notslop-write-blog-headline

name	notslop-write-blog-headline
description	Use when the user wants 5-10 candidate H1 titles + meta descriptions for a blog post, SEO-optimized for a focus keyword. Faster than `notslop-write-blog-post`; produces titles only, no body.

Providers required

Capability	Required	Providers (BYOK)	Setup	Cost
Pull social signal (Reddit/HN/blogs)	yes	built-in, no key needed	—	free
Rerank by relevance	yes	ZeroEntropy zerank-2	PROVIDERS.md#zeroentropy-rerank--embed	free tier OK
Embed for cross-source dedup	yes	ZeroEntropy zembed-1	PROVIDERS.md#zeroentropy-rerank--embed	free tier OK
Scrape X posts	only if topic needs X data	Orthogonal (ScrapeCreators)	PROVIDERS.md#x-twitter--via-orthogonal	~$0.02/handle, $10 free at signup

When to use this skill

• "Give me 8 title options for a post about X"
• "Rewrite this headline for SEO"
• "Help me title my blog post on Y"
• The user wants titles only, not a full article.

For the full article (1500-3000 words), use notslop-write-blog-post. For X / LinkedIn post hooks, use the platform-specific skills.

Setup

notslop init configured. ZeroEntropy key set.

Steps

1. Gather inputs (ask only for what's missing):

   • Focus keyword
   • One-line description of what the post is about (or, if the post exists, the current H1 + first 200 words)
   • Audience
   • Tone: analytical / contrarian / curious / tutorial
   • Optional: current title to rewrite

2. Research phase:

   notslop digest "<FOCUS_KEYWORD>" --since 30d --top 20 --for-content
   

   notslop find-related "<USER BRIEF>" --top 10
   

3. Read the research and identify:

   • 2-3 headline patterns that are working in this niche right now
   • Over-covered angles to avoid
   • Specific outcomes / numbers / contrarian takes that are getting engagement

4. Generate 8 candidate titles in a markdown table:

   | # | Title | Chars | Pattern | Why |
   |---|---|---|---|---|
   | 1 | <title> | 67 | specific-outcome | references the X% finding from <post> |
   

   Use this exact pattern mix:

   • 2 specific-outcome ("How got from 0 to on ")
   • 2 contrarian / disagreeing-with-consensus
   • 2 explainer / tutorial framing
   • 1 question (open-ended but specific)
   • 1 list (only if it adds value — never "10 ways")

5. For each title, generate the matching meta description:

   • 155-160 chars
   • Focus keyword in the first 100 chars
   • Action-oriented (verb-led) or a specific claim
   • No marketing fluff

6. Rank the top 3 by:

   • SEO strength (focus keyword position, length sweet spot 55-65 chars)
   • Click-worthiness (specific > vague)
   • Truth-fit (matches what the user said they're writing about)

Output format

Output in this exact order:

1. The full table of 8 titles + meta descriptions (one row per title, meta description in a second column or row beneath).
2. The ranked top 3 with a 1-line justification each.
3. A note on which competing posts (from the digest) use similar headlines so the user can differentiate. List 2-3 with URLs.

Constraints

• Hard cap 70 chars on titles (Google SERP truncation).
• Hard cap 160 chars on meta descriptions.
• No "Ultimate", no "Definitive", no "Complete".
• Every title must contain the focus keyword OR an exact synonym.
• Don't repeat the same pattern twice.
• No emojis. No hashtags.
• No "leverage", "seamless", "robust", "powerful", "rapidly evolving".