Designing the Editorial Strategy, SEO Framework, and Content Guidelines for AED Advantage
AED Advantage is one of Canada’s leading AED (automated external defibrillator) suppliers. Their mission is simple (but serious): make lifesaving devices accessible to every workplace, school, and public space in the country.
As content specialist, I worked closely with the SEO team from strategy through execution to:
Interpret research findings to identify content priorities and opportunities.
Lead the development of the brand-voice and content guidelines.
Design and implemented the GPT-based workflow to scale production efficiently.
Review, edit, and approve all content to ensure consistency, accuracy, and tone.
Collaborate with developers and the client to ensure optimized implementation across meta data, headers, internal linking, and schema.
Here’s how I did it.
1. The Issue: Flatlined Content
When I joined the project, AED Advantage already had everything going for it: solid reputation, loyal customers, and a strong product lineup. But online, none of that came through.
Their site looked fine on the surface, but the content wasn’t working. Category and product pages were missing keyword focus, the tone shifted from page to page, and nothing really reflected who the brand was or why it mattered.
Competitors were steadily overtaking them in search, not because their products were better, but because their content strategy was.
It wasn’t that AED Advantage lacked authority, they just weren’t communicating it effectively. The site was full of words, but not much meaning.
2. Searching for a Heartbeat
Before we touched a single sentence, we needed to understand why the content wasn’t performing. So the SEO team and I ran a full competitor and keyword audit.
We wanted to see what others were ranking for, where AED Advantage was invisible, and which opportunities were being left on the table.
The findings were clear: the site was missing out on several high-value keyword clusters entirely. Some pages were optimized for the wrong terms, while others competed with each other for the same searches.
But keywords were only part of the picture. Even if we fixed the SEO structure, the brand voice itself was inconsistent. One page sounded technical and stiff; another tried to be conversational but missed the mark.
It was clear the client needed both the right search strategy and a clear, unified voice that carried through every category, product, and blog page.
That became our focus.
3. Defining Brand and Content Guidelines
To find the voice, we went straight to the source: the client.
We interviewed their team to understand how they talked to customers, what they valued, and how they wanted to be perceived. Then I reviewed every piece of existing content—blogs, product pages, marketing materials—searching for the authentic moments where the brand’s real character showed through.
From those fragments, we built brand and content guidelines that defined how AED Advantage should sound, write, and communicate.
Tone: confident but caring.
Style: plainspoken, direct, never clinical.
Messaging pillars: trust, expertise, accessibility, community safety.
Language: human first, keywords always natural.
With the guidelines approved, we had something to anchor every decision to make sure every page, post, and product description felt like it came from the same place.
4. Scaling Content in the Blink of AI
Once the brand and content strategy were in place, the next challenge was scale. We had dozens of category and product pages to rewrite, plus new content to create based on the keyword gap analysis.
Doing it all manually would have been slow and inconsistent. So I built a custom GPT trained on our new content guidelines, project rules, and internal reference materials.
The SEO team created detailed page briefs covering search intent, keyword priorities, and structural requirements.
The GPT used those briefs to generate first drafts and outlines that matched our guidelines. I then reviewed, edited, and refined every piece, ensuring each one was accurate, human, and aligned with both SEO and brand standards.
This hybrid workflow—automation for speed, editorial oversight for quality—let us produce high volumes of optimized content without losing voice or cohesion.
5. Prioritizing by Impact
With the content system in place, we turned to strategy. Not every page needed equal attention, so we focused on where our work would have the greatest impact, both for SEO performance and business results.
We started with high-volume category pages, where improvements would drive the most visibility and conversions.
Next came the key product pages, where stronger content could directly influence purchase decisions and revenue.
Finally, we optimized and expanded the blog, using long-tail keywords to build topical authority and support the broader site structure.
For existing pages, we rewrote and optimized content for clarity, keyword alignment, and conversion potential, including improvements to metadata and headings. For gaps revealed in our keyword analysis, we created entirely new pages aligned with our brand and SEO guidelines.
At the same time, we implemented a comprehensive internal linking strategy. Each new or revised page was connected intentionally—linking related products, categories, and resources—to guide users through the site more intuitively and strengthen topical authority across key themes.
6. The Results
The project delivered measurable and lasting results over the next few months.
The client was genuinely thrilled with how their site content read and performed.
Every section of the website—from product page to category page to blog—reflected a consistent, confident brand voice.
Pages we optimized moved to Page 1 or 2 of Google for core target keywords.
Organic traffic, ranking keywords, and search-driven revenue rose significantly.
AED Advantage emerged as a credible, competitive authority in their industry.
In short, the project aligned the brand’s story, structure, and strategy, and the results followed.
