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The 10-Step Content Plan

Winging it
isn't a strategy.

These ten steps form the backbone of every content strategy we build. We walk through each one with you — whether we're building from scratch or refining what you already have.

01
Plan

Set SMART Goals

Your content marketing goals guide everything. They should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely — tied directly to business outcomes, not vanity metrics.

Ask yourself: Where can you realistically compete? What keywords are within reach? What does success look like for each content piece? The answers shape your entire strategy.

SMART GOALS FRAMEWORKSPECIFICWhat exactly?MEASURABLEHow to track?ACHIEVABLERealistic scopeRELEVANTTied to goalsTIMELYDeadlineExample GoalsIncrease organic traffic by 10% monthlyGrow email subscriptions by 5% per monthBuild topical authority for 3 keyword clustersGenerate 20 qualified leads from blog content in Q2Achieve 3 AI brand citations within 90 days
02
Plan

Research Your Audience

Understanding who reads your content, what problems they face, where they consume content, and what drives engagement is essential. Without this, you're creating content for nobody in particular.

We develop buyer personas for each audience segment — combining quantitative data (surveys, analytics) with qualitative insight (interviews, support conversations) to build a clear picture of who you're speaking to.

BEST PERFORMING TOPICS small business marketing tips Low-hanging fruit Keyword Volume KD Intent marketing tips for small business 4,200 32 I content strategy consulting 2,900 58 C seo audit for small business 1,800 24 I Title ideas for this topic ✦ Generate article
03
Plan

Conduct Keyword Research

We identify the search terms your audience actually uses and align them with your SMART goals — prioritizing realistic opportunity over vanity volume. High search volume means nothing if you can't compete for it.

For businesses just starting out, we focus on lower-difficulty keywords with strong conversion potential. For established brands, we target competitive terms where you already have some authority to build on.

KEYWORD OPPORTUNITIES KEYWORD VOLUME DIFFICULTY INTENT content marketing strategy 6,600 70% I seo audit for small business 2,400 38% C ai search optimization 1,900 45% I how to rank on google 2026 4,100 78% I content strategy consulting 880 28% T Intent: I Informational C Commercial T Transactional N Navigational Difficulty: Easy Medium Hard 247 keyword opportunities identified →
04
Plan

Brainstorm Content Ideas

This is where creativity meets data. We bring together input from across your team — sales, customer support, operations — and validate every idea against keyword data and topic research tools.

The best content ideas often come from the questions your sales team keeps hearing, the support issues customers raise, and the gaps you spot in what competitors are covering. We capture all of it, then prioritize based on search viability and business impact.

Content Strategy SEO for small business AI search visibility Social strategy Content marketing Link building 5 topic clusters identified → Top Keywords Keyword Intent Traffic I N 276.3K I 226.1K C 148.7K T 94.2K Topic Efficiency High efficiency — easy to rank Search Volume 22.2K monthly searches
05
Build

Determine Your Channels

Not every platform deserves your time. We identify where your audience actually engages — whether it's LinkedIn, Instagram, email, industry forums, or something else entirely — and focus your energy there.

This means studying where your competitors get the most engagement, reviewing your own analytics to see which channels perform, and matching content formats to each platform's strengths.

📄 Article 🔄 Repurpose 📧 Email 📘 Facebook 📸 Instagram 💼 LinkedIn ✖ X ▶️ YouTube 🏢 Google Business Channel Priority LinkedIn — 86% engagement Instagram — 71% engagement Email — 42% open rate Facebook — 31% reach
06
Build

Map Content to Funnel Stages

Different content serves different purposes. We organize everything by awareness (top of funnel), consideration (middle), decision (bottom), and post-purchase — so you're meeting people wherever they are in their journey.

Top-of-funnel content attracts with guides and videos. Middle-funnel content builds trust with case studies and comparisons. Bottom-funnel content converts with pricing pages and demos. Post-purchase content retains with how-to guides and troubleshooting.

CONTENT FUNNEL MAPPING TOP OF FUNNEL Blog posts, infographics, how-to guides, videos MIDDLE OF FUNNEL Case studies, whitepapers, webinars, reviews BOTTOM OF FUNNEL Pricing pages, free trials, demos, booking POST-PURCHASE Troubleshooting, how-to, feature guides, FAQs AWARENESS CONSIDERATION DECISION POST- PURCHASE
07
Build

Build an Editorial Calendar

An editorial calendar centralizes your entire content strategy in one place — topics, assignments, publish dates, channels, and distribution plans. No more chaos, no more "what should we post today?"

We organize by funnel stage, content type, keyword target, writer assignment, editor assignment, status, supporting assets needed, publish date, and distribution strategy. Everything lives in one actionable document.

Monday IG 10:00 AM New blog post launch! 241 FB 5:00 PM SEO tips carousel in 9:00 AM Thought leadership article Tuesday IG 10:00 AM Check out our new guide in 5:00 PM AI search insights IG 9:00 PM Check out the reviews
08
Build

Write & Create Content

If you've done steps 1–7 right, writing becomes the easy part. Every piece has a clear audience, keyword target, funnel stage, and purpose. We focus on making content practical, actionable, and genuinely useful.

Our content principles

Write to the reader using "you" and "your." Focus on pain points. Make tips practical and actionable. Use simple language, not jargon. Include stories to hook the reader. Integrate keywords naturally. Optimize for SEO after writing — never before.

Best Content Strategy Tips ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Content Score: 92 ✓ SEO optimized ✓ AI search ready Readability: Grade 8 — Excellent SEO & AI search-ready Keywords optimized Readability score Content structure Meta tags complete Internal links added ✦ Publish ⚙ View tips
09
Grow

Distribute & Promote

Publishing is only the beginning. Great content deserves ongoing promotion — across social media, email, forums, guest posts, and communities where your audience already spends time.

We repurpose subheadings into bite-sized social content, turn secondary keywords into guest posts for high-authority sites, create short video interviews from expert features, and stay active in Reddit communities and industry forums where your audience looks for answers.

EDITORIAL CALENDAR — MARCH 2026MONTUEWEDTHUFRIBlog: SEO TipsSocial: IG ReelEmail: NewsletterBlog: AI SearchCase StudySocial: LinkedInLanding PageBlog/SEOSocialEmail/Landing
10
Grow

Measure & Refine

The metrics you track are based on your SMART goals. We monitor organic traffic growth, keyword rankings, engagement rates, content conversions, AI brand mentions, and cited pages — then use that data to continuously adjust your strategy.

This isn't a one-time report. It's an ongoing cycle of measurement, learning, and refinement that keeps your content strategy aligned with what's actually working.

MONTHLY PERFORMANCE DASHBOARD ORGANIC TRAFFIC 14.2K ↑23% KEYWORDS TOP 10 47 ↑12 new AI MENTIONS 8 ↑5 this month CONVERSIONS 34 ↑18% Traffic Trend (6 months) Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr Organic Referral

Ready for a content plan that actually works?

Schedule a strategy session and we'll walk through how these steps apply to your business.

Let's Explore What's Possible