I Automated My SEO Content. My Team Finally Stopped Complaining

Working in an AI company, using AI isn’t optional. It’s expected. It's a way of life!

So naturally, I started looking beyond just using AI for outputs. I wanted to see how it could improve the way we work. Not just faster outcomes, but smarter workflows.

I'm in a way blessed that I have a coding background, so I decided to experiment with something simple but powerful, using Google Apps Script. It’s free, flexible, and surprisingly capable if you know your way around it. I also used a combination of Claude and Minimax-M2.7 to troubleshoot and fix my code.

Me and my team now when AI and automation did all the work for us

The Problem: Content Creation Fatigue

If you’ve ever worked in marketing, you know this pain.

Coming up with SEO content ideas consistently is exhausting. Not because tools don’t exist, but because the process is fragmented:

• You brainstorm topics
• You validate keywords
• You refine prompts
• You generate content
• You edit and structure everything

Yes, AI can write. But good content still needs:

• Relevance to your brand
• Alignment with your domain expertise
• Proper structure for SEO and readability

Even with tools like Semrush helping identify keyword trends and competitor gaps, the team still had to “figure things out” every single time.

So I asked a simple question:

What if we could automate the entire workflow?

The Solution: A Lightweight Content Automation Engine

I built a simple system that connects Google Sheets, Semrush, and Gemini into one streamlined pipeline.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Input the Idea

The team just fills in a “Topic” column in Google Sheets.
Think of it as the marketing angle or content idea.

That’s it. No prompting gymnastics required.

Step 2: Automate Keyword Intelligence

Using Google Apps Script:

• The script runs twice a week
• It reads new topics from the sheet
• Connects to Semrush via API
• Pulls relevant and trending keywords

No manual keyword research. No switching tabs like a caffeinated octopus.

Step 3: Generate Structured SEO Content

This is where Gemini comes in. By combining those keywords from Semrush together with the given topic, I designed a structured prompt that ensures every output follows SEO best practices:

• Strong, keyword-led title
• Meta description
• Clear introduction
• 5 to 6 structured sections
• Natural keyword integration
• FAQ section
• Conclusion with CTA
• Clean markdown output
• 1200 to 1800 words

The key here isn’t just AI generation.
It’s forcing consistency in quality and structure.

Step 4: Review and Approval Loop

Once the content is generated:

• The task is marked “Completed” on Google Sheets
• An email is triggered to me and the team
• Content is reviewed, edited, and approved before publishing

Human oversight stays in place. Just without the heavy lifting.

The Outcome: Less Friction, More Output

What used to be a messy, multi-step process is now streamlined into:

1. Input topic
2. Let automation handle the heavy work
3. Review and publish

Simple. Scalable. Repeatable.

And most importantly, the team no longer dreads content creation.

Why This Matters (Especially Now)

Search behavior is changing fast.

People are:

• Starting with AI tools
• Cross-checking via reviews, Reddit, and YouTube
• Only then visiting brand websites

Which means your content needs to be:

• Structured
• Relevant
• Easy for both humans and AI to understand

This kind of workflow doesn’t just save time.
It positions your brand to show up where decisions actually happen.

Key Takeaways You Can Apply Today

1. Don’t Just Use AI. Systemise It.

Most teams use AI as a tool.
The real advantage comes when you turn it into a process.

If your team is still manually prompting every task, you’re leaving efficiency on the table.

2. Structure Beats Creativity (At Scale)

Good content isn’t just about ideas. It’s about consistency.

A strong framework ensures:

• Better SEO performance
• Easier readability
• Higher chances of being surfaced by AI

Think of structure as your unfair advantage.

3. Reduce Friction, Not Control

Automation doesn’t mean removing humans.

It means:

• Removing repetitive work
• Keeping strategic control
• Letting your team focus on refinement, not creation

The goal isn’t to replace marketers.
It’s to make them dangerously efficient.

If you’re still treating content as a manual craft, it might be time to rethink the system.

Because in an AI-first world, speed matters.
But structured speed wins.

What about you? What's stopping you from automating your workflows?

How a $0 Sushi Meal Gained 7k+ Instagram Followers in a Few Days

A sushi restaurant in Hong Kong just pulled off what many brands dream of and most never achieve.

They went from zero to 7,610 Instagram followers in less than a week.

No giveaways spam. No “follow to win” mechanics.

Just a very clever idea and one very uncomfortable meal.

Image via ChatGPT

The Instagram account is called Sushirororo, and their growth hack was simple on paper but brilliant in execution. The account only contain 2 Reels made by Jordan Leung, better known as @69ranch, a popular Hong Kong stand-up comedian and content creator with a loyal following and sharp comedic timing.

On 6 January 2026, Sushirororo launched their Instagram page with the first Reel featuring Jordan. The premise was straightforward. Jordan challenged himself to spend HKD$1 for every follower the restaurant had.

Since the account was brand new, that meant zero followers and a total food budget of exactly zero dollars.

Video posted on 6 January had zero followers on their Instagram page

So Jordan sat down for a “meal” consisting entirely of complimentary items. Pickled ginger. Chilli powder. Soy sauce. Plain water. A wet tissue for dessert. Michelin would be rather confused.

When he asked for the bill, the waitress looked equally confused and told him he didn’t need to pay anything since he didn’t order food. Challenge completed. Pride and ego slightly bruised.

The internet loved it.

At the time of writing (7 February 2026), the post had already racked up 75,000 likes and nearly 400 comments. More importantly, people actually followed the account.

On 10 January, Sushirororo posted a second Reel.

This time, the joke escalated. At the start of the video, the account already had 7,610 followers. That meant Jordan now had to spend HKD$7,610 on sushi.

One person. One stomach. Many poor life choices.

Post on 10 January already had 7,610 followers on their Instagram account

To make it even remotely possible, Jordan stayed for both lunch and dinner and brought two friends along. Even then, the group only managed to spend slightly over HKD$4,000.

Still short.

Instead of ending the challenge there, Jordan spent the remaining balance by giving away sushi to followers, neatly closing the loop between content, community, and reward.

That second Reel pulled in another 52,000 likes and over 300 comments at time of writing.

Also at the time of writing, Sushirororo’s Instagram account crossed 17,000+ followers.

5 key takeaways:

1. The idea matters more than the budget
   This worked because the concept was simple, funny, and easy to understand in the first three seconds. No amount of media spend can save a boring idea. Creativity is still undefeated.

2. Influencer fit beats influencer size
   Jordan wasn’t just a billboard. His humor, personality, and audience aligns perfectly. Relevance always outperforms raw follower count.

3. Escalation keeps people coming back
   The second video worked because it raised the stakes. Same idea, higher tension, bigger payoff. Great social content thinks in episodes, not one-offs.

4. The brand stayed in the background on purpose
   Notice how the restaurant never hard-sold the food. The brand let the creator lead, and the audience did the rest. Sometimes the smartest move is not talking too much.

5. Community participation closes the loop
   Giving away sushi to followers wasn’t just generous. It turned passive viewers into participants. When audiences feel involved, growth stops being rented and starts becoming owned.

If this feels obvious in hindsight, that’s the point. The best social ideas usually are. They just look ridiculously hard to copy after someone else nails them first.

Also, respect to anyone who can turn pickled ginger into a growth strategy. Marketing school did not prepare us for that.

Disclaimer: At the time of writing, it wasn't clear if Jordan was collaborating with directly with sushi restaurant Sushiro.hk for the 2 viral videos.