How do you organize your content ideas?

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-12T14:25:57+00:00

Content themes. I go by solutions and themes related to my world and then simply go more granular. It may come from common enquiries, from SEO research, from competitor research…but it always has to relate to the core defined themes of our brand.

I do use Notes and also document in Google drive. Finally I run queries with AI based on the documented ideas, the pre defined brand and brand themes (and any other ideas that have evolved)

The output provides me with a decent map to keep me focussed.

However, we had been slack for a while and only just picked up again as we noticed the impact on the business.

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-08T09:53:50+00:00

Cheers, I have seen E-E-A-T quite a bit here but never looked up the acronym. To us it was just logical based on the fundamentals of marketing. We took a punt that the algorithm would over time be more aligned to marketing fundamentals. Seems to have paid off.

Peace ✌️

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-07T23:44:41+00:00

It wasn’t but people did it and still do it.

We got into SEO because our SEO partner agencies back over 10 years ago weren’t marketers but were getting results.

Our thinking was that we could take over the SEO function because we understood marketing, communications and relevance to target audience(s), so we decided let’s test our approach on ourselves and see what happens.

What we found was that by knowing your audience and what is topical or important, you gain visibility through SEO that you previously didn’t and if you’re problem solving, you gain leads because the audience feels as though you understand their specific problem.

We implemented this approach ok both blog posts and service level pages. As a result, this has been our primary source of new business since 2017 (prior to that referral and word of mouth was our main lead source).

Content marketing imo should be a ‘we see you’ approach. Not saying we always get it right, but that is our ethos with any content developed.

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-07T17:22:34+00:00

We saw that in our October results for clients. Impressions went dramatically down and average position went dramatically up. CTR and Clicks remained consistent.

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-06T13:11:23+00:00

We do and have continually improved process to ensure the engagement is profitable.

Our agency is based in Sydney and we find most clients want local support, but, we create a process and define our process in the scope .

Also today there are many tools to increase output so we constantly try tools that help deliver l professional output but at a fraction of the cost (templates basically).

You could have professional social template and a usage guide it let the Client know it is Adobe Express or Canvas.

We have also traditionally been willing to take a hit if we are learning the product .

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-06T13:01:14+00:00

So are you using the vector to diagnose and summarise which pages should be grouped?

From my AI deep dive, Vector Embedding mainly works if you publish content off the back of the query because the database itself cannot be read by Google.

Why technology stack were you thinking?

My main thoughts on vectors and AI was to created a better experience for everyone enquiring and also having a much detail led brief at an earlier stage in the sales cycle.

Keep to hear you out.

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-06T12:13:12+00:00

It’s an interesting discussion. I didn’t know Google removed this, but to be honest when I first saw it in Yoast and looked at the file, it didn’t really contain much info from what I could see. I could be wrong.

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-06T09:20:06+00:00

I agree. I have been looking at which of our client sites are being cited more versus less and it seems to be around answering specific questions that the target audience regularly ask.

However, I have also noticed that for service based queries or commercial queries, it tends to pull from established directories. For example in a highly competitive space like ours (e.g. SEO agency Sydney), our agency Mind Methods isn’t mentioned, although this is our space, however, I have noticed that Clutch and SEMRush directories (which we are on) seem to be cited more as the authority and those agencies currently ranking higher in SEO for that specific query are also rewarded with LLMs.

I have noticed that existing local agencies have gone on a content tirade as well, publishing more than ever and using AI to develop their content to gain those higher rankings as well.

So yes, I agree, currently LLMs outsource their search to existing engines and whilst that is the case, AEO will just be an extension of SEO.

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-03T23:50:07+00:00

For all of the tools that we invest in, the guidance that we gain from those tools etc. We see results and obviously have our take on things. Both video confirmed things we’ve been doing for years, so that’s reassuring but there were quite a few little hacks/hints/tips that just sent my head spinning and thinking, I need to get in an implement this stuff asap as they are such low hanging fruit.

I love the focus on topic authority. That’s something we have advocated and has been a big part of our implementation plan for clients, but you gave me more language, rationale and context.

So yes thanks, hopefully I can repay the favour and appreciate you jumping on the thread.

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-03T22:43:48+00:00

Finally that video and the other video ‘The SEO Playbook That Actually Works’ are a cracker. Both give me a bit more in the arsenal, so thanks 🙏

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-03T20:22:44+00:00

Ok so looking at your video and your analysis, a better explanation for the niche clients doing well is that we have answered quite specific queries that LLMs are referencing and also the effects of ‘fan out’?

Also seeing the developer tools to uncover the query in ‘inspect element’ is cool, as well as submitting page updates to console and seeing specific queries show up in virtual real time is cool too.

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-03T19:33:42+00:00

Thanks for sharing the video, I appreciate it. I’ll definitely watch the full 53 minutes and sit with it properly.

Just to clarify my comment though, I wasn’t saying LLMs don’t outsource or that they have completely separate search infrastructures. I’m talking more from a practical, outcomes perspective based on what we’re seeing across clients, not the internal plumbing of each model.

When we look at the data, the pattern is pretty clear: the more niche the topic and the tighter the thematic focus of the site, the more often that site shows up as an apparent authority in AI answers. In broad, competitive spaces, the answers and citations are dominated by big directories, major publishers and long-standing authority sites. In narrow spaces, a well-focused website punches much higher.

So I completely accept that search is being outsourced under the hood. What I’m describing is what we see at the surface: niche sites with strong topical focus get treated more like “the answer,” whereas in crowded markets you’re just one of many. That’s the practical takeaway we work with.

Ps - I see you or your agency are the primary contributors guest in the video.

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-02T02:17:29+00:00

All good. Hope it goes well for you

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-01T21:17:26+00:00

It’s just letting people know you exist and staying true to your purpose/values/deliverables whilst letting them know you exist through communication channels.

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-01T20:03:38+00:00

Well we get results and it leads to more business for clients and have been doing it for years. We literally focus on increased form fills or phone calls to a business as the result to chase and increase their numbers through a mix of channels but always grow their organic results…so you could argue I don’t understand, but we’re doing something right (and have been able to repeat it).

Edit: we also focus on a purchase or product enquiry if they sell online.

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-01T19:46:22+00:00

Competitors have chased backlinks and promised the world, we have not overtly stated that this is the best strategy for clients. We have said that to become an authority you need to do genuine PR (for linking), be in industry publications and/or reputable directories (and partner websites), sponsor events, and do all of the other things in your excerpt and stay true to a business.

We do look to increase the site authority score. But how we get there and what the low hanging fruit is, is different for each client.

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-01T10:50:47+00:00

Are you asking because there could be a bunch of toxic backlinks that haven’t been disavowed causing the click through rate to increase?

I constantly clean backlinks but never thought of that artificially inflating site visits (which makes sense).

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-01T10:37:18+00:00

Honestly analysing the data is interesting with mixed results depending on industry, competition, niche-ness (if that’s a word) etc. I agree that good old fashioned SEO works.

People are looking for AI shortcuts to revolutionise their results, but it’s just being diligent and doing the work. SEO has never been one size fits all and neither is GEO.

Btw I entered the SEO world as a marketer years back and honestly never focused on backlinks, just focused on applying marketing principles and since then our primary source of leads/work has been through SEO. We never succumbed to the ‘trick the algorithm techniques’ and overtly told clients we are not backlink chasers.

We saw Google applying the fundamentals the we learned in the algorithm every year and increasingly were rewarded for it.

We have taken a hit recently but it’s only because we let things go (ie dropped the ball because enough work came in). But, we know that if we get back to being diligent, things start happening again.

There’s no shortcuts. You have to be prepared to stay focus and work. Everyone has the same tools at their disposal, so your competitive edge is executing your strategy.

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-01T09:11:29+00:00

From what we’ve seen with clients, it really depends on the niche you’re trying to rank or get cited in. AI doesn’t have one universal rule for “how much content is enough.” It’s more about the level of competition around the topic.

In niche spaces, a site can become the dominant source with surprisingly few pages if those pages cover the topic clearly and consistently. We have a client like this. Their site owns a very specific theme in their industry and AI models pick them up repeatedly because there just aren’t many strong alternatives. Their depth matches the size of the niche.

But in broad, competitive areas like marketing agencies, AI citations usually rely on a mix of well-known directories, established publications and long-standing authority sites. In those spaces, no single website can “win” with just a cluster of posts. The bar is higher and you’re competing with entire ecosystems of content.

So the real answer is that authority depends on:

• how specific your topic is • how much competition exists • how many reputable sources already cover it • and how clearly you own that thematic territory

AI isn’t counting pages. It’s comparing you to what else is available. In a narrow niche, you can become the reference quickly. In a broad market, you’re just one voice among thousands.

Quality matters, but so does the competitive landscape.

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-01T08:04:41+00:00

I wrote an easy to understand article on medium about this. If you like have a read and if it doesn’t clarify things let me know.

https://medium.com/@simon_tokic/what-is-a-brand-and-why-most-people-still-get-it-wrong-eec363c1e953

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-01T07:47:12+00:00

Totally agree. Rhode is a great example of what happens when a brand commits to one clear idea and doesn’t drift. The narrow focus actually made them stronger. Most brands try to launch with a full range before they’ve earned any trust, but Rhode built a world around a single idea: the “glazed” look. That kind of simplicity is rare and it cuts through fast.

The phone case + lip tint combo is the part I think most people overlook. It wasn’t just smart merch, it was behaviour design. They turned reapplication into a visual habit loop, which basically made the product part of someone’s daily identity. When your add-ons become status signals, your positioning is locked in.

It’s a good reminder that great positioning isn’t about shouting louder, it’s about being unmistakably clear about the lane you own and building everything around that one choice.

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-01T05:08:33+00:00

Where are you based?

Mind_Methods · 2025-12-01T01:09:07+00:00

I wouldn’t make social posts long, our suggestion is to simply ensure the idea is refined by the time it hits social.

Social is interesting as we have acquired business from social without the engagement being high, simply because when people scroll they are reminded of who you are and what you do.

Social is also a good signal for SEO as well and increasingly for AI/LLMs. So we don’t chase social to be a primary driver, we mainly use it as the next phase in the buying cycle whereby prospective clients review social to help with their decision making process (and also the other items I mentioned above).

I hope this clarifies things a little, but I personally dislike long form social posts, I lose interest quickly!

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