The world of B2B content marketing is torn between two competing camps: those chasing search rankings by scaling generic cookie-cutter content, and those trying to build thought leadership with original, expertise-driven perspectives.
The SEO-focused content, typically driven by AI tools and copy-and-paste copywriting, might attract clicks but consistently fails to resonate with sophisticated readers. The thought leadership content delivers novel insights that connect with readers, but — until recently — has been unable to tap into the massive distribution potential of organic search.
Most marketers take the easy road, choosing to churn out search engine algorithm-friendly content that drives vanity traffic metrics but has no meaningful impact on actual business outcomes.
But there’s a better way. By leaning into the emerging concept of “Information Gain” — a new Google ranking factor that rewards unique, valuable content — and pairing it with real audience understanding, you can create content that ranks AND resonates.
The Rise of Information Gain
In simple terms, Information Gain is a technical way of assessing how much new information an article brings to the table.
Historically, Google has looked at dozens and dozens of “signals” to understand when a piece of content is a great match to rank highly for a search query. Early marketers used deep research, logic, and a lot of hope when creating a piece of content targeted to rank in Google search and ultimately provide value to the user.
These days, AI tools are designed to reverse engineer those top ranking pages, spitting out the perfect mix of words and phrases that get your new page ranking above all the other ones. These pieces look pretty, but typically offer no novel value to the searcher. In other words, AI has learned to game the system.
Information Gain is Google’s way of combating this sea of “perfectly optimized” content by rewarding content that offers a unique, innovative, and sometimes even surprising perspective.
For B2B marketers, this presents a massive opportunity. By focusing on creating content that taps into the unique insights and expertise within your organization, you can set yourself apart from the morass of rehashed, robotic drivel that dominates many areas of the web.
Now, marketers are able to align the goals of SEO with the principles of thought leadership to produce content that both dominates in search results and connects with your target audience. Content that showcases your unique perspective and establishes valuable trust and credibility with the people who matter most: your ideal customers.
Tapping into Your Organization’s Unique Expertise
If you want to create content that truly stands out, you need to tap into the unique expertise that exists within your organization to uncover insights and perspectives that can’t be found anywhere else.
At Magneti, we’ve integrated a step into our content production process called “Insight Guides,” where we present strategically designed questions to subject matter experts, allowing them to contribute their knowledge asynchronously via written responses.
When needed, we also conduct more in-depth interviews over Zoom, which we record and transcribe for use in the content creation process. Other tools like Google Forms, Loom, or Leaps can also be useful in this process.
Expert Insights vs. Keyword Research: Which Comes First?
To rank highly and maximize value, your content team will need to achieve a balance of optimizing for search and leveraging insider perspectives. But which should be the foundation of your content?
Here’s some high-level guidance to help you decide.
You should lead with keyword data if:
- You operate in an established market with clear search demand, and that demand can be met by topics that closely align with your offering.
- Your goals involve increasing your reach in an addressable market that can be measured by search data.
- Your GTM motion is either product-led or targets users and influencers that are more likely to use search for discovery and evaluation.
You should lead with expert insights if:
- You’re a first-mover or disrupter in an industry that has little relevant search demand to tap into.
- Your goals involve growing influence in an addressable market that is not easily measured by search data.
- Your GTM motion is sales-led or targets sophisticated decision makers that are less likely to use search for discovery and evaluation.
Whether you start with the expert-driven insights first and then optimize it for search, or you begin with keyword research and layer expert insights into that, the key is to ensure that the finished content aligns with your audience’s needs and search behavior while saying something unique and differentiated.
Leveraging Audience Insights to Drive Differentiated Content
In-house expertise is a powerful tool for creating content that delivers information gain, but it’s not the only one in our toolbelt. Unique audience insights gleaned through qualitative and quantitative research can be just as effective.
When you pair SME insights with data from surveys, interviews, and analytics, you’re able to paint a rich picture of your audience’s needs, challenges, and preferences in a piece of impactful content that is virtually impossible for anyone else in your space to replicate.
Even if you don’t have access to in-house subject matter experts, audience research alone can be a game-changer. Those unique insights into unspoken anxieties, emerging trends, and forward-thinking plans can inform content that truly resonates. Content that not only addresses their pain points and aspirations but makes them feel genuinely understood. Content that positions you as a distinct voice and your offering as the differentiated solution they need to navigate their complex challenges and emerge victorious on the other side.
The Future of B2B Content Success
The future of B2B content marketing is here.
It’s time to embrace the power of integration, combining SEO best practices, genuine expertise, and deep audience insights. By doing so, you’ll create content that not only dominates search rankings but also earns attention, builds trust, and drives meaningful business growth.
The question is, are you ready to lead the charge?
