SEO Content Workflow

Transform a keyword target into publication-ready content that answers search intent completely, sounds human-written, and is structured for both readers and search engines.

Conversation Starter

Use AskUserQuestion to gather context:

"I'll help you create SEO content that ranks and reads well.

Quick info needed:

• Target keyword: What's the primary keyword to rank for?

• Related keywords: Any secondary/related terms to include?

• Search intent: Informational, commercial, or transactional?

• Content type (pick one):

• Pillar guide - Comprehensive 5,000+ word authority piece

• How-to - Step-by-step tutorial (2,000-3,000 words)

• Comparison - X vs Y analysis

• Listicle - Numbered list format

• Answer post - Direct answer to specific question

• Unique angle: What perspective makes this different?

• Brand voice: Casual, professional, technical, etc.

I'll research competitors, create an outline, and produce publication-ready content."

The Workflow

RESEARCH → BRIEF → OUTLINE → DRAFT → HUMANIZE → OPTIMIZE → REVIEW

Phase 1: Research

Before writing, understand what you're competing against.

SERP Analysis

Search the target keyword (if WebSearch available) and analyze top results:

For each result, note:

• Content type (guide, listicle, tool page, etc.)

• Approximate word count

• Structure (headers, sections)

• Unique angles or data

• What they do well

• What they miss or get wrong

• How recent (publish/update date)

Extract from SERP features:

• People Also Ask questions (answer ALL of these)

• Featured Snippet format (match it to win it)

• AI Overview presence (what it includes/excludes)

Gap Analysis

After reviewing competitors, identify:

• What's missing? — Questions unanswered, angles unexplored

• What's outdated? — Old information, deprecated methods

• What's generic? — Surface-level advice anyone could give

• What's your edge? — Unique data, experience, perspective

Phase 2: Content Brief

Before drafting, create a brief covering: primary/secondary keywords, search intent, content type, target word count (from competitor analysis), audience, unique angle, key points, PAA questions to answer, competitor gaps to fill, and CTA.

Phase 3: Content Type Structures

Pillar Guide (5,000-8,000 words)

1. Hook Intro (150-250 words)

   • Answer the title question immediately
   • Why this matters NOW
   • Who this is for (and who it's not for)

2. Quick Answer Section (200-300 words)

   • Direct answer for Featured Snippet
   • TL;DR for skimmers

3. Core Sections (3-5 major sections)

   • Each 800-1,500 words
   • Each answers a major sub-question
   • H2 headers with keyword variations

4. Implementation (300-500 words)

   • Specific actionable steps
   • Decision framework if applicable

5. FAQ Section (5-10 questions)

   • From PAA research
   • Schema-ready format

6. Conclusion with CTA (150-200 words)

   • Summarize key takeaway
   • Clear next action

How-To Tutorial (2,000-3,000 words)

Result shown first + prerequisites -> step-by-step instructions (one action per step, troubleshooting inline) -> variations/advanced tips -> common mistakes -> CTA.

Comparison (2,500-4,000 words)

Quick verdict ("Choose X if... Choose Y if...") -> comparison table (8-12 differentiators) -> deep dive each option -> head-to-head scenarios -> FAQ -> final recommendation with CTA.

Phase 4: Draft

The First Paragraph Rule

Answer the search query in the first 2-3 sentences. Don't make them scroll.

Bad:

"In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, marketers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to streamline their workflows..."

Good:

"AI marketing tools can automate 60-80% of repetitive marketing tasks. Here are the 10 that actually work, based on testing them across 50+ client accounts."

The "So What?" Chain

For every point, ask "so what?" until you hit something the reader cares about:

Feature: "Automated email sequences" So what? "Sends follow-ups without you remembering" So what? "You wake up to replies instead of a blank inbox" So what? "Close deals while you sleep"

Write from the bottom of the chain.

Specificity Over Generality

Weak: "This tool saves time." Strong: "This tool cut our email outreach from 4 hours to 15 minutes per day."

Numbers, examples, specifics. Always.

Phase 5: Humanize (CRITICAL)

AI content has tells. Remove them ruthlessly.

Word-Level Tells (KILL THESE)

• delve, dive into, dig into

• comprehensive, robust, cutting-edge

• utilize (just say "use")

• leverage (as a verb)

• crucial, vital, essential

• unlock, unleash, supercharge

• game-changer, revolutionary

• landscape, navigate, streamline

• tapestry, multifaceted, myriad

• foster, facilitate, enhance

• realm, paradigm, synergy

• embark, journey (for processes)

Phrase-Level Tells (KILL THESE)

• "In today's fast-paced world..."

• "In today's digital age..."

• "It's important to note that..."

• "When it comes to..."

• "In order to..." (just say "to")

• "Whether you're a... or a..."

• "Let's dive in" / "Let's explore"

• "Without further ado"

• "In conclusion"

• "This comprehensive guide will..."

Structure-Level Tells

• The Triple Pattern: Everything in threes. Humans are messier.

• Perfect Parallelism: Every bullet same length/structure. Too clean.

• Hedge Stack: "While X, it's important to consider Y, but also Z."

• Fake Objectivity: "Some experts say... others believe..."

• Empty Transitions: "Now that we've covered X, let's move on to Y."

Voice Injection Points

Add these—AI content lacks them:

Personal experience: "I made this mistake for two years. Cost me roughly $40K in lost revenue."

Admission of limitations: "This won't work for everyone. If you're in YMYL niches, ignore this entirely."

Also inject: opinions with reasoning, specific client examples with numbers, honest uncertainty.

The Detection Checklist

[ ] No AI words (delve, comprehensive, crucial, leverage, landscape) [ ] No AI phrases (in today's world, it's important to note) [ ] Not everything in threes [ ] At least one personal opinion stated directly [ ] At least one specific number from real experience [ ] At least one admission of limitation or uncertainty [ ] Sentence lengths vary (some under 5 words, some over 20) [ ] Would I say this out loud to a smart friend?

Phase 6: Optimize

On-Page SEO Checklist

[ ] Primary keyword in title (front-loaded if possible) [ ] Primary keyword in H1 (can match title) [ ] Primary keyword in first 100 words [ ] Primary keyword in at least one H2 [ ] Secondary keywords in H2s naturally [ ] Primary keyword in meta description [ ] Primary keyword in URL slug [ ] Image alt text includes relevant keywords [ ] Internal links to related content (4-8) [ ] External links to authoritative sources (2-4)

Title Optimization

Format: [Primary Keyword]: [Benefit or Hook] ([Year] if relevant)

Examples:

• "AI Marketing Tools: 10 That Actually Work (2025)"

• "What is Agentic AI Marketing? The Complete Guide"

• "n8n vs Zapier: Which Automation Tool is Right for You?"

Rules:

• Under 60 characters

• Front-load the keyword

• Include a hook or differentiator

Meta Description

Format: [Direct answer to query]. [Proof/credibility]. [CTA or hook].

Example:

"AI marketing tools can automate 60-80% of repetitive tasks. We tested 23 tools over 6 months to find the 10 that deliver. See the results."

• 150-160 characters

• Include primary keyword

• Compelling enough to click

Featured Snippet Optimization

For definition snippets:

• Put definition in first paragraph

• Format: "[Keyword] is [definition in 40-50 words]"

For list snippets:

• Use H2 for the question

• Immediately follow with numbered/bulleted list

• Keep list items concise (one line each)

Phase 7: Quality Review

Content Quality Checklist

[ ] Answers title question in first 300 words [ ] At least 3 specific examples or numbers [ ] At least 1 personal experience or unique insight [ ] Unique angle present (not just aggregation) [ ] All claims supported by evidence or experience [ ] No generic advice (could apply to anyone) [ ] Would I bookmark this? Would I share it?

E-E-A-T Signals Checklist

[ ] Experience shown (real examples, specific results) [ ] Expertise demonstrated (depth, accuracy, nuance) [ ] Author credentials visible [ ] Sources cited for factual claims [ ] Updated date visible [ ] No misleading claims

Output Format

[SEO-Optimized Title]

Meta description: [150-160 characters]

[Full article content with proper H2/H3 structure]

FAQ

[Question 1]

[Answer]

[Question 2]

[Answer]

Internal links included:

• [Link 1 to related content]
• [Link 2 to related content]

Integration

Works with:

• keyword-research

• Provides target keyword and cluster

• positioning-angles

• Provides unique angle for differentiation

• brand-voice

• Provides voice profile for consistent tone

• direct-response-copy

• For CTAs and conversion elements

• content-atomizer

• Repurpose into social posts

Workflow:

keyword-research → positioning-angles → brand-voice → seo-content → content-atomizer