Writing informational articles for a service business seems straightforward… until you realize most businesses get it completely wrong.
It’s not wrong. But the way most businesses execute it? Completely off base.
In a recent SEO Training Camp session, Casey Keith addressed this exact problem after a member asked about using informational content to grow topical authority for a service-based business.
The answer flips conventional thinking on its head.
The Mistake Most Service Businesses Make
Here’s what typically happens. A local SEO agency decides to build topical authority. They research People Also Ask questions, find keywords, and start pumping out articles like “How to Optimize Your Google Business Profile” or “Local SEO Checklist for Small Businesses.”
The problem? They just taught their potential customers how to do the work themselves.
That’s not supportive content. That’s competition with your own services.
What Supportive Informational Articles Should Actually Do
Casey’s framework is simple: informational articles should educate clients on how to work with you—not how to replace you.
Think about it from an onboarding perspective. When someone purchases your service, what do they need to bring to the table for you to do your best work?
That’s your content.
Real Examples by Industry
Local SEO Services
Instead of writing “How to Do Local SEO,” write content that prepares clients to provide what you need:
- Business name, address, and phone number for NAP consistency
- Dun’s number for data aggregator submissions
- Existing citations (Better Business Bureau, Yelp, industry directories)
- Google Business Profile login credentials
- Service area details—which cities you serve and don’t serve
- Target audience information for schema markup
This content gets sent after someone becomes a client. It streamlines your intake process and sets expectations.
Web Design Services
A web designer’s supportive content might cover:
- Logo files and whether they need logo design services
- Brand colors (with a link to Adobe Color for exploration)
- Primary, secondary, and tertiary color preferences
- Font preferences
- Company slogan or tagline
- Photography assets or stock photo needs
You’re assigning homework. Clients arrive prepared, projects move faster, and the end product improves.
Plumbing and Home Services
Here’s where Casey’s framework gets interesting. A plumber shouldn’t write “How to Fix a Leaky Pipe.” That eliminates the service call.
But “How to Shut Off Your Water Main in an Emergency”? That’s valuable.
The client already called. The plumber is on the way. This article helps them minimize damage while waiting—and positions the business as genuinely helpful rather than gatekeeping basic safety information.
Contractors and Licensed Trades
For construction companies in California, supportive content might include:
- State licensing requirements (CSLB license number)
- City business license information
- Bonding and insurance documentation
- Permit process expectations
This content serves a dual purpose: it educates clients on compliance requirements while collecting the information you need to properly represent their credentials on the website.
The Corporation Test
Casey offers a useful gut check: act like a corporation.
Kentucky Fried Chicken doesn’t publish blog posts about what temperature they fry their chicken or what farms source their poultry. That’s proprietary. That’s the product.
Your methodology, your process, your expertise—that’s what clients pay for. Don’t give it away in blog content disguised as topical authority building.
Rethinking Topical Authority
This doesn’t mean topical authority is irrelevant. It means the path to building it for service businesses looks different than for informational publishers.
Your service pages describe what you do. Your supportive content prepares clients to engage with that service effectively. Together, they create a content ecosystem that serves actual business goals rather than vanity metrics.
The Bottom Line
Before publishing your next informational article, ask one question: Does this prepare someone to work with me, or does it teach them to work without me?
The answer determines whether you’re building a business asset or training your competition’s next DIY customer.