HubSpot\u2014the company that pioneered the \u201dinbound marketing via blogging\u201d approach\u2014had 24.4 million monthly organic visits in March 2023. By January 2025, that number dropped to just 6.1 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u4e00\u5e74\u591a\uff0c\u8dcc\u4e8680%\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ironically, they were creating content exactly as they taught others to do: find keywords, write \u201dWhat is X\u201d articles, include definitions, pros and cons, classifications, FAQs\u2026 the standard SEO article template.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If even the pioneers of this approach have stumbled, should you continue using the same formula?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This article will tell you three things: what a \u201dtemplate-style SEO article\u201d is, why Google is moving away from it, and how you should write content now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A template-style SEO article follows a fixed formula:Definition + Pros & Cons + Types\/Classifications + FAQ<\/strong>\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n Open any search result for \u201dWhat is XX,\u201d and you'll find most articles look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This formula used to be highly effective. From 2015 to 2022, simply writing in this structure could land your article on Google's first page. The reason was simple: back then, Google primarily looked at keyword coverage. If your article covered subtopics like \u201ddefinition,\u201d \u201dbenefits,\u201d and \u201dtypes,\u201d Google considered your content comprehensive and ranked it accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the rules have changed. Google no longer asks, \u201dHow many keywords does this article cover?\u201d but rather, \u201dDoes this article genuinely help the reader?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n HubSpot isn't just any company. They invented the concept of \u201dcontent marketing\u201d and wrote countless tutorials teaching others how to create SEO content. The entire industry followed their lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then they stumbled themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u6839\u636eTaktical\u7684\u5206\u6790\uff0cHubSpot\u7684\u6d41\u91cf\u4ece2023\u5e743\u6708\u76842440\u4e07\u8dcc\u52302025\u5e741\u6708\u7684610\u4e07\uff0c\u8dcc\u5e45\u8fbe\u523081%\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n What went wrong? They wrote too many \u201dtraffic articles\u201d unrelated to their core business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example: HubSpot is a marketing software company, but they wrote an article on \u201dHow to Type the Shrug Emoji.\u201d This article brought in over 200,000 visits per month. However, those visitors were unlikely to buy their software\u2014they just wanted to copy an emoji.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Google explicitly stated in its March 2024 update that it would penalize content that deviates from a website's core area of expertise. HubSpot's articles like \u201dWhat is the shrug emoji,\u201d \u201dresignation letter templates,\u201d and \u201dfamous quotes\u201d were all demoted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lesson here isn't simply \u201ddon't write such articles,\u201d but a more fundamental issue:Content written solely for traffic will eventually lose even that traffic.<\/strong>\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n The decline of template-style SEO articles is due to three overlapping reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, Google's algorithm changed.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In late 2022, Google added an \"E\"\u2014Experience\u2014before E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). The implication: having professional knowledge isn't enough; you also need genuine usage or practical experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An article on \u201dHow to Prepare for a Marathon\u201d written by someone who has never run a marathon versus one written by someone who has run 10 marathons\u2014Google now prioritizes the latter. This is a fatal blow to template-style articles because their hallmark is that \u201danyone can write them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, user behavior changed.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 2024\u5e74\uff0cReddit\u5728Google\u7684\u53ef\u89c1\u5ea6\u66b4\u6da8\u4e86400%\u3002\u4e3a\u4ec0\u4e48\uff1f\u56e0\u4e3a\u7528\u6237\u5f00\u59cb\u5728\u641c\u7d22\u8bcd\u540e\u9762\u52a0\u4e0a\u201dReddit\u201d\u6765\u8fc7\u6ee4\u6389SEO\u6587\u7ae0\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n What does this mean? Users are tired of content that \u201dall looks the same.\u201d They'd rather go to forums to see real discussions than read another standard \u201dWhat is XX\u201d article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Third, the middle ground has disappeared.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is what I consider the most critical change: AI can produce basic informational content faster and cheaper than you can. Meanwhile, if users want in-depth content, they go directly to industry experts or niche communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cContent in the \u201dmiddle ground\"\u2014not deep enough, lacking unique perspectives, yet not concise enough\u2014is being squeezed from both sides. Either strive for extreme expertise, or don't do it at all. There is no middle option anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of guessing, use these three questions to evaluate your recent articles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Test 1: If you remove the brand name, can you still tell who wrote it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Place your article alongside a competitor's, hide the brand names. If readers can't tell which is which, your content is too templated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Good content should have a \u201dfingerprint\u201d\u2014perhaps a unique perspective, real case studies, or a distinct writing style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Test 2: Are you writing \u201dHow to do X\u201d or \u201dHow we do X\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow to do X\u201d is generic, textbook-style advice. \u201dHow we do X\u201d is sharing based on real experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not every article needs to be a case study, but you must ask yourself: Is there any part of this content that only I could write?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Test 3: Does this article solve a specific problem, or does it cover a topic?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA Guide to Social Media Marketing\u201d covers a topic. \u201dThe Best Time to Post on LinkedIn (Based on Our 3 Months of Testing Data)\u201d solves a specific problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having discussed the problems, here is the solution. This is a 5-step framework you can start using today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of writing \u201dBeginner's Guide to SEO,\u201d write \u201dSEO for Independent E-commerce Sellers (Zero-Budget Edition).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The narrower your audience, the more specific the value you can provide. \u201dEveryone\u201d is not a target reader\u2014because \u201deveryone's\u201d problems are too broad, and your answers can only be generic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don't just write \u201dwhat should be done\u201d; write \u201dhow we actually do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u6bd4\u5982\uff0c\u4e0d\u8981\u5199\u201d\u5982\u4f55\u63d0\u9ad8\u90ae\u4ef6\u6253\u5f00\u7387\u201d\uff0c\u5199\u201d\u6211\u4eec\u628a\u90ae\u4ef6\u6253\u5f00\u7387\u4ece15%\u63d0\u9ad8\u523032%\u76843\u4e2a\u6539\u52a8\u201d\u3002\u540e\u8005\u6709\u5177\u4f53\u7684\u8d77\u70b9\u3001\u7ec8\u70b9\u548c\u65b9\u6cd5\uff0c\u8bfb\u8005\u80fd\u76f4\u63a5\u53c2\u8003\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if you don't have your own data, you can cite real case studies from others\u2014the key is to have evidence that \u201dreal people have done this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A common flaw of template-style articles is \u201dnot offending either side.\u201d List three pros, three cons, and conclude with \u201dit depends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Readers don't need this kind of balanced reporting. They need you to tell them:What would you choose? And why?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Articles with a perspective have value. Even if readers disagree, they at least know you've thought it through seriously, rather than just compiling information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One article should solve one problem. Don't try to answer all related questions in a single piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow to Choose a CRM\u201d is a topic. \u201dWhich CRM for Teams Under 10 People with No Dedicated Sales Staff?\u201d is a specific question. The latter is harder to write, but its value to the target reader is ten times higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Word count is not a KPI. If an idea can be explained in 50 words, don\u2019t stretch it to 200. Google values quality over quantity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Review each paragraph: If the article remains complete without it, delete it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t wait until your next article to start making changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Open your most recently published article and review it using the three criteria above. Identify the most obvious issue and fix it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Improving one article is more valuable than reading ten tutorials on \u201dhow to write better content.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" HubSpot\u2014the company that pioneered the \u201dinbound marketing through blogging\u201d approach\u2014had 24.4 million monthly organic visits in March 2023 [\u2026]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-seo"],"blocksy_meta":[],"modified_by":"zmd88259886@gmail.com","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitnovice.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitnovice.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitnovice.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitnovice.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitnovice.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=516"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fitnovice.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/516\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fitnovice.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitnovice.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fitnovice.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
HubSpot's Lesson: The Pioneer Stumbled by Its Own Playbook<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why did this formula suddenly stop working?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Is Your Content Falling into These Traps? 3 Diagnostic Criteria<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Write Truly Valuable Content? A 5-Step Action Framework<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Narrow Down, Don't Expand<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 2: Shift from \u201dHow to\u201d to \u201dHow we\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 3: Incorporate Your Genuine Perspective<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 4: Answer a Specific Question, Don't Cover a Topic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 5: Cut, Don't Pile On<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Next Step: Do One Thing Today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n