Example: Problem-Solution Format for SEO

This example demonstrates the most powerful SEO strategy: identifying problems your audience has and providing solutions. Search engines love this format because it directly answers user queries.

Why Problem-Solution Content Ranks Well

When people search Google, they're usually looking for solutions to specific problems:

"Why is my Next.js build failing?"
"How to reduce Stripe payment failures?"
"Best way to handle authentication errors?"
"What causes slow database queries?"

If your content directly addresses these searches, you'll rank higher. Simple as that.

The Problem-Solution Framework

Every high-ranking blog post follows this structure:

1. Identify the Specific Problem

Start by clearly stating the problem your reader is experiencing:

Bad: "Authentication can be tricky."

Good: "You've deployed your Next.js app to production and users are getting logged out randomly after 10 minutes, even though your session timeout is set to 24 hours."

See the difference? The specific version matches exactly what someone would search for.

2. Explain Why It's a Problem

Help readers understand the impact:

This isn't just annoying - it's costing you:
- User frustration and churn
- Support tickets and wasted time
- Lost conversions when users abandon checkout
- Negative reviews about "buggy login"

Quantify the pain. Make it real.

3. Show Why Common Solutions Fail

Address the obvious solutions people already tried:

"Just increase the session timeout" → Doesn't work because tokens are still being cleared client-side

"Use localStorage instead" → Creates security vulnerabilities with XSS attacks

"Switch to a different auth library" → Doesn't solve the underlying middleware issue

This builds trust. You understand their journey.

4. Provide Your Solution

Now give them the actual fix:

// The problem: Middleware is clearing cookies on every request
// The solution: Configure cookie settings correctly

export const authConfig = {
  session: {
    strategy: "jwt",
    maxAge: 24 * 60 * 60, // 24 hours
  },
  cookies: {
    sessionToken: {
      name: `__Secure-next-auth.session-token`,
      options: {
        httpOnly: true,
        sameSite: 'lax',
        path: '/',
        secure: process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production',
        // 🔥 KEY FIX: Don't override this in middleware
        maxAge: 24 * 60 * 60
      }
    }
  }
};

Explain each part of the solution and why it works.

5. Prevent Future Issues

Add preventive measures:

Monitor your logs for cookie-related errors Test in production-like environment before deploying Set up alerts for unusual logout patterns Document your auth flow for your team

How to Find Problems Worth Writing About

Your best content comes from real user problems:

1. Your Own Experience

What issues did you struggle with while building your product?

Spent 3 hours debugging webhook timeouts? Write about it.
Fought with CORS errors for days? That's a blog post.
Confused about Drizzle migrations? Others are too.

Example topics from your experience:

"I wasted 6 hours on Stripe webhook testing (here's the faster way)"
"Why my Resend emails went to spam (and how I fixed it)"
"The BetterAuth vs NextAuth decision that saved me weeks"

2. Support Questions

Track what users ask you:

GitHub issues on your repo
Email support questions
Discord/Slack community questions
Twitter/X replies asking for help

Each repeated question is a blog post waiting to be written.

3. Search Engine Research

Use tools to find what people are searching:

Google Search Console: See queries bringing traffic to your site Google Autocomplete: Type your topic and see suggestions Reddit/Stack Overflow: Find common pain points AnswerThePublic: Discover question-based searches

Example search patterns to target:

"Why is [thing] not working?"
"How to fix [error message]?"
"[tool] vs [alternative tool]"
"Best way to [accomplish task]"
"Common [thing] mistakes"

4. Competitor Gap Analysis

Find topics competitors haven't covered well:

Search for topics in your space
Read the top 10 results
Note what's missing or unclear
Write the definitive guide filling those gaps

SEO Benefits of Problem-Solution Posts

This format naturally optimizes for search:

Long-Tail Keywords

Problem descriptions contain natural long-tail keywords:

"next js authentication randomly logging out users" (12 words)
"stripe webhook signature verification failed nodejs" (7 words)
"drizzle orm migration rollback not working" (6 words)

These specific phrases have less competition and higher intent.

Featured Snippets

Problem-solution format often wins featured snippets:

## Quick Answer (appears in snippet)
The solution is to configure cookie settings with the correct 
maxAge in both session config and cookie options.

## Detailed Explanation (full article)
[Rest of your content...]

Start with a concise answer, then expand.

Natural Internal Linking

Problem-solution posts naturally link to:

Related problems and solutions
Tutorial content explaining concepts
Product features that solve the problem
Documentation for tools mentioned

Example: "This is why we built [feature name] into the boilerplate" → links to your product.

Writing Structure for Maximum Impact

Title Formulas That Rank

Problem Statement:

"Why [Problem] Happens (And How to Fix It)"
"[Error Message]: Causes and Solutions"
"Solving [Problem]: A Complete Guide"

How-To Format:

"How to Fix [Problem] in [Technology]"
"The Right Way to Handle [Problem]"
"How I Solved [Problem] After [Time] of Struggle"

Comparison/Alternative:

"[Solution A] vs [Solution B] for [Problem]"
"Stop Using [Common Solution], Try This Instead"
"Why [Popular Solution] Fails and What to Use"

Content Structure Template

## The Problem
[Describe specific issue clearly]

## Why It Happens
[Explain root cause]

## Why Common Fixes Don't Work
[Address obvious solutions]

## The Real Solution
[Your solution with code/steps]

## Why This Works
[Explain the reasoning]

## How to Implement
[Step-by-step instructions]

## Preventing Future Issues
[Best practices and tips]

## Conclusion
[Summary and next steps]

Code Examples for Problem-Solution Posts

Show the problem and solution side-by-side:

// ❌ PROBLEM: This causes random logouts
export const middleware = (request: NextRequest) => {
  const response = NextResponse.next();
  // This clears the session cookie!
  response.cookies.set('session', '', { maxAge: 0 });
  return response;
};

// ✅ SOLUTION: Only clear cookies when intended
export const middleware = (request: NextRequest) => {
  const response = NextResponse.next();
  
  // Only clear on logout route
  if (request.nextUrl.pathname === '/api/auth/logout') {
    response.cookies.set('session', '', { maxAge: 0 });
  }
  
  return response;
};

Visual contrast makes the solution obvious.

Real Examples of High-Ranking Problem-Solution Content

Example 1: Database Performance

Problem: "Slow PostgreSQL queries on large tables"
Solution: Add indexes, use connection pooling, optimize queries
SEO Value: Targets developers struggling with performance

Example 2: Authentication Errors

Problem: "CORS errors blocking OAuth callback"
Solution: Configure CORS properly, use correct callback URLs
SEO Value: Extremely common problem with high search volume

Example 3: Payment Integration

Problem: "Stripe webhooks timing out"
Solution: Async processing, proper error handling, retry logic
SEO Value: Critical for SaaS apps, high commercial intent

Measuring Success

Track these metrics for problem-solution posts:

Organic Traffic:

Monitor Google Search Console for impressions/clicks
Target: Steady growth over 3-6 months

Engagement:

Time on page (longer is better)
Scroll depth (did they read the solution?)
Internal link clicks (did they explore more?)

Conversions:

Newsletter signups from post
Product trials from CTA
Documentation page visits

Search Rankings:

Track position for target keywords
Monitor featured snippet wins
Watch for ranking improvements

Dynamic OpenGraph Images

Important: Notice this post doesn't have a thumbnail field in the frontmatter.

Your boilerplate automatically generates OpenGraph images for social sharing:

// This is already built in!
const ogImage = `${siteConfig.url}/blog/${slug}/opengraph-image`;

When someone shares this post on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Slack, they'll see a professionally designed preview image generated from:

Post title
Your site branding
Metadata like date and read time

No manual design work needed. This saves hours per blog post.

Content Maintenance Strategy

Problem-solution posts need updates:

Monthly

Check if solutions still work with latest package versions
Update code examples if APIs changed
Add new solutions discovered by community

Quarterly

Refresh statistics and metrics
Add new sections for emerging issues
Update internal links to new content

Annually

Complete rewrite if technology changed significantly
Consolidate related posts if needed
Archive if problem no longer relevant

Conclusion: Why This Format Works

Problem-solution content succeeds because:

High search intent - People actively looking for answers
Natural keywords - Problems described in searchable terms
Genuine value - Actually helps readers solve issues
Link magnets - Other developers reference your solutions
Commercial potential - Problem-solvers often become customers

Start by documenting problems you've already solved. Those are your most authentic and valuable posts.

This example demonstrates: Problem-solution content structure, SEO keyword targeting, how to find topics worth writing about, code example formatting, and why your dynamic OpenGraph generator eliminates manual thumbnail creation.

Use this format when writing about any technical challenge you've overcome. Your real-world solutions are more valuable than generic tutorials.