# SEO writing Human Guide

## What This Is For
When to Use Need pillar/blog content that ranks for a target keyword cluster. It gives the agent a clearer input/output frame for search and SEO workflows: what context to ask for, what decisions to make, and what usable artifact to return.

Use this as a human-readable version of the SEO writing agent skill. It is meant for marketers, operators, founders, and other non-coders who want the workflow without reading agent-specific implementation instructions.

## When To Use This
- Use this when you need a repeatable process for SEO writing.
- Use this when the task needs judgment, examples, constraints, or a clear output format rather than a one-off prompt.
- Use this when you want to hand an AI assistant enough context to produce a usable marketing artifact.

## When Not To Use This
- Do not use this when you only need a quick factual answer.
- Do not use this when the work depends on private data you cannot share with the assistant.
- Do not use this as a replacement for legal, compliance, financial, or medical review.

## What You Need Before Starting
- The goal or business outcome you want.
- The audience, customer segment, or market context.
- Any source material the assistant should respect, such as notes, briefs, examples, URLs, or brand guidance.
- Constraints such as tone, length, channel, deadline, region, or approval requirements.
- A clear definition of what a good final answer should look like.

## Step-By-Step Workflow
1. State the job clearly: "Use the SEO writing guide to help me with..."
2. Add context: audience, goal, offer, channel, source material, and constraints.
3. Ask the assistant to identify missing inputs before producing the final output.
4. Have the assistant follow the skill-specific guidance below.
5. Review the result against the final checklist and ask for revisions where needed.

## Skill-Specific Guidance
- Need pillar/blog content that ranks for a target keyword cluster.
- Building briefs for writers or agencies.
- Auditing existing posts for optimization opportunities.
- **Intent Mapping** – classify keyword as informational, navigational, transactional; align CTA accordingly.
- **SERP Analysis** – review top 10 results, note content format, length, missing gaps.
- **Outline Structure** – mirror winning patterns while adding unique POV/data.
- **On-Page Elements** – optimize title tag (<60 chars), meta description, H1/H2, schema, image alt text.
- **Internal/External Links** – add minimum 3 internal + 3 authoritative external links.
- **Conversion Hooks** – insert CTA blocks, lead magnets, or inline product mentions every ~500 words.
- Keyword brief template with intent, primary/secondary keywords, CTA, internal targets.
- SERP gap analysis worksheet capturing competitor format, word count, differentiators.
- SEO QA workflow checklist (draft → optimization → publish → refresh schedule).

## Decision Points And Nuance
The original skill emphasizes: When to Use, Framework, Templates, Tips, Checklist.

Use these questions to steer the work:
- What is the intended audience or buyer?
- What source material must be preserved?
- What should the assistant optimize for: clarity, persuasion, accuracy, speed, creativity, or conversion?
- What examples represent the desired quality bar?
- What should the assistant avoid?

## Common Mistakes
- Starting without a clear audience or goal.
- Asking for a final artifact before sharing examples or constraints.
- Accepting a generic first draft without checking it against the intended use.

## Copy-And-Paste Prompt
```text
Use the SEO writing human guide.

My goal:
[Describe the business outcome]

Audience:
[Describe who this is for]

Context and source material:
[Paste notes, examples, links, or existing copy]

Constraints:
[Tone, length, channel, timeline, must-include items, must-avoid items]

Before producing the final output, ask me for any missing information that would materially improve the result.
```

## Final Checklist
- [ ] The output matches the original goal.
- [ ] The audience and context are reflected in the answer.
- [ ] Important constraints and source material were preserved.
- [ ] The assistant made the relevant decisions explicit.
- [ ] The final artifact is ready to use, review, or hand to the next person.

## Source
This guide was generated from the gtmagents/gtm-agents skill entry for `seo-writing`.

## Source Skill Notes
These notes preserve the nuance from the original skill. Use them as supporting reference when the workflow above feels too generic.

# SEO Writing Skill

## When to Use
- Need pillar/blog content that ranks for a target keyword cluster.
- Building briefs for writers or agencies.
- Auditing existing posts for optimization opportunities.

## Framework
1. **Intent Mapping** – classify keyword as informational, navigational, transactional; align CTA accordingly.
2. **SERP Analysis** – review top 10 results, note content format, length, missing gaps.
3. **Outline Structure** – mirror winning patterns while adding unique POV/data.
4. **On-Page Elements** – optimize title tag (<60 chars), meta description, H1/H2, schema, image alt text.
5. **Internal/External Links** – add minimum 3 internal + 3 authoritative external links.
6. **Conversion Hooks** – insert CTA blocks, lead magnets, or inline product mentions every ~500 words.

## Templates
- Keyword brief template with intent, primary/secondary keywords, CTA, internal targets.
- SERP gap analysis worksheet capturing competitor format, word count, differentiators.
- SEO QA workflow checklist (draft → optimization → publish → refresh schedule).

## Tips
- Refresh top posts quarterly—update stats, add new internal links, re-fetch schema.
- Use heatmaps/scroll data to validate placement of conversion hooks.
- Coordinate with demand gen to align CTAs with current offers.
- Keep keyword cannibalization tracker so multiple teams don’t target same phrase.

## Checklist
- Include primary keyword in H1 + first 100 words.
- Use semantic variants (LSI terms) per section.
- Ensure readability score < grade 9.
- Add FAQ or snippet-ready section.

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