Let’s be honest: most businesses don’t set out to create content just for the sake of being creative. They’re building content because they believe it can drive traffic, generate leads, and position them as experts in their space. And if you’re like many of the business owners I talk to—whether you’re launching a new venture or rethinking your current web presence—the phrase “content strategy” feels like yet another item on an already crowded to-do list.
But when you zoom out, you’ll start to see something bigger. The best content doesn’t just speak—it speaks to someone. It meets them where they are, helps them solve something, and builds trust over time. Whether you’re publishing blog posts, guides, or FAQ pages, the goal is always the same: to create content that attracts the right people and keeps them coming back. Creating that kind of content—content that drives both traffic and engagement—starts with a different way of thinking.
I’ve seen it more times than I can count: a business launches a shiny new website with a few placeholder blog posts, a generic “About” page, and a homepage sprinkled with buzzwords. Then... nothing. No traffic. No engagement. Just digital crickets.
This isn't just a problem of content quantity—it's a problem of content intent. A lot of businesses create content because they know they should, not because they understand what their audience is actually looking for. They’ll write a blog post titled “5 Reasons to Hire a Web Designer” without realizing their audience is probably Googling “how much should a small business website cost?”
The core issue here is misalignment between what you put out there and what people are actively searching for. That gap creates missed opportunities, lower search rankings, and dead-end webpages that never yield a return.
A quick example: Let’s say you specialize in building custom Webflow websites, but your blog only talks about your latest portfolio piece. That’s fine for validation, but it doesn’t capture the search intent of a business owner typing “best custom Webflow designer near me.” Matching your content to that intent would mean writing something like “Custom Webflow vs. Template Sites: What Small Business Owners Should Know.”
Successful content is built where intent and value overlap. That might mean educational guides, pricing walk-throughs, or comparisons. Your job isn’t to sell with every word—it’s to help your reader answer a question they were already asking.
Before you type your first word, it’s crucial to define exactly who your audience is. And I don’t mean in a generic demographic-spreadsheet sense—I mean really understanding who they are, what stresses them out, how they make decisions, and what role your service plays in their life.
One helpful exercise I use with clients is the creation of a “utility avatar,” or a hyper-specific profile of your best-case client. Let’s say it's a 38-year-old yoga studio owner named Caroline who’s been burned by a DIY Squarespace attempt and feels embarrassed by her site. She’s looking for both functionality and an empathetic guide. Sounds simple, but now every blog post, case study, and FAQ can be framed around Caroline's needs.
Once you define the real person behind the pageview, you begin to write for a human, not an algorithm.
In my experience, most of the clients I work with aren't scared of technology—they're scared of making the wrong investment. Your blog content should reassure, not overwhelm. Writing a jargon-heavy post on backend performance issues won't help your target reader understand anything more clearly. But breaking it down in real-world language might.
For example, instead of saying, “Our Webflow builds incorporate CMS collections for repeatable content structures,” try: “We design systems that let you update your team bios or add new project portfolios without needing to touch code.” That’s a meaningful promise.
People often ask me, “What kind of content should we be creating?” And honestly, there’s no fixed recipe. But what I’ve learned by working with dozens of business owners—from local retailers to SaaS startups—is that certain types of content consistently deliver traffic and engagement when they’re done with intention.
Think of these as your authoritative deep dives—like “The Complete Guide to Hiring a Web Designer.” They’re not just great for search rankings (because of long-tail keyword depth), they also signal to Google that your site is a credible source of information.
I wrote a 2,500-word Webflow vs. WordPress comparison piece for a previous client, which targeted a specific cluster of questions. After publishing, we saw organic traffic increase by 129% within three months, with visitors spending over 4 minutes on average.
This content type goes straight to the issue. Titles like “Why Your Website Isn’t Generating Leads (And How to Fix It)” resonate because they name the frustration your clients already feel—but might not be able to express.
One of my early SEO clients, a local HVAC service, wrote a post titled “We’re Getting Clicks But No Calls: Here's Why.” It directly answered what 80% of their leads were complaining about. That one article brought in 30+ inquiries over a two-month span.
Clients don’t just hire skill—they hire certainty. When you show them how the sausage gets made, skepticism drops. If you offer Webflow design, walk through your client onboarding or page prototyping process. Add screen recordings or mockups to visualize it.
One of my personal favorite examples is a project breakdown I did for a luxury spa client. We turned it into a story of how clarity in messaging increased their bookings by 50%—and shared mockups of the iterations along the way. It doesn’t just show skill. It builds trust.
There’s this false choice idea floating around that you have to either write for SEO or write for people—and that’s honestly a myth. The best-performing content does both. It uses keyword insights to guide structure, and empathy to guide language.
Let’s take a phrase like “Webflow consultant Nashville.” Instead of stuffing that phrase awkwardly into every other sentence, you can build a piece of content around the specific scenario behind that query. Example: “Why Nashville Startups Are Switching to Webflow (and What to Look for in a Consultant).”
Use a tool like Answer the Public or Ubersuggest to discover the most common phrasing around that topic. These searches offer a literal roadmap of how people think about your service, in their own language.
Google’s algorithm evolves constantly. Instead of cramming keywords, use smart on-page strategies:
But the most important SEO signal over time? Engagement. If people spend time reading your content and don't immediately bounce, Google learns to trust you.
Design isn’t just for web pages—it applies to content too. No one wants to scroll through dense blocks of copy. Instead, they want clarity, simplicity, and hierarchy. That’s why format matters.
Think about how you scan a restaurant menu. Your eyes naturally go to the bolded dish names and highlighted specials. Apply that same principle:
We once redesigned a blog for a real estate firm by introducing visual modules into each post: key points, pro tips, and homeowner Q&As. Bounce rate dropped by 41% in the first month.
Your tone is a feature, not a bug. If you talk like a human, people will read you like one. I often think of blog content like a conversation in a coffee shop—you can be knowledgeable without lecturing.
Example? Instead of:
“Search engine optimization is a critical factor for digital marketing success.”
Try:
“If your website isn’t showing up on Google, it’s a bit like opening a bakery on the edge of town without a sign. Good SEO is your sign.”
Make it visual. Make it real.
Creating the post is only half the work. The next half is extending its life. That’s where a lot of well-meaning businesses drop the ball—especially after the initial post-publish buzz dies down.
Every 6 to 12 months, run an audit on your top-performing posts. Is the information still accurate? Are there new stats or screenshots you could add? Could internal links be updated to newer projects?
One of my Webflow optimization guides started tanking in rankings after a year. We updated the screenshots to reflect the 2024 UI, added a new section on page speed tools, and it bounced back within 3 weeks of republishing.
You can recycle long-form content into bite-sized posts for LinkedIn, FAQs for your website, or email sequences. A single 2,000-word evergreen post could become:
This multiplies your ROI on each post, without starting from scratch every time.
At the end of the day, people don’t need content that brags about how great your service is. They need content that helps them become more confident, clear-headed, and empowered to take their next step. The most successful content makes them the hero—and positions you as the expert guide.
That means writing with real empathy. Structuring with real intention. And publishing with real consistency. Whether it's a two-paragraph blog on local SEO strategies or a full-blown Webflow tutorial, your content should always answer the question: "Does this solve something real for someone real?"
Do that—and your website becomes more than a brochure. It becomes a lighthouse in a foggy space. People find it, stay with it, and trust it. And that’s the kind of content worth creating.
Copyright © Zach Sean Web Design
