I worked on a blog recently that was a textbook example of too many cooks in the kitchen.

The marketing team wanted a quick answer section at the top. The sales team wanted case studies and for more product features to be woven into the article. The product team wanted unique hot takes from the developer. Someone else insisted on only question-based headings “for AEO”. 

And of course, there was a complicated AI workflow involved to tie it all together.

Surprise surprise, the final output was absolutely sh*te.

I know what you are thinking. 

“But Holly! Those things are all important!” 

Yeah, yeah, those things can all be important individually. 

A quick answer helps readers. Case studies provide proof. Unique perspectives set you apart. Question-based headings improve SEO. And yes, you can use AI to streamline the process. 

So why did combining all of them result in something that felt bloated, unfocused, and not worth reading?

Because we forgot to ask the most important question: Is this actually good?

Is this really, truly something that you would read? That you would find value in? That you would share with a friend with the message, ‘Wow, you have to read this’?

I’m not expecting the works of Shakespeare on every corporate blog. But if your eyes glaze over at dramatic AI-generated slop, that’s a bit of a hint that your customers will, too. 

Yes, these SEO elements are important and they’re used for a reason. 

But writing great content isn’t about cramming it into a checklist / repeatable workflow that can churn out rubbish at scale. 

The best SEO strategy is to write something so good that people want to read it. 

Write something so useful that people want to share it. 

Write something so clear that Google understands it immediately.

So strip it back, stop trying all the latest AEO hacks your favourite YouTuber swears by (hint: They haven’t got a clue) and just write some great stuff. Use AI to do it, if you want. But make sure that you prioritise the GOOD over the complicated.

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