By now you must know that search isn’t simpler in 2026. Google’s integration of AI-generated summaries (above organic results) is the latest kick in the teeth for the content creation sector. Behind the smoke and mirrors, creating an SEO content strategy that actually works is still pretty simple – and we’ll show you how.
We’re going to unpack the principles of good SEO content and walk you through developing a practical approach to building an SEO content strategy that puts people first. We’ll show you how to incorporate data to create content that clicks and connects.
Start with people, not keywords
Content starts with keywords, right? Not in 2026. ChatGPT (and any AI writing assistant and tool) knows the main keywords, search terms and phrases. If you do what they do, you’ll fail.
This is because, if you begin with a keyword list, you’ll end up chasing what competitors already own.
Instead of clicking Keyword Planner (or even worse, firing up SEM Rush), we urge you to starts with people.
Really *think* about who are you trying to reach? What are they trying to do? Where do they get stuck?
We’re going back to the old school for old clients. We Interview customers, supporters, and service users. We take the time to read support inboxes and live chat transcripts. Through social media we can listen and learn from the language people use to describe problems.
This works for commercial companies, brands, businesses, public sector bodies, third sector leaders and charities. When your SEO content strategy is anchored in real needs and based on the thoughts and views of real people, you’re getting to the core of great content.
Even more fundamentally, you’re creating new and unique content with genuine value, not spending (or wasting) a fortune on more “me too” content.
Push pillars
As content professionals, we talk a lot about pillars, content architecture and so on. It’s all pretty simple if you change the way you think about your website.
Instead of a shop or information store, think of your site as a library. Your pillar pages are your shelves that organise things into broad categories. The individual articles, blogs, guides and so on are like books. They’re tightly focused resources that explore specific questions and scenarios.
To illustrate this point, let’s bring it to life with an example (and break you out of the dusty olf library).
A strong topic architecture for an information-led site might include:
- A pillar explaining the core topic in plain language, with clear definitions and context
- A set of in-depth articles that unpack subtopics (processes, methods, tools, case studies)
- A series of problem-led articles that mirror real user questions (“how do I…”, “what’s the difference between…”, “how to fix…”);
Bringing logic to all this is a series of internal links that make the relationships obvious and easy to navigate in both directions. These signals are as important to the users as they are to Google (and Bing, but nobody talks about Bing).
This informational architecture is vital and a core part of your strategy. You can do this visually, through a line diagram, or simply by using a Google Sheet (which is what we do). The logic behind it should be simple and obvious to anyone – including non specialists.
Decide what you’ll own (and what you won’t)
Ever had a client that wants to dominate every search term related to their industry? Those days are gone. Today, it’s all about finding a niche and owning it. The narrower and more defined, the better.
The truth is that you don’t need to publish everything on a topic. Instead, publish information on the parts where you can be the most helpful and credible.
Grab a piece of paper and list your potential themes and score them by:
- Audience need (how much it matters to your users)
- Organisational fit (where you have genuine expertise or evidence)
- Competitive landscape (can you realistically become the best answer?)
- Strategic value (how the topic supports services, campaigns, or products)
- Potential impact (will this make a material impact on customer acquisition, sales or the user experience)
You should only invest in creating content where there’s a demonstrable organisational need and where it will deliver an impact.
Match content format to user intent
The content you create must match the user intent. If you’re dealing with a complex topic, you’ll want an expert-authored, in-depth guide. If you’re talking a practical topic, a step-by-step, or ‘how-to’ guide is more appropriate. If you want to validate your brand, a case study can help.
Here are some of the types of content and how to use them:
- Explainers for foundations and terminology
- Guides for tasks and processes, with clear steps and outcomes
- Decision helpers for choices, with criteria and “choose this if…” guidance
- Case studies that show evidence and impact
- Resource hubs that curate the best internal and external links on a topic
You’ll want to ensure that your content hub has a broad range of content types. Nobody wants to wade through endless “how to” guides (trust me). Also, similar content types and structures suggest AI, so keep it varied, original and user-focused.
Write for humans, structure for search
Good writing isn’t defined by your colleague, boss or (god help us) an online writing tool. It’s defined by users.
The reality is that people will read and (more importantly) share and reference content that’s valuable. That’s what you’re aiming for.
We’re not going to explain what we thing “good” writing is. If you’re reading this far down, we must have got something right. We’ve developed and defined a style that works for us, and you should too.
Once you’ve done that, you’ll need to give your writing a structure search can understand:
- A direct H1 that answers the core question in plain English
- H2s that each align to a distinct sub-question or angle
- Short, purposeful paragraphs that build logically
- Descriptive internal links that set expectations (“read our guide to content testing”, not “click here”)
- A clear next step at the end, which is likely to be a related article, a download, a service page, or a support resource
Make originality non-negotiable
You can often spot AI content because it conforms to these rules rigidly. Sometimes, you’ll want to break them – but only if it benefits the reader. Even better than sticking to the rules is being original. Do that, and you’re already creating content in the 1%.
The aspiration must be to create and provide readers with something no one (or no other organisation) can credibly provide:
- Evidence from your own work (with permission and anonymisation where needed).
- Process detail that goes beyond the surface
- Honest and integrity
- Context for the UK where it matters: standards, regulations, funding routes, or service pathways.
If you can’t add unique value on a topic, then why publish? Seriously, if you have nothing to add, then find a new angle. Instead of thinking like an SEO expert, think like a magazine or newspaper angle that’s always looking for a fresh and original take.
Treat accessibility as non-negotiable
Accessible content benefits everyone, not just those with accessibility issues. Plain English, clear titles and all the technical stuff we’ve talked about here are essential.
Write in plain English, structure headings logically, describe images meaningfully, and make links descriptive. Ensure colour contrast and readable type on your site.
Even if you’re writing for a commercial company, try to align with WCAG guidance and GOV.UK’s content design principles where relevant.
Keep pages alive with purposeful updates
A page published in 2022 can still rank in 2025 — if it remains accurate, complete, and useful. Create a lightweight maintenance plan:
- Review priority pages every 6–12 months.
- Refresh statistics, examples, and screenshots when they date the content.
- Add new internal links from newer articles to older pillars (and vice versa)
- Consolidate thin or overlapping pages to concentrate signals and avoid cannibalisation
Treat each update as an editorial improvement, not a box-ticking exercise. If nothing substantive has changed, don’t add filler.
Measure outcomes, not just traffic
Data is what drives us all really. Buy instead of vanity metrics (that your SEO agency and digital marketing suppliers love), define success in terms that reflect your goals.
For businesses, that might be quality leads that reference a specific guide, increased demo requests from comparison pages, or reduced sales-cycle time because prospects arrive educated. For charities, it could be more people reaching support pages, increased registrations for services, or donations attributed to content journeys.
As well as the quantitative stuff, try and connect with customers, users and readers to get their feedback. You can use social listening techniques (through social media, customer call logs and more) to understand the real thoughts, feelings and views of your readers.
Use everything – the numbers, the feedback and the negatives – to continually improve your content. That’s what the best organisations and individuals do.
Build positive habits and embed them in your business
Your business, marketing team and writers will only succeed if you build positive habits and embed them in your business. Here are a few tips to achieve this:
- Involve content early in product, service, and campaign planning so you’re shaping the work, not just writing it up
- Get the team involved in coming up with new ideas and ensure every idea gets a fair hearing
- When it comes to authored content, authenticity is more important than spelling and grammar accuracy (although you shouldn’t push this too far)
- Share audience insights across teams so everyone understands the real questions users bring
Keep a flexible editorial calendar focused on topics and outcomes, not just publish dates - React to what’s happening in the world with content, news, views and insights
- Always innovate by running small, regular experiments on content types and styles and keep what works
We know that when content is everyone’s responsibility, it becomes easier to maintain quality. Getting the wider team involved will ensure your content doesn’t drift too much into listicles, how-to guides and generic junk content.
Building a content strategy that connects
A 2026-ready SEO content strategy is simple to describe and hard to build. AI tools sell the illusion of creativity, but it’ll cost you more than it gives you. The world needs no more generic content, we want stuff with authenticity, insight and value. Aim for that and you’ll succeed.
Or, to coin a phrase: Thinking like a reader and writing like a human is the best way to create human connections.
Want someone else to do all this for you? Contact 42group, the UK’s leading independent content agency.
