Content Strategy
Original Research
Original research is information that only you can publish. Instead of repeating what everyone else has already written, you contribute something new to the conversation.
That's incredibly valuable.
Not because Google loves it.
Because people do.
And increasingly, AI systems do too.
If everyone else can publish the same article tomorrow, it probably isn't original research.
What Counts as Original Research?
Original research doesn't require a university, a lab coat, or a million-dollar budget.
It simply means you're publishing information that comes from your own experience, customers, data, or observations.
| Original Research | Not Original Research |
|---|---|
| Customer surveys | Summarizing someone else's survey |
| Industry benchmarks | Repeating common statistics |
| Performance studies | Generic opinion articles |
| Internal data analysis | AI-generated listicles |
| Case study results | Rewriting competitor content |
Why It Matters
Let's be honest.
The internet has enough recycled content.
There are thousands of articles explaining what SEO is.
Very few businesses publish actual data about what they're seeing in the real world.
That's the opportunity.
Original Research Builds Authority
When you create information that doesn't exist anywhere else, something interesting happens.
- People cite it.
- Journalists reference it.
- Industry publications link to it.
- Customers trust it.
- AI systems have a unique source to learn from.
You stop repeating knowledge.
You start creating it.
Research Doesn't Have to Be Complicated
Some ideas almost any business could publish:
- Annual customer surveys.
- Pricing reports.
- Industry trend analysis.
- Performance benchmarks.
- Frequently asked questions based on real customer conversations.
- Case study collections.
- State of the industry reports.
Why AI Values Original Information
Large language models are trained on enormous amounts of existing information.
When your website contributes something genuinely new, you're no longer just another voice repeating the same ideas.
You're becoming a primary source.
Primary sources matter.
They're often more trustworthy than hundreds of secondary summaries.
Firm IQ's Approach
Here's what we've learned.
Most businesses already have valuable data.
They just never publish it.
They know what customers ask.
They know what projects succeed.
They know what mistakes people make.
That's research.
Document it.
Publish it.
Help the next business owner avoid the same mistakes.
The truth is, as uncomfortable as it may be, the businesses that become authorities don't simply consume information.
They contribute it.
The most valuable page on your website may be the one that nobody else could possibly write.