Last week, I introduced The Context Engine, a three-part model for product-led content, an alternative to the keyword-led approach we've mastered so well during the pre-AI SEO era.
Today, we’re diving deep into the first model of the Context Engine: Teach & Tilt.
I'm writing a 5-part series on this topic. Here's where we're at:
Why write "What is content marketing?" when ChatGPT will give you a definition in 2 seconds?
But here's what most people miss: defining something isn't the same as tilting someone's perspective on it.
In today's newsletter:
Even before AI, 90% of "What is X?" content was garbage.
It was the same Wikipedia-style definitions, regurgitated by every SEO team trying to rank for target keywords.
"Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content..."
Yawn.
Nobody remembers who wrote that. Nobody says, "Wow, these people really get it."
Let's compare that to an actual point of view:
"Content marketing isn't about producing random acts of content. It’s about creating content on purpose. If you can't explain why you're writing something, don't write it."
The first definition tells you what content marketing is. The second tells you what most people get wrong about it.
And this means, educational content CAN work (if you do it right).
You can challenge assumptions.
Coin new frameworks.
Give your take on it.
How these guys do ↓
1. Pain Point LLMO: Why Product-Centric Content on Your Own Site Beats Reddit & PR – Grow and Convert
Grow and Convert doesn't just explain LLMO. They argue that "product-centric, bottom-of-funnel content on your own site beats Reddit & PR."
They are challenging what most "experts" recommend.
2. What is "Good Content"? – Animalz
Animalz doesn't just define good content. They argue it exists "on a spectrum that includes at least four parameters: Angle, Timing, Distribution, and Writing.
They are coining a new framework.
3. Good Writing – Paul Graham
Paul Graham doesn't just define good writing. He argues that good writing has two dimensions: sounding good and being right. While these may seem unrelated, they're tightly connected. Writing that sounds good is often more likely to be right, because the process of making it sound right helps clarify the ideas.
He offers his unique take on it.
4. Brendan Hufford calls out "checkbox marketing" as "one of the most insidious traps," coining a term that makes you realize you might be trapped without knowing it.
See the pattern?
They're not just teaching. They're tilting the conversation toward their unique worldview.
That's what makes educational content work in the AI era.
That's where Teach & Tilt comes in.
We've built this model to help turn faceless educational SEO content into brand-building content. Here is how it works:
Start with the basics, but make it interesting. Give people the foundation they need without putting them to sleep.
Introduce a non-obvious insight, controversial take, or unique POV. What does everyone get wrong about this concept? What non-obvious insight can you share?
This is your chance to tilt the conversation toward your worldview.
Give your opinion a structure. It can be a coined term, a framework, or a new category. Make it memorable.
(Case in point: "Teach & Tilt" is our coined term for this exact approach.)
Don't pitch your product hard, but build a soft connection to how it enables this different approach. “This is why companies doing X often turn to tools like [your product].”
For example: “What is DevOps Orchestration?”
Challenge conventional wisdom after laying out the basics.
→ Example: "The truth about route optimization: why it's not just about faster delivery"
Redefine an existing space with your own terminology.
→ Example: "Why we don't call it team chat. It's digital HQ."
Educational content that guides readers toward your product content.
→ Example: "What is AI-assisted delivery routing?" → soft CTA to your See It Solved content or case studies.
Show how most people approach something, then introduce your better way.
→ Example: "Here's how most teams approach customer onboarding. And where they go wrong."
Debunk common industry assumptions and position your approach as a better alternative.
→ Example: "Myth: More features = better user adoption. Reality: Users choose tools that solve one problem, not platforms that overwhelm them with options."
Take a widely accepted problem and show it's actually a different problem entirely.
→ Example: "You don't have a lead generation problem. You have a lead qualification problem."
Teach your proprietary method for solving a common challenge.
→ Example: "The RICE prioritization framework and why we built something better"
When you create Teach & Tilt content, you're building brand awareness and positioning yourself to get mentioned by AI tools.
Here's why it works:
Pick a concept your audience struggles with, then ask:
Let me know how it goes.
Next week, we’ll explore the See It Solved model and how to level up your Jobs To Be Done content for the middle of the funnel.
P.S. This is part 2 of my 5-part The Context Engine series, where I explain the three content models we use at Zmist & Copy to help our clients get visibility on search and in AI conversations. If you missed part 1 on why keyword-led content is over, catch up here.
Here's what's coming next:
1. Title: The Context Engine: Keyword-led content era is gone
2. The Context Engine: Guide the reader toward your worldview
3. The Context Engine: Jobs To Be Done content, enhanced
4. The Context Engine: How we write the best case studies in the industry
5. The Context Engine: How to zmistify your content (your strategy playbook)
P.P.S. We use the Teach & Tilt method for our clients' TOFU content at Zmist & Copy. If you want help building a product-led content strategy that actually gets noticed, get in touch.
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