seo-content-writer

SEO Content Writer

This skill creates search-engine-optimized content that ranks well while providing genuine value to readers. It applies proven SEO copywriting techniques, proper keyword integration, and optimal content structure.

When to Use This Skill

• Writing blog posts targeting specific keywords
• Creating landing pages optimized for search
• Developing pillar content for topic clusters
• Writing product descriptions for e-commerce
• Creating service pages for local SEO
• Producing how-to guides and tutorials
• Writing comparison and review articles

What This Skill Does

1. Keyword Integration: Naturally incorporates target and related keywords
2. Structure Optimization: Creates scannable, well-organized content
3. Title & Meta Creation: Writes compelling, click-worthy titles
4. Header Optimization: Uses strategic H1-H6 hierarchy
5. Internal Linking: Suggests relevant internal link opportunities
6. Readability Enhancement: Ensures content is accessible and engaging
7. Featured Snippet Optimization: Formats for SERP feature opportunities

How to Use

Basic Content Creation

Write an SEO-optimized article about [topic] targeting the keyword [keyword]

Create a blog post for [topic] with these keywords: [keyword list]

With Specific Requirements

Write a 2,000-word guide about [topic] targeting [keyword],
include FAQ section for featured snippets

Content Briefs

Here's my content brief: [brief]. Write SEO-optimized content following this outline.

Data Sources

See CONNECTORS.md for tool category placeholders.

With ~~SEO tool + ~~search console connected: Automatically pull keyword metrics (search volume, difficulty, CPC), competitor content analysis (top-ranking pages, content length, common topics), SERP features (featured snippets, PAA questions), and keyword opportunities (related keywords, question-based queries).

With manual data only: Ask the user to provide:

1. Target primary keyword and 3-5 secondary keywords
2. Target audience and search intent (informational/commercial/transactional)
3. Target word count and desired tone
4. Any competitor URLs or content examples to reference

Proceed with the full workflow using provided data. Note in the output which metrics are from automated collection vs. user-provided data.

Instructions

When a user requests SEO content:

1. Gather Requirements

   Confirm or ask for:

   ### Content Requirements
   
   **Primary Keyword**: [main keyword]
   **Secondary Keywords**: [2-5 related keywords]
   **Target Word Count**: [length]
   **Content Type**: [blog/guide/landing page/etc.]
   **Target Audience**: [who is this for]
   **Search Intent**: [informational/commercial/transactional]
   **Tone**: [professional/casual/technical/friendly]
   **CTA Goal**: [what action should readers take]
   **Competitor URLs**: [top ranking content to beat]
   

2. Load CORE-EEAT Quality Constraints

   Before writing, load content quality standards from the CORE-EEAT Benchmark:

   ### CORE-EEAT Pre-Write Checklist
   
   **Content Type**: [identified from requirements above]
   **Loaded Constraints** (high-weight items for this content type):
   
   Apply these standards while writing:
   
   | ID | Standard | How to Apply |
   |----|----------|-------------|
   | C01 | Intent Alignment | Title promise must match content delivery |
   | C02 | Direct Answer | Core answer in first 150 words |
   | C06 | Audience Targeting | State "this article is for..." |
   | C10 | Semantic Closure | Conclusion answers opening question + next steps |
   | O01 | Heading Hierarchy | H1→H2→H3, no level skipping |
   | O02 | Summary Box | Include TL;DR or Key Takeaways |
   | O06 | Section Chunking | Each section single topic; paragraphs 3–5 sentences |
   | O09 | Information Density | No filler; consistent terminology |
   | R01 | Data Precision | ≥5 precise numbers with units |
   | R02 | Citation Density | ≥1 external citation per 500 words |
   | R04 | Evidence-Claim Mapping | Every claim backed by evidence |
   | R07 | Entity Precision | Full names for people/orgs/products |
   | C03 | Query Coverage | Cover ≥3 query variants (synonyms, long-tail) |
   | O08 | Anchor Navigation | Table of contents with jump links |
   | O10 | Multimedia Structure | Images/videos have captions and carry information |
   | E07 | Practical Tools | Include downloadable templates, checklists, or calculators |
   
   _These 16 items apply across all content types. For content-type-specific dimension weights, see the Content-Type Weight Table in [core-eeat-benchmark.md](../../references/core-eeat-benchmark.md)._
   _Full 80-item benchmark: [references/core-eeat-benchmark.md](../../references/core-eeat-benchmark.md)_
   _For complete content quality audit: use [content-quality-auditor](../../cross-cutting/content-quality-auditor/)_
   

3. Research and Plan

   Before writing:

   ### Content Research
   
   **SERP Analysis**:
   - Top results format: [what's ranking]
   - Average word count: [X] words
   - Common sections: [list]
   - SERP features: [snippets, PAA, etc.]
   
   **Keyword Map**:
   - Primary: [keyword] - use in title, H1, intro, conclusion
   - Secondary: [keywords] - use in H2s, body paragraphs
   - LSI/Related: [terms] - sprinkle naturally throughout
   - Questions: [PAA questions] - use as H2/H3s or FAQ
   
   **Content Angle**:
   [What unique perspective or value will this content provide?]
   

4. Create Optimized Title

   ### Title Optimization
   
   **Requirements**:
   - Include primary keyword (preferably at start)
   - Under 60 characters for full SERP display
   - Compelling and click-worthy
   - Match search intent
   
   **Title Options**:
   
   1. [Title option 1] ([X] chars)
      - Keyword position: [front/middle]
      - Power words: [list]
   
   2. [Title option 2] ([X] chars)
      - Keyword position: [front/middle]
      - Power words: [list]
   
   **Recommended**: [Best option with reasoning]
   

5. Write Meta Description

   ### Meta Description
   
   **Requirements**:
   - 150-160 characters
   - Include primary keyword naturally
   - Include call-to-action
   - Compelling and specific
   
   **Meta Description**:
   "[Description text]" ([X] characters)
   
   **Elements included**:
   - ✅ Primary keyword
   - ✅ Value proposition
   - ✅ CTA or curiosity hook
   

6. Structure Content and Write

   Structure: H1 (primary keyword, one per page) > Introduction (100-150 words, hook + promise + keyword in first 100 words) > H2 sections (secondary keywords/questions) > H3 sub-topics > FAQ section > Conclusion (summary + keyword + CTA).

7. Apply On-Page SEO Best Practices

   Follow the on-page SEO checklist (keyword placement, content quality, readability, technical elements) and the content writing template (H1 with keyword, hook, sections with H2/H3, FAQ, conclusion with CTA).

   Reference: See references/seo-writing-checklist.md for the full on-page SEO checklist, content writing template, and featured snippet optimization patterns.

   Key requirements while writing:

   • Primary keyword in title, H1, first 100 words, at least one H2, and conclusion
   • Paragraphs of 3-5 sentences; varied sentence length; bullet points and bold key phrases
   • Internal links (2-5) and external authoritative links (2-3)
   • FAQ section with 40-60 word answers for featured snippet opportunity
   • Optimize for definition, list, table, and how-to snippets where applicable

8. Add Internal/External Links

   ### Link Recommendations
   
   **Internal Links** (include 2-5):
   1. "[anchor text]" → [/your-page-url] (relevant because: [reason])
   2. "[anchor text]" → [/your-page-url] (relevant because: [reason])
   
   **External Links** (include 2-3 authoritative sources):
   1. "[anchor text]" → [authoritative-source.com] (supports: [claim])
   2. "[anchor text]" → [authoritative-source.com] (supports: [claim])
   

9. Final SEO Review and CORE-EEAT Self-Check

   Score content across 10 SEO factors (title, meta description, H1, keyword placement, H2s, internal links, external links, FAQ, readability, word count) and produce an Overall SEO Score out of 10.

   Then verify the 16 CORE-EEAT pre-write constraints (C01, C02, C06, C10, O01, O02, O06, O09, R01, R02, R04, R07, C03, O08, O10, E07) with pass/warning/fail status. List items needing attention.

   For full 80-item audit, use content-quality-auditor

Validation Checkpoints

Input Validation

• Primary keyword confirmed and matches search intent
• Target word count specified (minimum 800 words for substantive content)
• Content type and audience clearly defined
• Competitor URLs reviewed or target SERP features identified

Output Validation

• Keyword density within 1-2% for primary keyword (Note: Keyword density is a guideline, not a hard rule. Modern search engines prioritize semantic relevance and natural language over exact density targets. Focus on covering the topic comprehensively with semantic variants rather than hitting a specific percentage.)
• All sections from outline covered completely
• Internal links included (2-5 relevant links)
• FAQ section present with at least 3 questions
• Readability score appropriate for target audience
• Source of each data point clearly stated (~~SEO tool data, user-provided, or estimated)

Example

User: "Write an SEO-optimized article about 'email marketing best practices' targeting small businesses"

Reference: See references/seo-writing-checklist.md for the full example output demonstrating a complete SEO article with meta description, H1/H2/H3 hierarchy, statistics with citations, comparison tables, FAQ section, and conclusion with CTA.

The example output demonstrates: keyword in H1 and first 100 words, statistics with sources (DMA, Emarsys), comparison tables, bullet-point lists, pro tips, FAQ section with 40-60 word answers, and a clear CTA in the conclusion.

Content Type Templates

How-To Guide

Write a how-to guide for [task] targeting [keyword]

Comparison Article

Write a comparison article: [Option A] vs [Option B] for [keyword]

Listicle

Write a list post: "X Best [Items] for [Audience/Purpose]" targeting [keyword]

Ultimate Guide

Write an ultimate guide about [topic] (3,000+ words) targeting [keyword]

Tips for Success

1. Match search intent - Informational queries need guides, not sales pages
2. Front-load value - Put key information early for readers and snippets
3. Use data and examples - Specific beats generic every time
4. Write for humans first - SEO optimization should feel natural
5. Include visual elements - Break up text with images, tables, lists
6. Update regularly - Fresh content signals to search engines

Reference Materials

• Title Formulas - Proven headline formulas, power words, CTR patterns
• Content Structure Templates - Templates for blog posts, comparisons, listicles, how-tos, pillar pages

Related Skills

• keyword-research — Find keywords to target
• geo-content-optimizer — Optimize for AI citations
• meta-tags-optimizer — Create compelling meta tags
• on-page-seo-auditor — Audit SEO elements
• content-quality-auditor — Full 80-item CORE-EEAT audit