/seo-content -- Publication-Ready SEO Content

SEO content has a reputation problem. Most of it is low-value -- keyword-stuffed, AI-sounding, says nothing new. It ranks for a month, then dies.

This skill creates content that ranks AND builds trust. Content that sounds like an expert sharing what they know, not a content mill churning out filler.

The goal: Would someone bookmark this? Would they share it? Would they come back?

If yes, Google will reward it. If no, no amount of optimization saves it.

On Activation

1. Read brand/ directory: load voice-profile.md, keyword-plan.md, audience.md, positioning.md, competitors.md, learnings.md if present.
2. Show what loaded:

   Brand context loaded:
   ├── Voice Profile   ✓ "{tone summary}"
   ├── Keyword Plan    ✓ {N} pillars, {N} briefs
   ├── Audience        ✓ "{audience summary}"
   ├── Positioning     ✓ "{primary angle}"
   ├── Competitors     ✓ {N} competitors profiled
   └── Learnings       ✓ {N} entries
   

3. If files missing, note suggestions at the end (e.g., run /brand-voice).
4. Check for existing content file at ./campaigns/content/{keyword-slug}.md.
   • If exists --> Content Refresh Mode (see below).
   • If not --> Full Creation Mode.
5. Determine mode: Single article or Scale mode (programmatic SEO).
6. Read brand/landscape.md if it exists — check the Claims Blacklist before making ecosystem or competitive claims. If stale (>14 days) or missing, warn that market claims may be outdated.

Prioritization (defer to seo-machine's publishing order)

When the user asks "what should I write next?" — the answer follows seo-machine's conversion-intent-first publishing order, not "whatever has highest volume":

If docs/seo-machine.md exists at the project root, route the user to that skill's Resume mode instead of writing standalone articles — the roadmap there already encodes the priority order. seo-content is the right tool for single articles and playbook-pattern long-form; alternatives/compare/use-case pages belong in seo-machine's programmatic sprint.

Brand Memory

Reads (if they exist)

Writes

Required Inputs

1. Target keyword -- Primary keyword to rank for
2. Keyword cluster -- Related keywords to include naturally
3. Search intent -- Informational / Commercial / Transactional
4. Content type -- Pillar guide / How-to / Comparison / Listicle / etc.
5. Brand voice profile -- (from voice-profile.md, if available)
6. Unique angle -- What perspective makes this different?

Pre-fill from brand memory when available. Ask the user only for what's missing.

The Workflow (Single Article)

RESEARCH --> BRIEF --> OUTLINE --> DRAFT --> HUMANIZE --> OPTIMIZE --> SCHEMA --> REVIEW --> SAVE

Phase 1: Research (SERP Analysis)

Use Exa MCP or firecrawl for live SERP research. Analyze top 5 results.

For each result capture: Title/URL, content type, word count, structure, unique angles, gaps, recency, domain type.

Extract SERP features: People Also Ask (ALL of them), Featured Snippet format, AI Overview presence.

Gap analysis: What's missing? What's outdated? What's generic? What's your edge?

Present findings in structured format. See references/serp-analysis-format.md.

If web search unavailable: flag to user, prefix SERP claims with ~, skip to Phase 2 using brand context instead.

Phase 2: Content Brief

Create or enhance an existing brief from /keyword-research. Include: target keyword, secondary keywords, search intent, content type, target word count, audience, unique angle, key points, PAA questions, competitor gaps, internal links, CTA.

Phase 3: Outline

Structure based on content type. See references/content-structures.md for templates (Pillar Guide, How-To, Comparison, Listicle).

Map PAA questions: depth-worthy ones become H2s, brief ones go to FAQ section.

Phase 4: Draft

Voice calibration: Match voice-profile.md if loaded. Default: direct, conversational, specific, opinionated.

Rules:

• Answer the search query in the first 2-3 sentences
• Apply the "So What?" chain -- write from the bottom, not the top
• Specificity over generality (numbers, examples, always)
• Show your work (how you know, not just what you claim)
• Use positioning angle from positioning.md to shape perspective

Phase 5: Humanize (Critical)

This is the soul of the skill. See references/anti-ai-detection.md for the full detection pattern guide.

Summary checklist:

• Kill AI words (delve, comprehensive, crucial, leverage, landscape, etc.)
• Kill AI phrases ("In today's...", "It's important to note...", "Let's dive in")
• Break the triple pattern -- humans are messier
• Inject: personal experience, opinions with reasoning, admitted limitations, specific examples, honest uncertainty, tangents and asides
• Vary rhythm: short punches, long explanations, fragments, questions

The Read-Aloud Test: If you stumble reading it aloud, rewrite it.

Phase 6: Optimize (On-Page SEO)

[ ] Primary keyword in title (front-loaded), H1, first 100 words, 1+ H2, meta, URL slug
[ ] Secondary keywords in H2s naturally
[ ] Meta description: 150-160 chars, compelling, includes keyword
[ ] Internal links: 4-8 per piece
[ ] External links: 2-4 authoritative sources
[ ] Featured snippet optimization (definition/list/table format)
[ ] Image alt text with relevant keywords

Title format: [Primary Keyword]: [Benefit or Hook] ([Year] if relevant) Under 60 characters, front-load keyword.

Phase 7: Schema Markup (JSON-LD)

Generate for EVERY article:

1. Article schema -- headline, description, author, dates, publisher, keywords
2. FAQ schema -- from PAA questions answered in the article
3. HowTo schema -- if content type is how-to tutorial

Include schema in article frontmatter. See references/schema-templates.md.

Phase 8: Quality Review

Run all checklists before saving:

• Content quality: Answers title in first 300 words, 3+ specific examples, unique angle present, all PAA answered, SERP gaps addressed
• Voice quality: No AI-isms, personality present, matches voice-profile.md
• SEO quality: Keywords placed, meta compelling, links included, schema valid
• E-E-A-T: Experience shown, expertise demonstrated, sources cited

See references/eeat-examples.md for 20 top-performing human content examples.

Content Refresh Mode

Triggered when content file already exists