Seo outline article

Article Outline Planner

Invocation

/seo-outline-article <keyword>

Optional flags:

• --type <type> : standard or pillar (default: standard)
• --template <template> : how-to, listicle, guide, comparison, case-study, explainer (default: auto-detect from SERP)
• --cluster <name> : load cluster plan for internal link suggestions

Prerequisites

1. WebSearch access: required for SERP analysis and competitor research
2. Cluster context (optional): pass --cluster to integrate with an existing topic cluster

Workflow

Step 1: Keyword Research

Use WebSearch to collect:

• Top 10 Google SERP results for the target keyword
• People Also Ask (PAA) questions (5-8 questions)
• Related searches and long-tail keyword variations
• Featured snippet format currently ranking (paragraph, list, table)
• Search intent classification (informational, commercial, transactional, navigational)

Step 2: Analyze Competitor Outlines

For each top 5 ranking page:

• Extract heading structure (H1, H2, H3)
• Estimate word count per section
• Note content formats used (lists, tables, images, videos)
• Identify unique angles or data points
• Record external sources cited

Build a competitor heading matrix:

| Heading Topic        | Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 |
|----------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| Definition/What Is   |   Y    |   Y    |   Y    |   Y    |   Y    |
| How It Works         |   Y    |   Y    |   N    |   Y    |   N    |
| Benefits             |   Y    |   N    |   Y    |   Y    |   Y    |
| [Topic-specific]     |   N    |   Y    |   N    |   N    |   N    |

Step 3: Identify Content Gaps

From the competitor analysis, find:

• Topics all competitors cover (must include - table stakes)
• Topics most competitors miss (opportunity for differentiation)
• Questions from PAA not answered by top results
• Depth gaps: sections competitors cover superficially
• Format gaps: content types competitors don't use (tables, comparisons, calculators)
• Freshness gaps: outdated data or stats in competitor articles

Step 4: Generate the Outline

Produce a detailed outline with:

H1 - Main Title (3 variants) Provide 3 title options incorporating the primary keyword:

1. Direct/clear variant
2. Benefit-driven variant
3. Curiosity/number-driven variant

H2 Sections

• Standard article: 5-8 H2 sections
• Pillar article: 8-12 H2 sections

For each H2:

• Heading text (with keyword integration where natural)
• Word count target (150-400 words per section)
• Key points to cover (3-5 bullet points)
• Sources to reference (URLs from research)
• Whether this section gets a GEO citability block

H3 Subsections

• Add H3s where a section needs structured depth
• Each H3: heading text + 2-3 key points + word count target

GEO Citability Block Placement Mark 2-3 sections where a citability block (134-167 words) should be written:

• Typically the definition/overview section
• A key process or methodology section
• A summary or comparison section

Internal Link Suggestions From cluster context or site knowledge:

• Which existing articles to link to
• Suggested anchor text for each link
• Where in the outline each link fits naturally

Step 5: Competitor Comparison Table

Generate a summary table showing your planned outline vs competitors:

| Section               | Competitors | Your Outline | Your Advantage        |
|-----------------------|-------------|--------------|----------------------|
| Definition            | 5/5 cover   | Included     | + GEO citability block|
| Step-by-step process  | 3/5 cover   | Included     | + Screenshots/examples|
| Common mistakes       | 1/5 cover   | Included     | Content gap win       |
| Tool comparison       | 0/5 cover   | Included     | Unique angle          |
| FAQ                   | 2/5 cover   | Included     | + PAA questions       |

Output Format

The outline is delivered as a Markdown file:

---
keyword: "target keyword"
search_intent: "informational"
template: "how-to"
type: "standard"
target_word_count: 2000
estimated_sections: 7
geo_citability_blocks: 3
date_planned: "YYYY-MM-DD"
---

# Article Outline: [Keyword]

## Title Options
1. [Direct title variant]
2. [Benefit-driven title variant]
3. [Curiosity/number-driven title variant]

## Search Intent & SERP Analysis
- **Intent**: Informational
- **Featured snippet**: List format
- **PAA questions**: [list]
- **Top competitor word counts**: [range]

## Outline

### H2: [Section Title] (~250 words)
**Key points:**
- Point 1
- Point 2
- Point 3

**Sources:** [URL1], [URL2]
**Internal link:** [anchor text] -> [target article]
**GEO block:** Yes - definition pattern

### H2: [Section Title] (~300 words)
...

## Content Gap Opportunities
- [Gap 1]: [Why it matters]
- [Gap 2]: [Why it matters]

## Competitor Comparison
| Section | Coverage | Your Edge |
|---------|----------|-----------|
| ...     | ...      | ...       |

## Internal Linking Plan
- Link 1: [anchor] -> [URL] (in Section X)
- Link 2: [anchor] -> [URL] (in Section Y)
- Link 3: [anchor] -> [URL] (in Section Z)

Outline Quality Checks

Check	Standard	Pillar
H2 sections	5-8	8-12
H3 subsections	2+	5+
Title variants	3	3
PAA questions addressed	3+	5+
Content gaps identified	2+	4+
Internal links planned	3+	6+
GEO blocks planned	2	3
Word count target	1,500-2,500	3,000-5,000
Sources per section	1+	2+

Cross-Skill Integration

After generating the outline:

• Run /seo-write-article <keyword> to write the full article from this outline
• Run /seo-cluster if the keyword should be part of a topic cluster
• Run /seo-geo to check GEO readiness of planned citability blocks