On this episode of Performance SEO Unpacked, host Ruchi Pardal sits down with Rob Dougherty to explore a real-world blueprint for AI-driven content success. Rob leads content and SEO at Kiteworks—solo. He shares how he replaced a traditional agency model with a full AI-based production system, scaling from near-zero visibility to conversion-generating blog content. Rob walks through his personal content prompt framework, the editing processes he trusts, and the KPIs that drive his strategy: from impressions to clicks to demos. With a practical lens on regulated industries and EEAT, Rob’s story is a must-listen for SEOs serious about performance at scale.

👤 Guest Bio

Rob Dougherty leads SEO and content marketing at Kiteworks, a cybersecurity and regulatory compliance company. He transitioned from a full-service content specialist to a solo SEO practitioner, now running a one-person content operation powered almost entirely by AI.

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn

📌 What We Cover

• Why Rob moved directly to AI for full content production—skipping outlines and ideation
• The exact prompt framework used to generate high-quality, informative blog posts
• How Rob measures success: starting from impressions, moving to clicks, and now conversions
• Insights on handling hallucinations, editorial review, and on-brand messaging in regulated industries
• Why shorter, simpler prompts outperform overly complex ones in Rob’s workflow
• Key editing steps to ensure standalone, compelling H2s and section structure for zero-click environments
• How Rob incorporates Kiteworks’ brand messaging into AI-generated content
• Adding AI platform tracking to demo request forms to measure true SEO + AI influence

• Claude.ai (used for AI content generation)
• ChatGPT, Perplexity (referenced as alternative tools)
• Kiteworks: kiteworks.com
• Rob’s LinkedIn: Rob Dougherty

"I would like you to write a blog post from the perspective of a German CISO or data privacy officer with MSSP experience.

Here are the topics I would like addressed:

1. Why data protection is needed for German manufacturers

2. Benefits of data protection for German manufacturers

3. Data protection challenges for German manufacturers

4. Data protection compliance regulations German manufacturers must abide by

5. Ten best practices for implementing a data protection program into a German manufacturing company.

The post should be authoritative in tone, follow SEO best practices, optimized for AEO systems, written in active voice and contain approximately 2,000 words. The long-tail keyword is data privacy best practices for German manufacturers.

Do you understand these instructions? If yes, please start by proposing an outline.

[iterate on the outline]

Proceed with writing. Please use active voice, avoid using gerunds in the title and all sub-titles. All titles and sub-titles should be engaging and informative rather than descriptive and plain, e.g., “Conclusion,” so if a reader were to just read the sub-titles, she or he would be able to get the gist of the blog post.

[review and iterate on the post]

Please propose 4-5 key takeaways for this post. The takeaways should be numbered, followed by a main idea, in bold, followed by a brief description or summary of the main idea not to exceed 50 words.

Please propose 5 FAQs, with answers, for this post. The FAQs should focus on the keyword, data privacy best practices for German manufacturers. Answers to the FAQs should not exceed 75 words.

Please provide a SEO title tag and 1-2 sentence meta description.

Please convert this post into HTML."

Resources:

ResultFirst: Visit for more SEO tips and strategies.

Connect with Ruchi Pardal on LinkedIn for a conversation about SEO.

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