git:20260517.c8d92c7 to git:20260706.f31393d

---

name: blog-strategy

description: >

Blog strategy development including topic cluster architecture with

hub-and-spoke design, audience mapping, competitive landscape analysis,

AI citation surface strategy across ChatGPT/Perplexity/AI Overviews,

content scoring targets, measurement framework, and content differentiation

through original research and first-hand experience.

Use when user says "blog strategy", "content strategy", "blog positioning",

"what should I blog about", "blog topics", "content pillars", "blog ideation".

user-invokable: true

argument-hint: "<niche>"

license: MIT

---

# Blog Strategy: Positioning & Content Architecture

Develops comprehensive blog strategies that build topical authority for

Google rankings while establishing brand presence for AI citation platforms.

Includes topic cluster architecture, AI citation surface strategy, content

**Research discipline references (v1.8.0)**:

- `skills/blog/references/research-quality.md` - 5-dim rubric, pre-flight trap classes, cross-source clustering, freshness floors

- `skills/blog/references/synthesis-contract.md` - 6 LAWs for synthesis output

**Auto-loaded inputs (v1.8.0)**: when `DISCOURSE.md` exists at the project root (from `/blog discourse`), load it for cross-platform discourse signal alongside this skill's authority-source planning.

## Cross-reference

Strategy planning should consider the FLOW 5-surface model (owned site, SERP plus AI Overviews, AI assistant citations, local pack, communities and video). Local-pack work is delegated to `claude-seo`; everything else lives inside claude-blog. Full mapping in `skills/blog/references/flow-alignment.md`.

For evidence-led audience-avatar, keyword-research, and content-prioritization prompts that feed strategic planning, see `/blog flow find`.

## Workflow

### Step 1: Discovery

Gather context through questions or project analysis:

1. **Business**: What do you sell/do? Who are your customers?

2. **Blog goals**: Traffic? Leads? Authority? AI citations?

3. **Current state**: Existing blog content? (scan if project available)

4. **Competitors**: Who are your 3-5 main competitors?

5. **Differentiator**: What unique expertise or data do you have?

6. **Resources**: Writing capacity (posts/week), budget for visuals?

### Step 2: Competitive Landscape

Research competitors' blogs:

1. WebSearch for competitor blog URLs

2. For each competitor, assess:

- Publishing frequency

- Content types (guides, case studies, comparisons, news)

- Visual quality (images, charts, videos)

- Schema usage

- Social distribution (YouTube, Reddit, LinkedIn)

- AI citation presence (search ChatGPT/Perplexity for industry terms)

3. Identify gaps no competitor covers well

#### Competitive AI Citation Analysis

Map competitor visibility across AI platforms. Use WebSearch to find how

competitors appear in AI-generated responses for target keywords.

```

## Competitive AI Citation Map

| Query | ChatGPT Cites | Perplexity Cites | AI Overview Cites | Gap? |

|-------|--------------|-----------------|-------------------|------|

| [keyword] | [competitor/none] | [competitor/none] | [competitor/none] | [Yes/No] |

| [keyword] | [competitor/none] | [competitor/none] | [competitor/none] | [Yes/No] |

| [keyword] | [competitor/none] | [competitor/none] | [competitor/none] | [Yes/No] |

```

Score each competitor's AI visibility:

- **High**: Cited in 3/3 platforms for multiple queries

- **Medium**: Cited in 1-2 platforms or for limited queries

- **Low**: Rarely cited, only in niche queries

- **None**: No AI citation presence detected

Identify AI citation gaps: queries where no competitor is cited. These

represent the highest-opportunity targets for new content.

Note: only 12% overlap between platforms. A competitor strong on ChatGPT

may be absent from Perplexity. Analyze each platform independently.

### Step 3: Audience Mapping

Define 2-3 audience segments:

```

### Audience Segment: [Name]

- **Role**: [Job title / description]

- **Pain points**: [What problems do they have?]

- **Search behavior**: [What do they Google?]

- **AI behavior**: [What do they ask ChatGPT/Perplexity?]

- **Content preferences**: [Long guides? Quick answers? Video?]

- **Buying stage**: [Awareness / Consideration / Decision]

```

### Step 4: Content Pillar Design with Topic Cluster Architecture

Design 3-5 content pillars based on audience needs and competitive gaps.

For each pillar, build the full hub-and-spoke cluster model.

```

### Pillar: [Topic Area]

- **Purpose**: Build authority in [topic]

- **Primary keywords**: [3-5 keywords]

- **Content types**: Pillar guide, supporting posts, comparisons, FAQ

- **Unique angle**: [What first-hand experience/data can you provide?]

- **Estimated posts**: [N] to achieve topic coverage

- **AI citation potential**: [High/Medium/Low] - [why]

```

#### Cluster Architecture Design

For each pillar, design the complete hub-and-spoke structure:

```

### Cluster Architecture: [Pillar Topic]

┌──────────────────┐

│ Pillar Page │

│ 3,000-4,000w │

└────────┬─────────┘

│

┌─────────────────┼──────────────────┐

│ │ │

┌──────▼──────┐ ┌─────▼──────┐ ┌───────▼──────┐

│ Spoke #1 │ │ Spoke #2 │ │ Spoke #3 │

│ 1,500-2,500│ │ 1,500-2,500│ │ 1,500-2,500 │

└──────┬──────┘ └─────┬──────┘ └───────┬──────┘

│ │ │

└────────────────┼───────────────────┘

(cross-links between spokes)

```

For each cluster, specify:

- **8-12 spoke topics** per pillar, each targeting a specific long-tail keyword

- **Internal linking plan** between all cluster pages (every spoke links to pillar, pillar links to all spokes, spokes cross-link to related spokes)

- **Content template assignment** for each piece from the 12 available templates:

`how-to-guide`, `listicle`, `case-study`, `comparison`, `pillar-page`,

`product-review`, `thought-leadership`, `roundup`, `tutorial`,

`news-analysis`, `data-research`, `faq-knowledge`

```

### Cluster Build Plan: [Pillar Topic]

| # | Spoke Topic | Template | Target Keyword | Word Count | Internal Links |

|---|------------|----------|---------------|-----------|----------------|

| P | [Pillar title] | pillar-page | [keyword] | 3,000-4,000 | Links to all spokes |

| 1 | [Spoke title] | how-to-guide | [keyword] | 1,500-2,500 | Pillar + Spokes 2,3 |

| 2 | [Spoke title] | comparison | [keyword] | 1,500-2,500 | Pillar + Spokes 1,3 |

| 3 | [Spoke title] | listicle | [keyword] | 1,500-2,500 | Pillar + Spokes 1,2 |

| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |

```

Reference: `references/internal-linking.md` for hub-and-spoke model and anchor text rules.

### Step 5: Differentiation Strategy

| Signal Type | Implementation |

|-------------|---------------|

| Original data | Conduct surveys, analyze proprietary data, run experiments |

| Case studies | Document real client/project results with metrics |

| Build in public | Share process, learnings, and failures transparently |

| Expert interviews | Feature practitioners with first-hand knowledge |

| Tool reviews | Test products personally, share screenshots and results |

| Industry analysis | Provide unique perspective on public data |

### Step 5.5: AI Citation Surface Strategy

#### On-Site Optimization

Structure every piece of content for AI citability:

- Every H2 opens with an answer-first paragraph (40-60 words with stat + source)

- **Citation capsules**: 40-60 word self-contained passages per H2 section

- **Q&A format**: 60-70% of H2 headings phrased as questions

- **Entity clarity**: consistent terminology throughout (no synonym variation for key concepts)

#### Off-Site Presence (Critical: 88-92% of AI citations from off-site)

| Channel | AI Citation Impact | Priority Action |

|---------|-------------------|-----------------|

| YouTube | 0.737 correlation (strongest) | Companion videos for pillar posts |

| Reddit | 450% citation surge | Authentic participation in 3-5 subreddits |

| Review platforms | 2.6-3.5x multiplier | Maintain profiles on G2, Capterra (B2B) |

| Wikipedia/Wikidata | Credibility tiebreaker | Build notability, create Wikidata entry |

| Industry publications | Tier 2-3 citation source | Guest posts, expert commentary |

#### Cross-Platform Monitoring

- Track brand mentions in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews

- Only 12% overlap between platforms; optimize for each separately

- 80% of LLM citations come from outside the top 100 organic results

- Monitor monthly: search 10-20 target queries on each platform, log citations

### Step 5.6: Content Scoring Targets

Set quality standards that all blog content must meet:

```

### Content Quality Standards

| Metric | Target | Measured By |

|--------|--------|-------------|

| Blog quality score | 80+ | `/blog analyze` |

| E-E-A-T compliance | Named author + 8+ tier 1-3 sources | Manual review |

| Visual minimum | 2+ charts + 3+ images per post | Asset count |

| Internal links | 5+ per post (within cluster) | Link audit |

| Word count | 1,500+ for spokes, 3,000+ for pillars | Word count tool |

```

Every post should be scored before publishing. Posts below 80 quality score

should be revised before going live.

Plan passage-level citability across all content, tailored to each AI platform.

| AI Platform | Favors | Optimization Focus |

|-------------|--------|-------------------|

| ChatGPT | Recency, brand authority, conversational clarity | Update posts within 30 days, clear entity definitions |

| Perplexity | Citations, source diversity, structured answers | Tier 1-3 sources, numbered lists, data tables |

Strategy by platform:

- **ChatGPT**: Ensure brand name appears consistently, maintain 30-day freshness, use conversational answer-first formatting

- **Perplexity**: Maximize external citation count (8+ per post), use structured data tables, cite authoritative sources

Reference: `references/geo-optimization.md` for platform-specific optimization guides.

### Step 6: Distribution Channel Strategy

AI visibility requires off-site presence (88-92% of AI citations come

from off-site signals). Plan brand presence:

| Channel | AI Impact | Strategy |

|---------|-----------|----------|

| YouTube | 0.737 correlation (strongest) | Companion videos for pillar posts, how-tos, demos |

| Reddit | 450% citation surge | Authentic participation in 3-5 subreddits, share insights not links |

| Review platforms | 2.6-3.5x citation multiplier | Maintain profiles on G2, Capterra, TrustRadius (B2B) |

| Wikipedia/Wikidata | Credibility tiebreaker | Build notability through earned media, create Wikidata entry |

| Industry publications | Tier 2-3 citation source | Guest posts, expert commentary, study contributions |

| Social media | Brand mentions | LinkedIn thought leadership, Twitter/X insights |

Budget allocation recommendation: **40% owned content / 60% earned media and distribution**.

Reference: `references/distribution-playbook.md` for detailed channel tactics and templates.

### Step 7: Measurement Framework

```

### Metrics to Track

#### Traditional SEO

- Organic traffic (monthly)

- Keyword rankings (top 10, top 3)

- Domain authority / Domain Rating

- Internal link coverage

- Core Web Vitals

#### AI Citation Metrics (New)

- Share of Voice in ChatGPT responses (manual tracking)

- AI Overview citation rate (Google Search Console)

- Perplexity mentions (manual tracking)

- AI referral traffic (GA4: source contains chatgpt, perplexity, claude)

- Brand mention volume (branded search + web mentions)

#### Content Quality

- Blog quality score via `/blog analyze` (target: 80+)

- Content freshness (% of posts updated within 30 days)

- Visual element coverage (charts + images per post)

- Citation tier quality (% tier 1-3 sources)

#### Business Impact

- Blog-attributed leads/conversions

- Email subscribers from blog

- Content-assisted revenue

```

### Step 8: Generate Strategy Document

Output format:

```

# Blog Strategy: [Business Name]

## Executive Summary

[2-3 sentences on the strategic direction]

## Audience

[Segment summaries]

## Content Pillars & Cluster Architecture

[3-5 pillars with full hub-and-spoke cluster plans]

[Internal linking map for each cluster]

[Template assignments for each piece]

## Competitive Positioning

[How we differentiate - what unique value we bring]

[Competitive AI Citation Map showing gaps to exploit]

## AI Citation Surface Strategy

[On-site optimization checklist]

[Off-site presence plan with priority channels]

## Content Quality Standards

[Scoring targets for all content]

[E-E-A-T compliance requirements]

## Distribution Channels

[Priority channels with specific tactics]

## Content Velocity

- New posts: [N]/week

- Freshness updates: [N]/month

- Visual elements: [N] charts + [N] images per post

## 90-Day Roadmap

### Month 1: Foundation

- [ ] Publish [Pillar 1] guide + [N] supporting spokes

- [ ] Set up YouTube channel / Reddit profiles

- [ ] Establish measurement dashboard

- [ ] Complete competitive AI citation audit

### Month 2: Expansion

- [ ] Publish [Pillar 2] guide + [N] supporting spokes

- [ ] First freshness update cycle

- [ ] Begin Reddit/YouTube distribution

- [ ] Launch off-site presence on review platforms

### Month 3: Optimization

- [ ] Audit all posts with `/blog analyze` (target: 80+ score)

- [ ] Optimize lowest-scoring posts

- [ ] Publish [Pillar 3] guide

- [ ] Review AI citation metrics across all platforms

- [ ] Adjust strategy based on data

## Measurement

[KPIs and tracking approach - traditional SEO + AI citation metrics]

## Reference Documents

- `references/internal-linking.md` - Hub-and-spoke model, anchor text rules

- `references/distribution-playbook.md` - Channel tactics and templates

- `references/content-templates.md` - 12 content templates with structures

## Next Steps

1. Run `/blog calendar` to create the first month's editorial calendar

2. Run `/blog brief` for the first pillar page

3. Run `/blog write` to generate the first article

4. Set up AI citation monitoring for target queries

```