When thinking of SEO, storytelling doesn’t seem to be top of mind. However, Jessica Mehring thinks it should be. In her work as CEO of Horizon Peak Consulting, she has found that social media strategy is in need of human-centric content. While the more convenient option seems to be AI, reintroducing a narrative lens to your content could make it stand out in the new world of automatization.

The Importance of Listening

When we practice classically communicating with our audiences, we find a back and forth that tells us what users need from our organizations. Interpreting engagement and feedback through the lens of humanistic needs will lay the foundation of storytelling within our work.

The Narrative and The Story

To master storytelling, you need to create a narrative and a story. The narrative seems to be mostly forgotten in the modern age; it describes content’s purpose, presentation, the who, the what, and the how. The story is the sequence of events leading to a resolution. The narrative is the key factor in creating engaging content because it gives emotional perspective. Be honest with your audience about what your purpose is, and telling your story will become so much more meaningful on both sides.

The Theory of Planned Behavior

The Theory of Planned Behavior states that strictly informational reasoning is not enough for people to change their behavior. Attitude, control, and normative beliefs are the underlying tones of a decision in staying on a website or not, and a narrative lens best addresses those feelings. Getting someone to a page is not enough; they need to stay and engage, and that is where storytelling contributes to SEO. 

Don’t let a screen prevent you from being honest and vulnerable in your work. Through storytelling with a strong narrative, you will attract an engaging audience that will boost your site’s SEO.