The Content Ops Challenge, Scaling Great Work, Saving the Internet, and the Risks of SEO-Only Content with David Baum (Relato)

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In this conversation, Alex and David discuss the problems and challenges in content operations (Content Ops) and the need for a new generation of software and tools to support the way people work today. They explore the disarray in content strategy, the gulf between content managers and writers, and the risks of an SEO-first approach. They also emphasize the importance of preserving the human internet and the value of human-generated content in an era of generative AI. Overall, the conversation highlights the need for a more holistic and human-centric approach to content operations. In this conversation, David Baum and Alex discuss the future of the human internet and the challenges of algorithmic delivery. They explore the cynicism and lack of serendipity in content today, as well as the limitations of algorithms in discovering new content. They also delve into the incentives for choosing the human route in content creation and the scarcity of organic hits on search engine result pages. The conversation concludes with a call to action to check out relato.com and connect with David Baum on LinkedIn.

Key Takeaways

• Content Ops is a problem worth solving as there has been significant change in the way teams work and organize content, but there is a lack of proper software and tools to support this new way of working.
• The current approach to content ops is often fragmented, with homegrown solutions and a lack of robust platforms, leading to inefficiencies and wasted time.
• There is a gulf between content managers and writers, with different perspectives and problems. Content managers focus on strategic goals and outcomes, while writers face challenges in managing multiple clients and tools.
• An SEO-first approach to content marketing is risky due to increased competition, volatile search engine results pages (SERPs), and the need for high investment and velocity to compete.
• Preserving the human internet is crucial as AI-generated content threatens the unique voices and creativity of human content creators. Human-generated content is essential for training new models and maintaining the value and authenticity of the internet. The future of the human internet relies on finding a way to classify content as human or not.
• There is a need for more serendipity and less algorithmic delivery in content.
• Discovering new content is a challenging problem that current algorithms have not solved.
• The scarcity of organic hits on search engine result pages incentivizes content creators to choose the human route.

Show Links

• Visit Relato
• Connect with David Baum on LinkedIn
• Connect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter

Time Stamps

• [00:00] Introduction and Overview
• [01:30] Why is Content Ops a problem we’re solving?
• [03:26] The Disarray in Content Strategy
• [06:15] Defining Content Operations
• [09:22] What is Wrong with the Current Approach to Content Ops?
• [13:43] The Gulf Between Content Managers and Writers
• [19:02] Centralization vs. Decentralization in Content Ops
• [22:35] The Value of Information and Content
• [25:53] The Risk of SEO-First Approach
• [33:40] Saving the Human Internet
• [44:27] The Future of the Human Internet
• [45:20] Cynicism and Algorithmic Delivery
• [47:42] The Challenge of Discovering New Content
• [49:23] The Limitations of Algorithms
• [50:33] The Joy of Discovering Something New
• [51:09] The Incentives for Choosing the Human Route
• [51:38] The Scarcity of Organic Hits on SERPs
• [51:59] Conclusion and Call to Action

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