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)
- Open with the reader's problem, a useful finding, a concrete example, or an
  optional verified statistic when evidence makes that the strongest hook
- 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 concise bullets when a summary helps this content type)

## H2: [Intent-Matched Heading]
- Clear section point with verified support where needed
- Supporting evidence
- [Image placement]
- Practical advice
- [EVIDENCE-BACKED EXPLANATION placeholder]
- [INTERNAL-LINK: anchor text → target description]

## H2: [Intent-Matched Heading]
- Answer-first paragraph
- [Chart: type + data description]
- Analysis and implications
- [EVIDENCE-BACKED EXPLANATION placeholder]
- [INTERNAL-LINK: anchor text → target description]

## H2: [Intent-Matched Heading]
- Answer-first paragraph
- Real-world example or case study
- [Image placement]
- [EVIDENCE-BACKED EXPLANATION placeholder]

## H2: [Intent-Matched Heading]
- Answer-first paragraph
- [Chart: type + data description]
- Step-by-step guidance
- [EVIDENCE-BACKED EXPLANATION placeholder]
- [INTERNAL-LINK: anchor text → target description]

## H2: [Intent-Matched Heading]
- 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]

## Optional FAQ Section (only when real reader questions warrant it)
- [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: "[Clear title that identifies the page and matches search intent]"
description: "[Accurate, page-specific summary of the visible content]"
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 verified support when needed]
> - [Second key insight or recommendation]
> - [Third actionable takeaway]

Requirements:

• 3-5 concise bullet points sized to the material
• Must be self-contained - understandable without reading the article
• Use statistics only when material to the summary and verified
• 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. Purpose-First Formatting (Critical)

State the point of important sections early, then supply the context and verified evidence the claim needs. Do not force statistics or fixed lengths.

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.]

Source record for material public statistics:

Record enough provenance for a reader or editor to verify the claim. Use the publication's citation style rather than forcing one sentence pattern.

1. Relevant date or study period. Include it where recency or the measured period changes the claim's meaning.

2. Identifiable source. Name the publisher and document title when needed to distinguish the source and place the citation close to the claim.

3. Retrievable support. Keep a stable URL. Add a retrieval date for changeable or undated sources, and record methodology or limitations when they affect interpretation.

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, quality follow-up, schema, PAA rewording, ChatGPT visibility), see /blog flow optimize.

5d. Information Gain Markers

Use information-gain markers as optional drafting annotations when the article contains genuinely original data, transparent first-hand evidence, or distinctive sourced synthesis. The evidence itself helps readers; the marker is not a search-engine signal and earns no points by its presence.

Tag each with a comment or visible marker:

• [ORIGINAL DATA] - Proprietary surveys, experiments, A/B test results, case study metrics the author collected first-hand
• [PERSONAL EXPERIENCE] - First-hand observations, lessons learned from direct involvement, "when we tried X, Y happened" narratives
• [UNIQUE INSIGHT] - Analysis others haven't made, contrarian perspectives backed by data, novel connections between existing research

Placement:

• Weave into the body text naturally
• Use as inline comments: <!-- [ORIGINAL DATA] --> before the relevant paragraph
• Or as visible callouts if the format supports it:

  > **Our finding:** [original observation backed by specific data]

• Use only as many as the supported original material warrants.