Content Strategy in the Age of AI: What’s Still Worth Doing?

Content Strategy: What’s Still Worth Doing?

Google search is changing fast. AI-generated overviews, featured snippets, and zero-click results mean your content isn’t just competing with other businesses anymore, it’s competing with Google itself.

With “AI Mode” rolling out in search results, users often get instant answers without ever visiting a site.

So what’s still worth doing when it comes to content? And how do you stay visible in this new search landscape? Let’s break it down.

 

Keyword Research vs. Topical (and Domain) Authority

Traditional keyword research (finding high-volume terms and creating content to match) still has its place. But Google’s AI is increasingly looking at the bigger picture: does your whole site demonstrate deep expertise and trustworthiness?

This is where topical authority meets domain authority. Topical authority stems from creating a comprehensive, interconnected body of content that thoroughly covers a subject. Domain authority is about getting credible third parties to vouch for you through backlinks, mentions, or citations. Both are important.

Still worth doing? Yes, but shift your focus:

Use keyword research to understand what your audience is searching for, but aim to own the topic, not just individual keywords.

Build domain authority by publishing guest articles, securing media coverage, getting listed in trusted directories, and earning backlinks from respected sources.

Remember: it’s not just what’s on your site; it’s who’s backing you up.

 

How to Create Authoritative Content

In the age of AI search, the authority of your content matters more than ever. Google’s algorithms are designed to surface content that’s not just relevant, but is also trustworthy and valuable.

Here’s how to create content that earns that trust:

  • Back up your claims and link to authoritative sources: government sites, industry bodies, and well-known experts.
  • Show your credentials. Make it clear why you’re qualified to speak on the topic, whether that’s through author bios, case studies, or data from your own business.
  • Cover topics thoroughly. AI overviews do a good job of summarising simple answers. Your content needs to go deeper, so you have to provide context, detail, practical tools, and next steps.
  • Keep it up to date. Outdated content hurts your authority. Review and refresh your key pages on a regular basis.

The goal? Be the source that Google’s AI draws from, not the one it replaces.

 

Should You Still Blog? (Short answer: yes, but smarter)

A blog is still a powerful tool, but how you use it matters more than ever.

With AI overviews now appearing at the top of search results, plain text content is often summarised before users even click through. That means you need to think beyond words on a page.

Ask: What can we create that’s so useful and functional that Google’s AI wants to surface it, and users want to engage with it?

 

This is where Product-Led SEO comes in.

Eli Schwartz is one of the global authorities on product-led SEO.

Eli Schwartz is the author of Product-Led SEO and has helped major brands like WordPress, Quora, Zendesk, and Shutterstock grow their organic visibility on a global scale through innovative SEO strategies. ( https://www.elischwartz.co/book )

Product-Led SEO is all about building functionality and experiences that attract organic traffic, not just filling pages with words. Instead of relying on tactics like keyword stuffing or chasing backlinks, this approach focuses on creating tools, features, and interactive resources that genuinely solve user problems. The idea is simple: when your product or tool is useful, people find it, engage with it, and share it, SEO success follows naturally.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

User-first by design: Product-Led SEO focuses on creating tools, features, and experiences that directly solve user problems, not just content aimed at search engines.

Functionality drives visibility: The product or tool itself becomes the SEO asset. Useful, interactive features naturally attract traffic, links, and engagement.

Design for engagement, not just clicks: The goal is to build experiences people want to use and share, creating organic growth without relying solely on traditional SEO tactics.

Create value that earns rankings: When the product delivers real utility, search visibility and conversions follow as a by-product of genuine user satisfaction.

 

Benefits of Product-Led SEO

Early Customer Acquisition: Users encounter your product directly within their search journey, leading to faster conversions.

Improved Customer Retention: Ongoing value is provided through product features, enabling customers to maximise the benefits of their purchases and minimise churn.

Reduced Reliance on External Factors: By focusing on product value, you become less dependent on external factors, such as aggressive backlink building.

More Direct Path to Conversion: Users who find your product through Product-Led SEO are already engaging with the solution to their problem, shortening the path to purchase.

 

Here’s a Real World Example of Product-led SEO in an Aussie Small Business

A real-world example? None better than one of REMAP’s clients, Sound Property, a leading Australian buyers agent.

Rather than only just writing about property investment and cash flow, they built their own Property Cashflow Calculator:

You check it out here: https://soundproperty.com.au/knowledge-centre/property-cashflow-calculator/

It’s a tool that helps investors assess potential property purchases, and it does several powerful things:

  • Firstly, and most importantly, it delivers high-quality, ready-to-convert leads. People actively search for tools like this, and when they engage with it, they have to enter their budget, cash flow, and investment details; they’re not just browsing. They’re signalling genuine intent and giving Sound Property valuable insights that make follow-up conversations highly targeted and relevant. These organic leads are profoundly qualified and far more likely to convert because users have already invested time thinking about their goals within Sound Property’s environment, spending time with the brand and building trust.
  • The nature of SEO is that it’s not confined by the campaign on/off button. SEO generates leads around the clock. Once it’s built, it’s the gift that keeps on giving.
  • It’s hard to copy. AI can easily summarise text and generate more, but it’s a bit more challenging to replicate ideas like this. Product-led SEO provides a stronger and more sustainable competitive advantage.

So yes, you should still blog but think bigger. Diverse, functional content like calculators, checklists, self-assessment tools, original research, etc, all of these will help you to gain visibility in Google’s new AI-powered search landscape.

Content remains one of the most effective ways to build visibility and trust, but the game has changed. Authority, originality, and usefulness matter more than ever.

If you want to succeed in the AI era, focus on creating the kind of content and digital experiences that Google wants to feature and that customers value.

In short, create content and experiences that earn their place and keep working for you, long after they’re published.