Blog Write

Blog Writer: New Article Generation

Writes complete blog articles from a topic, brief, or outline. Every article follows the 6 pillars of dual optimization (Google rankings + AI citations).

Key references (paths relative to repo root; references live in the main blog skill's references directory, not in blog-write/):

• skills/blog/references/synthesis-contract.md: 6 LAWs for synthesis output (v1.8.0; applies whenever the article embeds research-synthesis prose)
• skills/blog/references/content-templates.md: Template selection guide and usage
• skills/blog/references/quality-scoring.md: 5-category scoring (Content 30, SEO 25, E-E-A-T 15, Technical 15, AI Citation 15)
• skills/blog/references/eeat-signals.md: Experience, expertise, authority, trust markers
• skills/blog/references/internal-linking.md: Linking strategy and anchor text rules
• skills/blog/references/visual-media.md: Image sourcing and chart styling
• skills/blog-write/references/delivery.md: delivery contract steps and summary template for this sub-skill

Workflow

Phase 0: Surface Targeting (do this BEFORE research)

Decide which of the FLOW 5 surfaces this post is meant to win. The choice shapes structure, length, citation density, and call-to-action. The 5 surfaces in 2026:

1. Owned site (organic Google ranking)
2. SERP including AI Overviews
3. AI assistant citations (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, You.com)
4. Local pack (out of scope for blog content; use claude-seo for local)
5. Communities and video (Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn, Quora, niche forums)

Most posts target surfaces 1, 2, and 3 by default. If the same query also surfaces in a community (Reddit thread, YouTube comment), apply dual-surface thinking: optimize the post for extraction AND plan a community echo (covered in /blog repurpose).

For a deeper surface-by-surface workflow, see skills/blog/references/flow-alignment.md and /blog flow find.

Phase 1: Topic Understanding

1. Clarify the topic - If the user provides just a topic, ask:
   • Target audience (who is this for?)
   • Primary keyword / search intent
   • Desired word count (default: 2,000-2,500 words)
   • Platform/format (MDX, markdown, HTML - auto-detect if in a project)
2. If a brief exists - Load it and skip to Phase 1.5

Phase 1.5: Template Selection

Select the appropriate content template from the 12 templates in skills/blog/templates/ (the main blog skill owns the templates directory).

1. Auto-detect content type from the topic and search intent:

   Signal	Template
   "How to...", process, steps	how-to-guide
   "Best X", "Top N", list format	listicle
   Client result, before/after, metrics	case-study
   "X vs Y", comparison, alternatives	comparison
   Broad topic, comprehensive guide	pillar-page
   "Is X worth it", product evaluation	product-review
   Opinion, prediction, industry take	thought-leadership
   Expert quotes, multi-source collection	roundup
   Code walkthrough, tool demo, technical	tutorial
   Breaking news, algorithm update, event	news-analysis
   Survey results, experiment, original data	data-research
   Q&A, knowledge base, "What is X"	faq-knowledge

2. Load the matching template: Read from skills/blog/templates/<type>.md

3. Adapt the outline - Use the template's section structure, heading patterns, and word count guidance to shape Phase 3's outline

4. Fallback - If no template clearly fits, use the generic outline structure in Phase 3 below. Inform the user which template was selected (or that none matched).

See skills/blog/references/content-templates.md for detailed selection criteria and intent mapping.

Phase 2: Research

Spawn a blog-researcher agent (or do inline research with WebSearch):

1. Find 8-12 current statistics (2025-2026 data preferred)
   • Search: [topic] study 2025 2026 data statistics
   • Prioritize tier 1-3 sources (see skills/blog/references/quality-scoring.md)
   • Record: statistic, source name, URL, date, methodology
2. Find a cover image (wide, high-quality, topic-relevant):
   • Prefer original screenshots, product visuals, diagrams, or data graphics when available
   • For stock, use official APIs such as Openverse, Unsplash, Pexels, or Pixabay so license, creator, source URL, and download URL are captured
   • Download approved assets into the draft folder, store attribution, and never hotlink arbitrary CDN URLs
   • Reject javascript:, data:, and file: image URLs
   • Target dimensions: 1200x630 (OG-compatible) or 1920x1080
   • Or generate a custom SVG cover via blog-chart (text-on-gradient with key stat)
   • Or generate a custom AI image via blog-image; prefer gemini-3.1-flash-image, then gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image or gemini-3-pro-image when available, and record the model ID
   • See skills/blog/references/visual-media.md for cover image sizing details
3. Find 3-5 inline images from open-source platforms:
   • Use official APIs or Openverse search; keep license, creator, source URL, and retrieval date with each asset
   • Download images locally and reference local paths in the draft
   • Validate final URLs with the delivery contract SSRF rules before download
4. Plan 2-4 data visualizations from researched statistics
   • Select diverse chart types (see skills/blog/references/visual-media.md)
   • Map data points to chart formats
5. AI image generation (optional, if blog-image is available):
   • If stock photo results are insufficient (< 3 good matches) or topic is too niche
   • Generate custom hero image and/or inline illustrations via blog-image sub-skill
   • Record prompt, provider, and model ID; stock photos remain available, but original and data visuals are preferred when they better serve the topic
6. NotebookLM research (optional, if user has relevant notebooks):
   • If the user mentions a NotebookLM notebook or the topic aligns with a configured notebook
   • Query via blog-notebooklm for source-grounded data from user-uploaded documents
   • Inherit the source tier from the underlying document provenance; user's own primary documents can be Tier 1, while copied secondary sources keep their original tier
   • Falls back silently if not configured or not authenticated
7. Find relevant YouTube videos (2-3 per post):
   • Use blog-google youtube command or WebSearch site:youtube.com [topic] [year]
   • Apply quality criteria from skills/blog/references/video-embeds.md (min score 50/100)
   • Select 2-3 best videos. Falls back silently if none found.

Phase 3: Outline Generation

Create a structured outline before writing. If a template was loaded in Phase 1.5, adapt this skeleton to match the template's section structure:

# [Title as Question - Include Primary Keyword]

## Introduction (100-150 words)
- Hook with surprising statistic
- Problem/opportunity statement
- What the reader will learn

> **Key Takeaways**
> - [Core finding with statistic and source]
> - [Second key insight or recommendation]
> - [Third actionable takeaway]
> (3-5 bullets, 40-60 words combined)

## H2: [Question Format] (300-400 words)
- Answer-first paragraph (40-60 words with stat + source)
- Supporting evidence
- [Image placement]
- Practical advice
- [CITATION CAPSULE placeholder]
- [INTERNAL-LINK: anchor text → target description]

## H2: [Question Format] (300-400 words)
- Answer-first paragraph
- [Chart: type + data description]
- Analysis and implications
- [CITATION CAPSULE placeholder]
- [INTERNAL-LINK: anchor text → target description]

## H2: [Statement for Variety] (300-400 words)
- Answer-first paragraph
- Real-world example or case study
- [Image placement]
- [CITATION CAPSULE placeholder]

## H2: [Question Format] (300-400 words)
- Answer-first paragraph
- [Chart: type + data description]
- Step-by-step guidance
- [CITATION CAPSULE placeholder]
- [INTERNAL-LINK: anchor text → target description]

## H2: [Question Format] (200-300 words)
- Answer-first paragraph
- Forward-looking analysis

## [CTA Section or Inline Placement]
- See `skills/blog/references/cta-placement.md` for placement rules by content type
- Place CTA after value delivery, not at arbitrary positions
- Single focused CTA per post (266% more conversions)
- [CTA: contextual call-to-action matching article topic]

## FAQ Section (3-5 questions, 40-60 words each answer)
- [INTERNAL-LINK: anchor text → detailed content]

## Conclusion (100-150 words)
- Key takeaways (bulleted)
- Call to action
- [INTERNAL-LINK: anchor text → next logical content]

Present the outline to the user for approval before writing.

Visual element pacing: Insert [IMAGE], [CHART], [VIDEO], or [CALLOUT] markers every 300-500 words. Alternate types (no consecutive same-type). See skills/blog/references/content-rules.md Visual Rhythm section and skills/blog/references/cta-placement.md for CTA positioning.

Phase 4: Chart Generation (Built-In)

When the researcher identifies chart-worthy data (3+ comparable metrics, trend data, before/after comparisons):

1. Select chart type using the diversity rule (no repeated types per post)
2. Invoke blog-chart sub-skill with: chart type, title, data values, source, platform format
3. Embed the returned SVG directly in the post within a <figure> wrapper
4. Target 2-4 charts per 2,000-word post
5. Distribute charts evenly - never cluster them

See skills/blog/references/visual-media.md for chart type selection and styling rules.

Phase 5: Content Writing

Write the full article following these rules:

5a. Frontmatter

---
title: "[Question-format title with primary keyword]"
description: "[Fact-dense, 150-160 chars, includes 1 statistic]"
coverImage: "[URL from Pixabay/Unsplash/Pexels or generated SVG path]"
coverImageAlt: "[Descriptive sentence about the cover image]"
ogImage: "[Same as coverImage, or custom OG image URL]"
date: "YYYY-MM-DD"
lastUpdated: "YYYY-MM-DD"
author: "[Author name]"
tags: ["keyword1", "keyword2", "keyword3"]
---

If the platform uses a different field name (e.g., image, hero, thumbnail), adapt to match the project's existing frontmatter convention.

5b. Summary Box (Key Takeaways)

Immediately after the introduction (before the first H2 body section), add a summary box:

> **Key Takeaways**
> - [Core finding with statistic] ([Source], year)
> - [Second key insight or recommendation]
> - [Third actionable takeaway]

Requirements:

• 3-5 bullet points, 40-60 words combined
• Must be self-contained - understandable without reading the article
• Include 1 specific statistic with source name
• State the key finding, recommendation, or answer
• Default label: "Key Takeaways". If a persona is active, use the persona's summary_label
• Backward compatible: accept existing TL;DR boxes during rewrites

5c. Answer-First Formatting (Critical)

Every H2 section MUST open with a 40-60 word paragraph containing:

• At least one specific statistic with source attribution
• A direct answer to the heading's implicit question

Pattern:

## How Does X Impact Y in 2026?

[Stat from source] ([Source Name](url), year). [Direct answer to the heading
question in 1-2 more sentences, explaining the implication and what this means
for the reader.]

FLOW evidence triple (drafting requirement, not just audit):

Every public statistic must carry three components AT DRAFTING TIME:

1. Year anchor in prose. Write "In 2026," or "As of Q1 2026," BEFORE the statistic, in the sentence body. Year buried inside parentheses does not count. Example:

   • GOOD: "In 2026, Ahrefs found a 58% lower CTR for position one when an AI Overview was present."
   • WEAK: "Position-one CTR dropped 58% (Ahrefs, 2026)."

2. Inline citation with publisher and title. Name both the publisher and the document title (or report name), not just a brand. Example:

   • GOOD: "Ahrefs, [document or report title], 2026"
   • WEAK: "Ahrefs reported..."

3. URL plus retrieval date in the source block at the bottom of the post. Provenance discipline lets future readers and AI crawlers verify the source still says what was claimed. Format:

   • "[Publisher], [Title], retrieved YYYY-MM-DD, [full URL]"

FLOW quality bar (drop or replace): Public claims must use verified sources OR stay qualitative. If a statistic cannot be verified, drop it. If it is contradicted by a more recent source, replace it with the verified alternative. Do not soften vague language to keep an unsourceable number.

For evidence-led optimization prompts (CTR audit, AI detector test, schema, PAA rewording, ChatGPT visibility), see /blog flow optimize.