Article Pipeline: 4-Step Research-First Workflow

Creates high-quality articles by enforcing research BEFORE writing. Prevents the "AI knows everything" trap that produces generic content.

STEP 1: SERP Analysis     → See what Google rewards TODAY
STEP 2: Social Research   → Mine Reddit + YouTube for real insights
STEP 3: Article Planning  → Section-by-section strategy
STEP 4: Section Writing   → Write/edit each section individually

STEP 1: SERP Analysis (MANDATORY)

Before writing anything, analyze the current top 5-10 results:

• What's the dominant format? (Listicle, how-to, comparison, case study)
• What's the average word count? Match #1 ranking +10-20%, never an arbitrary floor
• What H2s/H3s appear most? These are table-stakes topics to cover
• What's missing? Gaps in competitor coverage = your angle
• What's the featured snippet format? Paragraph, list, or table

Competitor Gap Blueprint

For each top-ranking piece:

• Rate each section: depth, recency, specificity, E-E-A-T signals
• Flag thin sections, missing subtopics, stale data
• List every topic they missed → these become mandatory sections in your outline

STEP 2: Social Research (MANDATORY)

Reddit

• Search site:reddit.com [topic]
• Look for: real language, complaints, unmet needs, "what I wish someone told me"
• Extract: actual phrases people use, questions repeated across threads

YouTube

• Search topic, sort by Most Relevant
• Read top comments — these are customer voice gold
• Note: What do reviewers say is missing from existing content?

Synthesis Output

UNIQUE INSIGHTS FOR ARTICLE:
- [Insight from Reddit with exact language]
- [Complaint/gap from YouTube comments]
- [Recurring question not answered by top results]

STEP 3: Article Planning

Meta Elements

• Primary keyword (exact match goes in H1)
• Title: under 60 characters, front-load keyword
• Meta description: under 160 characters, include CTA

Title Formulas

• How to [Action] + [Specific Outcome]
• [Number] [Things] + [Qualifier]
• [Topic]: [Benefit] in [Timeframe]
• [Topic] vs [Topic]: [Decision Frame]
• [Year] [Topic] Guide + [Audience]

Section Plan

For each section:

• H2 text (keyword-optimized)
• Content type (paragraph, list, table, step-by-step)
• Which SERP gap it addresses
• Which social insight it incorporates

STEP 4: Section-by-Section Writing

Write one section at a time. Don't draft the whole article at once.

EEAT Checklist Per Section

| ID | Standard | How to Apply | |----|----------|-------------| | C01 | Intent alignment | Title promise matches content delivery | | C02 | Direct answer | Core answer in first 150 words | | R01 | Data precision | 5+ precise numbers with units and sources | | R02 | Citation density | 1+ external citation per 500 words | | E01 | Experience markers | First-person observations, case studies | | E02 | Expertise signals | Author credentials, methodology references | | A01 | Authority anchors | Links to authoritative sources | | T01 | Trust elements | Transparent sourcing, accurate dates |

Post-Writing Quality Loop

• Every competitor H2 matched or exceeded in depth
• 3+ sections covering gaps competitor missed entirely
• More specific data points than the competitor
• FAQ section targeting 5-7 PAA questions the competitor ignored

Outrank Mode (--outrank [competitor-url])

1. Extract competitor content: full text, heading structure, word count, keyword density
2. Score competitor weaknesses: rate each section for depth, recency, specificity
3. Build gap map: list every topic/question they missed
4. Apply PAS to intro: Problem (searcher's pain), Agitate (why existing answers fall short), Solution (what this article delivers)
5. Run outrank checklist before publish:
   • Every competitor H2 matched or exceeded
   • 3+ sections covering gaps competitor missed entirely
   • Meta title/description engineered for higher CTR than current #1

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