5. What's next for “content” in 2023
Why SEO doesn't need a monthly retainer, services I'm offering in January and interesting links to read.
It may surprise you to hear that I see SEO as a tick box exercise ✅
By this, I mean you should be able to implement an SEO strategy once and then not have to keep working on it month in, month out.
There are times you may need to relook at your SEO strategy but these fall into very specific scenarios:
You launched a new product/feature or decided to target a new audience/problem which creates an opportunity to target terms that you weren't previously covering
SEO best practice has changed or Google has released a core algorithm update - but this is usually gradual and doesn’t happen that often
Your content has either been up a few years or has stopped performing as well. This requires “content maintenance” and is something I would usually do once a year. Reviewing the content to see where improvements or timely updates can be made
Outside of these scenarios you shouldn’t have to constantly “do” SEO. That’s because the way SEO works today, means that structure and strategy overtakes quantity and production.
A well produced content library aimed at generating organic traffic is exactly that: a library that should be looked after and maintained but that doesn’t constantly need adding to.
In companies where I've led on content we focus on SEO early, do it once and do it well. The hard bit is the research and knowing what should be in your library to begin with. But once you have a plan, so long as you follow through on this plan (and most companies/teams don’t have enough follow through for SEO but that’s a post for another day 😉), you should have your library up and running reasonably quickly.
Of course if you have a lot of historic content that needs merging/rewriting or culling then this could lead into months of work. But once your new content is live anyone who tells you they need a monthly retainer on writing new content for SEO alone should be questioned.
Once your content library is live you get to sit back, and watch your organic traffic compound over time.
Which is an exciting prospect for most Heads of Content. Because once SEO is “done” it means we get to look at other content areas.
Like what I hear you ask?
Well maybe you begin to articulate the problem you're solving with a series of thought leadership articles. Perhaps you create a video docuseries that gets people excited to work for your company. Or you start a podcast giving away serious insight that your ideal buyer can’t get elsewhere.
These are all of the content areas I see as important in 2023. The search and paid landscapes have changed and you have to saturate them as quickly and strategically as possible to ensure you gain enough of the traffic share. SEO lets you capture the demand of people already searching for your solution (or an alternative/the incumbent).
The rest of your content is then designed at getting your brand and product in front of people who don't know they need you yet.
Which is why I believe it's the companies who see SEO like I do, as a tick box exercise, who will be free to use their content resource to build demand and ultimately, widen their moat in 2023.
Thoughts? Let me know.
Interesting reads
Check out Google’s list of 100 products that trended in search this year (massage gun anyone? 😄)
This thread on the tricky subject of founder salaries was an interesting read. I’ve mostly worked with second or third time founders so this was a different take to what I expected (TLDR; pay yourself nothing for three years and live off beans). For a more realistic take I’d read Angel VC Christoph Janz’s article here.
Hopefully by now you have already set up a Google Analytics 4 (GA4) property for your website (reminder that come July you’ll be forced to make the switch and won’t have any data in there otherwise). If not, send your content manager this beginner’s guide immediately.
Need SEO support in 2023?
From January I will be back in business offering SEO strategy and content audit/planning services. Here's some of the feedback I received from the companies I worked with last year:
From the Founder of a SaaS scale-up after watching my content audit video:
"Really impressive work, thanks Beth. Just flicked through some parts of the video and looks like a lot for us still to do, which is great."
The kindest email from the Founder of a scaling SaaS company just before I went on maternity leave:
"ArRHgh what are we going to do without your sound business advice each month? Thank you for helping bring us up to "best practice" - I am v. grateful and glad [xxx] and the team got to work with you."
And from an early-stage tech company whose content I set up and managed:
"It has been a pleasure working with you. I am fairly sure [xxxx] would not be in the position it is today without your help, so thank you so much."
January is usually my busiest month for new enquiries so if you know that you need help with an SEO or content project I'd love to hear from you before then. You can send me an email at beth@builtbycontent.com.
About me
Hi I’m Beth 👋 I specialise in content and SEO strategies that help B2B startups achieve growth through organic lead generation. Through Built by Content, I take on the full remit of content and SEO so that busy founders and marketers can take it off their list. I’ve helped to build content and teams for ScreenCloud, Countfire, Twilert, Growyze and more.
Get in touch here if you think you might like to work with me.