To make content that’s worth reading, stop publishing the same cookie-cutter posts everyone else publishes. Nobody waits to read another “Top 10 Tips for SEO” article. People want content that feels real, sounds human, and sometimes makes them laugh while they learn. Ten lenses help you tell your story from the angle that fits best. Whether you’re sharing a personal tale, explaining the basics, or presenting data, one of these lenses makes your content stand out.
1. People
Everybody loves a good story. Talk about real people, like the technician who has fixed HVAC systems since the ’80s or the nurse who has seen it all. People connect with people, not with buzzwords. You can have all the stats in the world, but one story about a single mom running her own trucking company gets their attention.
For a real-world breakdown of personal storytelling in marketing, read my piece on Local Agency Marketing Strategy: Stop Chasing Every City and Start Owning Your County.
2. Basics
This is your “Content 101” material, ideal for beginners who searched “What is SEO?” five minutes ago. Keep it simple, keep it short, and skip the jargon. Pretend you’re explaining it to an uncle at Thanksgiving who calls every app “The Facebook.”
For a simple SEO refresher, start with SEO for Small Businesses: A Practical Guide. It is written in plain English, without jargon, for beginners.
3. Details
This lens is for the nerds among us, and I mean that in a loving way. It covers the deep-dive material: long, meaty articles that get into the nitty-gritty. You lose some readers along the way, but the ones who stay trust that you know what you’re talking about.
If you’re ready to get technical, read Step-by-Step: How To Implement Entity SEO or Two Ways To Think About Entity SEO. Both are “deep end of the pool” reads.
4. History
People underestimate this lens. A little backstory makes you sound knowledgeable. Whether the title is “How TikTok Took Over the World” or “The Rise and Fall of the Fax Machine,” readers enjoy a trip down memory lane. Avoid sounding like a history textbook, because nobody wants flashbacks to sophomore year.
For a look at the past, read my article on Google’s HEART Framework (For People Who Don’t Speak Silicon Valley). It explains where many modern UX ideas came from.
5. Process
These are your how-to guides. They say, “Here’s how to do the thing without messing it up.” Recipes, DIYs, and tutorials do well on YouTube for a reason. Make sure the steps work, because nothing frustrates readers more than following your guide and ending up with a smoking blender.
For step-by-step content, read How to Clean Up Your Portfolio Categories Before Google Thinks You’re a Mess and Local Keyword Research and Content Creation. Both walk you through working processes.
6. Curation
This lens is for the collectors. You don’t have to make something new. You gather the best material that already exists. Examples include “Top 5 marketing podcasts,” “Best grill recipes,” and “The ultimate playlist for coding at 2 a.m.” These posts are fast to make, fun to read, and popular.
For a collection of data-driven resources, read EmbeddingGemma Unpacked: 10 Essential Questions Answered. It works as a “Top 10” of AI insights.
7. Data
Data lets you tell a story with stats. Maybe you say that 80% of people skip ads, or that the average person spends six hours a day on their phone. Data gives your point weight. Avoid drowning readers in spreadsheets, because they came to learn something, not do calculus.
If you like numbers, AARRR Metrics and Query Fan-Out: How Google AI Deep Search Works both dig into data stories.
8. Product
This is where you talk shop. You show off your product, but make it sound less like a sales pitch and more like, “This is pretty cool, and here’s why.” Use demos, setup tips, and behind-the-scenes material, anything that makes readers think, “Maybe I need that.”
To learn how to write about products without sounding like a pushy salesperson, read The Complete Guide to Local SEO Services: Problems, Solutions, and the Language That Sells.
9. Example
Some ideas are too big to grasp, like “innovation” or “diversity.” Zoom in. Pick one small story that shows the big picture, like one company’s experiment with a four-day work week. This is the “show, don’t tell” approach.
To see how one small example explains a big idea, read Analysis Paralysis in Digital Marketing (When Thinking Too Much Costs You Money). It centers on a single concept.
10. Opinion
The last lens is the spicy one: your take. People love, or love to hate, a good opinion piece. Tell readers what you think about something. Maybe it’s why remote work isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, or why content marketing belongs in college requirements. Be ready for the comment section.
Those are your ten lenses. Pick one or mix a few, whichever fits your voice. Whether you’re teaching, ranting, or sharing cool finds, there’s a lens for it. Start typing, because your audience won’t entertain itself.
For some personal flavor, Why I Release Control to Build Real Capacity and Understanding Karma and Self-Determination are full of my unfiltered takes.
Casey’s closing thoughts
Making content that’s worth reading isn’t rocket science. Know your angle and talk to people like people. You don’t need fancy words or viral gimmicks. Pick the right lens and tell a story that connects. Whether it’s a quick how-to, a personal story, or a bold opinion, the goal is the same: make readers stop scrolling and pay attention. Keep it honest and human, and your content earns clicks and gets remembered.