SEO Content Production

Complete workflow from keyword research to publication. This skill orchestrates other skills - it does not duplicate their functionality.

Workflow Overview

RESEARCH → STRUCTURE → SOURCES → DRAFT → QUALITY → PUBLISH
    │           │          │        │        │         │
seomachine   outline   proprietary  write   quality   webflow
                       content              -loop     -publish

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Phase 1: Research

Use seomachine for Data

All SEO data comes from the seomachine skill. DO NOT hardcode credentials.

Credentials: Stored in vault .env file:

• DATAFORSEO_LOGIN, DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD - Keyword research
• GA4_PROPERTY_ID, GOOGLE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_PATH - Traffic data
• GSC_SITE_URL - Search Console data

Common research tasks:

# Keyword research
import sys
sys.path.insert(0, ".claude/skills/seomachine/modules")
from dataforseo import DataForSEO

dfs = DataForSEO()
ideas = dfs.get_keyword_ideas("waldorf vs montessori", limit=50)
questions = dfs.get_questions("homeschool curriculum", limit=20)
serp = dfs.get_serp_data("best homeschool math curriculum")

# Generate content brief with competitor analysis
python3 .claude/skills/seomachine/scripts/content_brief_generator.py "keyword phrase"

# Find keyword gaps vs competitors
python3 .claude/skills/seomachine/scripts/competitor_gap_finder.py --batch --min-volume 200

Validation Criteria

Before proceeding:

• Search volume > 500/month
• Keyword difficulty < 30 (winnable)
• Topic aligns with OpenEd expertise
• We have (or can create) proprietary perspective

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Phase 2: Structure

Identify OpenEd's Unique Angle

Before outlining, answer:

1. What does OpenEd believe about this topic? (Check opened-identity skill)
2. What can we say that competitors can't? (Podcast quotes, staff expertise)
3. What do most articles get wrong or avoid?

Content Type Templates

Templates are in references/content-templates.md. Common types:

Type	Length	When to Use
Comparison	2000-3000	X vs Y searches
Pillar Guide	2500-3500	"Complete guide to X"
How-To	2000-2500	"How to X" searches
Listicle	1500-2500	"Best X for Y" searches

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Phase 3: Source Compilation

Search Order (Priority)

1. OpenEd Book - .claude/references/OpenEdBook/
2. Published Content - Search Master Content Index
3. Podcast Transcripts - Grep Published Content/Podcasts/
4. Staff Knowledge - Tag relevant team members
5. External Research - Fill remaining gaps

Source Search Commands

# Search published content
grep -rli "topic" "Published Content/" | head -20

# Check Master Content Index
grep -B5 "Tags:.*homeschool" ".claude/references/Master_Content_Index.md"

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Phase 4: Draft

Before Writing

• Research brief complete (from seomachine)
• Unique angle identified
• Sources compiled
• Internal links planned (3+ minimum)

Writing Constraints

Apply these skills automatically:

• ai-tells - Patterns to avoid
• ghostwriter - Authentic voice techniques

Key rules:

• BLUF first - lead with the answer, not the backstory (see references/bluf-rewrite-pattern.md)
• Table early (for skimmers)
• 5+ internal links, 2-3 external
• Use spaced hyphens - not em dashes

AI-isms to Eliminate

See references/ai-tells-quick-reference.md for full list.

Kill words: delve, comprehensive, crucial, leverage, landscape, navigate, foster, facilitate, realm, paradigm, journey, tapestry, myriad, seamless

Kill patterns:

• "It's not just X - it's Y" (correlative constructions)
• "In today's fast-paced world..."
• "Let's dive in..."
• "The best part? ..."

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Phase 5: Quality Control

Use quality-loop Skill

Run every draft through 5 judges:

Judge	Type	Checks
Human Detector	BLOCKING	AI tells, correlative constructions
Accuracy Checker	BLOCKING	Facts verified against sources
OpenEd Voice	BLOCKING	Brand alignment, not preachy
Reader Advocate	BLOCKING	Engaging, logical flow
SEO Advisor	ADVISORY	Keywords, links, meta elements

Quick Checks (Grep Patterns)

# Forbidden words
grep -inE "delve|comprehensive|crucial|leverage|landscape" DRAFT*.md

# Correlative constructions
grep -inE "isn't just|not just .* - it's" DRAFT*.md

# Em dashes (should be hyphens with spaces)
grep -n "—" DRAFT*.md

# Internal link count
grep -oE '\(https://opened\.co[^)]*\)|\(/[^)]*\)' DRAFT*.md | wc -l

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Phase 6: Visuals

Use nano-banana-image-generator Skill

Asset	Dimensions	Style
Thumbnail	16:9	watercolor-line
Social card	1:1, 4:5	brand colors

Comparison article concepts:

• Two hands offering different gifts
• Split path through two environments
• Same tree with different root systems

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Phase 7: Publish

Use webflow-publish Skill

Pre-publish checklist:

• All blocking judges passed
• Thumbnail created
• Meta elements finalized
• Internal/external links verified

Post-Publish

1. Update articles that should link TO this piece
2. Sync Master Content Index
3. Schedule social promotion via newsletter-to-social

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Skill Dependencies

Phase	Primary Skill	Purpose
Research	seomachine	DataForSEO, GSC, GA4 data
Structure	opened-identity	Brand perspective
Draft	ai-tells, ghostwriter	Writing quality
Quality	quality-loop	5-judge review
Visuals	nano-banana-image-generator	Thumbnails
Publish	webflow-publish	CMS upload
Social	newsletter-to-social	Derivative posts

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Project Folder Structure

Studio/SEO Content Production/[Topic]/
├── SEO_RESEARCH_BRIEF.md   # From seomachine
├── SOURCES.md              # Compiled proprietary sources
├── OUTLINE.md              # Approved structure
├── DRAFT_v1.md             # First draft
├── DRAFT_v2.md             # Post-quality-loop
└── thumbnail-final.png     # Header image

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Quick Start

1. Validate topic with seomachine
   → Volume > 500, KD < 30, OpenEd has perspective

2. Create folder: Studio/SEO Content Production/[Topic]/

3. Run research: seomachine content brief + competitor gap

4. Compile sources: OpenEd book → Published → Podcasts → External

5. Get outline approved: Structure + unique angle

6. Draft with constraints: ai-tells + ghostwriter + internal links

7. Quality loop: 5 judges, fix blocking issues

8. Create thumbnail: nano-banana-image-generator

9. Publish: webflow-publish → newsletter-to-social

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Refactored: 2026-01-29 (consolidated from seo-content-writer, removed credential exposure)