Content Optimizer Skill

A systematic workflow for optimizing content to perform well in both traditional search engines and AI-powered systems (GEO).

When to Use

• Improving existing content performance
• Preparing content for publication
• Refreshing underperforming pages
• Enhancing AI citation potential
• Optimizing for featured snippets
• Building topical authority

Optimization Workflow

Phase 1: Content Analysis

Before optimizing, understand the current state:

Content Inventory:

Title: [Current title]
Word Count: [X words]
Last Updated: [Date]
Target Keyword: [Primary keyword]
Current Structure: [H1 → H2 count → H3 count]

Performance Assessment:

• Search intent alignment
• Topic completeness
• Competitive positioning
• Freshness status

Phase 2: Keyword Optimization

Optimize keyword presence without over-optimization:

Primary Keyword Placement:

Location	Status	Recommendation
Title tag		First 30 chars
H1		Natural inclusion
First 100 words		Opening paragraph
H2 headers		2-3 variations
Meta description		With CTA
URL		If practical

Keyword Density Check:

• Target: 0.5-1.5%
• Calculate: (keyword occurrences / total words) × 100
• Flag if >2% (over-optimization risk)

Semantic Enhancement: Add related terms and concepts:

• LSI keywords (5-10 variations)
• Related entities
• Question variations
• Synonym usage

Phase 3: Structure Optimization

Improve content organization:

Header Hierarchy:

H1: Primary Topic (1 only)
├── H2: Main Section 1
│   ├── H3: Subsection
│   └── H3: Subsection
├── H2: Main Section 2
│   └── H3: Subsection
└── H2: Conclusion/Summary

Scannable Formatting:

• Short paragraphs (2-3 sentences)
• Bullet lists for features/benefits
• Numbered lists for steps/processes
• Tables for comparisons
• Bold for key terms
• Block quotes for callouts

Internal Linking:

• Link to related content (3-5 contextual links)
• Use descriptive anchor text
• Link from high-authority pages
• Create hub/spoke patterns

Phase 4: AI Extractability

Optimize for LLM citation:

Add Extractable Elements:

TL;DR Block:

## TL;DR

[2-3 sentence summary with key facts. Include primary keyword and main value proposition. Perfect for AI extraction.]

FAQ Section:

## Frequently Asked Questions

### [Exact question users ask]?

[40-60 word direct answer. Lead with the key fact. Include relevant data or specifics.]

### [Another common question]?

[Direct, comprehensive answer.]

Comparison Table:

| Feature | Option A | Option B | Option C |
|---------|----------|----------|----------|
| Price | $X | $Y | $Z |
| Feature 1 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Best For | [Use case] | [Use case] | [Use case] |

Paragraph Optimization:

• Break paragraphs >120 words
• Lead with key fact
• One idea per paragraph
• Clear topic sentences

Phase 5: E-E-A-T Enhancement

Add trust and expertise signals:

Author Enhancement:

*Written by [Name], [Title/Credentials]. [1-2 sentence bio with expertise indicators.]*

Source Citations:

• Add statistics with sources
• Link to authoritative references
• Include expert quotes
• Reference original research

Trust Signals:

• Last updated date
• Editorial review note
• Fact-checking statement
• Contact information

Phase 6: Meta Optimization

Finalize metadata:

Title Tag Formula:

[Primary Keyword] - [Benefit/Hook] | [Brand] (55-60 chars)

Meta Description Formula:

[Action verb] + [benefit]. [Key feature]. [CTA] (150-160 chars)

URL Structure:

/primary-keyword-descriptive-slug (under 60 chars)

Output Format

Content Optimization Report

## Content Optimization Complete

**Page:** [Title/URL]
**Optimizations Applied:** X changes

### Summary of Changes

**Keyword Optimization:**
- Added primary keyword to [locations]
- Integrated X LSI keywords
- Current density: X%

**Structure Improvements:**
- Reorganized headers for logical flow
- Added X bullet lists
- Created X tables
- Broke X long paragraphs

**AI Extractability:**
- Added TL;DR summary
- Created FAQ section (X questions)
- Added comparison table
- Optimized paragraph lengths

**E-E-A-T Additions:**
- Added author bio
- Included X source citations
- Added last updated date

**Meta Updates:**
- New title: [title] (X chars)
- New description: [desc] (X chars)

### Before/After Comparison

| Metric | Before | After |
|--------|--------|-------|
| Word count | X | Y |
| Keyword density | X% | Y% |
| H2 count | X | Y |
| Internal links | X | Y |
| Extractable elements | X | Y |

### Next Steps
1. [Recommended follow-up action]
2. [Additional improvement]

Quick Optimization Checklist

For rapid optimization:

• Title tag optimized (keyword + hook)
• H1 matches target keyword
• First 100 words include keyword
• At least 3 internal links
• TL;DR or summary present
• FAQ section (3+ questions)
• Paragraphs under 120 words
• At least 1 table or comparison
• Author/expertise signals
• Updated date visible

Cannibalization Detection

When optimizing multiple pages, check for keyword cannibalization — pages competing against each other for the same queries.

Cannibalization Types

Title/Meta Overlap:

• Similar page titles targeting same keyword
• Duplicate meta descriptions
• Same target keywords across pages

Content Overlap:

• Similar topic coverage
• Duplicate sections
• Same search intent served by multiple pages

Structural Issues:

• Identical header patterns
• Similar content depth on same topic
• Overlapping keyword focus

Detection Process

1. Analyze keywords across provided pages
2. Identify topic and keyword overlap
3. Compare search intent targets
4. Assess content similarity
5. Find differentiation opportunities
6. Recommend consolidation if needed

Prevention Strategy

1. Clear keyword mapping - One primary keyword per page
2. Distinct search intent - Different user needs per page
3. Unique angles - Different perspectives on related topics
4. Differentiated metadata - Unique titles/descriptions
5. Strategic consolidation - Merge when appropriate

Resolution Tactics

• Merge similar content into single authoritative page
• 301 redirect weak pages to stronger ones
• Rewrite competing pages for different intent
• Update internal anchor text for clarity
• Implement canonical tags to primary
• Create hub/spoke structure with topic clusters

Cannibalization Report Format

Conflict: [Keyword]
Competing Pages:
- Page A: [URL] | Focus: [angle]
- Page B: [URL] | Focus: [angle]

Resolution:
- Consolidate / Differentiate / Canonical
- Specific actions for each page

Guiding Principles

1. User-first - Optimize for humans, not just algorithms
2. Natural integration - Keywords should flow naturally
3. Value addition - Every change should add value
4. Extractability - Make key info easy to find/cite
5. Authenticity - Maintain author voice and expertise