Content Creation By –and For — Humans

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AI algorithms can produce thousands of words quickly without needing a human to do research or writing. What’s more, “most AI-generated content will be grammatically correct,” itseeze.com authors concede. AI tools are certainly cost-effective in terms of time-saving, but “there are also risks that you need to be aware of.” As a blog post content creator for so many years, I was interested in  itseeze.com’s list of specific disadvantages of using AI for blogging:

  • Inaccuracies (the more AI content generated in the public space, the more likely it is that inaccuracies will increase, as the algorithm searches its own content).
  • Plagiarism (by “stitching and combining” content, as well as “parroting’ existing content), AI tools can easily fall into plagiaris.
  • Devaluing of content (AI is capable of mimicking humans, but lacks personalization and the ability to generate new ideas).
  • Lacking in personalization (because AI relies on already existing content, it is not identifying the user’s intent and “common sense behavior”).

Wow! Talk about food for thought for us content marketers…Revisiting our own Say It For You mission statement, we note our devotion to creating content based on understanding  each client’s unique ways of doing business. Our policy of one-client-per-market is designed to avoid conflicts of interest, so that we can give our best work to each business or practice owner, based on coming to understand and then helping express their personal values and priorities.  What’s more, as per our Say It For You client agreement, all rights to the content we’ve created are assigned to the client.

As to the potential devaluing of content through using AI, in surveys, it was discovered that the main reasons people share online content is that they enjoy bringing value to others, but also as a way to define themselves to others, coschedule.com explains. In practical terms, that means adding value (not devaluing), helping business owners and practitioners express their own new and original ideas, and their “take’ on current happenings in the community they share with their target readers.

“Human writers play a crucial role in content creation. They bring creativity, emotions, and empathy that are difficult to replicate by machines. They also have the ability to understand nuances of language, context, and cultural subtexts that are often lost in machine-generated content,” aicontentfy.com  opines. “AI does not have emotions.”

At Say It For You, content creation will continue to be generated by human writers, meant for our very human readers!

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AIming to Be an Archive

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“Whereas the Big Five often let their older books fall out of print based on sales histories, some university publishers… think like a library, aiming to be an archive for authors’ books that remain in perpetuity,” Aaron Gilbreath advises in Poets & Writers magazine.

So what about online content? Does the Internet “think like a library”?
“The internet is often called a digital footprint that we leave behind us,” Mia Naumoska writes in internxt.com. Yet websites and social media platforms are constantly updating their algorithms, she cautions, resulting in some content being removed or even lost. Platforms may remove posts that violate community guidelines or terms of service, she adds. In general, though, blogs and articles posted on websites have a much longer lifespan than social media posts, because they are typically optimized for search engines and can be found through search queries for months or even years after publication.

An infographic by Content Hacker illustrates the comparative lifespans of different forms of content posting, ranging from TikTok’s few minutes to Facebook’s five hours, to YouTube’s thirty+ days to blogs, whose lifespan extends for years.

Evergreen content
It’s not only the platform on which content is posted, but the nature of the content itself that is a determinant of longevity, the Digital Marketing Institute explains. Evergreen content is not time-sensitive and can continue to drive traffic long after it is published. Instructional and informational pieces, for example, lend themselves to remaining relevant over long periods of time.

LinkedIn articles vs. LinkedIn posts
Posts on LinkedIn are short messages that can contain text, images, videos, links, and hashtags. On the other hand, LinkedIn articles are longer-form pieces of content, with more in-depth discussions, analysis, and storytelling, with a dedicated “Articles” space within your profile.

“Feature” blog posts
Feature posts are non time-sensitive, and in fact, the goal is to have the material be “evergreen”. (When someone searches for information on a topic, it’s quite possible for them to “matched up” with content written a long time ago.) Good informational content, after all, can have relevance even months and years later after it was first published!

At Say It For You, we’ve learned over the years, blogs and newsletters can balance feature stories with “news”. While we want content to “stick around”, readers need to know about new products and services they can now obtain, new partners or employees we want to introduce, and our recent or upcoming activities in the community.

At the same time, content marketers need to “think like a library”, providing long term value to readers and “aiming to be an archive”.

 

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Oops! There Goes Another Misspelled Word

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The staff at my local grocery store obviously meant to convey the message that they don’t ACCEPT returns.  In fact, I found out later, the word “accept” did not make dictionaryscoop.com‘s list of 12 Most Common English Spelling Mistakes, which includes the words accommodate, apparent, acknowledgment, calendar, colleague, entrepreneur, led (past tense of “lead”), necessary, receive, successful, and withhold. CNBC adds conscientious, experience, guidance, occurrence, and fulfill.

“Spelling seems like such a minor thing,” Kathy and Ross Petras admit in the CNBC piece, “but It’s actually one of the most problematic issues we deal with in the business world.”  Bad spelling can put a dent in your professional reputation, the authors caution, citing a survey showing that 79% of recruiters and HR managers said spelling and grammatical mistakes “were the biggest deal breakers in job hunting.”

Along with spelling mistakes, grammar errors can make a content writer “look dumb”, as Brian Clark of Copyblogger emphasizes, pointing to your/you’re, it’s/its, there/their, and affect/effect.

“We’re all busy, and we all make mistakes,,” Clark admits, but if you want to be taken seriously, it’s important to get serious about grammar.

As a content marketer at Say It For You, my favorite recommendation to both business owners and the freelance blog content writers they hire to bring their message to customers is this:

Prevent blog content writing “wardrobe malfunctions”, including grammar errors, run-on sentences, and spelling errors. Blogs (as I’ve often taught) are more personal and more informal than formal letters or even home pages on websites, but they shouldn’t be sloppy.  Unlike your sixth grade teacher, internet searchers won’t “correct your paper”. They may very well navigate away from your blog and find somewhere else to go!

When it comes to common grammar mistakes, the pairs I find are most often confused are these:

Who/that

“Who” always refers to a person; “that” refers to a thing.

Between/among

“Between” refers to the space or difference between two things: “among” refers to the difference among three or more things.

Lay/Lie

“Lay” means to set something down; the verb “lie” means either to tell an untruth, or to assume a horizontal position.

Advise/Advice

“Advise” (with the “s” pronounced like a “z”) is a verb meaning you offer “advice” (counsel).

Allow the next spelling or grammar error to be something you find in someone’s else’s message, not your own!

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The Power Duo: Unlocking the Potential of SEO and Content Marketing

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Today’s guest blog post was created by Michael Bellush, founder of HighMark SEO Digital…

 

Introduction

In the magical realm of digital marketing, think of SEO and content marketing as the Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore of the online world. One, much like young Harry, brings fresh, innovative tactics and a touch of technical sorcery. The other, akin to the wise and powerful Dumbledore, offers a wealth of knowledge and captivating content that keeps audiences spellbound. Together, they navigate the labyrinth of Google’s Hogwarts, aiming for the top spots in the search engine results pages (SERPs). In this article, we’ll explore how combining the daring of Harry with the wisdom of Dumbledore in your SEO and content marketing strategies can work wonders for your digital presence.

 

Understanding the Basics

 

What is SEO and Why It Matters

Imagine SEO as a masterful potion brewer in the dungeons of Hogwarts, meticulously mixing ingredients to conjure potions that elevate websites in Google’s grand library of search results. Just as a well-crafted potion can grant visibility or invisibility at Hogwarts, effective SEO can determine whether your website, keywords, and content get found online. Why does this matter? Because if you’re not on page one, you might as well be on page none.

Now, before you start envisioning SEO as some kind of mystical dark art performed by cloak-wearing wizards in dimly lit rooms, let’s demystify it. Sure, an SEO wizard might jokingly mutter “Accio” while optimizing your website, hoping for a magical boost in rankings. But in reality, great SEO is less about enchantments and more about smart strategies:

  • Understanding Google’s algorithms
  • Mastering keyword research
  • Creating high-quality content with a keyword focus
  • Performing website SEO optimization
  • Building domain authority through backlinking

The real magic lies in blending these elements to light up your website’s visibility, much like the “Lumos” spell lights up a dark corridor in a wizard’s castle. So, while there’s no actual wand-waving, the transformation your website undergoes with effective SEO techniques is nothing short of spellbinding.

The Synergy of SEO and Content Marketing

Complementary Strategies

SEO and content marketing can form a powerful combination.

  • SEO: Boosts visibility through strategic keyword placement, website optimization, and backlinking.
  • Content Marketing: Enriches visibility by engaging and retaining the audience with high-quality, relevant content.

This synergy not only drives traffic but also enhances user engagement, a key factor in SEO success.

Keyword Synchronization

 

Keywords in content marketing are akin to the carefully selected ingredients in a potion from the Hogwarts Apothecary. It’s not about haphazardly throwing in every magical herb and creature part you can find, but rather about artfully blending them into your content, much like a Hogwarts Potion Master crafting a perfect Polyjuice Potion. The right mix of keywords can charm Google’s algorithms, ensuring that your content casts a spell over the desired audience.

Technical SEO and Content Strategy

Technical SEO Foundations

Technical SEO optimizes your website’s backend elements to improve search engine rankings. This includes:

  • Crafting clear, descriptive URL names
  • Engaging and optimized page titles
  • Optimized meta descriptions that succinctly summarize page content
  • Using image-alt tags for improved SEO
  • Structuring content with logical headings that include keyword variations
  • Strategically incorporating keywords throughout the content

These components work together to enhance both the user experience and a website’s visibility to search engines.

Link Building and Content Authority

Link building is like a high school popularity contest, but in the digital world. The more reputable sites that backlink to your content, the cooler you are in the eyes of search engines. Relevant and authoritative backlinks are what build up authority and they are crucial for SEO success.


Realizing the Full Potential


Measuring Success

To see if your digital potion is working, you need to dive into the cauldron of analytics. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console are essential for understanding whether your SEO and content spells are enchanting the audience or if they need a bit more magic.


Real World Example

Consider a local roofing company that wants to create brand awareness, increase sales, and service a larger area. They started creating detailed blog posts about common roofing issues, maintenance tips, and the advantages of timely repairs. By implementing focused SEO strategies, such as keyword mapping, technical website SEO optimization, and authority building through backlinking they significantly increased their online visibility. This strategic approach not only boosted their ranking in search engine results but also attracted a broader range of homeowners in need of roofing services. The increase in inquiries and customer engagement demonstrated the impactful combination of targeted SEO and informative content for a service-based business.

Conclusion

So, there you have it – SEO and content marketing, the Harry Potter and Dumbledore of the digital world, ready to take your online presence from muggle to magician. Remember, in the world of digital marketing it’s better to take off the invisibility cloak. It’s time to step into the spotlight!

 

                             

 

 For further information, Michael Bellush may be reached at Michael@highmarkseo.com.

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Crafting the Bottom Line of a Blog Post

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Earlier this month in our Say It For You blog, we noted how the editors of Harvard Business Review’s Special Issue use “Idea in Brief” inserts or “callouts” to summarize the main concepts discussed in each feature length article…..A similar technique (I noticed in a later issue of the magazine) is “The Bottom Line”, in which an insert at the bottom of a long article summarizes the primary concept emphasized in the text.

Why might you want to summarize any article in the first place? Virginia Kearney of owlcation.com poses that question and then offers several answers:

  • to show how the author’s ideas support your own argument
  • to argue against the author’s ideas
  • to condense a lot of information into a small space
  • to increase your own understanding of the article

Back in 2008, I explained in a Say It For You post that blogs, unlike client newsletters or online magazine articles, tend to be shorter and more concise, adopting a more conversational tone than other forms of printed and online communication. In that sense (as I found myself explaining fifteen years later), each blog post might be considered an “Idea in Brief”.

Still, within each blog post itself, the closing line assumes the function of an “Idea in Brief” or a “The Bottom Line”. While it’s extremely important in blogging for business to have great titles and strong openers, each post needs a catchy, memorable ending line to sum up and emphasize the importance of the content “takeaway”.

All of Virginia Kearney’s “reasons” for summarizing an article apply here, with the closing: statement serving to reinforce your stance (either pro or con an argument), and to enhance readers’ understanding of the material.

Over the years, I’ve often referred to the opening line in blog content writing as “the conductor’s downbeat”. Using that analogy of a musical performance, while the blog post itself may take the function of a a “Bottom Line” or “Idea in Brief” insert, the closing line of each blog post itself represents the final “Ta-dah!” notes of your “symphony”.

To achieve maximum impact, carefully craft the bottom line of each blog post.

 

 

 

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