Write Blog Post Skill

Blog Writing Process

Step 1: Research & Briefing

• Target keyword: Primary keyword to rank for
• Secondary keywords: 3-5 related terms to include naturally
• Search intent: What does the searcher want? (Answer, comparison, tutorial, list)
• Target audience: Who is reading this? (Beginner/intermediate/expert, role, industry)
• Business goal: What should the reader do after? (Sign up, buy, share, learn)

SEMRUSH_API_KEY

# Get keyword data for the target keyword
curl -s "https://api.semrush.com/?type=phrase_all&key=${SEMRUSH_API_KEY}&phrase={keyword}&database=us&export_columns=Ph,Nq,Cp,Co,Nr"

• Ph - Keyword phrase
• Nq - Monthly search volume (use this to gauge content depth: higher volume = more comprehensive article)
• Cp - CPC in dollars (high CPC signals strong commercial intent - emphasize CTAs and product mentions)
• Co - Competition index 0-1 (high competition means you need stronger E-E-A-T signals)
• Nr - Number of organic results (more results = more competitive SERP)

• Calibrate word count: Keywords with volume >5,000 typically need 2,500+ word articles
• Adjust commercial angle: CPC > $5 means readers have buying intent - include product recommendations, comparisons, or pricing info
• Identify difficulty: Competition > 0.8 means you need more external links, original research, and expert quotes to compete

• What content type dominates? (Listicle, how-to, guide, comparison)
• What's the average word count of top 5?
• What topics do all top results cover?
• What's missing from existing content?

Step 2: Create the Outline

# [H1: Title - includes primary keyword, compelling, 50-60 chars for title tag]

Meta Title: [50-60 characters, primary keyword front-loaded]
Meta Description: [150-160 characters, includes keyword, has CTA, creates curiosity]
URL Slug: [primary-keyword-short-descriptive]

## Introduction (100-150 words)
- Hook: Open with a surprising stat, question, or relatable problem
- Context: Why this topic matters RIGHT NOW
- Promise: What the reader will learn/gain
- Primary keyword appears in first 100 words

## [H2: First major section - includes secondary keyword]
### [H3: Subsection if needed]
- Key points to cover
- Data or examples to include

## [H2: Second major section]
### [H3: Subsection]
...

## [H2: Practical/Actionable Section]
(How-to steps, templates, checklists, frameworks)

## [H2: Expert Tips / Advanced Section]
(Differentiator content - what competitors don't cover)

## [H2: Common Mistakes / What to Avoid]
(Addresses "People Also Ask" questions)

## [H2: FAQ]
### [H3: Question 1?]
Answer (2-4 sentences, targets featured snippet)
### [H3: Question 2?]
...

## Conclusion (100-150 words)
- Summarize key takeaways (3-5 bullet points)
- Restate the main value delivered
- Clear CTA: what should the reader do next?

## Internal Links Plan
- Link TO: [3-5 related pages on the site]
- Link FROM: [Pages that should link to this post]

Step 3: Write the Content

Title Tag Formula (50-60 characters)

• Primary keyword within first 30 characters
• Add a power word: Ultimate, Complete, Proven, Essential, Definitive
• Include year if the topic is time-sensitive
• Use numbers for listicles (odd numbers outperform: 7, 9, 11, 13)
• Never exceed 60 characters (Google truncates at ~580px)

Meta Description Formula (150-160 characters)

{What the article covers} + {Unique value prop} + {CTA or curiosity hook}

• "Learn how to start a blog in 2025 with our step-by-step guide. Covers hosting, design, content, and monetization. Free checklist included."
• "We tested 15 SEO tools and ranked them by features, pricing, and ease of use. See which tool is best for your budget and goals."

• Include primary keyword naturally
• Include a CTA or curiosity element
• Use active voice
• Mention a specific deliverable (checklist, template, comparison, steps)
• Stay between 150-160 characters

Writing Style Rules

• Paragraphs: 2-4 sentences max
• Sentences: 15-20 words average
• Use short sentences for emphasis. Like this.
• Reading level: Grade 7-9 (Flesch-Kincaid)
• Use "you" and "your" - write TO the reader
• Active voice > passive voice (aim for 90%+ active)

• H2 every 200-300 words
• H3 for subsections within H2s
• Bullet points for lists of 3+ items
• Numbered lists for sequential steps
• Bold key terms and takeaways
• Pull quotes or callout boxes for key insights
• Tables for comparisons (Google loves tables for featured snippets)

• Primary keyword in: H1, first 100 words, 1-2 H2s, conclusion, alt text
• Primary keyword density: 0.5-1.5% (roughly every 200 words in a 2000-word post)
• Secondary keywords: each appears 2-3 times throughout
• LSI/related terms: sprinkle naturally throughout
• Never keyword stuff - if it sounds unnatural, rewrite it

• Experience: Include first-hand observations, "In my experience...", "When I tested..."
• Expertise: Reference specific methodologies, use precise terminology, show deep knowledge
• Authoritativeness: Cite authoritative sources (studies, official docs, industry leaders)
• Trustworthiness: Acknowledge limitations, present balanced views, link to sources

Content Depth Targets

Step 4: Optimize for Featured Snippets

## What Is {Topic}?

{Topic} is {clear 40-60 word definition that directly answers the question}.
{Additional context in 1-2 more sentences}.

## How to {Action}

1. **{Step 1 title}** - Brief description
2. **{Step 2 title}** - Brief description
3. **{Step 3 title}** - Brief description
...

## {Comparison Topic}

| {Column 1} | {Column 2} | {Column 3} |
|------------|------------|------------|
| {Data} | {Data} | {Data} |

Step 5: Add Supporting Elements

[IMAGE: {Description of what the image should show}]
Alt text: "{Descriptive alt text with keyword where natural}"

• Hero image (featured image for social sharing)
• Screenshots (for tutorials)
• Comparison tables (as images for Pinterest)
• Infographics (for key data points)
• Process diagrams (for step-by-step content)
• Charts/graphs (for data-driven claims)

# Search Unsplash for a relevant featured image
curl -s "https://api.unsplash.com/search/photos?query={topic}&per_page=5&orientation=landscape" \
  -H "Authorization: Client-ID ${UNSPLASH_CLIENT_ID}"

results

# Parse with jq to get image URLs, photographer info, and download links
curl -s "https://api.unsplash.com/search/photos?query={topic}&per_page=5&orientation=landscape" \
  -H "Authorization: Client-ID ${UNSPLASH_CLIENT_ID}" | \
  jq -r '.results[] | {
    id: .id,
    description: .description,
    image_url: .urls.regular,
    full_url: .urls.full,
    download_link: .links.download,
    photographer_name: .user.name,
    photographer_url: .user.links.html,
    unsplash_url: .links.html
  }'

• .urls.regular

  - Optimized image (1080px wide, good for blog featured images)

• .urls.full

  - Full resolution image

• .urls.small

  - Thumbnail (400px wide, good for social sharing previews)

• .links.download

  - Trigger a download (Unsplash tracks this for photographer stats)

• .user.name

  - Photographer's name (required for attribution)

• .user.links.html

  - Photographer's Unsplash profile URL

Photo by [Photographer Name](https://unsplash.com/@username?utm_source=your_app&utm_medium=referral) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=your_app&utm_medium=referral)

• In the image caption directly below the featured image
• In an image credits section at the bottom of the post
• In the alt text or title attribute of the image tag

color

content_filter

order_by

• Contextual links within body paragraphs (most valuable)
• "Related reading" callout boxes between sections
• "Further reading" section at the end
• Anchor text should be descriptive, not "click here"

• Link to authoritative sources (studies, official docs, .edu, .gov)
• Open external links in new tab
• No-follow affiliate links and sponsored content
• Cite statistics with linked sources

Step 6: FAQ Section

## Frequently Asked Questions

### {Question matching PAA or long-tail keyword}?

{Direct answer in 2-4 sentences. Front-load the answer.
Provide additional context after the direct answer.
This format optimizes for both featured snippets and FAQ rich results.}

### {Second question}?

{Answer}

• 4-6 questions
• Questions should use natural language (how, what, why, when, can, does)
• Answer the question in the first sentence
• Keep each answer under 100 words
• Include schema markup (see schema-markup skill)

Step 7: Final Quality Check

• Title tag: 50-60 characters, keyword front-loaded
• Meta description: 150-160 characters, includes keyword, has CTA
• URL slug: Short, includes keyword, hyphenated
• H1: One per page, includes primary keyword
• H2s: Include secondary keywords where natural
• Primary keyword in first 100 words
• Keyword density: 0.5-1.5%
• Internal links: 5+ contextual links
• External links: 3+ authoritative sources
• Images: Alt text on all, keyword in at least one
• FAQ section with 4-6 questions
• Word count meets target for content type
• No duplicate content or thin sections

• Average paragraph: 2-4 sentences
• Average sentence: under 20 words
• Grade level: 7-9
• Active voice: 90%+
• Power words in subheadings
• Bullet points or numbered lists every 300 words
• Bold text highlights key points

• Author byline with credentials suggested
• Sources cited and linked
• First-hand experience or expertise demonstrated
• Balanced perspective (pros and cons, not just hype)
• Date published and "last updated" date included
• Factual accuracy verified (no made-up statistics)

Output Format

---
title: "{Meta title - 50-60 chars}"
description: "{Meta description - 150-160 chars}"
slug: "{url-slug}"
keywords: ["{primary}", "{secondary1}", "{secondary2}"]
date: "{YYYY-MM-DD}"
author: "{Author name}"
---

# {H1 Headline}

{Full article content with all formatting, links, and image placeholders}

1. SEO metadata summary (title, description, slug, word count)
2. Internal linking recommendations (which pages to link to/from)
3. Schema markup (Article or BlogPosting JSON-LD)
4. Social sharing (suggested OG title, description, and image concept)
5. Content promotion ideas (2-3 distribution channels and angles)

Important Notes

• Never fabricate statistics. If citing a number, include the source or note "[Source needed]".
• Write for humans first, search engines second. If an SEO tactic makes the content worse for readers, skip it.
• Every section must provide value. No filler paragraphs. If a section doesn't teach, convince, or entertain, cut it.
• Match the user's brand voice if they specify one. Ask if not clear.
• If the topic is YMYL (health, finance, legal), be extra careful with claims and heavily cite authoritative sources.