Content strategy, content gaps, editorial calendar, topical authority, content plan, what should I write about. Covers topical authority mapping, gap analysis, brief generation, and 12-week editorial calendar. Most of this skill is strategic reasoning over observable content + WebSearch — no Path B dependencies except for Phase 3 traffic scoring (requires GSC/GA data, which the user can paste in or skip).
Content strategy, content gaps, editorial calendar, topical authority, content plan, what should I write about. Covers topical authority mapping, gap analysis, brief generation, and 12-week editorial calendar. Most of this skill is strategic reasoning over observable content + WebSearch — no Path B dependencies except for Phase 3 traffic scoring (requires GSC/GA data, which the user can paste in or skip).
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[site URL or topic area] [--non-interactive]
allowed-tools
Read Glob Grep Write Bash WebFetch WebSearch
Content Strategist
Build a content strategy that establishes topical authority, fills competitive gaps, and produces "last click" content — pages so thorough that readers never need to return to the search results.
Work through every phase in order. Present findings and recommendations in structured tables and outlines the user can act on immediately.
Cross-model note
Works identically on current Opus / Sonnet / Haiku models. Opus/Sonnet batch content-file Reads + competitor WebSearch calls in parallel. Haiku may prefer sequential for large content inventories.
Phase 3.1 "Traffic Performance" scoring requires the user to paste in GSC or GA data, OR integrate a GSC MCP (Path B). Without data, skip traffic scoring and rely on the other four dimensions.
Phase 4 gap analysis via observable signals is fully supported (WebSearch + WebFetch).
"Publishing X posts per week yields Y traffic" predictions are directional, not measured.
Phase 1: Business Understanding
Gather the following before any analysis begins. Ask the user directly for
anything that cannot be inferred from the site.
1.1 Business Profile
Business name, URL, and industry vertical
Core products or services (ranked by revenue priority)
Unique selling propositions — what differentiates this business?
Each spoke links back to the pillar. The pillar links out to every spoke.
Cross-link spokes where topically relevant.
2.3 Competitor Topical Coverage
For the top 3-5 organic competitors:
List topics they cover that the user does not
Identify topics the user covers more deeply (defend these)
Note any topical clusters competitors have built that rank well
2.4 Topical Gap Summary
Produce a table:
Topic
User Coverage
Competitor Coverage
Priority
Action
...
None / Thin / Strong
Strong / Moderate
High / Med / Low
Create / Expand
Phase 3: Content Audit (Existing Content)
For every existing page worth evaluating, score on five dimensions.
3.1 Scoring Criteria
Traffic Performance (1-5) — requires GSC/GA data or Path B GSC MCP integration
5 = growing traffic trend over 6 months
3 = stable
1 = declining or near-zero traffic
If user has not provided traffic data, skip this dimension and score across the other four only. Recommend integrating a Google Search Console MCP for ongoing traffic-aware scoring.
Content Quality (1-5)
Depth and completeness vs. top-ranking competitors
Originality (unique data, insights, or angles)
Readability (clear structure, scannable, no walls of text)
Check for author bios, citations, credentials, first-hand experience
AEO Readiness (1-5)
Semantic chunking with clear H2/H3 hierarchy
Quotable statements (concise, factual sentences AI can extract)
FAQ sections with question-formatted headings
Structured data / schema markup present
Keyword Coverage (1-5)
Primary keyword targeted and present in title, H1, URL
Secondary keywords covered in subheadings and body
Search intent alignment (does the content match what the user wants?)
3.2 Audit Output Table
URL
Traffic
Quality
E-E-A-T
AEO
Keywords
Total
Recommendation
/page-a
4
3
4
2
5
18
Update
/page-b
1
2
1
1
2
7
Remove
3.3 Recommendations
Assign every audited page one action:
Keep — Score 20-25. Performing well. Monitor, no immediate changes.
Update — Score 14-19. Solid foundation but needs a refresh: add new data,
improve formatting, expand thin sections, add schema markup, improve AEO
formatting.
Consolidate — Multiple pages scoring below 14 on the same topic. Merge
into one authoritative page. Redirect old URLs to the consolidated page.
Create — No existing page covers this important topic. Net-new content
required.
Remove — Score below 8, or content is thin/duplicate with no strategic
value. Redirect or noindex.
Phase 4: Content Gap Analysis
4.1 Topic Gaps
Topics competitors rank for that the user has zero coverage on. Pull from
Phase 2.3 competitor analysis.
4.2 Question Gaps
Questions the target audience asks (People Also Ask, forums, support tickets)
that the user's content does not answer. These are high-value AEO targets.
4.3 Search Intent Gaps
Map existing content by intent type:
Intent Type
User Pages
Competitor Pages
Gap?
Informational
45
60
Yes
Commercial
10
25
Yes
Transactional
8
12
Moderate
Navigational
5
5
No
If the user has only informational content but competitors serve commercial
and transactional intent, flag this as a critical gap.
4.4 Format Gaps
Content formats competitors use that the user does not:
Interactive tools or calculators
Video content or embeds
Comparison tables
Templates or downloadable resources
Infographics or original data visualizations
Phase 5: Content Brief Generation
For every piece of content recommended in Phases 3-4, produce a structured
brief.
Brief Template
CONTENT BRIEF
=============
Target Keyword: [primary keyword]
Secondary Keywords: [3-5 related terms]
Search Intent: [informational | commercial | transactional | navigational]
Recommended Format: [guide | listicle | comparison | tool | FAQ | case study | how-to]
Suggested Word Count: [based on top-5 competitor average, +10-20%]
H1 TITLE OPTIONS
1. [Option A — includes primary keyword]
2. [Option B — question format for AEO]
3. [Option C — number/data-driven hook]
OUTLINE (H2/H3 with keyword mapping)
H2: [Section Title] — targets [keyword]
H3: [Subsection] — targets [long-tail keyword]
H3: [Subsection] — targets [question keyword]
H2: [Section Title] — targets [keyword]
H3: ...
H2: FAQ — targets PAA questions
H3: [Question 1]?
H3: [Question 2]?
INTERNAL LINKING PLAN
- Link TO: [list existing pages this content should link to]
- Link FROM: [list existing pages that should add links to this content]
SCHEMA MARKUP
- Recommended types: [Article, Organization, Product, etc. — FAQPage/HowTo as AI-parsing aids only; no rich results since 2023/2026]
AEO FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS
- Use question-format H2/H3 headings where appropriate
- Lead each section with a direct, quotable 1-2 sentence answer
- Include a "Key Takeaway" or "Quick Answer" box at the top
- Add FAQ section with concise Q&A pairs
- Use statistics and data points that AI systems can cite
CTA RECOMMENDATION
- Primary CTA: [what action should the reader take?]
- CTA placement: [inline, end of article, sidebar, sticky]
Original research, expert roundups, detailed case studies
Innovation
10%
Experimental, high-risk/high-reward
Interactive tools, controversial takes, new content formats
6.2 Calendar Format
Present the calendar as a table with one row per content piece:
Week
Pub Date
Title
Target Keyword
Type
Mix
Author
Links To
Promotion
1
YYYY-MM-DD
...
...
Guide
70%
...
/pillar-a
Social, Email
1
YYYY-MM-DD
...
...
FAQ
70%
...
/pillar-b
Social
2
YYYY-MM-DD
...
...
Research
20%
...
/pillar-a
Outreach, Social
6.3 Calendar Rules
Publish pillar pages before their supporting spokes
Distribute content evenly across topic clusters (do not front-load one topic)
Schedule updates and relaunches alongside new content
Align with seasonal or industry events where relevant
Include at least one AEO-optimized FAQ or Q&A piece per week
Phase 7: Content Relaunch Strategy
7.1 Relaunch Candidates
Pull from Phase 3 audit — any page marked Update with a traffic score of
3+ is a relaunch candidate. Prioritize pages that:
Rank positions 4-20 (within striking distance of page 1 or top 3)
Target high-volume keywords
Have existing backlinks worth preserving
7.2 Relaunch Process
For each candidate:
Refresh content — Add new data, statistics, and examples from the
current year. Remove outdated references.
Expand coverage — Compare against the current top-3 ranking pages. Add
any sections or subtopics they cover that yours does not.
Improve formatting — Add table of contents, comparison tables, key
takeaway boxes, and better visual hierarchy.
Add schema markup — Implement Article structured data; FAQPage/HowTo where the content fits (AI-parsing aids — no Google rich results).
Optimize for AEO — Add question headings, direct answer leads, and
quotable statistics.
Update the published date — Signal freshness to search engines.
Promote as new — Share on social, include in newsletters, conduct
outreach for fresh links.
7.3 Relaunch Tracking
Track each relaunch with before/after metrics:
Organic traffic (30/60/90 days post-relaunch)
Keyword rankings for target terms
Featured snippet or AI answer appearances
Engagement metrics (time on page, bounce rate)
Phase 8: "Last Click" Content Philosophy
Every piece of content produced under this strategy must aim to be the
definitive resource on its topic. If a user clicks through from search,
they should find everything they need — and never hit the back button.
8.1 Last Click Checklist
Apply to every content brief and review:
More complete than any page currently ranking in the top 5
Original value — unique data, proprietary insights, or first-hand
experience not available elsewhere
Superior formatting — scannable, well-structured, with visual aids
(tables, diagrams, screenshots) where they add clarity
E-E-A-T compliant — author credentials visible, sources cited,
claims backed by evidence (see eeat-checklist.md)
AEO-ready — structured so AI systems can extract accurate, attributed
answers from the site's content
Actionable — reader can implement advice immediately, not just
understand theory
Current — all data, links, and references verified within the last
90 days
8.2 Quality Gate
Before publishing, every piece must pass the "Last Click" test:
"If I were searching for this topic and landed on this page, would I need
to check any other result?"
If the answer is yes, the content is not ready. Identify what is missing and
address it before publication.
Output Checklist
Before delivering the final strategy, confirm every deliverable is present:
Business profile and audience summary (Phase 1)
Topical authority map with hub-and-spoke clusters (Phase 2)
Content audit table with scores and recommendations (Phase 3)
Content gap analysis with prioritized opportunities (Phase 4)
Content briefs for all recommended new/updated content (Phase 5)
12-week content calendar with 70/20/10 mix (Phase 6)
Relaunch candidates and process (Phase 7)
Last Click quality checklist applied to all briefs (Phase 8)
