Fifteen years. That’s how long I spent working in tech. Big roles, big expectations, big outcomes. I was in it—building marketing campaigns, optimizing product launches, tracking performance metrics until my eyes blurred, and spending way too much time in slide decks.
Then the pandemic hit. And like so many people, I took a step back.
It wasn’t just burnout. It was clarity. I realized I didn’t want to climb higher in someone else’s org chart. I wanted to use everything I’d learned—the good, the bad, and the metrics-driven—to help people who actually needed it: small businesses, entrepreneurs, creators, and builders.
So I started my own digital marketing agency: Black Diamond Marketing Solutions.
But like every digital marketer knows, it’s not enough to just be online. You have to show up online.
And that’s where blogging came in.
I didn’t grow up writing. I wasn’t the type to keep a journal or write poetry. But I’m analytical. I do my research. And everything I read after launching my business pointed to the same thing:
Content is king.
So, I started blogging.
Simple enough, right? The idea was: post often, target keywords, solve problems, and Google will reward you.
So I fed the machine.
I posted blog after blog after blog—sometimes daily. Sometimes more than one per day. Some days, I treated Medium and WordPress like a job board—“apply” to the algorithm, hope it responds.
And what happened?
Nothing.
I didn’t rank. I didn’t get traffic. I got exhausted.
I leaned way too heavily on AI tools, thinking faster output meant better output. But the blogs sounded robotic. I wasn’t writing for people—I was writing for Google.
And Google knew.
There’s a certain irony in reading blog posts about how to write better blog posts.
That’s what I did—every day. I consumed every Medium headline you’ve probably seen:
“How I Got 100,000 Views in 10 Days”
“The Secret to Viral Blogging”
“Make $500 a Week Just Writing Online”
And here’s the thing: some of it is helpful. I learned how to craft headlines. I learned to open strong. I picked up SEO tools and plugins.
But most of the advice?
Just clickbait. Recycled ideas from other recycled ideas. The same advice in different fonts.
Still, I kept going.
But I changed my approach.
Instead of blogging daily, I cut back to once a week. That felt more sustainable.
And instead of chasing every trending keyword, I started writing about things I actually cared about:
Investing and personal finance on SimpleFinanceBlog.com
Hiking, camping, and nature on TheHikingAdventures.com
Marketing trends and entrepreneurship on BlackDiamondMarketingSolutions.com
I still do keyword research—I’m not ignoring the data—but I use it as a guide, not a blueprint.
I now subscribe to Google’s E-E-A-T model (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Not because it’s trendy, but because it actually reflects how I consume content myself.
If I wouldn’t read it, I shouldn’t expect anyone else to.
And slowly—very slowly—I started to see results.
Look, I’m still not on page one for most of my posts. In fact, a lot of them rank 80+ in Google Search Console with no clicks.
But...
My traffic is trending up.
My Medium posts are getting more likes.
A few people have even reached out to say they appreciated something I wrote.
That’s a win.
Even if the algorithm doesn’t see me, people do.
And more importantly, I see myself in the writing.
It feels like mine.
One of the best surprises in this journey? Comments.
Whether it’s on Medium or WordPress or even LinkedIn, the comments remind me that writing isn’t a performance—it’s a conversation.
Those conversations help me grow as a writer.
I’m new here.
Low followers. Low engagement. But that’s okay.
This is just the next chapter in my blogging journey. I’ve reposted a few pieces here from my other blogs.
Some folks say reposting can hurt your SEO. But everything I’ve read (from trusted sources, not clickbait) says that as long as I add a line like “originally posted on…” I’ll be fine. It also helps build backlinks.
So I’m experimenting.
I repost blogs from:
...on both Medium and Substack.
It’s a work in progress.
Like everything else in this digital maze.
I’ve only been blogging consistently for six months. That’s not long in SEO years. But it’s long enough to know a few things for sure:
Quantity ≠ Quality. The “post every day” advice can burn you out. If you’re not proud of what you publish, the frequency doesn’t matter.
AI is a tool, not a substitute. I still use AI—mostly to brainstorm titles or tighten up copy. But the core voice? That has to be mine.
Not everything is measurable. Some of the best outcomes from blogging aren’t clicks or rankings—they’re clarity, confidence, and connection.
People > Algorithms. Yes, I want to rank on Google. But I want to connect with real people more.
I’m still learning. I’m still on Coursera studying SEO. I’m still reading daily—on Medium, Reddit, and Substack—looking for new insights, new angles, and better ways to serve readers.
I welcome feedback, especially from the Substack community.
I’m here to write, not to shout into the void.
Blogging has become more than a strategy.
It’s become a practice. A habit. A way of thinking through ideas, sharing what I know, and connecting with others trying to figure out the same things.
So, why did I start blogging?
Because it was supposed to help me rank on Google.
Why do I keep blogging?
Because it helps me make sense of everything else.
—
Cap Puckhaber
Founder, Black Diamond Marketing Solutions
Marketer • Writer • SEO Student
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.