Great post Nick. There’s one more reason people fail at getting to the finish line. This process can be expensive depending on the niche. Even if you're writing your own articles, the people who are succeeding (the competition) are often outspending you.

I’ve created content marketing maps and website silos for clients in the past to help them navigate the SEO framework of their niche sites. I always throw in a competitive analysis and cost projection to help them figure out their ROI on a project.

When they see how much they need to pay out to reach “escape velocity,” the point at which they see sales through SEO, the majority will scoff at the numbers and cut corners. Somehow, they forget they are competing with others in a marathon.

When I recommend starting with Facebook or Google ads to bring in quick traffic, there’s skepticism and fear of the ongoing expense. SEO costs can add up and that’s a tough truth a lot of folks don’t want to hear.

I used to map out a niche site or local directory with a minimum of 300 articles ranging from 500 to 1500 words depending on the niche or the competition for the keywords. Most people aren’t built for the time and endurance needed for long term projects. The issue still comes back to investing in a project for over a year, hoping to get a return later.

I agree with you on how tough it is to keep a good blog going for the time it takes to reach escape velocity. Most folks don’t want to invest, they want to gamble.