| name | 12-website-content-plan |
| description | Generates a 90-day blog and website content plan — including 12 article briefs, an editorial calendar, an internal linking structure, and lead magnet ideas. Invoke after completing audience personas and brand voice intake, and before commissioning article writing with the blog-writer skill. This skill produces content strategy only — no web design, technical SEO audit, or page building. |
Website Content Plan Generator
Produce four outputs: (1) 12 blog post briefs, (2) an editorial calendar table, (3) an internal linking structure, and (4) lead magnet ideas. This skill covers content strategy and planning only. It does not produce finished articles — use the blog-writer skill to generate article text from these briefs. Apply the east-african-english skill for tone throughout.
Use when
- Generates a 90-day blog and website content plan — including 12 article briefs, an editorial calendar, an internal linking structure, and lead magnet ideas. Invoke after completing audience personas and brand voice intake, and before commissioning article writing with the blog-writer skill. This skill produces content strategy only — no web design, technical SEO audit, or page building.
- Use this skill when it is the closest match to the requested deliverable or workflow.
Do not use when
- Do not use this skill for graphic design, video production, software development, or legal advice beyond the repository's stated scope.
- Do not use it when another skill in this repository is clearly more specific to the requested deliverable.
Workflow
- Collect the required inputs or source material before drafting, unless this skill explicitly generates the intake itself.
- Follow the section order and decision rules in this
SKILL.md; do not skip mandatory steps or required fields.
- Review the draft against the quality criteria, then deliver the final output in markdown unless the skill specifies another format.
Anti-Patterns
- Do not invent client facts, performance data, budgets, or approvals that were not provided or clearly inferred from evidence.
- Do not skip required inputs, mandatory sections, or quality checks just to make the output shorter.
- Do not drift into out-of-scope work such as code implementation, design production, or unsupported legal conclusions.
Outputs
- A structured onboarding, strategy, or planning document in markdown, ready to hand off to the next skill in the workflow.
References
- Use the inline instructions in this skill now. If a
references/ directory is added later, treat its files as the deeper source material and keep this SKILL.md execution-focused.
Required Input
Ask for the following before generating:
- Client name — trading name of the business
- Industry — sector the business operates in
- Audience personas — the named personas from
03-audience-personas (minimum two)
- 3–5 primary topic areas — the subjects the business wants to be known for; these become the thematic clusters for articles
- Target customer journey stage — Awareness / Consideration / Decision (choose the dominant stage; the content plan will be weighted accordingly)
- Blog publication frequency — 1 per week or 2 per month
- Campaign dates to coordinate with — any confirmed campaign windows from
09-campaign-strategy or 11-content-calendar
- Country/city — defaults to Kampala, Uganda
Pre-Requisite: The 7 Website Content Priorities (Sheridan, 2019)
Before generating blog briefs, confirm the client's website addresses these seven priorities in order. Content plan effectiveness is severely limited if the website itself fails to convert visitors.
Priority 1 — Homepage Design and Messaging
The homepage must lead with the buyer's problem, not the brand. Audit the you:we ratio: count how many times the homepage says "we", "us", and "our" versus "you" and "your". A ratio below 5:1 (you:we) means the homepage is about the brand, not the buyer. Rewrite accordingly. The primary purpose of the homepage is to move the visitor to the next page — it is not to explain everything the business does.
Priority 2 — Honest Education (The Big 5 on the site)
Audit the website against the Big 5 question categories: Pricing and Cost, Problems and Limitations, Comparisons, Reviews, and Best in Class. If the site does not address all five, the content plan must prioritise filling these gaps before any other blog content. These are the questions buyers ask before they ever contact the business; unanswered, they result in lost sales.
Priority 3 — Premium Education (Lead Magnets)
Beyond blog posts, the website must offer at least one premium content asset behind an opt-in: a buying guide, checklist, template, webinar, or ebook. Premium content converts readers into leads. A site with no opt-in mechanism allows traffic to arrive, consume, and leave — with no ongoing relationship established. The content plan must include at least one premium asset per cluster of related articles.
Priority 4 — Equal Mix of Text and Visual Content
Every major topic should have both a written article and a video. Buyers have different consumption preferences; a text-only or video-only site fails half of its potential audience. Where video production is not yet possible, use infographics, images, or embedded social media content.
Priority 5 — Self-Selection Tools
Interactive tools on the website that guide buyers through decisions without requiring contact with the business. Examples: a pricing calculator, a product recommendation questionnaire, an eligibility checker, a comparison tool. Consumer searches using "for me" and "should I" phrasing increased 120% in recent years (Sheridan, 2019) — buyers want to self-select, not be sold to. Identify one self-selection tool the client can create and include it in the content plan.
Priority 6 — Social Proof
Customer testimonials, journey videos, reviews, Net Promoter Scores, and case studies must be visible throughout the website — not only on a dedicated testimonials page that few visitors find. Include social proof near every CTA, pricing disclosure, and service description. The content plan must include at least two customer journey stories per quarter.
Priority 7 — Site Speed
40% of visitors abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load (Sheridan, 2019). The average business website loads in 8–12 seconds. Before producing content, confirm the client's site loads within 3 seconds. If it does not, flag this as a prerequisite action. Slow sites make all content investment less effective: high traffic + high bounce rate = low return.
Use this checklist to brief the client before commencing content production. Do not attempt to drive traffic to a site that fails Priorities 1, 2, or 7.
Section 1: 12 Blog Post Briefs
Generate one brief per article. Number each brief clearly (Article 1 of 12 through Article 12 of 12). Distribute articles across the 3–5 primary topic areas proportionally. Do not cluster all articles in one topic.
For each article, produce all nine elements:
1. Article Title
Write an SEO-optimised title under 60 characters. The title must be specific and informative — it tells the reader exactly what they will learn. Avoid clickbait. Use the client's industry language and, where appropriate, Ugandan/EA context (e.g., reference Kampala, East Africa, or relevant local conditions).
2. Target Reader Persona
State the persona name from 03-audience-personas this article is primarily written for. Explain in one sentence what specific question or need this article answers for that persona.
3. Search Intent
Classify as one of:
- Informational — the reader wants to understand something
- Navigational — the reader is looking for a specific brand or resource
- Commercial — the reader is comparing options before deciding
- Transactional — the reader is ready to act and wants to buy, book, or sign up
State the intent and explain in one sentence how the article's structure reflects it.
4. Primary Keyword Theme
State the core topic or keyword theme the article should be centred on. Do not generate specific keyword data (keyword tools are outside this skill's scope) — instead state the thematic territory: e.g., "savings accounts for young professionals in Uganda", "how to register a business in Kampala".
5. Five Key Questions the Post Must Answer
List the five most important questions a reader has when they arrive at this article. These become the structural backbone. Write them as genuine reader questions, not as headings.
6. Suggested Article Structure
List 4–6 H2 headings in logical order. These headings must directly address the five key questions. Do not use headings like "Introduction" or "Conclusion" — every heading must carry information value.
7. Word Count Guide
- Informational articles: 800–1,200 words
- How-to guides and step-by-step articles: 1,500–2,000 words
- Comparison and decision-support articles: 1,200–1,500 words
State the recommended word count and the rationale.
8. Recommended Call to Action
State one specific CTA that fits the article's intent and the reader's journey stage. Examples:
- Awareness stage: "Share this article with a colleague who is starting a business"
- Consideration stage: "Download our free checklist to compare your options"
- Decision stage: "Book a free 30-minute consultation"
The CTA must align with the client's primary business goal.
9. Content Upgrade Idea
Suggest one lead magnet tied to this article. A content upgrade is a free resource the reader can access in exchange for their contact details. It must be directly relevant to the article's topic — not a generic newsletter sign-up.
Format: [Title of lead magnet] — [Format: PDF guide / checklist / template / calculator / swipe file] — [Delivery: email opt-in / WhatsApp opt-in]
Example: "The Uganda Business Registration Checklist" — PDF checklist — email opt-in
Section 2: Editorial Calendar
Produce a table showing all 12 articles sequenced across the 90-day period, aligned to the client's publication frequency.
| # | Title | Week to Publish | Persona Targeted | Intent | Primary Keyword Theme | CTA |
|---|
| 1 | | | | | | |
| 2 | | | | | | |
| … | | | | | | |
| 12 | | | | | | |
Sequencing rules:
- Begin with Awareness-stage articles in Weeks 1–4 to build organic traffic
- Move to Consideration-stage articles in Weeks 5–8
- Place Decision-stage articles in Weeks 9–12, aligned to any campaign windows
- Do not publish two articles on the same topic area in consecutive weeks
- If a campaign window falls in the plan, align one article to support the campaign theme in the week before the campaign launches
Section 3: Internal Linking Structure
Internal linking strengthens content authority and guides readers through the site. Map the links between articles and to key service pages.
Show links in this format:
[Article title] → links to → [Article title] (anchor text: "[suggested anchor text]") + [Service page name] (anchor text: "[suggested anchor text]")
Produce a link map for all 12 articles. Each article should link to at least 2 other articles and 1 service page. Where a natural link does not exist, note: "No strong link from this article — do not force an unnatural anchor."
Note to consultant: Internal links should be added during the editing stage when using the blog-writer skill. Pass this link map to the writer as part of the brief. Do not add more than 5 internal links per article — over-linking reduces usability.
Section 4: Content Upgrade and Lead Magnet Ideas
Identify the 4 articles with the highest potential to attract organic traffic (based on search intent and topic breadth). For each, develop a specific lead magnet.
For each lead magnet, provide:
Lead Magnet [N]: [Title]
- Attached to article: [Article title]
- Format: [PDF guide / checklist / template / calculator / swipe file]
- Delivery mechanism: [Email opt-in form on the article page / WhatsApp opt-in via a link in the article / Both]
- What it contains: 3–4 bullet points describing the contents of the lead magnet (specific enough to brief a writer)
- Why a reader would want it: One sentence explaining the value exchange from the reader's perspective
Guidance on lead magnet formats for Uganda/EA:
- Prefer WhatsApp opt-in for audiences primarily on mobile; email opt-in suits B2B and formal sector audiences
- PDF checklists and templates download and use well on low-bandwidth connections
- Calculators and interactive tools require a website developer — flag this if a calculator is recommended
- Keep PDF lead magnets under 8 pages; concise and practical wins over comprehensive and academic in the EA market
Coordination Note
Using this plan with other skills: This content plan is designed to work alongside the 11-content-calendar — align article publish dates with the relevant pillar themes in the calendar. When articles are ready to write, pass each brief from Section 1 to the blog-writer skill. When lead magnets are ready to write, pass the content upgrade details from Section 4 to the blog-writer skill with the instruction to produce a lead magnet document, not a blog post.
Quality Criteria
- All 12 article briefs are complete; no element within any brief is left blank or marked TBC
- Articles are distributed across the 3–5 primary topic areas — no single topic receives more than 40% of articles unless specifically justified
- Search intent is correctly classified and the article structure reflects it — a transactional brief looks different from an informational brief
- The editorial calendar sequences articles in awareness-to-decision order unless a specific reason (campaign alignment, seasonal hook) justifies reordering
- Internal link suggestions use natural anchor text — no keyword-stuffed anchor text; no links forced where a natural connection does not exist
- Lead magnets are specific to the client's industry and persona; no generic "download our newsletter" suggestions
- Word count guidance is differentiated by article type — informational posts are not assigned the same word count as step-by-step guides
- British English spelling is used throughout; Ugandan and East African context is applied to examples, titles, and persona references
