seo-review

name	seo-review
description	Perform a focused SEO audit on documentation and content pages to maximize search visibility, featured snippet optimization, and ranking potential. Use when publishing new pages, optimizing underperforming content, or running periodic content audits.
license	Sustainable Use License 1.0
metadata	{"domain":"documentation","subdomain":"technical-docs","tags":"seo, search, content-optimization, documentation, audit","author":"Yunseo Kim <[e-mail]>","lastUpdated":"12026-02-25","provenance":"adapted"}

Skill: SEO Audit for Documentation Pages

Use this skill to perform a focused SEO audit on documentation or content pages. The goal is to maximize search visibility for developers and readers searching for topics you cover.

When to Use

• Before publishing a new documentation page
• When optimizing underperforming pages
• Periodic content audits
• After major content updates
• When targeting new keywords

Goal

Each documentation page should rank for searches like:

• "what is [topic] in [technology]"
• "how does [topic] work"
• "[topic] explained"
• "[topic] tutorial"
• "[topic] example"

---

SEO Audit Methodology

Follow these five steps for a complete SEO audit.

Step 1: Identify Target Keywords

Before auditing, identify the keyword cluster for the topic.

Keyword Cluster Template

Type	Pattern	Example (Closures)
Primary	[topic] [technology]	closures JavaScript
What is	what is [topic] in [technology]	what is a closure in JavaScript
How does	how does [topic] work	how do closures work
How to	how to use/create [topic]	how to use closures
Why	why use [topic]	why use closures
Examples	[topic] examples	closure examples
vs	[topic] vs [related]	closures vs scope
Interview	[topic] interview questions	closure interview questions

Step 2: On-Page SEO Audit

Check all on-page SEO elements systematically using the checklists below.

Step 3: Featured Snippet Optimization

Verify content is structured to win featured snippets.

Step 4: Internal Linking Audit

Check the internal link structure.

Step 5: Generate Report

Document findings using the report template at the bottom of this skill.

---

Audit Checklists

Title Tag Checklist (4 points)

#	Check	Points	How to Verify
1	Length 50-60 characters	1	Count characters in title frontmatter
2	Primary keyword in first half	1	Topic name appears early
3	Contains technology/context identifier	1	Check title ending (e.g., "in JavaScript", "with React")
4	Contains compelling hook	1	Promises value/benefit to reader

Scoring:

• 4/4: Excellent
• 3/4: Good, minor improvements possible
• 0-2/4: Needs significant work

Title Formula:

[Topic]: [What You'll Understand] in [Technology]

Good Examples:

Topic	Title (with character count)
Closures	"Closures: How Functions Remember Their Scope in JavaScript" (58 chars)
Dependency Injection	"Dependency Injection: Writing Testable Code in Python" (53 chars)
CORS	"CORS: How Cross-Origin Requests Work in Web APIs" (49 chars)

Bad Examples:

Issue	Bad Title	Better Title
Too short	"Closures"	"Closures: How Functions Remember Their Scope in JavaScript"
Too long	"Understanding JavaScript Closures and How They Work with Examples" (66)	Trim to 50-60 chars
No hook	"JavaScript Closures"	Add benefit: "How Functions Remember Their Scope"

---

Meta Description Checklist (4 points)

#	Check	Points	How to Verify
1	Length 150-160 characters	1	Count characters in description frontmatter
2	Starts with action word	1	"Learn", "Understand", "Discover" (NOT "Master")
3	Contains primary keyword	1	Topic name + technology present
4	Promises specific value	1	Lists what reader will learn

Description Formula:

[Action word] [what the topic is] in [technology]. [Specific things covered]: [topic 1], [topic 2], and [topic 3].

Good Examples:

Topic	Description
Closures	"Learn JavaScript closures and how functions remember their scope. Covers lexical scoping, practical use cases, memory considerations, and common closure patterns." (159 chars)
CORS	"Understand how CORS works in web APIs. Learn about preflight requests, allowed origins, credentials handling, and common configuration mistakes." (144 chars)

Bad Examples:

Issue	Bad Description	Fix
Too short	"Learn about closures"	Expand to 150-160 chars with specifics
Starts with "Master"	"Master JavaScript closures..."	"Learn JavaScript closures..."
Too vague	"A guide to closures"	List specific topics covered

---

Keyword Placement Checklist (5 points)

#	Check	Points	How to Verify
1	Primary keyword in title	1	Check frontmatter title
2	Primary keyword in meta description	1	Check frontmatter description
3	Primary keyword in first 100 words	1	Check opening paragraphs
4	Keyword in at least one H2 heading	1	Scan all ## headings
5	No keyword stuffing	1	Content reads naturally

Keyword Placement Map:

CRITICAL (Must have keyword)
  - title frontmatter
  - description frontmatter
  - First paragraph (within 100 words)
  - At least one H2 heading

RECOMMENDED (Include naturally)
  - "What you'll learn" summary box
  - H3 subheadings
  - Key Takeaways section
  - First sentence after major H2s

AVOID
  - Same phrase >4 times per 1000 words
  - Forcing keywords where pronouns work better
  - Awkward sentence structures to fit keywords

---

Content Structure Checklist (6 points)

#	Check	Points	How to Verify
1	Opens with question hook	1	First paragraph asks engaging question
2	Code example or key insight in first 200 words	1	Practical content appears early
3	"What you'll learn" summary present	1	Summary box or list after opening
4	Short paragraphs (2-4 sentences)	1	Scan content for long blocks
5	1,500+ words	1	Word count check
6	Key terms bolded on first mention	1	Important terms use **bold**

Content Length Guidelines:

Length	Assessment
<1,000 words	Too thin — add depth
1,000-1,500	Minimum viable
1,500-2,500	Good
2,500-4,000	Excellent
>4,000	Consider splitting

---

Featured Snippet Checklist (4 points)

#	Check	Points	How to Verify
1	"What is X" has 40-60 word definition	1	Count words in first paragraph after "What is" H2
2	At least one H2 is phrased as question	1	Check for "What is", "How does", "Why" H2s
3	Numbered steps for "How to" content	1	Uses numbered list or step component
4	Comparison tables (if applicable)	1	Tables for "X vs Y" content

Featured Snippet Formats:

Query Type	Winning Format	Your Content
"What is X"	Paragraph	40-60 word definition after H2, bold keyword
"How to X"	Numbered list	Numbered steps
"X vs Y"	Table	Comparison table with clear column headers
"Types of X"	Bullet list	Bold type name + description
"[X] examples"	Code block	Code examples with brief explanations

Definition Paragraph Example (40-60 words):

## What is a Closure?

A **closure** is a function that retains access to variables from its outer
(enclosing) scope, even after that outer function has finished executing.
Closures are created every time a function is created, allowing inner functions
to "remember" and access their lexical environment.

---

Internal Linking Checklist (4 points)

#	Check	Points	How to Verify
1	3-5 related pages linked in body	1	Count internal links in prose
2	Descriptive anchor text	1	No "click here", "here", "this"
3	Prerequisites noted with links	1	Warning/note with links at start
4	Related content section has 3-4 items	1	Related section at end with links

Good Anchor Text:

Bad	Good
"click here"	"event loop guide"
"here"	"our Promises documentation"
"this article"	"understanding the call stack"
"read more"	"dependency injection patterns"

---

Technical SEO Checklist (3 points)

#	Check	Points	How to Verify
1	Single H1 per page	1	Only one # heading (the title)
2	URL slug contains keyword	1	Descriptive slug, not IDs
3	No orphan pages	1	Page is linked from at least one other page

URL/Slug Best Practices:

Good	Bad
/docs/closures	/docs/c1
/docs/event-loop	/docs/topic-7
/api/authentication	/api/abc123

Rules for slugs:

• Include primary keyword
• Use hyphens, not underscores
• Keep under 50 characters
• Lowercase only

---

Scoring System

Total Points Available: 30

Category	Max Points
Title Tag	4
Meta Description	4
Keyword Placement	5
Content Structure	6
Featured Snippets	4
Internal Linking	4
Technical SEO	3
Total	30

Score Interpretation

Score	Percentage	Status	Action
27-30	90-100%	Excellent	Ready to publish
23-26	75-89%	Good	Minor optimizations needed
17-22	55-74%	Fair	Several improvements needed
0-16	<55%	Poor	Significant work required

---

Common SEO Issues and Fixes

Title Tag Issues

Issue	Fix
Too short (<50 chars)	Add benefit clause: "How X Works"
Too long (>60 chars)	Trim to essential keywords + hook
Missing keyword	Lead with topic name
No hook	Add what reader will understand

Meta Description Issues

Issue	Fix
Too short (<120 chars)	Add specifics about what's covered
Too long (>160 chars)	Edit ruthlessly, keep key information
Starts with "Master"	Use "Learn", "Understand", "Discover"
Too vague	List specific subtopics: "Covers X, Y, and Z"

Content Structure Issues

Issue	Fix
No question hook	Start with "How does...?" or "Why...?"
Key content too late	Move practical example to first 200 words
Missing summary box	Add "What you'll learn" list
Long paragraphs	Break into 2-4 sentence chunks
Under 1,500 words	Add more depth, examples, edge cases

Featured Snippet Issues

Issue	Fix
No "What is" definition	Add 40-60 word definition paragraph
Definition too long	Tighten to 40-60 words
No question H2s	Add "What is X?" or "How does X work?" H2
Steps not numbered	Use numbered markdown list
No comparison tables	Add table for "X vs Y" sections

Internal Linking Issues

Issue	Fix
No internal links	Add 3-5 links to related pages
Bad anchor text	Replace "click here" with descriptive text
No prerequisites	Add note with prerequisite links
Empty Related section	Add 3-4 links to related content

---

SEO Audit Report Template

Use this template to document your findings.

# SEO Audit Report: [Page Title]

**File:** `[file path]`
**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Auditor:** [Name]
**Overall Score:** XX/30 (XX%)
**Status:** Excellent | Needs Work | Poor

---

## Score Summary

| Category | Score | Status |
|----------|-------|--------|
| Title Tag | X/4 | |
| Meta Description | X/4 | |
| Keyword Placement | X/5 | |
| Content Structure | X/6 | |
| Featured Snippets | X/4 | |
| Internal Linking | X/4 | |
| Technical SEO | X/3 | |
| **Total** | **X/30** | |

---

## Target Keywords

**Primary Keyword:** [e.g., "JavaScript closures"]
**Secondary Keywords:**
- [keyword 1]
- [keyword 2]
- [keyword 3]

**Search Intent:** Informational / How-to / Comparison

---

## Title Tag Analysis

**Current Title:** "[current title]"
**Character Count:** XX characters
**Score:** X/4

| Check | Status | Notes |
|-------|--------|-------|
| Length 50-60 chars | | XX characters |
| Primary keyword in first half | | |
| Contains technology context | | |
| Contains compelling hook | | |

**Recommended Title:** "[suggested title]" (XX chars)

---

## Meta Description Analysis

**Current Description:** "[current description]"
**Character Count:** XX characters
**Score:** X/4

| Check | Status | Notes |
|-------|--------|-------|
| Length 150-160 chars | | XX characters |
| Starts with action word | | |
| Contains primary keyword | | |
| Promises specific value | | |

**Recommended Description:** "[suggested description]" (XX chars)

---

## Keyword Placement Analysis

**Score:** X/5

| Location | Present | Notes |
|----------|---------|-------|
| Title | | |
| Meta description | | |
| First 100 words | | Found at word XX |
| H2 heading | | Found in: "[H2 text]" |
| Natural reading | | |

---

## Content Structure Analysis

 X,XXX words
 X/6

| Check | Status | Notes |
|-------|--------|-------|
| Question hook opening | | |
| Key content in first 200 words | | |
| "What you'll learn" summary | | |
| Short paragraphs | | |
| 1,500+ words | | |
| Bolded key terms | | |

---



 X/4

| Check | Status | Notes |
|-------|--------|-------|
| 40-60 word definition | | Currently XX words |
| Question-format H2 | | |
| Numbered steps | | |
| Comparison tables | | |

---



 X/4

| Check | Status | Notes |
|-------|--------|-------|
| 3-5 internal links in body | | Found X links |
| Descriptive anchor text | | |
| Prerequisites noted | | |
| Related content section | | X items present |

---



 X/3

| Check | Status | Notes |
|-------|--------|-------|
| Single H1 per page | | |
| URL slug contains keyword | | |
| Not an orphan page | | |

---




  — Current: [what it is now]. Fix: [what it should be].


  — Recommendation: [fix].


  — Suggestion: [improvement].

---



 Yes / No — [reason]
 [when to re-audit]

---

Quick Reference

Character Counts

Element	Ideal Length
Title	50-60 characters
Meta Description	150-160 characters
Definition paragraph	40-60 words

Keyword Density

• Don't exceed 3-4 mentions of exact phrase per 1,000 words
• Use variations naturally

Scannable Content Patterns

Element	SEO Benefit	When to Use
Short paragraphs	Reduces bounce rate	Always (2-4 sentences max)
Bullet lists	Often become featured snippets	Lists of 3+ items
Numbered lists	"How to" snippet potential	Sequential steps
Tables	High snippet potential	Comparisons, reference data
Bold text	Highlights keywords for crawlers	First mention of key terms
Headings (H2/H3)	Structure signals to search engines	Every major topic shift

---

Summary

When auditing a documentation page for SEO:

1. Identify target keywords using the keyword cluster template
2. Check title tag — 50-60 chars, keyword first, hook, technology context
3. Check meta description — 150-160 chars, action word, keyword, specific value
4. Verify keyword placement — Title, description, first 100 words, H2
5. Audit content structure — Question hook, early practical content, summary box, short paragraphs
6. Optimize for featured snippets — 40-60 word definitions, numbered steps, tables
7. Check internal linking — 3-5 links, good anchors, related content section
8. Generate report — Document score, issues, and prioritized fixes

SEO is about making content easy to find for people who need it. Every optimization should also improve the reader experience.