Reviving Blogs with AI: My Process For Better Performance

Hello again, friend.

As promised, this week I’m sharing the step-by-step, AI-integrated process I’m testing to refresh a client’s underperforming blogs.

A few quick notes before we dive in:

• This is an iterative process. I’m still tweaking it and will share results once initial metrics come in.

• I’d love feedback. Comment or DM me with how you’re approaching blog refreshes on your side.

• The example here is a B2B service provider in the waste and recycling space.

• This SOP is for blog posts only. I use a different process for refreshing landing pages.

After the SOP, you'll find a BONUS SOP for creating a client content marketing brief. We'll end this week's section by discussing how early-career content creators can start tying their content contributions to client revenue goals and agreed-upon performance KPIs.

Table of Contents

• SOP 1: Blog Refresh Process (SEO + AEO)

• SOP 2: Prompt for Creating a Client Brief

• How to Level Up as a Content Marketer in 2026

• Next Week: How to Connect The Dots Between Content and Revenue with Attribution

SOP 1: Blog Refresh Process (SEO + AEO)

Client: [INSERT CLIENT NAME]

CMS: WordPress

Project Type: Blog Refresh

• Project Goal:

Refresh existing blog posts to improve:

• Organic search rankings (SEO)

• AI search discoverability (AEO: Answer Engine Optimization)

• Topical authority in [INSERT YOUR CLIENT’S INDUSTRY SPACE]

• Readability and professional tone

• Internal linking and conversion opportunities

The refreshed article should:

• Maintain the original topic and intent

• Improve keyword targeting

• Add structured answers for AI retrieval

• Remove outdated or thin content

• Improve clarity and authority

Tools I Use

• CMS: WordPress

• Time tracker: Any time-tracking tool (even if you’re not hourly, this shows where your time goes)

• LLM 1: Sonar (SEO analysis, AEO optimization, content gap detection, outline generation, keyword positioning)

• LLM 2: Claude Sonnet 4.6 (natural long-form first drafts, tone alignment, reducing AI-patterns)

• Editor: Grammarly (corrections, fact-checking, readability, plagiarism, AI content detection)

• PM: Notion (for SOPs and project tracking)

Phase 1: Time Tracking & Setup (Human + Software)

1. Open your time tracker.

2. Add task label: “[Client Name] Blog Refresh – [Article Name]”.

3. Start tracking before you begin analysis.

Phase 2: SEO & AEO Analysis (AI)

1. Locate the blog post in your CMS and open the Elementor editor.

2. In another window, open Perplexity and select Sonar as the LLM model.

Use this prompt:

You are a B2B content marketing specialist. You have been enlisted by [Client Name] to help improve declining SEO/AEO results for underperforming blogs. Please use the client brief below to familiarise yourself with this client. [Paste client brief]

Then use this prompt:

Please read the existing blog post below and provide an SEO analysis that:

• Meets Google’s E‑E‑A‑T standards

• Provides AEO optimisation suggestions

• Identifies SEO content gaps

• Identifies keyword positioning opportunities

• Scans the client’s main website to suggest 5–10 internal links to use in the blog

• Sources at least 4 non‑competitive external link opportunities

• Focus keyword: [insert keyword]

Current blog: [paste current blog from your text editor]

3. Review the suggestions and correct the LLM if anything is off before you move on.

Phase 3: First Draft Rewrite (AI)

1. Switch the LLM model in Perplexity to Claude Sonnet 4.6 and use this prompt:

Rewrite the blog article using the approved guidance above. Be sure to:

• Preserve the client’s professional B2B tone from the brief you previously ingested

• Write to business decision makers responsible for [insert your ICP’s priorities]

• Avoid AI‑sounding phrasing

• Do not use EM dashes

• Incorporate factual, relevant citations for sourced data and include a reference section at the end with URLs that correspond to numbered citations in the article

• Write naturally and clearly while improving clarity and authority

• Preserve factual accuracy

• Avoid overusing bullet lists

• Incorporate the suggested internal and external links where they fit naturally into hyperlinked text

• Keep headings clear and SEO-friendly

• Include a short FAQ section at the end

• Include an appropriate, natural CTA at the end of the blog with hyperlinked text

• Format in HTML for easy pasting into my text editor

• Overall goal: Human‑sounding, optimised content.

2. Then force the LLM to grade its ability to follow your instructions with the following prompt. If it missed any requirements, prompt it to fix those mistakes before you move on.

Did you meet all the requirements specified above?

Phase 4: Editing & Quality Control (Human + Software)

1. Open Grammarly and paste in the new article.

2. Do a full read-through and accept/reject suggestions as needed.

3. Make any additional line edits for tone and clarity.

4. Run a fact-check and adjust the text and citations as needed.

5. Run a plagiarism check and adjust content as needed.

6. Run AI detection and edit as needed.

Phase 5: Upload & On-Page Optimisation (Human)

1. Open the article in WordPress.

2. Replace the original content with the refreshed version.

3. Add a Table of Contents near the top.

4. Verify headings and links transferred properly

Phase 6: Final SEO Checks & Publishing (Human + Software)

1. Open SEO enhancement suggestions via your SEO plugin and make any changes deemed appropriate (focus keyword optimization, meta-description, alt-text, etc)

2. Make any final on-page improvements.

3. Do one last scroll-through for formatting and typos.

4. Hit Publish.

5. Update the blog status in your Notion tracking sheet and add link counts.

6. Share your finalized, edited blog back with your LLM so it can learn from your corrections.

7. Stop your time tracker.

SOP 2: Prompt for Creating a Client Brief

In the previous SOP, I mentioned feeding a client brief to your LLM so it can learn about your client before writing on their behalf. I don’t start any AI work for a client without properly educating the LLM first.

*FYI: I always share this brief with the client and have them sign off before I use it in my LLM.

1. Use Perplexity's Sonar (Deep Research) LLM for this one.

2. Give the LLM the client’s website and upload any existing docs (ICPs, offers, competitors, messaging, etc.).

3. Then use this prompt:

Please analyse the client’s website and attached documentation, and provide a client brief detailing:

1. Company Snapshot

• Company Name:

• Industry:

• Founded:

• Headquarters:

• Markets Served:

• What the company does (2–3 sentences):

• A short, plain-language description of the business and its core offering.

2. Core Value Proposition

• Primary problem the company solves: What operational or strategic problem do customers face?

• Solution provided: What product/service solves the problem?

• Outcome created: What measurable benefit results?

• Value Proposition Statement: We help [ICP] solve [problem] by providing [solution], resulting in [outcome].

3. Products / Services

• List the company’s core offerings (product/service, what it does, target customer, pricing)

• Subscription/project/usage model?

• Upsells or add-ons?

4. Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)

• Industries:

• Company size:

• Revenue range:

• Geography:

• Best-fit customers look like: For example, "Mid-market logistics companies with 50–500 employees that manage complex waste disposal compliance."

5. Buyer Personas (for each)

• Persona

• Role

• Goals

• Concerns

• Economic Buyer? Technical Evaluator? Or Influencer?

6. Customer Problems (Pain Points)

• If available, what triggers the buying process?

• List 5–10 real pain points.

• If unavailable, surmise with a note for the client to review.

7. Customer Outcomes

• What does success look like after purchasing?

8. Competitive Landscape

• Primary competitors:

• Secondary competitors:

• Alternative solutions customers consider:

9. Differentiators

• Why do customers choose this company instead of its competitors?

• List 3–5 clear differentiators.

10. Sales Process

• Provide the most logical sales process.

• Incorporate typical stages such as: Problem awareness, research, evaluation, demo/consultation/quote, decision, and purchase.

• Capture average sales cycle, typical deal size, and decision-making roles involved

11. Marketing Channels

• Current channels used:

• SEO?

• LinkedIn?

• Email marketing?

• Paid ads?

• Events?

• Partnerships?

• Which channels currently drive the most leads?

12. Content Assets

• What existing content is available for this client?

• Blog articles?

• Whitepapers?

• Case studies?

• Customer reviews?

• Webinars/Podcasts?

• Product documentation?

• Where are the gaps in content?

13. SEO Snapshot

• Primary keyword themes:

• Current ranking strengths:

• Content gaps:

• Top organic competitors?

14. Proof and Credibility Signals

• Case studies?

• Testimonials?

• Certifications?

• Partnerships?

• Awards?

• Press mentions?

These support E-E-A-T signals.

15. Success Metrics

• What defines success for marketing? This could include organic traffic, qualified leads, demo requests, pipeline contribution, revenue attribution, etc.

16. Strategic Opportunities

• Where can marketing create the biggest impact? This could include content authority, SEO growth, thought leadership, demand generation, and category education.

I review the outputs, make any necessary changes, and then present them to the client for review and sign-off.

Again, I can't stress enough how important it is to ensure you and your client are on the same page about what success looks like for their company at large and about your unique impact. This is a great segue into our final topic this week!

How to Level Up as a Content Marketer in 2026

Clients might say they want well-written content for their website, and while that's true, what they're really concerned about is revenue and pipeline (i.e., the money coming in today and the money they plan to get in the future to maintain financial stability and project growth).

If you want to level up quickly in content marketing, start asking these questions before you write anything:

• What business goal does this content support?

• Which KPI are we trying to move?

• Where does this piece sit in the buyer’s journey?

• How will we know if it worked?

The data you get can help you reverse-engineer a path back to the content you're producing that aligns with those pipeline goals. Sometimes the answers will be organic traffic. Sometimes it’s qualified leads. Sometimes it’s supporting a sales conversation.

The only way you'll know is through communication with your client. So don't be afraid to take the initiative and ask questions, even if you already have the job.

Once you understand that connection, your work changes. You stop writing “content” and start building assets that measurably move the business forward. And that shift, more than any tool or prompt, is what separates someone who writes blogs from someone who owns content strategy.

Next Week: How to Connect The Dots Between Content and Revenue with Attribution

If you'd like to see a deep dive into attributing content to revenue and pipeline goals, you're in luck because that's what's coming next week!

In the meantime, if you need help diagnosing and treating underperforming content, I'd love to help you. DM me or reach out to me here.