Most businesses know they need content, but not all content is created equal. It's easy to fall into the trap of writing blog posts, guides, or service pages that check boxes without ever truly connecting. The kind of content that drives traffic and engagement doesn't just explain things — it resonates. It doesn’t just inform — it builds trust and momentum. Especially in the world of web design and digital marketing, where solutions are often intangible and highly customized, creating the right kind of content demands a different way of thinking.
Through years of working with local businesses, startups, and solo founders — sometimes as a designer, sometimes as their marketing therapist — I've seen what works and what doesn’t. And more importantly, I’ve seen what businesses think is working when nothing’s actually moving the needle.
Before we get into tactics, we need to define what we’re aiming for. Effective content isn't just well-written. It has a job. And that job is usually one of three things:
The magic happens when your content hits all three at once. That might mean optimizing a blog for keyword-driven organic traffic, then making sure the tone, structure, and insight convince someone that you deeply understand their problem. If all that’s in place, they’ll reach out — even if you never “hard sell” them.
Most content strategy frameworks are built for product companies. But service providers — especially creatives like web designers or consultants — deal in trust more than transactions. So the audience journey isn’t simply awareness, consideration, decision. It might look more like:
If your content doesn’t support someone through all of that, you're missing opportunities. The mistake many agencies make is assuming people already know why a designer matters — or worse, that the prospect has already decided the kind of solution they need. But people don’t know what they don’t know… until someone shows them.
Your website’s service pages are one of the most underestimated places to apply content strategy. They’re often seen as purely informational. But a great service page is more than a menu.
It should inform, differentiate, and persuade — all while keeping SEO at the core. Here’s how:
Let’s say you offer Webflow development. Most service pages start with “We build powerful Webflow websites” and then jump into a feature dump. That’s like showing people a remodeled kitchen before they even know if the plumbing is broken.
In helping a fitness studio in Nashville build out their Local SEO page, we reframed the entire page from “We optimize your website for local SEO” to “Helping clients find you before they even know your name.” We explained the concept of intent-based searches, why Google My Business matters, and illustrated the page with real timeline examples from similar businesses. Result? They had their first 5 inbound leads within 3 weeks of launching the page.
Most people skim. If your service page is just a wall of text, you're losing people. Use:
This layered approach makes the page not only easier to digest, but easier to trust.
In 2024 (and now 2025), Google’s Search algorithms are smarter than ever. Generic content doesn’t cut it. Top-ranking posts often dive deeper, are better sourced, or simply more helpful.
Instead of publishing “Why Web Design Matters,” flip it. Try “How Rebuilding Her Website Doubled a Therapist’s Client Bookings in 4 Months.” Tell real stories, cite real results, and use blog content as a showcase of your process and thinking.
We wrote a 2,300-word post for a small electrician in Franklin, TN: “What Actually Impacts Your Electrical Quote?” It wasn’t just keyword optimized — it was strategy-optimized. The post included:
That post now accounts for 42% of their organic traffic. Better? People read it, trust it, and book consultations without ever shopping around.
When thinking about blog ideas, ask yourself:
Those three filters will keep you from churning out bland content that nobody's looking for. A blog post is a conversation. If it feels like you're talking to no one, you probably are.
Local content deserves its own section because it's often the fastest way to drive meaningful traffic for service providers. But many get it wrong. They think a generic "Web Design in My City" page will do the trick. Not anymore.
In working with a photographer here in Franklin, instead of writing a basic page about “Franklin portrait photography,” we created a guide: “The 5 Most Photogenic Spots in Franklin for Family Photos.” It ranked within weeks. More importantly, it positioned her as someone who knew the local community and could give advice, not just take pictures.
Local content that feels human and useful gets shared more — and Google notices.
Your best marketing is often what you’ve already done. But too many agencies drop a handful of screenshots into a portfolio and move on. That’s a waste.
When you write a case study, don’t just say what you did. Say why you did it, what assumptions you had to test, and where things pivoted. Clients find your competence in the clarity of your choices.
Example: I worked with a therapist transitioning from Psychology Today traffic to wanting her own branded Webflow site. In the case study, we didn’t focus on visuals. We focused on the deeper tension — she wanted to come across more modern and relatable but retain clinical professionalism. People in similar fields saw themselves in the story and reached out asking, “Can we do what you did for her?”
SEO tip: format these pages so they include strategic long-tail phrases and alt tags in image descriptions. They can rank over time too, especially when properly linked from blog posts.
Your website should become more than a pitch deck. It should become a brain. A place where your prospects go to think through their problems more clearly.
I often recommend clients build out a centralized “Resources” or “Learning” hub — not buried in a menu, but structured clearly as a part of the site. Think:
If you're a web designer, consider a post like “What Should You Actually Expect from a Website Designer?” Or something like “Hosting, Domains, and DNS: A No-Nonsense Guide for Non-Technical People.” That kind of content builds trust fast.
One of my clients ran a boutique branding studio and was constantly fielding the same 8 or 9 questions about deliverables, file types, and timelines. We created a “What to Know Before Working Together” guide and used it as part of their client onboarding email. It cut down project friction dramatically. Unexpected bonus: new leads said they read the whole thing before even booking a call.
The thread that ties all of this together is simple: people want to be understood. They don’t want to be pushed through a funnel or sold to with jargon. They want someone — a human, preferably — who will say, “I see where you are. I know what that feels like. Here’s how we might get you where you want to go.”
Whether it’s through a deeply helpful blog post, an intelligently structured service page, a locally-relevant landing page, or a thoughtful case study, content is your opportunity to earn trust before you ever speak to a lead. When done well, it feels less like marketing and more like guidance. Almost like therapy, but for business.
As someone who’s sat in that “marketing therapist” chair dozens (probably hundreds) of times, one thing I know for sure: the most valuable content starts by listening. Not broadcasting. When you center your content around the real psychology, behavior, and language of the people you want to serve — traffic and engagement stop being goals. They become natural byproducts.
Copyright © Zach Sean Web Design
