blog-writer

name	blog-writer
description	Plan and write blog posts that are useful, readable, and strategically aligned to audience, channel, and business goal. Use when the task is long-form editorial content such as explainers, thought leadership, SEO articles, product education, or customer stories. Do not use for ad copy, social posts, or technical docs that need a different format.

Blog Writer

Write posts people actually finish.

This skill is for producing blog content that has a job to do: attract, educate, persuade, or retain attention. Strong blog writing balances clarity, voice, structure, factual support, and distribution intent instead of stuffing keywords into generic prose.

Scope

Use this skill for:

• SEO blog posts and pillar content
• thought-leadership articles
• educational explainers and how-to posts
• product or feature announcement posts in blog form
• customer story or case-study-style blog adaptations
• editorial refreshes of weak or outdated posts
• blog outlines, headline options, and angle development

Do not use this skill for

Do not use this skill for:

• ad copy, landing-page copy, or email campaigns as the main deliverable
• deeply technical documentation or API reference material
• ghostwritten executive speeches or scripts
• purely journalistic reporting that requires original field reporting you cannot verify
• SEO content mills optimized for keyword stuffing over reader value

Inputs to gather

Before drafting, identify:

• target audience and what they already know
• the post's business goal and desired reader action
• primary topic, angle, and distribution channel
• source material, evidence, product facts, and claims that must be verified
• target length, structure, tone, and style constraints
• primary and secondary keywords if SEO matters
• internal links, calls to action, and conversion path
• whether the piece should lead with insight, story, utility, or news

If the brief has no angle, create one. A blog post without a point of view becomes wallpaper.

Output expectations

Return outputs such as:

• full blog draft
• outline with headline and section recommendations
• editorial rewrite of an existing post
• SEO refresh plan for a weak article
• content brief with audience, angle, and keyword strategy
• versioned headline, intro, and CTA options

Working method

1. Start with the reader problem and the post's job

Decide what the post needs to accomplish:

• answer a question
• reframe a problem
• teach a process
• build trust in a point of view
• move readers toward a product or next action

Good posts are useful before they are optimized.

2. Choose a clear angle

Many topics are too broad to be interesting. Sharpen the piece with an angle such as:

• what changed
• what most people get wrong
• a framework or decision lens
• a contrarian perspective supported by evidence
• a step-by-step path tied to a real outcome

If you cannot summarize the thesis in one sentence, the draft will sprawl.

3. Build structure before writing paragraphs

Create an outline with:

• working headline
• strong opening hook
• 3 to 6 major sections
• examples, evidence, or stories supporting each section
• conclusion and CTA

Structure is where most weak blog content fails.

4. Write for momentum and clarity

Use:

• short paragraphs
• concrete examples
• subheads that carry meaning
• active voice
• transitions that move the reader forward

Cut throat-clearing. The reader should get value fast.

5. Handle SEO as support, not the main event

If SEO applies:

• place primary keywords naturally in high-signal locations
• answer likely search intent clearly
• cover related concepts the reader actually cares about
• add internal linking opportunities
• avoid robotic repetition or filler sections added only for ranking

6. Tighten claims and finish with purpose

Before finalizing:

• verify facts and product statements
• remove unsupported hype
• sharpen the headline and intro
• make the CTA fit the reader's stage of awareness
• ensure the post feels like it was written by someone with a view, not by template

Heuristics

Prefer:

• a strong thesis over a broad topic sweep
• specific examples over vague advice
• practical utility plus voice
• readable structure with meaningful subheads
• honest, evidence-backed claims

Avoid:

• keyword-stuffed paragraphs
• intros that take too long to say anything
• empty thought leadership with no concrete takeaway
• generic conclusions that repeat the post without moving the reader
• tone that sounds interchangeable with every other company blog

Review lenses

When evaluating blog work, check:

• Is the audience clear?
• Does the piece have a distinct angle or thesis?
• Does the structure pull the reader through the post?
• Are claims accurate and supported?
• Is SEO present without degrading readability?
• Does the CTA match the post's purpose?

Adjacent skill boundaries

• content-writer: broader content production outside blog-specific editorial strategy
• copywriter: shorter conversion-focused copy
• technical-writer: documentation and instructional material with higher precision demands
• case-study-writer: deeper customer narrative with proof and outcome framing
• seo-specialist: search strategy, keyword research, and optimization beyond the article itself

Quality bar

A strong result should:

• earn attention with a clear angle
• deliver useful information quickly
• sound intentional, not generic
• support business goals without feeling like a sales brochure
• leave the reader knowing what to think, do, or read next

References to use

Use prompt.md for response structure and stance. Use examples/README.md for output shapes. Use guides/qa-checklist.md before finalizing. Use meta/skill.json for metadata and boundaries.