Pensteady - Steady Content, Steady Growth

You've seen them before: elaborate 12-month content plans with 100+ articles mapped out by keyword difficulty, search volume, and traffic potential.

They look impressive. They feel comprehensive. And they almost never get executed.

Why? Because they're too big, too complicated, and too disconnected from reality.

Here's a better approach: a 90-day plan that you'll actually execute.

Why 90 Days?

Three months is the sweet spot for content planning:

Short enough to maintain focus and urgency
Long enough to see real results
Easy to iterate: If something isn't working, pivot in Q2

Twelve-month plans get outdated before you're halfway through. Thirty-day plans don't give SEO time to compound. Ninety days is just right.

Phase 1: Foundation (Days 1-30)

Week 1: Audit and Research

Before you write a single word, understand where you stand.

Tasks:

Audit existing content (what's working, what isn't)
Analyze top 3 competitors' content strategies
Identify keyword opportunities (focus on low-hanging fruit)
Define your 3-5 core content topics

Deliverables:

List of 20-30 keyword targets
Content gap analysis
Competitor insights doc

Tools: Ahrefs, Semrush, or even free tools like Google Search Console and Answer the Public.

Week 2-4: Create Your Pillar Content

Pillar content is the foundation. These are comprehensive, authoritative guides on your core topics.

What to create:

2-3 pillar pages (2,000-3,500 words each)
Each should target a broad topic keyword
Include internal linking structure for future cluster content

Example: If you sell project management software:

Pillar 1: "Complete Guide to Project Management for Remote Teams"
Pillar 2: "How to Choose Project Management Software (2025 Buyer's Guide)"
Pillar 3: "Project Management Methodology Comparison"

Why pillars first? They establish topical authority and give you a framework for supporting content later.

Phase 2: Momentum (Days 31-60)

Week 5-8: Build Content Clusters

Now that you have pillars, surround them with supporting content.

For each pillar, create 4-6 cluster posts:

Each targets a specific long-tail keyword
Each links back to the pillar
Each solves a specific problem

Example cluster for "Project Management for Remote Teams" pillar:

"5 Communication Challenges in Remote Project Management (And How to Fix Them)"
"Best Time Tracking Tools for Remote Teams"
"How to Run Effective Remote Standup Meetings"
"Remote Project Management: Async vs. Sync Workflows"

Publishing pace: 3-4 posts per week (12-16 total in this phase).

Why clusters? They build topical authority faster than random posts. Google sees you as an expert when you comprehensively cover a topic.

Phase 3: Acceleration (Days 61-90)

Week 9-12: Scale and Optimize

By now, you have foundation content published. Time to accelerate.

Focus areas:

1. Increase Publishing Velocity
You've proven you can execute. Now publish more:

Aim for 4-6 posts/week
Use automation or freelancers to scale
Maintain quality standards

2. Start Updating Old Content
If you have existing content, refresh it:

Add new data
Improve formatting
Expand thin posts to 1,000+ words
Update for current year (change "2024" to "2025")

3. Build Links Internally
As you publish more, internal linking becomes crucial:

Link new posts to pillars
Link related cluster posts to each other
Update old posts with links to new content

4. Promote Best Performers
By week 10, you'll have early data on what's working. Double down:

Expand high-performing posts
Create related content
Share on social, email, and other channels

Deliverables for Phase 3:

20-24 new articles published
5-10 old articles updated
Comprehensive internal linking structure

What Results to Expect

Realistic expectations for 90 days:

Weeks 1-4: Minimal traffic increase. You're building foundation.

Weeks 5-8: Early rankings start appearing for low-competition keywords. Traffic begins increasing 10-20%.

Weeks 9-12: Compounding kicks in. Traffic increase accelerates to 30-50%. Some posts start ranking on page 1.

Beyond 90 days: This is where it gets interesting. If you continue publishing, growth compounds. Many companies see 3-5x traffic growth within 6-12 months.

How to Actually Execute This Plan

1. Block Calendar Time
Content doesn't write itself. Schedule dedicated blocks:

Research: 4 hours/week
Writing: 10 hours/week
Editing/publishing: 3 hours/week

2. Build a Content Calendar
Map out all 90 days:

What publishes when
Who's responsible
What stage each piece is in

3. Use a Project Management Tool
Track progress in Notion, Asana, or Trello. Move cards from "Research" → "Draft" → "Editing" → "Published."

4. Set Weekly Milestones
Don't wait 90 days to evaluate. Check progress weekly:

Did we hit our publishing target?
What's ranking?
What needs to change?

5. Automate Where Possible
Don't manually schedule social posts, don't manually check rankings, don't manually format WordPress uploads. Automate the busywork so you focus on strategy and quality.

Common Mistakes That Kill 90-Day Plans

Mistake #1: No accountability
"We'll publish when we have time" = you won't publish. Assign owners and deadlines.

Mistake #2: Perfectionism
A done article is better than a perfect one that's still in draft. Ship it.

Mistake #3: Ignoring data
If something isn't working by week 6, pivot. Don't stick to the plan blindly.

Mistake #4: Trying to do everything manually
You can't scale content if one person is doing all research, writing, editing, and publishing. Use tools, freelancers, or automation.

The Pensteady Fast-Track

Here's how Pensteady compresses this 90-day plan:

Day 1-7: We research your industry, analyze competitors, and identify 50+ keyword opportunities.

Day 8-30: We publish your first 8-12 articles (pillar + cluster content), fully optimized.

Day 31-60: We scale to 12-16 posts, build comprehensive internal linking, and start ranking.

Day 61-90: We accelerate to 16-20 posts, update old content, and drive exponential traffic growth.

What normally takes a team of 3-4 people, we handle end-to-end—keyword research, writing, optimization, and publishing.

Start Your 90-Day Plan Today

You don't need a massive budget or a big team. You need:

A clear plan
Commitment to executing
The right tools or partners

Map out your next 90 days. What could you accomplish if you published 30 high-quality articles?

The companies that win at SEO aren't the ones with the best plan—they're the ones that execute.

Ready to execute your 90-day plan without the heavy lifting? Start with Pensteady and we'll handle the entire content workflow.

The 90-Day SEO Content Plan That Actually Works