seo-content

Content Quality & E-E-A-T Analysis

Shared Data Cache

Step 0 -- Check shared data cache:

Before gathering, check .seo-cache/ for reusable context from related SEO skills. Reference: ../seo/references/shared-data-cache.md for schemas and dependency map.

Check these cache files when present:

• .seo-cache/site-meta.json for domain, business type, industry, and crawl context
• .seo-cache/audit-scores.json for prior full-audit priorities
• .seo-cache/pages/{url-slug}/page-analysis.json for page-level context when a URL is provided

• If found: parse and use clearly valid fields (note "Using cached [X] from [date]")
• If missing, corrupt, or irrelevant: continue with fresh evidence
• If the user says "refresh" or "re-run": ignore cache reads and overwrite on write

E-E-A-T Framework (updated Sept 2025 QRG)

Read skills/seo/references/eeat-framework.md for full criteria.

Experience (first-hand signals)

• Original research, case studies, before/after results
• Personal anecdotes, process documentation
• Unique data, proprietary insights
• Photos/videos from direct experience

Expertise

• Author credentials, certifications, bio
• Professional background relevant to topic
• Technical depth appropriate for audience
• Accurate, well-sourced claims

Authoritativeness

• External citations, backlinks from authoritative sources
• Brand mentions, industry recognition
• Published in recognized outlets
• Cited by other experts

Trustworthiness

• Contact information, physical address
• Privacy policy, terms of service
• Customer testimonials, reviews
• Date stamps, transparent corrections
• Secure site (HTTPS)

Content Metrics

Word Count Analysis

Compare against page type minimums:

Important: These are topical coverage floors, not targets. Google has confirmed word count is NOT a direct ranking factor. The goal is comprehensive topical coverage; a 500-word page that thoroughly answers the query will outrank a 2,000-word page that doesn't. Use these as guidelines for adequate coverage depth, not rigid requirements.

Readability

• Flesch Reading Ease: target 60-70 for general audience

Note: Flesch Reading Ease is a useful proxy for content accessibility but is NOT a direct Google ranking factor. John Mueller has confirmed Google does not use basic readability scores for ranking. Yoast deprioritized Flesch scores in v19.3. Use readability analysis as a content quality indicator, not as an SEO metric to optimize directly.

• Grade level: match target audience
• Sentence length: average 15-20 words
• Paragraph length: 2-4 sentences

Keyword Optimization

• Primary keyword in title, H1, first 100 words
• Natural density (1-3%)
• Semantic variations present
• No keyword stuffing

Content Structure

• Logical heading hierarchy (H1 -> H2 -> H3)
• Scannable sections with descriptive headings
• Bullet/numbered lists where appropriate
• Table of contents for long-form content

Multimedia

• Relevant images with proper alt text
• Videos where appropriate
• Infographics for complex data
• Charts/graphs for statistics

Internal Linking

• 3-5 relevant internal links per 1000 words
• Descriptive anchor text
• Links to related content
• No orphan pages

External Linking

• Cite authoritative sources
• Open in new tab for user experience
• Reasonable count (not excessive)

AI Content Assessment (Sept 2025 QRG addition)

Google's raters now formally assess whether content appears AI-generated.

Acceptable AI Content

• Demonstrates genuine E-E-A-T
• Provides unique value
• Has human oversight and editing
• Contains original insights

Low-Quality AI Content Markers

• Generic phrasing, lack of specificity
• No original insight
• Repetitive structure across pages
• No author attribution
• Factual inaccuracies

Helpful Content System (March 2024): The Helpful Content System was merged into Google's core ranking algorithm during the March 2024 core update. It no longer operates as a standalone classifier. Helpfulness signals are now weighted within every core update. The same principles apply (people-first content, demonstrating E-E-A-T, satisfying user intent), but enforcement is continuous rather than through separate HCU updates.

AI Citation Readiness (GEO signals)

Optimize for AI search engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews):

• Clear, quotable statements with statistics/facts
• Structured data (especially for data points)
• Strong heading hierarchy (H1->H2->H3 flow)
• Answer-first formatting for key questions
• Tables and lists for comparative data
• Clear attribution and source citations

AI Search Visibility & GEO (2025-2026)

Google AI Mode launched publicly in May 2025 as a separate tab in Google Search, available in 180+ countries. Unlike AI Overviews (which appear above organic results), AI Mode provides a fully conversational search experience with zero organic blue links, making AI citation the only visibility mechanism.

Key optimization strategies for AI citation:

• Structured answers: Clear question-answer formats, definition patterns, and step-by-step instructions that AI systems can extract and cite
• First-party data: Original research, statistics, case studies, and unique datasets are highly cited by AI systems
• Schema markup: Article, FAQ (for non-Google AI platforms), and structured content schemas help AI systems parse and attribute content
• Topical authority: AI systems preferentially cite sources that demonstrate deep expertise. Build content clusters, not isolated pages
• Entity clarity: Ensure brand, authors, and key concepts are clearly defined with structured data (Organization, Person schema)
• Multi-platform tracking: Monitor visibility across Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Bing Copilot, not just traditional rankings. Treat AI citation as a standalone KPI alongside organic rankings and traffic.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): GEO is the emerging discipline of optimizing content specifically for AI-generated answers. Key GEO signals include: quotability (clear, concise extractable facts), attribution (source citations within your content), structure (well-organized heading hierarchy), and freshness (regularly updated data). Cross-reference the seo-geo skill for detailed GEO workflows.

Content Freshness

• Publication date visible
• Last updated date if content has been revised
• Flag content older than 12 months without update for fast-changing topics

Output

Content Quality Score: XX/100

E-E-A-T Breakdown

AI Citation Readiness: XX/100

Issues Found

Recommendations

DataForSEO Integration (Optional)

If DataForSEO MCP tools are available, use kw_data_google_ads_search_volume for real keyword volume data, dataforseo_labs_bulk_keyword_difficulty for difficulty scores, dataforseo_labs_search_intent for intent classification, and content_analysis_summary for content quality analysis.

Error Handling

FLOW Framework Integration

For prompt-guided content optimization, use /seo flow optimize <url> and /seo flow win <url> — FLOW's optimize and win prompts provide structured E-E-A-T improvement and BOFU conversion workflows.

Write to shared data cache

After completing all work, write a concise JSON summary to .seo-cache/ when the workflow produced durable findings. Use the schemas and naming rules in ../seo/references/shared-data-cache.md; include at least cache_type, analyzed_at, source URL/domain, key findings, issues, recommendations, and tool limitations. Add .seo-cache/ to .gitignore if it is missing.