| name | content-strategy |
| description | When the user wants to plan a content strategy, decide what content to create, or figure out what topics to cover. Also use when the user mentions 'content strategy,' 'what should we write about,' 'content calendar,' 'content pillars,' or 'editorial calendar.' |
| allowed-tools | Read, Write, WebSearch, WebFetch, AskUserQuestion |
| model | sonnet |
Content Strategy
Expert knowledge for planning, prioritizing, and executing a content program that drives organic traffic, builds authority, and converts readers into customers.
Core Framework: The Topic Cluster Model
Modern content strategy uses topic clusters, not disconnected posts.
Structure:
- Pillar page: Comprehensive, authoritative guide on a broad topic (2,000-5,000+ words)
- Cluster content: Narrower posts that cover subtopics in depth, internally linking to the pillar
- Internal links: Every cluster page links to the pillar; pillar links to each cluster
Why it works:
- Search engines see topical authority, not just individual page authority
- Users navigate a coherent knowledge structure (longer sessions, lower bounce)
- PageRank flows through internal links from cluster → pillar → ranking boost
Pillar selection criteria:
- High search volume (> 5,000 searches/month) for the core keyword
- Directly relevant to your ICP's decision-making process
- Your product solves the core problem in the pillar topic
- You can realistically produce 8-15 cluster posts around it
Step 1: Audience Intent Mapping
Before choosing topics, map your audience's intent at each stage.
| Stage | Intent | Content Type |
|---|
| Unaware | Learning about a problem they have | Educational guides, "what is X" content |
| Problem-aware | Researching solutions to a known problem | How-to guides, comparison content |
| Solution-aware | Evaluating specific products | Review content, case studies, comparison pages |
| Product-aware | Comparing you vs competitors | Vs pages, feature deep-dives, ROI content |
| Customer | Getting more value from your product | Knowledge base, advanced guides, use case posts |
Most content strategies over-invest in top-of-funnel (unaware) and under-invest in bottom-of-funnel (solution-aware, product-aware). Bottom-of-funnel content converts at 5-10× the rate.
Step 2: Content Audit (for existing sites)
Before creating new content, audit what you have.
Audit categories:
- Keep + optimize: Good content that ranks but could be improved
- Update: Outdated content that still has potential
- Merge: Multiple thin posts on the same topic — consolidate into one strong post
- Remove: Content that attracts no traffic and serves no purpose (thin pages, old press releases)
Audit signals:
- Organic traffic (Google Search Console)
- Ranking position for target keyword
- Backlinks (Ahrefs or Semrush)
- Conversion rate (goal completions in analytics)
Content scoring formula:
Content Score = (Monthly organic sessions × 0.4)
+ (Primary keyword ranking position × -0.3) ← lower = better
+ (Backlinks × 0.2)
+ (Conversion events × 0.1)
Use this to prioritize: update high-potential low-performers before creating new content.
Step 3: Keyword Research & Prioritization
Keyword research process:
- Seed keywords: List the 5-10 core concepts your product relates to
- Expand: Use Ahrefs, Semrush, or Google Keyword Planner to find variations and related terms
- Filter: Remove keywords outside your target audience's intent
- Prioritize: Score by business value × difficulty ratio
Prioritization matrix:
| Criteria | Weight | Score (1-10) |
|---|
| Monthly search volume | 25% | |
| Business relevance (ICP fit) | 35% | |
| Keyword difficulty (inverted) | 25% | |
| CTA / conversion fit | 15% | |
High business relevance beats high search volume. A 500/month keyword that converts at 5% beats a 10,000/month keyword that converts at 0.1%.
Step 4: Content Pillar Design
Choosing pillars:
- 3-5 pillars for most SaaS companies at Pilot/Candidate stage
- Each pillar = one core use case or ICP pain point
- Each pillar should have at least 10 plausible cluster topics
Pillar examples for SaaS:
- [Product category] for [ICP type]
- How to [achieve core outcome your product enables]
- [Core process your product automates]: The complete guide
Cluster topic generation:
From each pillar, generate cluster topics by asking:
- What questions does someone have before they can implement this pillar topic?
- What are the subtopics someone would want to explore further?
- What tools, comparisons, or templates relate to this pillar?
Step 5: Editorial Calendar Design
Calendar structure:
- Publish cadence: What's sustainable? 2 posts/week? 4/month?
- Distribution: What ratio of top/middle/bottom funnel?
- Mix: Long-form guides, short tactical posts, data-driven pieces, case studies
Recommended mix for early-stage SaaS:
- 40% top-of-funnel (educational, broad keywords)
- 30% middle-of-funnel (how-to, use case, problem-solution)
- 30% bottom-of-funnel (comparison, alternative, ROI, case studies)
Many teams do 80% top-of-funnel and then wonder why content doesn't drive revenue.
Calendar template fields:
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Title | Working title |
| Target keyword | Primary keyword (+ volume) |
| Pillar | Which topic cluster |
| Funnel stage | ToFu / MoFu / BoFu |
| Target ICP | Who this is written for |
| Content type | Guide / How-to / Comparison / Case study |
| Target publish date | |
| Word count target | |
| Internal link targets | |
| CTA | What we want the reader to do |
Content Quality Criteria
Not all content is equal. Use this rubric before publishing:
1. Search intent match: Does this content match what someone searching this keyword actually wants?
2. Comprehensiveness: Does it cover the topic well enough that the reader doesn't need to search again?
3. Freshness signals: Is the information current? Are examples and data recent?
4. Unique angle: Does this add something that doesn't already exist?
5. Conversion path: Is there a clear next step for a reader who's ready to engage?
Content that fails at any of these should not be published until fixed.
Distribution Strategy
Creating content is 50% of the job. Distribution is the other 50%.
Distribution channels:
- Email newsletter (highest intent, most direct)
- LinkedIn organic (B2B audiences, especially decision-makers)
- Twitter/X (tech and startup audiences)
- Slack communities (niche but high intent)
- Reddit (specific subreddits — must add genuine value)
- Podcast placement (repurpose blog → podcast guest pitches)
- Content syndication (Medium, Substack, industry publications)
Content repurposing waterfall:
- Long-form blog post (core asset)
- → LinkedIn carousel (visual summary)
- → Twitter/X thread (key insights)
- → Email newsletter section
- → Short-form video script
- → Podcast talking points
Measuring Content ROI
Traffic metrics (leading indicators):
- Organic sessions per month
- Keyword ranking improvements
- Pages per session (content quality signal)
Revenue metrics (lagging indicators):
- Content-assisted conversions (did they read a post before signing up?)
- Content-influenced pipeline (did a post appear in their journey?)
- Attributed MQLs from organic content
Reporting cadence:
- Weekly: Publishing cadence (are we hitting targets?)
- Monthly: Traffic trends and keyword ranking changes
- Quarterly: Content attribution to revenue
Common Rationalizations
| Rationalization | Reality |
|---|
| "We need to write about everything to build authority" | Topical depth beats breadth. 20 posts on one cluster outperform 100 posts on 100 unrelated topics. |
| "More posts = more traffic" | Publishing frequency without quality produces thin content penalties. One great post beats five mediocre ones. |
| "We'll figure out distribution later" | Content without distribution is a tree falling in an empty forest. Distribution is part of the strategy, not an afterthought. |
| "SEO takes too long — let's focus on other channels" | Compounding organic traffic is the best marketing asset you can build. The best time to start was 6 months ago. |
| "Let's cover what we find interesting to write" | Write what your ICP is searching for, not what's interesting to write. Interest follows audience, not the other way. |
Verification
