Blog Calendar

Blog Calendar: Editorial Planning

Generates editorial calendars with topic clusters, publishing cadence, material-change reviews, content-decay investigation, template recommendations, distribution planning, and seasonal hooks. It does not treat publication or update frequency as a ranking or citation signal.

Cross-reference

This skill operates at the FLOW Find stage. Before selecting topics, run /blog flow find for keyword discovery, content prioritization, and audience avatar prompts that should inform cluster selection and topic sequencing.

Workflow

Step 1: Understand the Blog

Gather context:

1. Niche/industry: What is the blog about?
2. Existing content: Scan for existing blog posts (Glob for *.md, *.mdx, *.html)
3. Publishing cadence: How often can they publish? (default: 2x/week)
4. Timeframe: Monthly or quarterly calendar?
5. Business goals: What should the blog drive? (traffic, leads, authority)

Step 2: Topic Cluster Design

Design 3-5 topic clusters (pillar + supporting content):

Cluster: [Pillar Topic]
├── Pillar Page: [Comprehensive guide - 3,000+ words]
├── Supporting: [Subtopic 1 - 2,000 words]
├── Supporting: [Subtopic 2 - 2,000 words]
├── Supporting: [Subtopic 3 - 1,500 words]
├── Comparison: [X vs Y - 1,500 words]
└── FAQ: [Common questions - 1,500 words]

Each cluster should:

• Target a primary keyword theme
• Cover the topic comprehensively for topical authority
• Include varied content types (guides, comparisons, how-tos, listicles)
• Support internal linking between cluster pages

Step 2.5: Content Decay Detection

Scan existing posts for material change signals. Dates are inventory metadata, not proof that content is stale or fresh.

Do not prioritize an update solely because a frontmatter date is old or a vendor sample observed recently updated citations.

Output a decay report:

## Content Decay Report
| Post | Material Change Evidence | Performance Context | Priority | Action |
|------|--------------------------|---------------------|----------|--------|
| [slug] | [changed fact/source/intent] | [surface and comparison] | Critical | Correct material error |
| [slug] | [documented change] | [sustained trend] | High | Schedule substantive review |
| [slug] | [no confirmed change] | [stable/unclear] | Low | Monitor |

Priority levels:

• Critical: Materially wrong or harmful information needs correction
• High: Confirmed fact, source, product, or intent change affects usefulness
• Medium: Sustained performance change warrants investigation
• Low: No material change; monitor without editing the date

Step 3: Freshness Update Schedule

Plan review triggers around the topic:

• Fast-changing topics: Review when the governing facts or official sources change
• Seasonal topics: Review before the relevant season using current evidence
• Product or pricing content: Review after documented product changes
• Evergreen topics: Review when evidence, intent, or performance indicates a need

Change lastUpdated only after substantive content changes.

Step 4: Seasonal & Trending Hooks

Research seasonal opportunities:

1. Industry events: Conferences, product launches, algorithm updates
2. Seasonal trends: Use Google Trends UI, API, or exported data when available; if relying on WebSearch only, mark trend timing as unverified
3. Annual reports: When do major studies release new data?
4. Algorithm updates: Validate the current Google update timeline against the Google Search Status Dashboard before scheduling update content. Do not rely on a static list.

Seasonal Trends Integration

• Map seasonal peaks to content production schedule
• Plan content 4-6 weeks before seasonal peaks for indexing lead time
• Create "evergreen with seasonal hook" content (e.g., "X Guide [Year]" updated annually)
• Track industry report release cycles:
  • Ahrefs Annual State of SEO (typically Q1)
  • Google Year in Search (December)
  • HubSpot State of Marketing (Q1)
  • Gartner Hype Cycle (August)
  • Major conference dates in the niche
• Use WebSearch to validate timing of trends before scheduling

Step 5: Generate the Calendar

Content Mix Formula

Start from this planning heuristic, then adjust for decay risk, authority gaps, team capacity, and available source material: 60% new content / 30% freshness updates / 10% repurposed content

Within new posts, aim for content type diversity:

• Guides/How-tos: 30-40% of new content
• Comparisons/Alternatives: 15-20%
• Listicles/Roundups: 15-20%
• Case studies/Data research: 10-15%
• Thought leadership/News analysis: 10-15%