A Content Strategy
for the AI‑search era
A content engine built around one product family at a time, designed so that if someone asks a DIY question in the UK, the name Cut My comes up when they do.
AI is changing the search market
75% of UK adults now read AI-generated search summaries, and those results name sources when they fire. For a business to rank, you need easily-accessible, authoritative, unique content tied to data, in a format that both AI solutions and humans can understand.
- Traditional SEO is declining rapidly as consumers pivot to AI overviews for their answers, and PPC now costs more for fewer clicks. The classic marketing funnel is categorically on the decline.
- AI language models decide what content to reference on several metrics: the brand's authority, the author's expertise and experience, and the site's trust.
- Content is then pulled on formatting and whether it adds unique value for the person asking. Original angles, data and imagery leap above the competition.
- Google penalises spam and generic content heavily, so typical AI-churned copy does little for brand visibility.
The answer: a multi-angle content strategy
The companies that thrive in the coming years will be the ones that blend marketing, editorial journalism, and PR seamlessly together. Outlined below, you'll find a robust monthly content strategy.
| Vol. | Every month, we produce |
|---|---|
| 8 | Long-form articlesSpecialised around hubs, optimised for AI, SEO, and reader engagement, with unique data points and attached media. 1,000 words+ each |
| 8 | Short-form glossary postsDesigned and built to be cited by AI language models, in simple and direct queries. 150-250 words each |
| 4 | Long-form videosScripted by Element 121, pulled from the long-form articles, filmed by Cut My over a single day. 1,800 words each / 10 minutes |
| 12 | Short-form videosCut and edited from the long-form content and distributed across select social platforms, ideally TikTok and YouTube |
| 4 | Article updatesKey hubs updated monthly with fresh new content in a light manner to keep authority and value ticking for AI and SEO. 250 words minimum each |
The content structure
When attempting to rank in AI and search, a modern output strategy means little without a clean infrastructure behind it.
// Hub & Spoke
- Mimicked from mainstream consumer journalism. A Hub and Spoke strategy revolves around targeting key categories, one at a time, to avoid spreading our assets thinly
- Each category has a central "Hub" or master article that everything else feeds and links into to boost ranking, relevancy, and authority
- Each Hub must receive relevant content updates monthly to ensure it's fresh with visible updated timestamps for both AI and users
// Content Elements
- Value-added media is incredibly effective at improving SEO and AI ranking. Interviews, fresh data, video, imagery, insights, and anything unique give an article an edge
- All long-form articles must contain a single TL;DR paragraph at the top of the page that answers the query-based headline
- FAQ blocks live at the bottom of every article and glossary piece, along with social media sharing options as well
Three key hubs over twelve months
A full audit on target key hubs will commence once engagement begins to identify the best ROI. We'll balance those recommendations with your own insights and identifiable AI and SEO trends, before commencing editorial work.
Custom Desks
- DIY custom home desks for every avenue
- Built-in & alcove desk guides
- Materials, compared honestly
- Budget to premium builds
Outdoor Projects
- Seasonal builds, timed to demand
- Weatherproof material guidance
- Gardening hobbies catered for
- Finishes, fixings, longevity & care
Ultimate Kitchen Refit
- The right materials for the job
- How to refit panels and doors
- Cost saving strategies
- DIY or call a tradie
Content Distribution Strategy
Our aim with content dissemination is to create a distribution setup that builds audiences across a variety of platforms to offset the risk of any one platform suddenly shifting its stance on ranking requirements. Effectively building multiple revenue streams and mitigating risk, while still pursuing those AI and SEO ranks.
It's built around three key pillars, and a supplementary long-term one: AI & Search, Social, Newsletters, and finally "Premium" content.
// AI & Search
All written content will be structured for AI citation first
// Social Media
An engaged, targeted strategy that hits the right audiences
// Newsletters
A critical pillar, particularly for the older generations
// Premium Content
A subscriber tier on the site itself
AI & Search
Being cited by AI answers doesn't depend on ranking in Google's top 10: only 37.9% of the pages cited in AI Overviews also rank there. That's beneficial for us, as it means we don't need to compete as heavily against brands that are already aggressively dominating that space.
- All written content will be structured for AI citation first. In an organic way, to the point that a viewer couldn't tell
- Articles themselves are written in smaller, bite-sized easily accessible conversational paragraphs that AI language models can digest and pull from directly
- FAQ blocks at the bottom, short TL;DR answers at the top, combined with strong query-based H1s, and an easily indexable site content structure with internal and external linking and citation to reputable sources
- Unique data, insights, imagery, and media assets no competitor is producing. This creates a hook for the reader and Google Discover, and encourages citation by industry experts, boosting authority
Social Media
Rather than a spray and pray approach to social media, we need an engaged, targeted strategy that hits the right audiences.
Pinterest is key for high-end lifestyle brands and hobbyists. Pins are easy to set up and schedule, and link out directly to specific webpages and sites, particularly around design. Ideal for long-form DIY content guides or purchase links.
Instagram is less effective for direct targeted links, but similar to Pinterest, a useful avenue to go down for building audience, as we can directly push people to the account page, and then to the site for a BIO link.
// YouTube
YouTube is your primary video content driver where your Long and Short-form content lives. Short-form builds the audience, but doesn't convert highly in terms of revenue. Long-form doesn't build an audience, but converts far higher. Do both until you build a sustainable audience.
// TikTok
TikTok is great for visibility and ad revenue, but less helpful for direct conversion and sales. Consider this a brand awareness play, rather than a direct, obvious ROI.
Newsletters & Premium Content
Newsletters and a premium tier are the two channels Cut My owns outright, insulated from any platform shifting its ranking rules. One builds a direct line to readers from the first article we publish, the other turns that audience into recurring revenue once the brand is established enough to carry it.
// Newsletters
- A critical pillar, particularly for the older generations
- With a consistent stream of written DIY content, you can effectively add sign-up links across every article we produce, creating an organic marketing acquisition channel that's directly invested in Cut My
- Directly notifies our regular VIP audience on new articles, encouraging them to revisit the site anyway
- Gives us a platform to engage with them on specific commercial marketing (as long as they agree to that on sign-up)
- Feeds directly into the Single Customer View, as a touch-point: each clickthrough tracked as and when it happens, on what article, at what time of year, along with dwell time and through clicks
// Premium Content
Year 1-2- Once the brand is thoroughly established and ROI solidified, ideally at the one to two year mark, we should then look to introduce a subscriber tier on the site itself
- Premium subscription, bound to an account, with access to specialist premium articles and guides
- Early access to video content
- Potentially discounted rates on certain products (shifting monthly/seasonally)
- A communication or forum hub of some description
The Single Customer View
Cut My's editorial content never stands in isolation, but it acts as a direct interest touch point for the Single Customer View system currently live and in development.
// One customer story
Every article visit can land in the SCV, joined to buying intent, orders, and repeat purchases, allowing for targeted outreach based on specific interests, for dormant or VIP customers. Which hub someone reads, and how often, becomes an interest signal on their record long before they order.
// Interwoven distribution
With YouTube, TikTok, the site itself, and newsletters, each clickthrough is captured as a touchpoint and attributed wherever consent and the platform allow, so we invest in successful platforms, optimise underperforming ones, or ditch entirely.
// Predicted trends
Match Google Trends and search-volume data with article performance to identify what content converts most, by material, audience, and season. Samples are already logged by material, so we can see which hub drives sample-to-sale conversion in acrylic, MFC or kitchen doors, turning content engagement into a demand signal for procurement and PPC.
// SEO flipped
Rank SEO targets and article generation by revenue, not traffic. "Which queries actually sell", not "which ones rank". The same data picks the four monthly article updates: promote what's selling, rescue what's flagging.
The month-six review runs on this. When we sit down with real numbers, "did it work" gets answered in customers, samples and revenue, article by article, measured where consent allows.
Building trust
Content only performs well if its viewers believe the people behind it are sincere. Search, AI, human readers, they all respect that, and we need to capitalise on that with our own credentials.
// The right people
- James: CEO & founder, in front of the camera delivering what the audience wants to see, and with a name tied to every DIY byline
- Zak: Content strategist and editor, ghostwriting behind every article, with every fact checked, and statement verified, thanks to 11 years of editorial experience across 21 titles and 900+ articles
- We blend expertise and experience together, leaning on Zak's credentialed editorial footprint as a trust signal for AI, SEO, and our readers
- James' DIY experience similarly provides a clean-cut and clear view to SEO and AI on why our content should be cited, and why our readers and viewers should trust us
// Pragmatic AI
- AI will only be used to speed up any potential research tasks, concepts, and data analysis. It's never to touch copy, unless there's an absolute desperate need to
- No invented quotes, no imaginary stats, no spoofed imagery, and no content without a point
- Editorial integrity is everything for a new publishing brand. If it in any way appears to be compromised, particularly through the clumsy use of AI, the damage to brand authority will be absolute
- It's not solely about rankings but also brand awareness, and we want to ensure that our customers and readers respect us before anything else
// On the site
- Named and dedicated authors with real credentials across the site on any written article
- A fully built-out and approved house style guide, so all written content is consistent across the site
- A "Why trust us" editorial page, with Zak's name and credentials attached, aligning with his SEO footprint to act as an authority mark
- Well-structured articles and data that provide genuine value to any and all readers looking at that particular query
Initial Discovery Phase
Prior to any editorial work, we recommend engaging in a four-week discovery period. This will be a mix of interviews and data analysis, allowing us to align our editorial expertise and analytics with your sector experience and insight. That then feeds a refined content and distribution strategy, allows us to report on the current site CMS and its platform, and provide any necessary presenting or editorial training to the wider Cut My team as well.
| The first month, itemised | Hours | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1Full site-wide audit & CMS analysis | 3.5 | £350 |
| Full GEO + CMS audit of cutmy.co.ukComplete audit of cutmy.co.uk for current GEO scoring, using Element 121 tooling, including a full analysis of the CMS system. | 2 | £200 |
| Platform analysis for distributionSocial, email and content platform analysis, to shape a targeted content distribution strategy. | 1 | £100 |
| Early findings reportEarly initial report on findings and suggested solutions, delivered only if key weaknesses are exposed. | 0.5 | £50 |
| 2Content Strategy Research | 9 | £900 |
| Discovery interviewsDiscovery interviews with the wider marketing team and executives, to understand content and style perspective. | 3 | £300 |
| Core Key Term Hubs researchedCore Key Term Hubs researched using Element 121 tooling, based on GEO/SEO, competitor targeting and monetary value. | 2 | £200 |
| Hubs report + spoke articlesFull report on findings, with Core Key Term Hubs suggested: 8-12 initial spoke articles per hub, plus glossary queries and sources. | 2 | £200 |
| Content distribution strategyFull content distribution strategy covering seasonal content and spam/SEO mitigation, with a proposed House Style & Tone document. | 2 | £200 |
| 3Initial Context Research & Content setup | 4.5 | £450 |
| Consensus + presenter setupConsensus on Core Key Term Hubs, selected spoke articles and glossary queries, plus presenter and videography setup, and production order. | 0.5 | £50 |
| Full article database build-outFull article database build-out, including everything above, plus long-form and short-form video suggestions, along with internal link and update matrix. | 2 | £200 |
| Initial presenter trainingInitial video presenter training, only if required. | 2 | £200 |
| Full sign-off to begin workFull sign-off from Cut My to begin production work. | 0 | incl. |
| Four-week discovery, priced flat | 17 | £1,700 |
Monthly Breakdown
A full breakdown of the hours and tasks, scoped based on current rough estimates. If it takes less time, we'll charge you less. If it takes longer, we'll get your sign-off in advance.
| Per month | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Copy | ||
| Long-form articles | 8 | 24 |
| Short-form glossary | 8 | 4 → 2 |
| Long-form scripts | 4 | 6 |
| Video filmed & edited by Cut My | ||
| Video shoot day | 1 | Cut My |
| Long-form videos | 4 | Cut My |
| Short-form videos | 12 | Cut My |
| Admin & Reporting | ||
| Alignment meetings | 4 → 2 | 2 → 1 |
| Shoot organisation | 1 | 0.5 |
| Article maintenance | 4 | 2 |
| Fortnightly reports | 2 | 1 |
| Total Element 121 hours | 39.5 → 36.5 | |
What the timeline looks like
// Checks & Balances
- Fortnightly reports: rankings, traffic, assisted revenue, articles live
- First touch and last touch both sit in the SCV, so we show where content opened the relationship and where paid closed it
- Content as a paid-search testbed: a directional signal for targeted paid-search terms
- GEO visibility: does ChatGPT, Gemini or AI Overview actually name you?
- Alignment meetings with a direct line, weekly at first, easing to fortnightly
- Content takes time. Momentum will begin to show months 3-6