Local Content Strategy

Local Content Strategy Skill

Purpose

Transform a keyword list into a complete local content architecture — organized concept clusters, content vehicle assignments, production priority order, geogrid tracking keyword selection, GBP optimization confirmations, and internal linking structure. This skill turns research into a plan.

Position in the Workflow

local-keyword-research → [THIS SKILL] → local-content-briefs → local-landing-pages

Input: keyword list (from local-keyword-research or provided directly) Output: complete content strategy document ready to brief and execute

Core Principle: Keywords Are the Input, Concepts Are What You Build

A keyword list tells you what people are searching for. A content strategy tells you what to build, where to build it, how deeply to cover each topic, and in what order. The two most common mistakes practitioners make with a keyword list: (1) trying to target each keyword individually instead of grouping related terms into concept clusters, and (2) defaulting to "write a page for this" when many keywords are won through GBP signals and don't need a page at all.

This skill does the organizing work that usually happens in a spreadsheet over several hours — automatically, with reasoning attached to every decision.

Process

Step 1: Concept Clustering

Group the keyword list into concept clusters. A concept cluster is a set of keywords that share the same underlying topic and user intent — they would all be served by the same piece of content or the same GBP optimization.

Clustering rules:

• Geographic variants of the same term belong in the same cluster ("plumber Phoenix" + "plumber Scottsdale" + "plumber near me" are all the same concept at different geographic specificity levels)
• Service variants belong together ("drain cleaning" + "clogged drain" + "drain backup" = one cluster)
• A cluster should have one primary concept label — the plain-language name of the topic, not a keyword string
• Clusters should be mutually exclusive — if a keyword could belong to two clusters, assign it to the one where it represents the core intent

Output per cluster:

• Cluster name (plain language, not a keyword)
• Primary keyword (highest volume, most representative)
• Supporting keywords (variants, long-tail, geo-modified versions)
• Search volume range across the cluster
• User intent type (transactional, informational, navigational, near-me)
• Competitive level (high/medium/low based on available data)

Step 2: Content Vehicle Assignment

For each concept cluster, assign the right content vehicle. This is the most consequential decision in the strategy — the wrong vehicle means the content either doesn't rank or doesn't convert.

Content vehicle decision logic:

Location page — assign when:

• Cluster has clear transactional local intent
• Primary keyword includes a city, neighborhood, or service area modifier
• Search volume justifies a dedicated page (generally 50+ monthly searches)
• The concept is specific enough to write genuinely unique content for each location

GBP service entry — assign when:

• Cluster represents a specific service the business offers
• Keyword has local service intent but lower volume (under 50 MSV)
• The concept is a service variant rather than a primary service (e.g., "tankless water heater installation" vs. "water heater repair")
• A dedicated page would be thin — better as a GBP service that expands category coverage

GBP category — assign when:

• Cluster maps to a GBP secondary category the business should claim
• Claiming the category expands query eligibility for the entire cluster
• Note: this is a GBP action, not a content action

Blog post / FAQ content — assign when:

• Cluster has informational intent (how-to, what-is, comparison, cost questions)
• User is in the research phase before making a local service decision
• Content could be cited in AI Overviews or answer PAA questions
• No transactional local intent — this is awareness/consideration stage content

Near-me / GBP signal only — assign when:

• Cluster contains near-me variants that can't be targeted with page content
• These keywords are won through GBP prominence, proximity, and completeness
• No content action needed — the GBP optimization work covers this cluster
• Note this explicitly so clients understand why there's no page for these terms

Pillar page — assign when:

• Cluster represents a broad primary topic the business should own completely
• Volume and competition justify comprehensive long-form treatment
• Multiple supporting clusters exist that would link to this as a hub
• Typically the primary service category for the business

No action required — assign when:

• Volume is negligible (under 10 MSV) and competition is low for a reason
• Cluster represents a service the business doesn't offer
• Keyword is navigational for a competitor