/topic-research — Content Topic Research Skill

Generate a structured, research-backed list of content topics organized by thematic pillars for any domain, audience, and content format.

Step 1: Gather Context (Ask These Questions)

Before researching, ask the user these questions one at a time or grouped logically. Do not skip any.

Question 1: Domain / Niche

What domain or niche is this for?

Examples: "Life coaching", "B2B SaaS marketing", "Personal fitness", "Personal finance", "Web development", "Food & nutrition", "Travel"

Question 2: Author / Brand Profile

Who is creating this content? What are their credentials, expertise, and unique differentiators?

This shapes authority positioning and content angles. Examples:

"Dr. Swapna Vithalkar, PhD — Life Coach & Sex Addiction Specialist, 20+ years, CBT/REBT/DBT/TA"
"Solo developer who bootstrapped a SaaS to $2M ARR"
"Certified nutritionist specializing in South Asian dietary patterns"

Question 3: Target Audience

Who is the primary audience? Are there any niche sub-audiences worth targeting?

Sub-audiences drive the "niche angle" topics within each pillar. Examples:

"Global English speakers + Indian diaspora + expats in Europe"
"Early-stage startup founders + solo developers + technical co-founders"
"Working professionals aged 25-40 + new parents + people with desk jobs"

Question 4: Content Format

What content format are you creating?

Options:

Blog articles — Educational, thought-leadership, or how-to posts (1,000-2,500 words)
Newsletter — Regular email content (300-800 words per edition)
LinkedIn posts — Professional social content (200-400 words)
User can select multiple formats

Question 5: Scope

How many topics would you like? (Default: ~50)

Options: 25, 50, 75, 100. More topics = more pillars and deeper niche coverage.

Step 2: Research

After gathering context, perform thorough web research:

Search for current trends in the domain (use the current year). Look for:
- Emerging topics and terminology
- Recent statistics and data points
- Industry reports and surveys
- Trending conversations on the topic
Identify content gaps — Search for existing content in the domain and note:
- Topics with high search intent but low-quality existing content
- Niche intersections that are underserved
- Audience-specific angles that competitors ignore
Collect source URLs for every statistic, trend, or claim you reference in topic rationales. Every data point needs a traceable source.
Analyze the competitive landscape — What are the dominant voices in this space writing about? Where are they NOT writing?

Step 3: Generate Output

Structure the output following the template in templates/topic-list.md. Key requirements:

Pillars

Generate 5-12 thematic pillars depending on scope
Each pillar gets a name and a 1-line italicized description of why it matters
Pillars should cover the domain comprehensively — foundational topics, trending topics, niche angles, and cross-cutting themes

Topics Within Pillars

For each topic:

Bold title — Compelling, specific, keyword-rich (60-80 characters for blog, shorter for LinkedIn)
Rationale — 1-2 sentences explaining WHY this topic is valuable. Reference one or more of:
- SEO potential ("high-volume search query", "low competition keyword")
- Content gap ("almost no quality content exists on this")
- Audience resonance ("deeply resonant with [sub-audience]")
- Timeliness ("emerging [year] trend", "recent research published")
- Shareability ("provocative", "counterintuitive", "high engagement potential")

Niche Sub-Audience Angles

If the user specified sub-audiences in Question 3:

Within relevant pillars, add a "### [Sub-Audience] Angles" subsection
These are topics that specifically target the sub-audience's unique perspective, challenges, or cultural context

Series Suggestions

Identify 2-3 multi-part series opportunities (3-5 parts each)
Series should span topics that build on each other and sustain engagement

Content Gap Analysis

At the end, include a "## Biggest Content Gaps Identified" section:

List the top 5 underserved topics with a brief explanation of why they represent an opportunity
These should be topics where quality content is genuinely scarce

Research Sources

End with a "## Research Sources" section listing every URL used during research:

Format: - [Source Title](URL)
Include all sources referenced in topic rationales
Include trend reports, industry surveys, and data sources consulted

Step 4: Save the File

Ask the user where to save the file, or default to the current working directory
Filename format: [slug]-article-topics.md where slug is derived from the domain/brand
Example: saas-marketing-article-topics.md, fitness-coaching-article-topics.md

Quality Checklist

Before delivering, verify:

Every topic has both a title AND a rationale (no bare titles)
Rationales reference concrete data, trends, or strategic reasoning (not vague claims)
Sub-audience angles are present if sub-audiences were specified
At least 2 multi-part series are suggested
Content gaps section identifies genuinely underserved topics
All research sources are listed with working URLs
The metadata header includes: date, author/brand, content type, target audiences
Topic count approximately matches what the user requested

Reference Files

See templates/topic-list.md for the exact output format template
See examples/sample-output.md for a real-world example of this skill's output