For a long time, creative blogging has been about sharing the finished project. How often have you meticulously mapped out and photographed every step of your creation to excitedly reveal your masterpiece in the end? That approach built trust and community because people love seeing real-life examples. It feels natural to teach by saying, “Here’s what I did! You can try it, too.”
However, two things have shifted in the past few years: 1) Google algorithms want more and more, but very specific versions of that! And 2) The way people search for content and what they are hoping to find. While the examples are still helpful, your audience and the algorithm wants something a little bit different now.
More and more, people aren’t just looking for something to copy, they’re looking for an idea they can tweak and personalize. They still want the why and how, but they also want to know if it will work for their specific circumstance, budget, audience, family, etc. When your posts are centered only on one final result, it can accidentally send the message that there’s only one “right” way to do it, and you may be losing clicks and engagement because of it.
Using Data to Add Depth
So how do you make sure your post fits what your readers want? Checking your numbers on Google Search Console can help you get a better idea of this. A post might rank, get impressions, and technically “do well,” yet clicks and engagement feel lower than they should. Do you have posts that did amazing a year ago, but can’t seem to find their audience now? Did last year’s best Christmas post tank this year? This could be a sign that the topic is still relevant, but the framing doesn’t answer the real question in the reader’s mind: Could this actually work for me?
The answer isn’t to stop sharing personal projects or to hide the finished result. Those pieces still matter, especially to the algorithm. It gives you credibility and that real person element. But, your posts need to have a little more depth to capture today’s audience.
You don’t have to make a post longer or more complicated, but it does need something else. This reminds me of the Alice in Wonderland movie where the Mad Hatter tells Alice that she has lost her “muchness”. Your posts need that extra light, or “muchness” to capture the way today’s readers want their information.
Instead of only being the instructor, you get to play the friendly guide, helping readers think through choices and adapt ideas to their own lives. And the bonus: content like this ages better, because it still feels useful even when trends or tools change.
Adding Depth: An Example
Let’s pretend that five years ago you wrote a blog post about what to take on a road trip to entertain your children. Your post includes real world examples of what you bought (with affiliate links), pictures of your kids doodling in their car seats, and your relief at how well entertained they were. Every year you get a little spike on this post around family holiday times, and the beginning of the summer, but each time it’s just a little bit less than last time. Maybe you have even updated it with new affiliate links, but it’s just not doing what it used to do? Did it lose its appeal? Is it just too old? What can you do?
Adding depth, means looking at this post from an outside perspective, or a different perspective. Does someone really want to know exactly what you did OR do they want to know what THEY can do, in the same or a similar scenario. At the end of this post is a handy checklist you can use to give you some ideas, but for this example, we’ll just look at two of the questions.
Ask Yourself…
- Have I explored the Why and not just the How? Why is someone looking for ideas? Maybe they are trying to use fewer screens on the trip? Do they want their kids to be more involved during the trip? Maybe they are going on their first road trip and aren’t quite sure how much is too much? Are you covering the why, and the potential why?
- Did I name a few variations? Your kids were 3 and 5 years old on your road trip. Have you included some ideas for babies, toddlers, older kids, and teens? Throw that into the mix so there are more options? Did you consider the budget? Throw in some ideas that range from freebies to more expensive. These aren’t just your kids going on a trip, it’s THEIR kids going on a trip.
For creative bloggers, this can be a powerful shift. You can still share what you did and what worked for you, while opening the door for readers to personalize it. The message becomes, “Here’s my version — now here are some ways to make it yours.” That’s often the difference between a post people read once and a post they save, share, and come back to later.
Adding Depth: Turning Projects into Adaptable Ideas
Here are some samples from the checklist to make sure your post helps readers see how the idea could work for them and not just how it worked for you.
Before publishing (or when updating a post), ask:
- Have I explained the “why,” not just the “how”?
Include a sentence or two about the thinking behind your choices. - Did I name a few variations?
Offer alternatives by skill level, age range, budget, time, materials, or space. - Add a short “Variations & Ideas” section near the end.
- Insert 2–3 callouts or notes explaining optional choices.
- Rewrite headlines/subheads to signal flexibility (e.g., “5 Ways to Customize…”).
- Include a new image or example that shows a different version or outcome.
- Update meta descriptions to emphasize adaptability
Download the Full Checklist Here!
Contact us now to find out how we can help you update your posts, manage your data, or even strategize your next steps!.