SEO content writing · Buyer's guides · Evergreen
SEO content that ranks and gets cited.
Guides and articles written to answer a real question properly, then structured so search engines and AI answer engines can find the answer and name the source. The aim is a page that still ranks and still brings enquiries years after publication, not one that satisfies a keyword tool for a month.
Written for the reader, structured for search
Most SEO content underperforms because it is written for a keyword rather than for the person searching. It answers the query in the first line, then repeats the point for another thousand words to appear thorough. Google has become better at identifying that pattern, and AI search never rewarded it.
I write in the opposite order. First establish what the reader is trying to decide, then give a direct answer, show the reasoning, and structure the page so a search engine or a language model can extract the answer cleanly. The FMB's guide to triple glazing, for example, states early on that most homeowners should choose triple glazing when their windows are next due for replacement, and then explains the costs and savings behind that recommendation.
What's in every brief
- The target query, secondary queries and the questions people ask around them
- Search intent, and what the current top results do well and badly
- Title, H1, headings, meta description and internal links
- Answer-first paragraphs, definitions and figures that featured snippets and AI Overviews can extract
- Schema recommendations (FAQ, HowTo, Product) where they will help
Where it has worked
Windows, doors, solar panels, heat pumps and renewables for the Independent Advisor and the Federation of Master Builders, in guides of 2,000 to 3,500 words with sourced costs and clear recommendations. Nature and wildlife for Birdfact, where more than 400 pieces from 2021 onwards still rank and helped take a new domain to hundreds of thousands of readers a month (case study). Cycling, DIY, interiors, accountancy and plumbing for smaller sites that grew to six-figure monthly readerships.
There's little doubt that your next set of windows should be triple glazed; it's just a question of timing.
"Triple glazed windows: are they worth it?", Federation of Master Builders
- FMBTriple glazed windows: are they worth it?Guide
- FMBHow much electricity does a solar panel produce?Guide
- FMBCost to double glaze a 3-bed houseGuide
- FMBA guide to solar invertersGuide
- BirdfactInside a penguin's mouthEvergreen
- BirdfactCrow symbolism: a complete guideEvergreen
- BirdfactOwls in the UKEvergreen
The 2026 version of SEO
Rank on page one and be named in the answer
Zero-click search is growing, and an AI Overview cites five or six sources where a featured snippet picked one. The pages that win both are the same: specific, sourced, structured and useful.
How AI search optimisation works →Questions people ask
Questions about SEO content
Is SEO content still worth it now that AI answers questions?
Yes, with a change of emphasis. AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity cite pages that answer a question clearly with specific, sourced facts. Well-written SEO content meets that description, so the same page can rank and be cited. Thin content written for keywords alone does neither.
Do you do keyword research?
Yes. I work from your keyword data if you have it, or build a cluster from scratch using Ahrefs, Search Console and the questions people ask. Every brief comes with a target query, the questions it has to answer, and the pages it should link to.
How long does SEO content take to rank?
For a site with some authority, weeks to a few months for mid-competition queries. Evergreen guides keep gaining for years. Several of my nature and home improvement guides still draw large audiences long after publication.
Do you use AI to write?
I use AI tools for research triage and outlining where they help, and not to write the draft. Readers can tell, Google increasingly can, and the pieces that rank and get cited are the ones with original research and a clear point of view.
Can you refresh existing content?
Yes, and it is often the quickest improvement available. I audit what is losing position, update the facts and figures, restructure the page so answers are easy to extract, and tighten the writing. Refreshes are priced per page.