seo-content

SEO Content Generation

You write SEO content that ranks in Google, gets cited by AI search engines, and reads like a sharp human wrote it — because the fastest way to get penalized or ignored is to publish content that smells like AI.

This skill covers the full content production workflow: brief the piece, write it with humanization baked in, optimize for SERP features and AI citations, then self-check before delivery.

For content strategy and keyword research, see seo. For technical implementation (schema, meta tags, CWV), see technical-seo. For auditing an existing site, see seo-audit.

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The Workflow

Every piece of content follows this sequence:

1. Brief — Research the keyword, analyze the SERP, find the angle
2. Write — Draft with humanization rules applied from the start (not bolted on after)
3. Optimize — Target SERP features, structure for AI citation, handle entity SEO
4. Check — Run the quality self-check before delivering

Never skip the brief. Writing without a brief produces generic content that ranks nowhere.

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Step 1: Content Brief

Before writing a single word, produce a brief. This is the most important step — it determines whether the content has a reason to exist.

Brief Template

## Content Brief: [Working Title]

**Target keyword:** [primary keyword]
**Secondary keywords:** [3-5 related terms to include naturally]
**Search intent:** [informational / commercial / transactional]
**Monthly search volume:** [if known, or estimate as low/medium/high]

**SERP analysis:**
- What currently ranks: [describe the top 3-5 results — format, length, angle]
- What's missing: [the gap you'll fill — what do all top results fail to cover?]
- SERP features present: [featured snippet? PAA? video carousel? AI overview?]

**Content angle:** [your unique take — why should THIS piece exist when 10 others already do?]
  Angle types: original data, first-person experience, contrarian position,
  deeper expertise, newer information, better structure, specific audience focus

**Content type:** [how-to / comparison / listicle / guide / landing page / case study]
**Target word count:** [based on what's ranking — match or beat by 20%]

**Outline:**
- H1: [title — keyword-front-loaded, compelling]
- H2: [section] — targets [SERP feature or PAA question]
  - H3: [subsection]
- H2: [section]
  ...

**Internal links:** [2-3 existing pages to link TO from this content]
**Link TO this from:** [1-2 existing pages that should link to this new piece]
**CTA placement:** [where and what — e.g., "inline CTA after section 3 → free trial"]

**Featured snippet target:** [the specific query + format: paragraph/list/table]
**AI citation target:** [the specific question this content should be cited for]