Pages: Article (Single Post)
Guides structure, SEO, and UX for individual article pages — layout, metadata, schema, technical. For article body content (intro, body, conclusion, writing), see article-content. Distinct from blog-page-generator, which covers the blog index/listing page.
When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.
Output workflow: Always output in order: 0. Research Phase (keywords, search intent, competitors) → 1. Intent Analysis → 2. Content Analysis → 3. Recommendations. Do not skip steps. When Research Phase was performed via web search, show the search results and findings.
Optimization Foundation: Four Inputs
Article analysis and creation rest on four inputs. Gather or infer them before outputting recommendations:
| Input | Purpose | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Product connection, features, use cases, CTA placement | project-context (Sections 1–4, 9–11); article content; web search |
| Keywords | Target keyword, primary/secondary placement | project-context Section 6; keyword-research; article |
| Article intent | Informational, commercial, transactional, navigational; drives structure, CTA, SEO depth | project-context Section 6 (target intent); article orientation; content type |
| Competitor articles | Structure to adopt, content gaps, length target, keyword opportunities | User-provided URLs; project-context Section 11; web search |
When any input is missing: Proactively ask or search. For article analysis: perform Research Phase (keyword search, search intent, competitor articles) by default — see Research Phase section. For product/keywords/intent, infer from article or prompt user to add project-context.
Before Analysis: Gather Context
1. Product / company context
Use available context to give tailored analysis:
| Source | Use for |
|---|---|
| project-context.md | Keywords (Section 6), competitors (Section 7), content strategy (Section 11), product connection |
| Article content | Extract product name, features, URLs; infer target keyword and audience |
| Web search | When analyzing a known brand: search for "[product] features", "[product] vs competitors", company positioning — use to validate product connection, suggest missing features/use cases, and improve competitor gap analysis |
If no project-context exists, infer from the article and optionally search for company/product info to enrich recommendations.
Research Phase: Keyword, Search Intent, Competitor (Required for Article Analysis)
Lightweight research for article analysis. When analyzing or auditing an article, perform searches and output the results in Section 0. Skip only if user explicitly asks to skip (e.g. "skip search").
- Keyword: Extract from article (title, H1, H2s, first 100 words); search for opportunities — see keyword-research (extract from article method)
- Search intent: Informational / Commercial / Transactional / Navigational — see keyword-research Search Intent
- Competitor articles: Fetch 2–3 top-ranking pages; analyze structure, gaps, length target — see competitor-research (Competitor Article Fetch Workflow)
Output format: See Output Format Section 0 below.
Scope
- Single article page: One post, one URL (e.g.
/blog/how-to-optimize-seo) - Not the blog index, category pages, or archive pages — see blog-page-generator for those
Initial Assessment
Check for project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-context.md exists, read it for topics, audience, keywords, and Section 11 (Content/Blog/Article Strategy).
Identify:
- Product connection: How does this article support the product? (educate on problem, introduce features, nurture leads)
- Keyword basis: Target keyword from product context or keyword research — see keyword-research
- Content type: Blog post, guide, tutorial, news, evergreen
- Length: Short (<1,000 words), medium (1,000–2,500), long (2,500+)
- Intent: Informational, commercial, problem-aware
Product-linked content: Articles should tie to the product (problem it solves, features, use cases). Avoid purely generic content with no product relevance. Link to product/feature pages naturally in conclusion or when context fits.
Article Orientations
Choose structure, SEO depth, and schema based on orientation. See content-marketing for full Article Orientations (Funding/PR, Product update, Guide, News, Evergreen), SEO-driven vs non-SEO-driven, Evergreen vs Timely.
Intent Analysis output: Orientation, primary goal, SEO vs non-SEO, Evergreen vs timely — see Output Format Section 1.
Article Page Structure
| Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Hero/Header | Title (H1), author, single date (see schema-markup Date display for CTR), reading time (word count ÷ 200; round up), featured image, share buttons |
| TL;DR or Key Takeaways | See article-content for content; placed after intro; supports GEO/AI citation |
| Introduction | See article-content for hook, length, keyword placement |
| Body | See article-content for QAE, paragraph length, scannability |
| Conclusion | See article-content for summary, CTA, product connection |
| Related posts | 3–6 contextual links; end-of-article recommendations |
| Author bio | E-E-A-T; credentials, photo, link to author page — see eeat-signals |
Featured Image
See image-optimization (Article / Blog hero). Same image for Schema, Open Graph, Twitter Cards; min 1200px wide, absolute URL. See open-graph, twitter-cards.
Social Sharing
- Add share buttons (X, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.) — see social-share-generator
- Place after intro and/or end of article; sticky sidebar for long-form
- Requires Open Graph and Twitter Cards for rich previews when shared
GEO / AI Optimization
See article-content for TL;DR, Key Takeaways, QAE pattern, answer-first; generative-engine-optimization for full GEO strategy.
Long-Form (1,000+ words)
- Add table of contents (TOC) after intro — see toc-generator
- Use jump links for major sections
- Break text with images, lists, definition boxes, mini-FAQs
SEO Best Practices
Title & Meta
| Element | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Title | 55 chars; primary keyword near start; power words |
| Meta description | 150–160 chars; CTA; primary keyword |
| H1 | One per page; matches title; primary keyword naturally |
Keyword Placement
- Title: 1× primary keyword
- First 100 words: 1× primary keyword
- Body: 2–3× naturally; avoid stuffing
- At least one H2: Include primary or related keyword
Content Quality
See article-content for readability, depth, originality, word count by type. E-E-A-T: Author bio, citations, changelog, expert quotes — see eeat-signals.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Multiple H1s; skipping heading levels (H2→H4); keyword stuffing in headings
- Neglecting conclusion or CTA; no internal links to related content
- Walls of text; generic "click here" anchors
URL
Use url-slug-generator for slug creation. Key rules:
- Slug: 3–5 words; under 60 chars; primary keyword; lowercase, hyphens
- Example:
/blog/ai-people-searchnot/blog/ai-search-engine-finding-people-speed-discovery-outreach - Avoid: Date in path (
/blog/2025/01/15/article-title); copy-pasting full title
Date Display
See schema-markup (Date display for CTR): show only one visible date; prefer dateModified.
Schema & Open Graph
See schema-markup for Article/BlogPosting/NewsArticle type selection, required properties, JSON-LD example, and date display. Validate with Rich Results Test.
Open Graph for Articles
Use og:type: article for article pages (not website):
html<meta property="og:type" content="article"> <meta property="og:article:published_time" content="2025-01-15T09:00:00Z"> <meta property="og:article:modified_time" content="2025-02-01T14:30:00Z"> <meta property="og:article:author" content="https://example.com/author/jane">
Internal Linking
| Element | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Volume | 3–5 contextual links in body + 3–6 in Related posts = 6–11 total per article |
| First paragraph | 1 link to pillar or key related content |
| Body | 2–4 contextual links; one per major section when relevant |
| Related posts | 3–6 end-of-article links; same topic cluster |
| Anchor text | Descriptive (e.g. "SEO checklist for 2025", "how to optimize meta tags"); avoid "click here", "learn more", "read more" |
| Variation | Mix exact-match, partial-match, branded anchors; avoid over-optimization |
| Orphan prevention | Every article has ≥1 internal link from hub/pillar or nav |
Outbound Links (External)
| Element | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Volume | 2–5 external links per article; cite authoritative sources |
| When to use | Statistics, research, definitions, tool comparisons, expert quotes |
| Anchor text | Descriptive (e.g. "Google's Search Quality Guidelines", "SEO study"); link to source |
| Same URL | Counts once per page for link equity; no need to repeat |
| E-E-A-T | External links to reputable sources signal trust — see eeat-signals |
References / Citations
See article-content for citation format; eeat-signals for E-E-A-T and when to include.
AI-Assisted Content
See article-content for AI-assisted content guidance; eeat-signals for E-E-A-T.
Technical
- Core Web Vitals: LCP < 1.0s on mobile
- Images: WebP, compressed; descriptive alt text; keyword in filename when natural
- IndexNow: For fast indexing of new posts
- Canonical: Self-referencing canonical on article page
Post-Publication
- Refresh: Update every 6–12 months; refresh stats, add insights
- Internal links: Add links from older posts to new articles
- Monitor: GSC indexing, rankings, Core Web Vitals
Content Analysis
When auditing or optimizing an article, apply the Content Audit Checklist. See article-content for full dimensions.
Output Format
0. Research Phase (output first, when analysis/audit is performed)
When analyzing or auditing an article, output this section before Intent Analysis. Include search sources and findings. If user asked to skip search, note that and infer from article only.
| Section | Output |
|---|---|
| Keyword Search | Primary keyword (from article or search), secondary keywords, keyword opportunities (from SERP/competitor analysis). If search was performed: query used, top results observed. |
| Search Intent | Intent for primary keyword (Informational/Commercial/Transactional/Navigational), intent for 2–3 secondary keywords, whether article content matches intent. If search was performed: SERP snippet types observed. |
| Competitor Articles | If searched: 2–3 URLs, brief structure (word count, H2s), content gaps, length target. If user provided URLs: same. See competitor-research for full methodology. If skipped: "Competitor analysis skipped." |
1. Intent Analysis (output second)
Before any recommendations, output a brief analysis:
| Dimension | Output |
|---|---|
| Orientation | Funding/PR, Product update, Guide, News, Evergreen |
| Primary goal | Brand, PR, education, product adoption, organic traffic, … |
| SEO vs non-SEO | SEO-driven / Non-SEO-driven / Hybrid |
| Evergreen vs timely | Evergreen / Timely |
| Implications | 1–2 sentences: e.g. "Low SEO priority → focus on clarity, shareability" or "SEO-driven → full keyword + GEO optimization" |
2. Content Analysis (output third)
Apply the Content Analysis table above. Output a brief assessment per dimension (✅ / ⚠️ / ❌ + one-line note).
3. Recommendations (output fourth, tailored to intent)
Assign priority to each item: P0 (critical), P1 (high), P2 (medium), P3 (nice-to-have). Output as table or list with priority prefix.
| Priority | Use when |
|---|---|
| P0 | Blocks GEO/SEO; missing core element (TL;DR or Key Takeaways, keyword in first 100 words, schema) |
| P1 | Significant impact on traffic, CTR, or conversion (title length, share buttons, CTA) |
| P2 | Improves UX or authority (related posts, author bio, internal links) |
| P3 | Polish (image optimization, readability tweaks) |
Example: [P0] Add TL;DR or Key Takeaways — GEO, AI citation
- Product connection (how article supports product; where to link) — see article-content
- Keyword (target from product context or keyword research)
- Structure for article template (hero, TL;DR or Key Takeaways, intro, body, conclusion, related, author) — content creation: article-content
- Featured image (dimensions, alt, file size, og:image alignment)
- GEO elements (TL;DR or Key Takeaways, QAE pattern) — skip or minimal for non-SEO-driven
- SEO checklist (title, meta, H1, keyword placement) — skip or minimal for non-SEO-driven
- Schema type and JSON-LD
- Internal links (3–5 in body + 3–6 Related; anchor text suggestions; avoid "click here")
- Outbound links (2–5 external; cite stats, research; anchor text for each)
- References (inline citations vs Reference section; when to add for E-E-A-T)
- Competitor analysis (when URLs provided or searched): content gaps vs top rankers, structure to adopt, length target, keyword opportunities — see competitor-research for methodology; Before Analysis to prompt user or search
Related Skills
- article-content: Article body creation; intro, body, conclusion; writing frameworks; Content Audit Checklist
- eeat-signals: E-E-A-T; author bio, citations, YMYL
- competitor-research: Content gaps, structure, length target
- blog-page-generator: Blog index/listing; article pages live within blog
- keyword-research: Keyword basis for articles
- schema-markup: Article/BlogPosting/NewsArticle schema
- howto-section-generator: HowTo step sections; HowTo schema alongside Article
- heading-structure: H1–H6 structure for article body
- content-optimization: H2 keywords, tables, lists, multimedia; word count for articles → article-content
- image-optimization: Article hero/featured image specs
- internal-links: Related posts, contextual links
- open-graph, twitter-cards: Social previews for articles
- generative-engine-optimization: GEO strategy; AI citation optimization
