| name | Hub-and-Spoke-Discovery-and-Recovery |
| type | playbook |
| description | Use when recovering hub-and-spoke content architecture on a messy site — accidental hubs, hidden gems, legacy bloat, or onboarding a client without a designed pillar map. Use for organic architecture discovery, de facto pillar audit, GSC and GA4 triangulation, or bottom-up cornerstone recovery. Triggers: "hub and spoke audit", "discover my real pillars", "accidental cornerstone", "hidden gem pages", "performance matrix content audit", "triangulate GSC and GA4 with keyword data".
|
| version | 0.3.0 |
Hub & Spoke Discovery & Recovery
Overview
Hub & Spoke is the content architecture — one hub owns a topic cluster; spokes answer sub-intents and link up. Cornerstone is the quality bar for those pages (depth, intent, linking, fan-out, citability). This playbook is the Discovery & Recovery path for sites where reality does not match intent.
It evolves the discovery-first audit pattern: triangulate first-party signals (GSC impressions + GA4 business value) with DataForSEO organic architecture and page inventory, then audit and plan recovery without assuming which pages are hubs today.
Not this playbook: Top-down health check when cornerstones are already known → Cornerstone Content Audit.
Packaging: Tier B playbook per write-a-skill — orchestrates children; triangulation rules in REFERENCE.md.
Architecture
| Phase | Step | Skill / composite | Path |
|---|
| 1a | Performance matrix | Analytics and Search Console Performance Audit | ../../skills/analytics-and-searchconsole-performance-audit/SKILL.md |
| 1b | Catalog + organic signals | Site Content Catalog + DataForSEO domain keywords | ../../skills/site-content-catalog/SKILL.md |
| 1c | Triangulation merge | Playbook merge (this doc + REFERENCE.md) | — |
| 3b | Fan-out | Fan-Out Coverage Analysis | ../../skills/fan-out-coverage-analysis/SKILL.md |
| 3c | Information gain | Information Gain Evaluator | ../../skills/information-gain-evaluator/SKILL.md |
| 4a | Cannibalization | SEO Cannibalization Audit | ../../skills/seo-cannibalization-audit/SKILL.md |
| 5h | Crawler policy | robots.txt Audit | ../../skills/robots-txt-audit/SKILL.md |
Read each linked SKILL.md before calling it. Follow its workflow exactly. Do not re-implement child scoring inline.
Input policy
Collect from the user:
- Domain — required
- Scope —
discovery-only (Phases 1–2) or full audit (Phases 1–6)
- First-party data — at least one of:
- GSC page×query export (CSV) or GSC MCP when available
- GA4 landing-page export (CSV) or GA4 MCP when available
- Conversion events — 1–3 GA4 key event names when GA4 is provided and analysis mode is
discovery_plus_conversions
- Analysis mode —
discovery_only or discovery_plus_conversions (ask once; see analytics skill Step 0.5)
Optional:
intended_hubs[] — pages the business wants to rank (commercial hub + service LPs)protected_pages[] — never auto-recommend delete- Location/language for DataForSEO (default US English)
Degraded mode: When GSC/GA4 is missing, Phase 1a runs partial matrix with limitations[]. When both first-party sources are missing, skip Phase 1a and run Phase 1b only (DataForSEO-only discovery — existing behavior preserved). Document all gaps in report limitations[].
If domain is missing, ask once. Never invent URLs, metrics, or recommendations before tool results exist.
First response rules
On the first user-facing response:
- Name scope (
discovery-only | full audit).
- List which Phase 1 inputs are present vs missing.
- Name child skills for that scope.
- Preview deliverable shape: Performance Matrix → Topic Cluster Map → human checkpoint.
- State Phase 2 is advisory — no auto-delete or auto-redirect execution.
Use AskQuestion for Phase 2 approval when available; otherwise wait for explicit confirmation.
Phase 1: Triangulated discovery
Phase 1a — Performance matrix (first-party)
Call: Analytics and Search Console Performance Audit
Pass:
domain- GSC page×query export (or MCP equivalent)
- GA4 landing-page export when available
conversion_events when discovery_plus_conversionsintended_hubs[], protected_pages[] when provided
Receive handoff JSON v1.0 (REFERENCE.md in analytics skill).
Completion criterion: Valid handoff with pages[], summary.quadrant_counts, and limitations[] reflecting data mode (full | gsc_only | ga4_only).
If skipped (no first-party data): Set matrix_handoff: null and note in limitations[] — proceed to Phase 1b.
Phase 1b — Catalog + organic architecture (DataForSEO)
Two calls — inventory first, then domain keyword universe.
1b-i — Site content catalog
Call: Site Content Catalog
Pass sitemap URL or domain. Prefer sitemap_enriched when DataForSEO MCP is available.
Receive handoff JSON v1.0 (REFERENCE.md in catalog skill).
If catalog returns >200 pages, scope down with the user before deep enrichment.
1b-ii — Organic hub scoring
Pull domain-wide ranked keywords and derive de facto hub structure. Follow hub-scoring heuristics in REFERENCE.md § Organic hub scoring.
Call: dataforseo_labs_google_keywords_for_site
target: domainlimit: 1000, order_by: search volume desc- Filter: rank position ≤ 100
For each URL: aggregate keyword count, total ETV, average rank, topic cluster assignment. Compute hub_score and classify: de_facto_pillar | strong_spoke | weak_spoke | orphan.
Completion criterion: Topic cluster map with de facto cornerstone per cluster + hub scores for top organic pages.
Phase 1c — Triangulation merge
Join Phase 1a matrix pages, Phase 1b catalog pages, and Phase 1b hub scores on canonical normalized URL (REFERENCE.md § Join keys).
Per URL emit triangulation row:
| Field | Source |
|---|
matrix_quadrant | Phase 1a pages[].quadrant (null if 1a skipped) |
hub_score | Phase 1b organic scoring |
hub_type | Phase 1a hub_type_hint or catalog page_type |
intended_match | URL in intended_hubs[] |
triangulated_role | Merged role per REFERENCE.md § Role assignment |
signal_conflicts[] | Explicit mismatches (e.g. high ETV + low GSC clicks) |
Triangulated role enum: intentional_hub · accidental_hub · hidden_gem · strong_spoke · orphan · unicorn · protected_review
Completion criterion: Every URL in the union of catalog + matrix + top-50 organic pages has a triangulation row OR explicit out_of_scope note in limitations[].
Output: Unified cluster map ready for Phase 2 human review.
Phase 2: Confirm & decide
Human checkpoint
Present in this order:
- Performance Matrix (when Phase 1a ran) — quadrant summary + top URLs per quadrant
- Topic cluster map — de facto pillars, hub scores, keyword counts
- Intended vs de facto — gap table when
intended_hubs[] provided
- Triangulation highlights — accidental hubs, hidden gems, signal conflicts
## Performance Matrix — {domain}
| Quadrant | Count | Top URLs |
|----------|-------|----------|
| Unicorn | {n} | ... |
| Accidental hub | {n} | ... |
| Hidden gem | {n} | ... |
| Prune candidate | {n} | ... |
## Topic clusters
| Cluster | De facto hub | Hub score | Matrix quadrant | Triangulated role |
|---------|--------------|-----------|-----------------|-------------------|
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
## Intended vs de facto
| Intended hub | De facto match? | Triangulated role | Recommended review |
|--------------|-----------------|-------------------|--------------------|
| ... | ... | ... | ... |
**Signal conflicts**
- {conflict 1 — e.g. high DataForSEO ETV but low GSC clicks on /pricing/}
- {conflict 2 — e.g. high GSC impressions, zero GA4 conversions on /blog/...}
Which pages should I audit in depth?
A) De facto pillars (what ranks today)
B) Intended hubs (what you're building toward)
C) Both — compare clusters
D) Let me pick specific URLs
Do not proceed to Phase 3 until the user confirms. Matrix and triangulation are advisory — not auto-execution.
Output: Audit target list for Phases 3–5.
Phase 3: Health audit (per target)
Run for each page in the audit target list (parallel OK).
3a: Traditional SEO scorecard
| Dimension | Source |
|---|
| Rankings | Phase 1b keyword data or dataforseo_labs_google_ranked_keywords |
| Backlinks | backlinks_summary |
| Content | on_page_content_parsing or WebFetch |
| SERP features | serp_organic_live_advanced |
3b: Fan-out coverage
Call: Fan-Out Coverage Analysis
Pass: keyword, domain, anchor_url.
3c: Information gain
Call: Information Gain Evaluator
Pass: target_url, primary_keyword.
3d: AI citability
ai_opt_llm_ment_search — domain mentions for primary keywordai_opt_llm_ment_top_pages — pages AI cites- Structure check (WebFetch): H2/H3 hierarchy, tables, FAQ, extractable passages
- Lightweight robots check if already fetched — full policy in Phase 5h
3e: Scorecard template
Same format as Cornerstone Content Audit Phase 3e.
Phase 4: Cannibalization & pruning
4a: Cannibalization check
Call: SEO Cannibalization Audit
Focus on de facto pillars competing with intended hubs and blog posts outranking landing pages.
4b: Pruning candidates
From triangulation: orphan, prune_candidate (matrix), weak_spoke. Classify: Consolidate | Improve | Deindex | Delete.
Never recommend delete from matrix quadrant alone — require redirect target and human approval.
4c: Architecture conflicts
- Accidental pillar blocking intended hub
- Topic cluster with no pillar
- Pillar without spokes
- Spoke without pillar
Phase 5: Enhancement & recovery plan
Map triangulation roles to existing recovery templates (no new phases):
| Triangulation / matrix signal | Recovery template | Action |
|---|
| Unicorn | 5a Content improvements | Protect + replicate pattern on adjacent clusters |
| Hidden gem | 5b Internal linking + 5e Fan-out gap content | Spoke creation, inbound link map toward hub |
| Accidental hub | 5f Transition decision tree | Spoke extraction, hub retrofit, or demote-to-spoke |
| Prune candidate | 5g Cannibalization + 5h Pruning | Redirect map only — no delete queue |
5f: Transition decision tree (accidental hub)
- De facto pillar is the right page → promote officially, strengthen
- De facto pillar should be replaced → content migration, link rerouting, eventual 301 when intended hub is strong enough
- No pillar for cluster → build intended hub, create spokes, establish links
- Accidental pillar has value → keep as spoke or consolidate into intended hub
5h: robots.txt and AI crawler policy
Call: robots.txt Audit
Pass: domain, key_pages (audit targets), crawl_policy default max_discovery.
Prioritization
- Quick wins: internal links to hidden gems, title/meta on accidental hubs, schema, robots fixes
- Medium effort: content improvements, information gain, begin intended hub builds, clear prune/redirect candidates
- Strategic: full architecture transition, new cluster content, major consolidations
Phase 6: Report
# Hub & Spoke Discovery & Recovery — {domain} — {date}
## Executive Summary
- {X} topic clusters, {Y} de facto hubs, {Z} intended-hub gaps
- Performance matrix: {quadrant counts when 1a ran}
- {N} quick wins, {M} strategic projects
- Data limitations: {from limitations[]}
## Performance Matrix
{From Phase 1a — before topic cluster map}
{Quadrant table + top 10 per quadrant}
## Topic Cluster Map
{From Phase 1b + 1c triangulation}
## Intended vs De Facto Architecture
{Gap table + triangulated roles}
## Signal Conflicts
{Explicit conflicts from Phase 1c}
## Cornerstone Scorecards
{Per-page from Phase 3}
## Cannibalization & Architecture Conflicts
{From Phase 4}
## Enhancement & Recovery Plan
### Quick Wins / Medium Effort / Strategic Projects
{Mapped from Phase 5 recovery table}
## New Content Opportunities
| Topic | Target Keyword | Volume | Parent Hub | Format |
## Pruning & Redirect Candidates
| URL | Triangulated role | Recommended action | Target URL | Reason |
## robots.txt & AI Crawler Policy
{From Phase 5h}
## Appendix: Triangulation table
| URL | Matrix quadrant | Hub score | Triangulated role | Flags |
When to use which playbook
| Situation | Playbook |
|---|
| Known cornerstones, health check only | Cornerstone Content Audit |
| Messy site, accidental hubs, new client | This playbook |
| Have GSC/GA4 exports, need triage fast | This playbook Phases 1a–2 only |
| Single keyword / fan-out gap | Fan-Out Coverage Analysis only |
DataForSEO tools used
dataforseo_labs_google_keywords_for_site, dataforseo_labs_google_ranked_keywords, dataforseo_labs_google_related_keywords, dataforseo_labs_google_keyword_suggestions, dataforseo_labs_google_keyword_ideas, backlinks_summary, serp_organic_live_advanced, on_page_content_parsing, ai_opt_llm_ment_search, ai_opt_llm_ment_top_pages
Requirements: REQUIREMENTS.md · Triangulation SSOT: REFERENCE.md · Future work: FUTURE-WORK.md
Done definition
