degree or a course helps (we’ll discuss this in the next step), your content writing skill is your biggest asset.
And how do you develop that? Purely by practice.
Practicing writing as the first step helps you in two ways. Apart from developing your skill, it also gives you an idea of whether pursuing content writing is right for you — much before you invest too much time, energy, and resources in it.
One of the best ways I developed my content writing skills initially was to randomly pick a topic and start writing on it. The topics would range anywhere from “The best TV shows from the 90s” to “The benefits of drinking green tea.”
Once the writing was done, I’d go back, read the piece, compare it with other similar pieces on the internet, and spot areas where I could improve. Now, while I did this manually, I’ll suggest a better way for you to practice writing.
Open this conversational AI tool called Chatsonic. It’s like having a writing tutor-cum-assistant, always at your fingertips.
Ask it to suggest topics to write on:
Chatsonic
Once you get a couple of suggestions, pick one and start writing on a separate document. Research the topic by running a Google search, read the relevant articles, and write a properly-structured piece of your own.
Once you’re done writing, paste the draft into Chatsonic and ask it to analyze your writing:
Chatsonic
The chatbot gives detailed feedback on your article, pointing out what you’ve done right and what you need to do better.
Consider this feedback, work on other drafts, and ask Chatsonic to analyze it again till you’re satisfied with the quality of your writing.
2. Educate Yourself
Once you’ve practiced AND decided that content writing’s for you, it’s time to take the course you’ve been eyeing for the longest of time.
Having a formal degree or education in content writing is in no way a replacement for practice. But it does help refine your skills, equip you with complementary knowledge, and better prepare you to apply for jobs and gigs related to content writing.
There are multiple ways to learn about content writing. The most straightforward way is to obtain a bachelor’s degree in marketing, writing, journalism, or English from a reputed university. Most job opportunities prefer degrees in these or related fields.
Content Writer Job Description
However, obtaining a bachelor’s degree takes years. If that’s not your cup of tea, you can always opt for certifications from reputed institutions and companies. Hubspot’s Content Marketing Certification is a widely recognized certification in the content industry. It’s self-paced and completely free.
Apart from that, you can also look through Udemy, Coursera, and other online learning websites for relevant courses. Coursera offers excellent certifications from renowned universities.
Coursera
Similarly, Udemy hosts courses from experienced content writers — so you’ll always learn from the best.
While only completing the course is an option, you can take an exam at the end of the course to gain a certification. Personally, I recommend going for the certifications as they add weight to your resume.
One of the best skills to learn as a content writer in 2025 is using AI writing tools. As artificial intelligence advances, many companies are employing AI tools like Article Writer 6 to scale content production and save costs.
Having these AI tools on your resume indicates that you’re an up-to-date writer with in-demand skills, improving your chances of getting hired.
Remember, taking a course or pursuing a degree isn’t mandatory. You can still have a solid career in content writing, even if you skip this step.
3. Build a Compelling Portfolio
Regardless of whether you’ve done a course or not, starting out as a content writer and getting the first project can be difficult. And without projects, you’ll not be able to build a portfolio, right?
Well, everybody’s started somewhere. Even without a pilot project, you can still build an attractive portfolio by choosing one of these options:
Self-publishing
Remember those practice samples you wrote? Publish them on self-publishing platforms like Medium and LinkedIn to build your online portfolio. Many established writers gained recognition publishing on Medium alone.
While the platform in itself is excellent for writers, it also helps compile a professional-looking writing portfolio you can share with potential clients.
Creating your own blog
If you’re not a fan of platforms like Medium, consider publishing blogs on your own website. Use popular website-building tools like WordPress to set up a minimal writer website, host a blog, and upload your articles.
This makes a good writing portfolio, alright. It also makes you appear professional, leaving a great first impression on clients.
Guest posting
Another popular way of becoming a content writer is by guest posting.
Guest posting is the practice of writing and publishing an article on someone else’s website or blog, usually to gain exposure and build authority.
Several websites allow budding writers to publish free guest posts.
💡Pro Tip: You can find guest posting websites by running a Google search with the queries “topic+guest posts,” “topic+ write for us,” or “topic+contribute.”
For example, here’s a search I ran for digital marketing guest post websites:
Google Search for Guest Posting Websites
Choose any of the websites, read the guidelines, and send in your article. Typically, the websites may take anywhere between a couple of weeks to a month to publish the articles.
Whether you’re choosing to publish guest posts or write articles for your own website — producing multiple content pieces in a short span of time can be hard. If you want to get started with content writing projects quickly, use AI writing tools to speed up your portfolio creation process.
Tools like Writesonic’s AI Article Writer 6 help draft well-researched, human-like articles that you can publish with minimal editing. It’s also a popular tool used by several writers and businesses, so having hands-on experience with Writesonic is definitely an advantage.
Check how I generate content using the Article Writer 6. First I choose the topic and the type of article I want:
Writesonic’s Article Writer 6
I choose the keywords to target.
Writesonic’s Article Writer 6
And that’s it. With a few more instructions, the tool’s giving me a publish-ready article:
Writesonic’s Article Writer 6
You can simply copy-paste this on your blog, self-publishing platform, or a guest posting website.
But wait, did I say keywords? Yes, keywords, and SEO in general, are important for long-form article writing. If you don’t know what that means, let’s jump to the next section.
4. Master SEO Basics
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing websites and online content to improve their visibility and ranking in search engine results pages. In simpler words, it helps make your content easier to find on search engines.
But SEO isn’t a single strategy. It’s actually a bunch of techniques and practices. As a content writer, you’re responsible for implementing only some of these techniques, mainly known as on-page SEO.
These techniques include:
Keyword research:“Keywords” are terms and phrases your target audience uses when looking for information on search engines. Keyword research involves identifying the relevant terms as per the topic using keyword research tools.
Keyword placement: Simply researching keywords isn’t enough. When writing content, you need to place them strategically to maintain readability while also getting SERP rankings.
Article structure: The structure of the article, including the title, headings, paragraphs, and formatting also impacts SEO.
Content optimization: Optimizing the content by adding images, title tags, meta descriptions, alt text, and internal and external links is also an important SEO skill.
One of the best tools you can use to ensure proper content SEO optimization is this SEO Checker and Optimizer by Writesonic. Simply add any of your articles in the tool…
Writesonic’s SEO Checker and Optimizer Tool
And it’ll give you the SEO score plus lots of suggestions on how you can optimize the content better for SERP rankings. If you’re new to SEO, this tool is great to learn and practice your skills.
Okay. So now you’ve got your portfolio ready and your skills polished, and you’re ready to get some earning with content writing. Let’s not wait and jump straight to the point: your career options!
As a content writer, there are broadly two types of career paths you can choose:
Freelancing: It’s like being your own boss. You pick your projects, set your hours, and work with multiple clients. It’s great if you love variety and flexibility, but can be a bit unpredictable.
In-house writing: This is your traditional 9-to-5 gig. You work for a single company, focusing on their content needs. It’s more stable but you might have less variety in your work.
You can consider what works best for you, and then choose the further steps. Regardless of whether you freelance or choose an in-house position, the process of applying for opportunities remains the same.
You apply for open opportunities, talk with the business, company, or client, and secure a deal. However, the platforms and the way of approaching differ.
If you want to freelance, you can use:
Social media platforms: Platforms like LinkedIn and Reddit have several posts offering freelance writing opportunities. But it takes some time to get engagement and build your personal brand on these platforms.
Freelancing platforms: These are apps designed for people wanting to hire freelancers or deliver service as one. Some good examples are Upwork and Fiverr. But these platforms usually charge a commission.
If you want an in-house position, you can use:
Job boards: Platforms like Indeed and Glassdoor regularly post open positions in the writing industry.
Company websites: If there’s a specific company you want to work for, check their website’s “Careers” section for open positions.
For both freelance and in-house positions, check out writing and media-specific job boards like ProBlogger and Qwoted.
If you’re still a student or want to gain some experience before starting a full-time position, you can always try for internships at reputed media houses and writing agencies.
Final Thoughts: What is a content writer and how to become one
That’s it! With a few simple steps and a planned approach, you can become a content writer with ease. Once you gain some experience and write on a variety of topics, I suggest you niche down to a few domains that you like.
This will help gain more knowledge and experience about a particular topic, which increases the value of any writer.
Apart from that, always stay updated with the latest writing trends, especially with AI tools like Writesonic. As the quality of generative AI tools is growing, more companies are looking for writers who implement AI in their workflow and boost productivity.
With Writesonic, you’ll not only be able to generate quality articles but also conduct keyword research and optimize content for search engines.
