Podcast Summary – Simple SEO and Marketing

Episode 242: The 1 Content Creation Step Everyone Forgets That KILLS Conversion
Host: Faith Hanan
Date: October 2, 2025

Episode Overview

In episode 242 of "Simple SEO and Marketing," host Faith Hanan delves into a deceptively simple yet often-overlooked step in the content creation process: outlining. Faith passionately argues that skipping this step can "kill" conversions and hinder the effectiveness of your content marketing strategy, no matter how much traffic you drive to your site. Using personal anecdotes (including a Disney movie roast), actionable tips, and encouragement drawn from her experience as a copywriter, SEO strategist, and Christian business coach, Faith empowers entrepreneurs to adopt outlining for more effective content and better business results.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The One Forgotten Step: Outlining (10:25)

• Faith identifies outlining as the number one content creation step that most people overlook.
  • “The content creation step that so many people overlook is outlining. It’s outlining. And before you’re like eye roll bore, I want you to hear me out…” (10:25)
• She admits to once being an "outline skipper" herself and tells a story from her middle school days where she learned the value of good preparation through outlining.

2. Personal Story: Learning the Value of Outlining (11:58)

• Faith shares a relatable story from her school years, recalling the time her pride led her to believe she didn’t need to outline—and how she learned the hard way that it’s essential.
  • “Only to get halfway through writing my essay and be like, crazy crap. She was right. This sucks. Control, alt, del back up and do an outline. So I learned my lesson, and I have written who knows how many words since then. And I always have an outline.” (13:10)

3. Even the Pros Miss This Step (Disney’s Frozen 2 Roast) (14:36)

• To relieve listeners who might feel embarrassed about skipping outlines, Faith shares an example from pop culture:
  • “I will tell you about a certain Disney movie that was produced and put out there in theaters without an outline, and it sucked. … Frozen 2 was coming out, we were excited. … And then I think it was a bust. Personally, I did not like Frozen 2. Still don’t know what the heck the point was.” (14:36)
• She watched a documentary about the making of Frozen 2, which confirmed they created the movie without a solid outline—resulting in a confusing plot for the audience.

4. The Purpose and Nature of Outlining (16:36)

• Outlining is described as a simple “roadmap” for your content that highlights your main points and research.
  • “An outline is simply a roadmap that tells you this is where I’m going and this is how I’m going to get there. In my world, an outline really only needs to contain your main points and your research, if it’s a piece that needs research.” (16:36)
• Outlining is not meant to be a script.
  • “We don’t want to script stuff. I’m not a fan personally of fully scripted content, and I don’t think your ideal client is either. … Your outline is simply to keep you on track and make sure that you hit the correct points.” (17:08)
• Breaking the myth that outlines need to be formal, overly structured, or complicated (like those old-school Roman numeral formats).

5. Outlining Can Be Simple (18:13)

• Practical tips on how to keep outlines straightforward and functional:
  • “I don’t care what you do, as long as you template it to save yourself some time... Just do what works for you.” (19:30)
  • Even scraps of paper or napkins work, as evidenced by successful entrepreneurs Faith’s worked with.

6. Faith’s Easy-Peasy Outlining Tips (19:22)

• Tip 1: Have a Template
  • Faith describes her own template including spaces for temporary title, main keyword phrase, paid and free CTAs, relevant links, and a clear thesis statement.
• Tip 2: State Your Thesis
  • “You have to know what you are trying to prove with that piece of content. Your thesis, your say one stinking thing, write that thing out.” (20:31)
• Tip 3: Skip the Complex Formatting
  • “Don’t worry about having roman numerals or any crazy specific format like Keep it simple, okay?” (21:17)

7. The Takeaway: Outlining Boosts Clarity & Conversion (22:10)

• Faith underscores that outlining increases clarity—for both creator and audience—and directly impacts conversion by making content more focused and persuasive.
  • “If you will outline your content, it will save you time in the long run and increase your conversion because you’re going to be able to clearly communicate where you’re going, what you want your ideal client to do, and how you’re going to get them there.” (22:10)

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On Outlining and Saving Time:

  • “I always know where I’m going, and it always saves me time and helps me have a better outcome.” (13:28, Faith Hanan)

• On Content Structure:

  • “Nobody wants to waste their time and everybody wants to know what they’re going to get out of this piece of content.” (23:27, Faith Hanan)

• On Frozen 2 as a Cautionary Tale:

  • “No wonder everybody and their mom was lost because they didn’t know where they were going. And so you as the viewer didn’t know where they were going... even people who make bugga jillions of dollars sometimes skip this step.” (15:25, Faith Hanan)

• On Simplifying the Process:

  • “Don’t overcomplicate it. Like literally just—I have a template that I have: 1. point one, 2. point two, 3. point three, and then I have bullet points underneath right, right, that support those points.” (18:27, Faith Hanan)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 10:25 – Introduction of the critical yet overlooked content creation step: outlining
• 11:58 – Faith’s personal story of learning outlining’s importance
• 14:36 – Frozen 2 & the perils of skipping the outline (Disney movie roast)
• 16:36 – What is an outline, really?
• 18:13 – Outlining doesn’t have to be complicated
• 19:22 – Faith’s “easy-peasy lemon squeezy” outlining tips
• 22:10 – Summary of why outlining boosts conversion
• 23:27 – Audience-centric content and closing encouragement

Actionable Takeaways

• Never skip the outline. Even rough, informal outlines will:
  • Clarify your message and mission for each piece of content
  • Save you time in drafting and editing
  • Keep your audience engaged and more likely to convert
• Keep your outline simple and template-based. Don’t overthink the structure—just get your thesis and main points down.
• Always know your “one stinking thing.” If you can’t summarize your thesis in one sentence, neither can your audience.
• Learn even from big-budget flops. If Disney can make a confusing movie without an outline, so can you—but let’s not.

Final Thoughts

Faith wraps up this episode with a call to action to join her “Master Your Messaging” masterclass, emphasizing that getting more eyeballs on your content is pointless unless your messaging (and your outline!) is solid. She closes with encouragement to fellow entrepreneurs to create with intention so their businesses—and the people they help—can thrive.

For more resources and the masterclass, visit faithhanan.com/messaging.