Most writers think SEO content begins and ends with keyword selection. But there’s a crucial step in between that often gets overlooked: choosing the right content angle.
In content writing for SEO, the content angle is everything. It’s where you take a stand and decide what your audience needs, and the best way to deliver it to them. Get it right, and you’re more likely to be rewarded with a top-performing piece of content. Get it wrong, and your content might fail to land with your audience - if you attract one at all.
Here, I’ll show you some of the most popular content angle examples for SEO. Then, I’ll show you how to pick the right content angle for a keyword, so you give searchers exactly what they want (and keep Google happy.)
Let’s do this.
What Is a Content Angle in SEO?
A content angle is the unique framing or stance you choose for writing your content. It’s more than the information a piece of content provides; it’s the way you decide to deliver the information.
There are plenty of content angles to choose from, but here’s what many people miss: a content angle is a strategic choice, grounded in research and a clear understanding of what your audience wants. It isn't something you pick from a list or choose on a whim.
Content Angle Examples
While it’s important not to choose a content angle at random, it helps to know what your options are. Here’s a list of some of the most common and successful content angles out there, and when they might be a fit.
Listicles
Search intent: Informational
Best for: Recommendations, tips/advice, ideas, statistics.
Let’s start here because, according to Coschedule, listicles are one of the most shareable, linkable content forms in 2025. People still love list-based content because it’s clear, easily scannable, and allows them to gather a lot of information in a short time. Sure, listicles may be overused in some corners of the web, but a good list done well is still an SEO winner.
In fact, Zapier used a listicle-based strategy to drive 455,000 sessions per month to just 100 listicles.
Tip: Notice how the best-performing list-based articles tend to deliver the list right up front. Don’t bury the lede; people have come for the list!
How-To Guides
Search intent: Informational
Best for: When search intent clearly indicates people want to learn HOW to do something.
In terms of content formats that deliver, how-to guides also top the charts. These are best when search intent shows that the searcher wants to learn how to do something. The key here is to answer this intent clearly and completely. Provide all the steps a person would need to get the job done, and test it yourself to make sure it works perfectly.
Example: Hunter.io’s How to Write a Follow-Up Email After No Response
“What Is” Content
Search intent: Informational
Best for: Emerging topics.
Some topics call for a "what is" angle because that’s the level of understanding your audience may be at. For example, if you searched “AI” a few years ago, you’d get a lot of “what is” content. This was a time when many people were just learning about this technology, how it worked, and its impact. Now, when you search this term, you tend to get a lot more product offerings in the list. This is because people’s understanding has shifted. (This also shows why it’s so important to revisit content angles over time!)
A great example of using “what is” content successfully is NinjaOne. By leaning into a "what is" strategy when their audience was still in the early learning phase, they grew organic traffic from 7,000 to over 110,000 monthly visitors, a 1,400% increase.
Example: NinjaOne’s What Is Deprecated in IT?
Tip: Be careful with this "what is" content in 2025. AI overviews now tend to take care of answering many of these queries, which could mean fewer opportunities in the search results page.
Beginner Guides
Search intent: Informational
Best for: Audiences that are brand new to a topic; as part of a larger cluster of content around a topic.
When you think your keyword has a beginner audience (or the keyword actually includes the words “for beginners,”) a beginner’s guide can be just the ticket. This content angle typically explains what something is, why it matters, and how to get started, as well as pitfalls to avoid. Most importantly, it covers a topic in a way that’s designed to help people who are new to this information.
Ahrefs excels at beginner guides. The site ranks for hundreds of organic search positions targeted at this group. Their basic SEO guide ranks for more than 600 keywords and brings in thousands of organic visitors per month.
Example: Ahrefs SEO Basics Guide
Ultimate Guides
Search intent: Informational/transactional
Best for: Pillar pages that target competitive, high-volume search terms.
Ultimate guides are called “ultimate” because they’re comprehensive, all-in-one resources on a topic. These posts are long-form, typically 3,000 to 10,000 words. They're designed to be useful, shareable, and provide the full picture of a topic, including context, step-by-step instructions, tools/resources, advanced topics, and more. They’re often used as a hub page in hub-and-spoke SEO. Because they cover so much ground, they can be linked to and from many other pages on the site.
Yoast has built a strong strategy around ultimate guides, which enable them to rank for highly competitive keywords in their industry. They reinforce this with plenty of beginner guides and how-to content.
Example: Yoast’s SEO Copywriting Guide
Comparisons
Search intent: Commercial
Best for: An audience who is deciding between specific options.
In many cases, a keyword that needs a comparison or alternative angle tends to include words like “vs,” “or,” or “like.” This type of content should be designed to help searchers clearly understand their options and make a decision between two or more products or services.
Many SaaS companies use this formula to their advantage by aiming to rank for comparisons between their software and key competitors. This gives them the opportunity to present their product in the best light, with the goal of winning over people who are ready to make a choice.
Example: HubSpot’s comparison of HubSpot vs Salesforce
Questions and FAQs
Search intent: Informational
Best for: Searches that have many related questions built in.
This content angle is a bit of a mix between a listicle and questions, but it can work great when you find the right fit for it. It can also be a great way to rank for long-tailed searches and related keywords.
Try this when you run into a search that seems to have a lot of really pertinent questions attached to it.
Example: Semrush’s list of SEO FAQs for Beginners
Case Studies and Real-World Examples
Search intent: Commercial/transactional
Best for: Industry-specific queries where people are looking for real-world examples and answers.
Case study and example-based content can be really powerful when people are looking to make a decision. This is often used in SaaS content to help show prospective customers exactly how a specific software can help their business. Because they’re real, case studies are also relatable and serve as social proof. They show how a person or company got specific results, and suggest that maybe the reader could too.
There are many examples of great case studies out there. HubSpot, Salesforce, and Ahrefs are all known leaders in this space. But a great case study doesn’t have to sell software. It can also show a great process, like detailing the specific steps you took to achieve a particular success.
Example: BuzzStream’s How I Tripled Organic Traffic in 12 Months
Data-Driven Content
Search intent: Informational/commercial
Best for: Topics where data is in demand and can offer a fresh or more compelling perspective.
Data-driven content draws on statistics, research, surveys, or proprietary data to give a clear overview of a topic. Done well, it earns citations and organic backlinks; done consistently, it becomes a go-to resource readers return to. And in niches crowded with how-to guides and listicles, data stands out by offering originality and a fresh perspective.
There are many great examples of data-driven content. The best ones tend to build a reputation around their list and update it with fresh data every year.
Example: Backlinko’s Yearly List of SEO Statistics
Mistakes & Pitfalls Content
Search intent: Informational
Best for: Education-heavy niches, beginner audiences, and content designed for social media.
Most content offers advice on what to do. A mistakes-and-pitfalls article flips that by showing what not to do. This content angle adds an emotional hook, since people are often more motivated to avoid failure than chase success. Its contrarian tone also makes it especially shareable.
Lots of brands successfully use this content angle to stand out in a crowded topic area. The key is to target a common fear and include unique and useful advice.
Example: Bankrate’s list of First-Time Homebuyer Mistakes
Trends and Future-Focused Content
Search intent: Informational
Best for: Capturing attention in fast-moving industries.
Trend-focused content often leans on data, but its real goal is to spotlight what’s next. It’s especially effective in fast-moving industries like ecommerce and marketing, where audiences are eager to stay ahead. If it's done well with fresh data, expert insights, and strong visuals, it positions brands as thought leaders and attracts amplification from media and social channels. The best examples tie trends directly to a brand’s space, reinforcing its role as both leader and educator.
Example: Shopify’s Global Ecommerce Statistics
Contrarian and Myth Busting Content
Search intent: Informational/commercial
Best for: Opinion-based industries. Grabbing attention in saturated topic areas.
Contrarian content goes against the grain of popular belief or industry consensus and is structured around exposing false beliefs or misconceptions. It needs evidence and a strong argument to work well, but it can be a great way to bust through the noise in saturated topic areas.
Check out the example below. That doozy of a piece came out in 2023, when people were just starting to test out AI-powered tools in the workplace, and just when the fear of AI taking over was at its peak. This article sparked thousands of shares and comments online and across social media.
Example: Forbes’ Opinion piece I’ve Never Hired a Writer Better Than ChatGPT
Templates, Tools, and Resources
Search intent: Transactional
Best for: High-intent queries that demand these resources, or where they would be clearly helpful.
Sometimes, people aren’t just looking for advice; they’re looking for tools and resources. That’s where this content angle comes in. Some queries will clearly show that templates and tools are part of what people are looking for. Others may take some digging or intuition. For example, when we recently put together an email audit guide, it was clear that checklists were in demand for the keyword. So, we included as many clear checklists as we could to make things easier for readers.
HubSpot is a master of providing useful templates in much of its content. This allows them to rank on additional long-tail keywords and capture leads.
Tip: Not sure when to use this content angle? Look for mentions of “template,” "checklist," or “tools” in related searches, People Also Ask, and People Also Search.
| Content Angle Types | Best Search Intent Fit(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Listicles | Informational, Commercial | Often used for 'best of' or 'top X' content; works at both awareness and comparison stages. |
| How-To Guides | Informational | Answers 'how to' queries directly; great for awareness/learning stage. |
| “What Is” Content | Informational | Definition-focused content; captures early awareness queries. |
| Beginner Guides | Informational | Covers basics for newcomers. |
| Ultimate Guides | Informational, Commercial | Comprehensive pillar pages; useful for both awareness and consideration. |
| Comparisons | Commercial | Purely comparison/evaluation-focused; supports buyer research. |
| Questions / FAQs | Informational | Good for long-tail queries and People Also Ask coverage. |
| Case Studies / Real-World Examples | Commercial, Transactional | Provides proof and real-world validation; helps move readers closer to action. |
| Data-Driven Content | Informational, Commercial | Authority-building through data, stats, and research; appeals to evaluators. |
| Mistakes & Pitfalls | Informational | Flips perspective to what NOT to do; great for beginner education. |
| Trends & Future-Focused | Informational, Commercial | Captures timely, fast-moving topics; builds authority and thought leadership. |
| Contrarian / Myth-Busting | Informational, Commercial | Challenges conventional wisdom; builds differentiation in crowded niches. |
| Templates, Tools, Resources | Transactional | High-intent; searchers want practical resources they can apply right away. |
How to Choose a Content Angle
Choosing a content angle starts with careful research about your keyword and trying to understand the audience who may be searching for it.
After all, a keyword on its own doesn’t provide a lot of information. At most, it gives you an idea of the topic you need to cover. But you still need to decide what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to figuring it out.
Step 1: Enter Your Keyword Into Your Keyword Research Tool
Enter your keyword into Semrush or your keyword tool of choice. This is where you start to learn more about this word or phrase and why people might be searching for it. Here I'll use the keyword “ecommerce success” as an example.
First, I use Semrush’s Keyword Overview tool to look at Keyword Variations. These are alternative search queries that are related to the target keyword. They include different wording and phrasing, and can show you other ways that users might phrase the same query in different words. This can help you better understand this potential audience and what they want.
Next, look at Questions. These are related search terms that are phrased as questions. This provides even more clues and information about what people are looking for. I can see below that one key question is "how to measure ecommerce success." That’s a great idea for a related article or even something I could include in this one. Once I’ve told people what they should do to succeed, it might also make sense to provide some guidance on measuring their progress.
Finally, use Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool to look at keyword groups. This gives you a broad overview of the topic areas/keywords covered most often within this group of related keywords. Here, I can see that “story” features prominently, as does “strategy.” Again, these are more clues that can help me understand what other content on this topic includes, and what might be useful to include in my own article.
Step 2: Enter Your Keyword Into Google
The most important step in choosing a content angle is understanding what Google believes searchers want for that keyword. Google is constantly testing search results against each other, and has millions of data points about which results attract clicks and keep people engaged. That means you should treat the search results page for your target keyword as a roadmap for search intent.
Read through the top articles carefully, and consider what they cover and how they’re structured. Pay attention to the “People Also Ask” and “People Also Search For” sections too. These features reveal the follow-up questions and related searches your audience cares about, which can give you valuable clues for shaping your content.
Step 3: Think!
OK, now you should have a list of related keywords, ranking content, and related questions in front of you. It’s time to pause and think: Who is the person searching for this keyword? What can we learn about what they truly want? Why are they searching, and what problems are they trying to solve? Let’s take a look at our example keyword again: "ecommerce success."
What someone would want from this keyword isn’t immediately obvious by looking at it. But looking at the SERP tells me a lot more about who this searcher is likely to be.
The first result in the SERP is a Reddit thread. This tells me that first-person stories and experience may be important here. Other results center around tips for success in ecommerce, as well as the success rate of ecommerce businesses and why some fail.
So, let’s put ourselves in this searcher’s shoes. Clearly, Google thinks this person is someone who is running or wants to start an ecommerce business. And, like any business owner, they want to make their business a success. What would I want if I were that person?
Well, I’d certainly want to hear from other successful ecommerce business owners about what they got right (and maybe what they did wrong, too). And I’d want clear, actionable tips I could use to start improving or building my own business.
See how a content angle is already forming here? I can also use the results in the SERP to determine where some of these articles might be weaker. Here, I see that many are missing high-quality, real-world examples. This gives me an opening to produce better content than what is ranking for this term.
Step 4: Create Your Content Brief
Now that I have an idea about where I want my content to go, it’s time to build a map to help me, or another writer, get there. Your brief is where you bring your content angle to life. I’m a fan of this brief template, but there are lots of other good ones out there.
Your brief should map out the article in a way that 1) fully fulfills the search intent for your keyword and 2) communicates everything you’ve learned to your writer. The goal here isn’t to micromanage the writing process, but to make sure the writer understands the core points this article needs to succeed. It should also help your writer understand the searcher, including what they already know, what they don’t know, and what they should know about this topic.
How Your Content Angle Should Inform Content Structure
A content angle is more than just a title. It should shape the entire structure of your piece. And, like everything else in SEO, that structure needs to be guided by search intent.
Take our example keyword, "ecommerce success." When briefing this, HOW I choose to write this topic is just as important as WHAT I choose to write. As search expert Marie Haynes puts it: “Optimizing for user intent comes down to two things: 1) figuring out what users want when they land on your page, and 2) making your content the best option for those users.”
That means structure matters. Visitors come with a goal, and if your page doesn’t deliver answers fast, they’ll bounce back to search results. Keep your intro short and clear about what the reader will get, then deliver value right away. For this keyword, I’d lead with the No.1 reason ecommerce businesses fail, followed by lessons from real entrepreneurs on how to overcome it.
Do this well, and you’re not just improving your odds of ranking, but writing something genuinely useful. That’s where great content starts.
Content Angles and Your SEO Strategy
For any piece of content you want people to discover via search engines, the content angle is key. Remember that the angle you choose should be the one you think is the best fit for a particular searcher, and the one that will quickly, clearly, and completely meet their search intent.
If you’re looking for tools to help you with your SEO research, Softailed can help. We’ve tested 39 of the best SEO software on the market to help you find the best fit. You can also use our Comparison tool to compare SEO software side by side.
