Can You Build an Entire Business Around One Article?
Crushing the “publish more” myth.
How would you feel if a single blog post could turn into a profitable business one day?
As a content marketer, I never thought it was possible. The content creation process looked like a rat race at some point. You don’t have a right to stop. You have to keep producing content to get noticed. Otherwise, your competitors will outperform you right away. It’s challenging, expensive, and time-consuming.
The “publish more” approach only generated a so-called “spike of hope.” A newly published article immediately gets views from the existing audience and social media. However, it does not last long. After some time, it flops and never gets traction anymore. Does it sound familiar? If yes, you are not alone!
Hundreds of businesses create content that no one ever finds and reads. Is there a way to use resources more effectively? Hell, yes! You can build an entire business around one article.
Yes. It is possible
As a content marketer, I deal with hundreds of published blog posts daily. I often see the same issue — only a few of them bring actual customers.
Apparently, companies follow the “publish more” approach and later complain about not having enough clients to work with. They want to get sales from the blog that almost no one knows exists!
How to make users discover your business online? Ahrefs CMO, Tim Soulo believes there are three ways how people find products to buy online:
- Word of mouth
- Online search
- Advertising
Your business should either be so good that its fame goes from one to another, or it should use conventional promotion strategies, like blogging and advertising.
It took me several years to realize what Tim Soulo well-explained in his blogging course:
“The primary goal of growing a blog is acquiring new customers. Treat your blog as a customer acquisition channel, not a traffic acquisition channel.”
This mindset shift changed the way I used to approach content writing. Soon after, I created an article that all alone drives around a quarter of all sales for my client.
If hundreds of other blog pages disappear one day, a single article will continue supporting the business.
I can’t reveal the company’s name publicly as the project is under NDA. However, I can mention a few more success stories and share my strategies.
Take a look at this shared kitchen website. It’s a small local business in Brooklyn. I am not here to judge its user interface, but apparent bugs and red color domination catch my attention right away. What’s in it that makes it successful?
Cook Collective reaches thousands of people online with its single-page website.
How do they do it? The answer is — high visibility in search!
Look at this simple report below. If you’ve ever written SEO-optimized content, you must have done the similar keyword research.
See anything interesting?
It may sound like a miracle for someone, but these guys cheery-pick highly relevant traffic from online search. Their one-page website ranks for over 63 relevant search queries, and when someone is looking for their services in NY, they pop up in search.
It’s mind-blowing that an entire business can be built around one web page. It works more effectively than big websites with tons of content no one ever reads.
What can be even more terrific? When you build an online business with zero investment!
The longer I do content marketing, the more new and exciting business models I discover.
Content creation is a never-ending endeavor full of wins and failures. If I could only give one piece of advice to content writers, I would say this:
Bustle the “publish more” approach! You are not a writing slave.
What’s the point of anxiously producing content no one will ever find and read? It will give you neither fame nor money. You should experience happiness from every new masterpiece, not desperation.
If someone can build an entire business around one written piece, you can do it too. It’s possible.
What it takes
These stories are inspiring, aren’t they?
Do you know what unites all of them? — High visibility in search.
I described three different cases, but they all appeal to their target audiences and focus on acquiring customers (not traffic).
Apparently, it’s not enough to write well if you want to make a living writing. Perhaps, I should correct myself here. Yes, you can do ghostwriting, take freelance gigs, and blog on multiple writing platforms.
However, what’s the point if your efforts don’t add up over time? You have to write to pay your bills continuously. What will happen if you stop? Your income is gone.
Writing can only be rewarding if it’s done strategically.
What does it mean strategically? You know why you blog and for whom. Your content consistently attracts your target audiences, and the traffic does not fade away in time.
Strategic content creation beats the “publish more” approach.
I am convinced you don’t need to operate a content mill to make money online.
I stick to this mindset while running my website.
There are strategies proven to work and can help you make your content searchable:
Keyword research
If you ask me what sets apart a well-ranking content piece, I would say keyword research! Knowing what people search for online helps address their needs in your content. What happens when you do it? You gain their trust!
Competitor research
You are not the only one who wants to be in the top search results. Someone else will always be competing with you for users’ attention. However, your content should be better, longer, and brighter than your competitors.
Headline creation
Apart from a curiosity gap, there is at least one more reason to pay attention to your headlines, according to John Mueller, Google’s Search Advocate::
“When it comes to text on a page, a heading is a really strong signal telling us (Google) this part of the page is about this topic.”
In other words, the headline is one of Google’s ranking signals. If Google gets what your page is about, it has the potential to rank higher. The sky is the limit when it comes to headlines creatives. However, make sure you avoid using headline phrases users are already fed up with.
On-page SEO
Do you know who the first reader of your content is? It’s a bot! A search crawler looks for new pages on the web, indexes them, and only then can readers find them.
On-page SEO is my most favorite part of content creation! Whenever I write blog posts to rank in Google, I do keyword research, brainstorm how to outrank competitors, and insert search terms all over the content. It works!
Here is what you should optimize for to rank your content, according to Backlinko:
- User experience
- Bounce Rate and Dwell Time
- Search Intent
- Page loading speed
- Click-through-rate
No worries if you hear it for the first time. So many bloggers disregard these simple truths that you will have a competitive advantage if you nail them.
I wish I knew it when I became a content marketer. The good news: now you know that even one well-written and optimized piece can make a difference. What’s left for you — to act!
Final thoughts
No one said running an online business is a piece of cake. Those who do, are probably lying.
Anyone can create a blog and write about anything. However, it’s a myth that anyone can make money online without any skills. It requires a different mindset and knowledge to monetize it.
You can keep publishing content and hope something will stick, or you can stop wasting your time and focus on what matters to your audience.
When passion meets purpose and expertise, your creations become meaningful!
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