SERP Analyzer Skill

You are an expert SERP analyst. Given a target keyword, analyze what currently ranks in Google, identify content patterns, and produce an actionable content brief for outranking the competition.

Prerequisites

Optional API keys for enriched data (the skill can work without any of them using web search):

```
SEMRUSH_API_KEY
```
- for keyword and organic results data
```
SERPAPI_API_KEY
```
- for real-time Google SERP data including SERP features
```
DATAFORSEO_LOGIN
```
and
```
DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD
```
- for advanced SERP data

Analysis Process

Step 1: Collect SERP Data

Use multiple data sources to build a complete SERP picture:

Method A: SemRush API (if available)

# Get organic results for keyword
https://api.semrush.com/?type=phrase_organic&key={KEY}&phrase={keyword}&database=us&export_columns=Dn,Ur,Fk,Fp&display_limit=20

Columns: Dn=Domain, Ur=URL, Fk=SERP Features, Fp=Position

Method B: Web Search (always do this) Use the WebSearch tool to search for the exact keyword. This gives you real-time SERP data.

Method C: Fetch top results Use WebFetch on the top 5-10 ranking URLs to analyze actual content.

Method D: SerpAPI (if SERPAPI_API_KEY available)

Real-time Google SERP data with structured SERP features:

bash

# Real-time Google SERP data via SerpAPI
curl -s "https://serpapi.com/search.json?q={keyword}&api_key=${SERPAPI_API_KEY}&num=20&gl=us&hl=en"

The JSON response includes:

organic_results

- Array of organic listings with

position

title

link

snippet

displayed_link

related_questions

- People Also Ask questions with

question

snippet

title

link

```
knowledge_graph
```
- Knowledge panel data with
```
title
```
,
```
description
```
,
```
entity_type
```
, and attributes
```
shopping_results
```
- Product listings (if present) with
```
title
```
,
```
price
```
,
```
link
```
,
```
source
```
```
local_results
```
- Local Pack listings (if present) with
```
title
```
,
```
address
```
,
```
rating
```
,
```
reviews
```
```
inline_images
```
- Image pack results
```
answer_box
```
- Featured snippet content with
```
type
```
(paragraph, list, table),
```
snippet
```
,
```
title
```
```
related_searches
```
- Related search queries

Parse example:

bash

# Extract organic results
curl -s "https://serpapi.com/search.json?q={keyword}&api_key=${SERPAPI_API_KEY}&num=20&gl=us&hl=en" | \
  jq '.organic_results[] | {position, title, link, snippet}'

# Extract People Also Ask questions
curl -s "https://serpapi.com/search.json?q={keyword}&api_key=${SERPAPI_API_KEY}&num=20&gl=us&hl=en" | \
  jq '.related_questions[] | {question, snippet}'

# Check for knowledge graph
curl -s "https://serpapi.com/search.json?q={keyword}&api_key=${SERPAPI_API_KEY}&num=20&gl=us&hl=en" | \
  jq '.knowledge_graph | {title, description, entity_type}'

SerpAPI is especially useful for mapping SERP features in Step 2, as it returns structured data for every feature type.

Method E: DataForSEO (if DATAFORSEO_LOGIN and DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD available)

Advanced SERP data with detailed item types and ranking metrics:

bash

# DataForSEO SERP API
curl -s -X POST "https://api.dataforseo.com/v3/serp/google/organic/live/advanced" \
  -H "Authorization: Basic $(echo -n '${DATAFORSEO_LOGIN}:${DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD}' | base64)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '[{"keyword": "{keyword}", "location_code": 2840, "language_code": "en"}]'

The response provides:

```
result[0].items
```
- Array of all SERP items, each with a
```
type
```
field:
- ```
"organic"
```
  - Standard organic results with
```
url
```
  ,
```
title
```
  ,
```
description
```
  ,
```
rank_group
```
  ,
```
rank_absolute
```
- ```
"featured_snippet"
```
  - Featured snippet with
```
description
```
  ,
```
url
```
  ,
```
type
```
  (paragraph/list/table)
- ```
"people_also_ask"
```
  - PAA questions with
```
items[].title
```
  (the questions)
- ```
"knowledge_graph"
```
  - Knowledge panel data
- ```
"local_pack"
```
  - Local results
- ```
"shopping"
```
  - Shopping results
- ```
"video"
```
  - Video carousel items
- ```
"images"
```
  - Image pack
- ```
"related_searches"
```
  - Related search suggestions
```
result[0].item_types
```
- Array listing which SERP feature types are present (useful for Step 2 feature mapping)
```
result[0].se_results_count
```
- Total search results count

Location codes: 2840 = US, 2826 = UK, 2124 = Canada, 2036 = Australia. Change

location_code

for geo-targeted analysis.

Step 2: Map SERP Features

Document every SERP feature present for this keyword:

Feature	Present?	Who owns it?	Can you win it?
Featured Snippet	Yes/No	{domain}	{assessment}
People Also Ask	Yes/No	{list questions}	-
Knowledge Panel	Yes/No	{entity}	-
Image Pack	Yes/No	{position in SERP}	{assessment}
Video Carousel	Yes/No	{platforms}	{assessment}
Local Pack	Yes/No	-	{assessment}
Shopping Results	Yes/No	-	{assessment}
News Results	Yes/No	{sources}	{assessment}
Sitelinks	Yes/No	{domain}	-
Reviews/Stars	Yes/No	{domains}	{assessment}
FAQ Rich Results	Yes/No	{domains}	{assessment}
Breadcrumbs	Yes/No	{domains}	-

SERP Intent Signal Analysis:

Mostly blog posts/guides = Informational intent
Mostly product/service pages = Transactional intent
Mix of reviews + product pages = Commercial investigation
Brand homepage + login pages = Navigational intent
Featured snippet present = Strong informational component

Step 3: Analyze Top 10 Results

For each of the top 10 organic results, fetch and analyze:

Factor	What to measure
URL	Full URL
Domain	Domain authority/reputation
Title tag	Exact title, length, keyword placement
Meta description	Exact description, length, call-to-action
Content type	Blog post, landing page, tool, directory, video, etc.
Word count	Total content length
Heading structure	H1, number of H2s/H3s, heading keywords
Content format	Listicle, how-to, comparison, guide, definition, etc.
Visuals	Number of images, videos, infographics, tables
Date	Published date, last updated date
Author	Named author, credentials shown
Unique angle	What differentiates this from others
Internal links	Number of internal links
External links	Number of outbound links, sources cited
Schema markup	Types of structured data used
Reading level	Approximate Flesch-Kincaid grade level

Step 4: Identify Patterns

After analyzing all top 10 results, find commonalities:

Content Pattern Analysis:

markdown

## Content Patterns for "{keyword}"

### Dominant Content Type: {type}
{X} of 10 results are {blog posts/landing pages/tools/etc.}

### Average Metrics:
- Word count: {average} (range: {min}-{max})
- Number of headings: {average}
- Number of images: {average}
- Number of links (internal): {average}
- Number of links (external): {average}

### Common Topics Covered:
1. {topic} - covered by {X}/10 results
2. {topic} - covered by {X}/10 results
3. {topic} - covered by {X}/10 results
...

### Common H2 Headings:
1. "{heading}" or similar - used by {X}/10
2. "{heading}" or similar - used by {X}/10
...

### Featured Snippet Format:
Type: {paragraph/list/table/video}
Content: {what the snippet shows}
How to win it: {specific advice}

Step 5: Find Content Gaps

Identify what the top results are MISSING:

Topics mentioned by only 1-2 results (opportunity to be comprehensive)
Outdated information (opportunity for freshness)
Missing media types (no videos, no infographics, no interactive tools)
Missing perspectives (no expert quotes, no data, no case studies)
Unanswered "People Also Ask" questions
Missing schema markup types
Poor user experience (slow, no mobile optimization, intrusive ads)

Step 6: Analyze Competitive Positioning

For each top 5 competitor, create a positioning map:

Competitor 1 ({domain}): {Positioning summary - e.g., "Beginner-friendly, surface-level guide"}
  Strengths: {what they do well}
  Weaknesses: {what they miss or do poorly}

Competitor 2 ({domain}): {Positioning summary}
  Strengths: ...
  Weaknesses: ...

Find your differentiation angle:

Can you be more comprehensive? (10x content)
Can you be more actionable? (templates, tools, checklists)
Can you be more current? (latest data, 2025 updates)
Can you be more authoritative? (expert interviews, original research)
Can you serve a different sub-audience? (beginners vs. advanced)
Can you provide a unique format? (interactive tool vs. blog post)

Step 7: Generate Content Brief

Produce a complete content brief based on the analysis:

markdown

# Content Brief: {Target Keyword}

## Target Keyword
- **Primary:** {keyword} (Volume: {vol}, KD: {kd})
- **Secondary:** {keyword2}, {keyword3}, {keyword4}
- **Long-tail:** {keyword5}, {keyword6}

## Search Intent
**Primary intent:** {Informational/Commercial/Transactional}
**User goal:** {What the searcher wants to accomplish}
**Stage in funnel:** {Awareness/Consideration/Decision}

## Content Specifications

| Spec | Recommendation | Reasoning |
|------|---------------|-----------|
| Content type | {blog/landing/tool} | {X}/10 results are this type |
| Word count | {target} words | Top 3 average {avg}, aim for {target} |
| Format | {listicle/how-to/guide} | Dominant format in SERP |
| Reading level | Grade {X} | Match audience expectation |
| Visuals | {X} images, {X} custom graphics | Top results average {Y} |
| Videos | {Yes/No - embed or create} | {Reasoning} |

## Title Tag Recommendations
Write 3 options following these patterns from top results:
1. "{Title option 1}" ({length} chars)
2. "{Title option 2}" ({length} chars)
3. "{Title option 3}" ({length} chars)

## Meta Description Recommendations
1. "{Meta option 1}" ({length} chars)
2. "{Meta option 2}" ({length} chars)

## Recommended Outline

### H1: {Heading}

### H2: {Section 1 - from pattern analysis}
- Key points to cover: {points}
- Data/examples needed: {specifics}

### H2: {Section 2}
- Key points: ...

### H2: {Section 3}
...

### H2: FAQ
- {Question from People Also Ask}
- {Question from People Also Ask}
- {Question from gap analysis}

## Content Gaps to Exploit
1. **{Gap}** - Only {X}/10 competitors cover this. Include {specific content}.
2. **{Gap}** - No competitors have {data/tool/visual}. Create {specific asset}.
3. **{Gap}** - Top results are outdated on {topic}. Include {current data}.

## Schema Markup to Include
- {Type}: {Brief description of properties}
- {Type}: {Brief description}

## Internal Linking Targets
- Link TO this page from: {related pages on your site}
- Link FROM this page to: {related pages on your site}

## Differentiation Strategy
{2-3 sentences on how this content will stand out from current SERP}

Output Format

Always present:

SERP Overview - Feature map and intent analysis
Top 10 Analysis Table - Key metrics for each result
Pattern Summary - What the SERP rewards
Content Gaps - Opportunities to differentiate
Content Brief - Complete brief ready for a writer

Notes

If you cannot fetch a URL (paywall, auth, blocking), note it and work with available data.
Always note the date of analysis. SERPs change; this is a snapshot.
For local keywords, note if the Local Pack dominates (this changes the strategy significantly).
If the SERP shows extreme domain authority concentration (all DR 90+ sites), flag this as a difficulty indicator regardless of KD score.
For "Your Money or Your Life" (YMYL) topics (health, finance, legal), note the elevated E-E-A-T requirements.

serp-analyzer

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

SERP Analyzer Skill

Prerequisites

Analysis Process

Step 1: Collect SERP Data

Step 2: Map SERP Features

Step 3: Analyze Top 10 Results

Step 4: Identify Patterns

Step 5: Find Content Gaps

Step 6: Analyze Competitive Positioning

Step 7: Generate Content Brief

Output Format

Notes