essays

Original writing on the current state of digital content, including SEO, UX, social media, legacy media, software, independent publishers, AR, VR, emerging tech, and everything in between.

Latest stories

170 posts

Search & Discovery

How do keyword research tools generate their data?

How do Google's keyword planner and other keyword research tools generate their data? Here's what I've learned in the past decade of SEO research.

Analytics

Prove your content's value! Measuring pillar performance

Now that you've built your content pillars, here's how to measure them. Hint: it's not audience size.

The Business of Content

The content professional's guide to choosing software

Start with your needs and move forward: Choose your content software stack like a pro.

The present is blinding enough

Spray-painted in the middle of the street, the demands of the protestors of George Floyd Square.

2021 reflections and 2022 resolutions

Analytics

How to use algorithmic and audience data to build content pillars

Content pillars make incorporating audience data manageable for long-term organic growth. Read on for how and where to find that data.

Content Strategy

Content pillars: The next evolution of impactful branded content strategy

If you're looking to build audience, brand and a better case for digital content, you may want to adopt a strategy based on content pillars.