You’ve likely noticed a frustrating new trend in search results: It’s harder to find the answers you actually want.
A decade ago, finding a useful answer online didn’t require adding “reddit” or “quora” to the search bar. Search engine results pages (SERPs) were organised in a way that largely benefited human users.
Now, we’re forced to scroll past numerous ads and dubious AI-generated results before finding something worthwhile. Even then, you might have to wade through a thousand words of fluff before finding an answer to your original question.
So, what went wrong? If SERPs and web content are designed to serve people, shouldn’t they function better?
Unfortunately, most SEO content isn’t designed with you in mind.
The role of search engine optimization in content and SERPs
Most content online is written for search algorithms. This is known as “SEO writing” or “SEO content writing.”
With this kind of writing, the goal is to gain visibility by ranking high on Google and pulling the reader into a sales funnel connected to a broader marketing strategy. (If it seems like businesses are trying to lure you in with half-baked blogs, you’re not just imagining things.)
Fortunately, some people are waking up to the problem: SEO writing oversaturates the internet with fluff, ignores user needs, and over-commercialises what could otherwise be helpful information.
Most SEO writing has also been shaped by outdated ranking practices, like keyword stuffing and copying competitors’ blog structures, which tend to make the writing less enjoyable.
Why most SEO writing is the way it is
When a business’s traffic depends on an all-powerful platform like Google, it’s no surprise when that business decides to follow Google’s rules. Prioritizing SEO becomes an investment, with the goal of ranking high, generating clicks, and converting site visitors into customers.
But over time, this hyperfocus on optimization and visibility for commercial websites has led to an internet full of content that games the system rather than serving the reader.
That’s how we ended up in the current situation, where most web content writing is characterised by keyword stuffing, disjointed structure, excessive fluff, and a bland style.
Unsurprisingly, the overabundance of this type of content online has started causing problems. People don’t find it useful or engaging, leading to lower user satisfaction and worse results for marketers trying to attract new leads through organic search.
Even Google has taken note of the problem and is now taking steps toward ranking higher-quality content while penalizing content written solely to manipulate search rankings.
A new direction for SEO content
In contrast to the outdated approach of manipulating search engines and putting the reader second, “human-centric content” or “reader-first” content focuses on the needs of real people. (After all, we’re the ones using Google, and potentially even becoming customers of the businesses we encounter online.)
The key difference between standard SEO and human-centric writing is the goal: Search-first SEO content aims to satisfy search-engine algorithms, while reader-first content satisfies the needs of search-engine users and meaningfully addresses “search intent.”
But because marketing-driven content prioritises business objectives, like increasing traffic or generating leads, many business owners are still laser-focused on catering content to search algorithms.
These businesses want their content to hit the SEO metrics provided by tools like Surfer SEO and Yoast, because this gives them a sense of security that their content will rank. Unfortunately, the approach is outdated, and that sense of security is mostly false confidence.
More and more, we’re seeing Google deprioritise and even penalise content that clings to old strategies. Standard SEO content doesn’t necessarily provide what users want, and Google is catching on to the importance of prioritizing user needs.
Put simply, human-centric content isn’t just better for readers — it’s better for businesses too.
But while human-centric writing is arguably far more effective for both ranking on SERPs and converting leads, many clients that pay writers to produce content still prefer conventional SEO writing.
Unfortunately, this severely limits the content’s potential quality, especially in creative niches.
Outdated SEO practices hold back content’s potential
Dana Yewbank, a US-based freelance writer and editor, commented on this limitation, saying, “Many content writers feel hemmed in by the expectations of SEO.”
“Most of us have dealt with clients who expect us to stuff keywords and hit very specific goal metrics on rigid (and frankly unsophisticated) SEO tools, leading to some pretty uncreative and uninspiring outputs,” Dana says.
But as we’ve established, SEO writing and human-centered writing aren’t mutually exclusive. Instead, it is the extreme focus on quick rankings that compromises quality and alienates readers. Long-term success can be made possible by SEO writers creating high-quality content that follows search engine guidelines without resorting to cheap tricks.
“I think creativity and SEO can go hand in hand when approached well,” Dana added. “Because SEO serves humans (at least theoretically), and humans respond extremely well to creative, human-driven storytelling.”
When AI and SEO content collide
Being relatable and addressing the needs of readers are the core components of human-centric content. One growing trend we’re seeing online now is mass production of SEO content using generative AI — but can AI content truly give searchers what they want?
Usman Fiaz, founder of a Pakistani product design company, thinks human-centric content ties into the broader discussion of human-centric design across products and services.
When asked why content should prioritise readers’ pain points over using AI to mass-produce SEO content, Usman had this to say: “Content is a conversation, not just a transaction. It’s built on trust, empathy, and understanding, the very elements that AI lacks. These traits allow us to read between the lines, anticipate unspoken needs, and connect on a deeper level. We must re-center content creation around these human traits.”
This means human-centric content should always start with customer research rather than just keyword research or competitor analysis.
“Human-centered content isn’t just another marketing tactic,” Usman added. “It’s the art of making your audience feel seen in a sea of noise. It’s what turns passive readers into loyal advocates. If your content isn’t rooted in real human insight, it’s just noise.”
Understanding human-centric content and how to craft it
Brinda Gulati, a SaaS and e-commerce content marketer from India, has some ideas about what it takes to conduct audience research and create content that resonates with readers.
“My go-to is Reddit for actual problem-solving statements. What do real customers consider valuable? What would they pay for?”
Beyond forums like Reddit, a popular tool for gaining audience insight, Brinda says she looks at “recurring themes in the SERPs and ‘people also ask’ sections.” Then, she “collects SME answers to find out what real businesses are doing on-the-ground.”
Finally, once she has a trajectory for her content, Brinda checks the brief and finds ways to integrate her own research with the needs of her clients. “If I rely on the brief to guide my research, I miss out on unique angles and end up regurgitating the SERPs,” she says.
Gathering information about how real-world customers and potential customers are feeling should be every content writer’s first step when creating useful, human-centric content.
Instead of following generic content briefs, which often ask writers to simply rephrase what’s already ranking from competitors, writers should focus on understanding on-the-ground realities and speaking directly to the needs and concerns of their audience.
How human-centric content helps long-term SEO
“SEO and reader-first content go hand in hand,” says Hava Salsi, a senior B2B SaaS content specialist from Switzerland. “Especially with the way Google is going, following its ‘crackdown’ on AI-generated, low-value content.”
Hava points out that “following the helpful content update in 2022, writing helpful, reliable content IS optimizing content for search engines.”
To quote Google's own explainer page about ranking results, “Google's automated ranking systems are designed to present helpful, reliable information that's primarily created to benefit people, not to gain search engine rankings, in the top Search results.”
This means that creating valuable, relevant content tailored to your audience improves your chances of performing well in search engine results (SERPs).
However, being human-first doesn’t guarantee top rankings. Other factors like keywords, headings, niche competition, and algorithm updates still play a role.
Hava went on to discuss how this works: “There's a lot that goes into ranking highly. But if your content isn't valuable to readers and is written just for the sake of search engines, it won't perform as well.”
Dana, the first expert to weigh in on this article, supported the same stance and is optimistic about the future: “It's clear people don't respond well to AI drivel, so Google has to meet the demands of its users by showcasing content written with human readers in mind. For these reasons, I feel hopeful that we’re largely through the bottleneck of SEO choking out writer creativity. I love seeing how the type of content that's performing well right now is comprehensive, detailed, specific, and extremely useful.”
When done right, creativity and SEO can work together. Despite the inevitable role of the almighty Google algorithm, SEO is ultimately meant to serve humans, and people want content that speaks to their needs.
Convincing clients of the value of human-centric content
With the benefits of human-centric content now clear, the next task is to convince content publishers still using old, cost-cutting SEO tactics to make the shift.
“Convincing a client skeptical of human-centered content requires shifting their perspective,” says Usman. “In a market where everyone’s playing the algorithm game, the real winners are those who play the human game. It’s not just about reaching people; it’s about being meaningful to them. That’s the ROI that outlasts any trend.”
Since businesses tend to prioritise quantitative feedback, business owners will likely want to see metrics to be convinced. Clients driven by data and performance metrics can be more easily persuaded when writers and content marketers frame the benefits of human-centric content in a quantifiable way.
To this point, Hava noted that “time-on-page” is a helpful metric to point to when trying to show the effectiveness of reader-first content. “The more time people spend on your page, the more likely it is that your content is helpful,” she says.
Hava also points to “bounce rate” as a useful metric, saying “a high bounce rate could mean that people don't find value in your content and exit the page without taking any special actions.” If you can show that reader-first content is tied to a lower bounce rate, this could help build a strong argument in favour of the fresh approach.
Finally, Hava recommends paying attention to share rates, though these can be harder to measure, especially across platforms. “People-first, expertise-driven content tends to be shared by people and referenced,” Hava says. If writers can demonstrate to their clients that human-centric content is more likely to be shared, this may help sway content publishers in the right direction.
Will you commit to human-centric content?
Fully committing to human-centric content is the undeniable new era of SEO. Whether we look at Google’s latest algorithm updates, the sentiments of most internet users, or the insights from content experts, it’s clear that the old way of approaching SEO is dying.
Reader-first content has the capacity to be evergreen, helping businesses and other platforms establish long-term strategies that are robust and generative.
Plus, human-centric content makes search engines and the broader internet a much more enjoyable and helpful place to be. Right now, content writers are in a unique position to help educate brands and businesses that still need help understanding the value of this path.
Whether you’re a writer new to the content game or a brand looking to market through content, don’t underestimate the value of human-centric content. Over-optimised AI drivel designed for bots is a thing of the past — let’s leave it there.
We're sure you'll agree that Sameer did an incredible job of researching this piece with humans in mind! Connect with him if you'd like your own well-researched article.
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