Your blog content sucks (sorry not sorry)


Hey Reader,

I get this a LOT:

“Nick, why am I not ranking? My content is great :(”

Then I take a look at their blog and see 100s of AI slop posts.

Sorry bud, that’s not quality content.

In this week’s email, I’ll cover how to create ACTUAL quality content (yes, with AI).

Yes, you CAN use AI

Before we talk content tips, let’s talk about the elephant in the room.

Yes, you can (and should) use AI in your content process, otherwise you’re going to lose to competitors who do.

But AI should be a writing assistant, it’s not a replacement for a good human writer who can tell apart good content and AI slop.

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s talk content.

The 5 Elements of Content That Actually Ranks in 2025

After analyzing thousands of pages that succeed in the brutal 2025 algorithm, here’s what separates winning content from the endless sea of forgettable fluff:

1. Experience Signals

Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines now heavily prioritize firsthand experience.

What this looks like in practice:

  • Screenshots of YOUR actual process (not generic stock images)
  • Specific metrics and results from YOUR work (not industry averages)
  • Behind-the-scenes insights only someone who’s done it would know
  • Challenges and failures you encountered (not just success stories)
  • Timestamp references that show the recency of your experience

2. Pattern Interrupts

When every result on page 1 follows the same format, Google is desperate to show something different.

Analyze the top 10 results for patterns:

  • Are they all list posts? (“10 Ways to…”)
  • Do they all use the same subheadings?
  • Do they have similar word counts?
  • Do they use similar examples?

Then deliberately break those patterns:

  • If competitors use text-heavy formats → Create visual decision trees or flowcharts
  • If they all use lists → Create a step-by-step process
  • If they’re formal and corporate → Use conversational, personal tone
  • If they focus on theory → Focus on practical application

3. Extreme Specificity

In 2025, specific content consistently outranks comprehensive content.

Compare these statements:

❌ “Email segmentation can improve your open rates.”

✅ “When we segmented our e-commerce list by purchase history and abandoned cart status, open rates increased from 18.3% to 26.7% within 14 days.”

The specific version demonstrates real experience, provides an actual data point, and gives readers actionable insight.

How to implement extreme specificity:

  • Replace every generic claim with a specific example
  • Include exact numbers wherever possible
  • Specify tools, settings, and configurations
  • Add timeframes to all results
  • Name specific use cases rather than broad applications

4. Content Freshness

Google increasingly favors fresh content, especially in rapidly changing fields.

But simply updating the publish date is not enough.

True freshness signals include:

  • References to recent events or developments (with dates)
  • Screenshots showing current interfaces and features
  • Dated examples (“As of May 2025…”)
  • Discussion of recent industry changes
  • Comparisons between older and newer approaches

Implementing This Approach For Your Content

Here’s a practical checklist for your next piece of content:

  1. Do the competitor analysis. Identify patterns and weaknesses in the top 10 results
  2. Create the pattern interrupt. Decide on at least one structural element that will be dramatically different
  3. Gather experience elements. Screenshots, data, examples, and failures from your actual work
  4. Apply extreme specificity. Replace every generic statement with specific examples and data
  5. Research hidden intent. Find the underlying concerns behind the main query
  6. Add freshness signals. Include dated references and current examples
  7. Test for uniqueness. If 90% of your content could have been written by an intern, it’s not distinctive enough

The Bottom Line

The bar for “ranking content” has never been higher, but the formula is clear:

Experience + Specificity + Uniqueness + Freshness + Hidden Intent = Content That Actually Ranks

Generic “quality content” is dead. In 2025, only distinctive content with clear experience signals stands a chance in competitive niches.

Take a hard look at your recent content. Does it truly demonstrate your experience, or could it have been written by anyone?

Hit reply and let me know what you think.

- Nick

Nick Zviadadze

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