Astro Blog – Phase 1: Research

Priority Legend:

• ⭐ ALWAYS – Every article, non-negotiable
• 🎯 HIGH-VALUE – Competitive keywords, commercial/pillar content

SEO & Intent Research

⭐ Core SEO (Every Article)

• Information Gain analysis – Article must add unique value beyond existing content. Ask: What do we know that competitors don’t? (original data, case studies, insider tips, unique framework)
• Intent declared – Classify as: informational (learning), commercial (comparing options), comparison (this vs that), or transactional (ready to buy)
• Headline formula – Use odd numbers (7, 11, 13) OR power words (proven, secret, complete, ultimate, essential)
• Title optimization – 50-60 chars, keyword-first, include year (2026). Example: “Solar Panel Cost UK 2026: 11 Ways to Save £3,000+”
• Entity salience – Main entity (product/service) in subject position: first 100 words + first sentence after each H2
• CTA matches intent – informational→Newsletter/Guide, commercial→Calculator/Quote, comparison→Consultation, transactional→Contact/Book

🎯 SERP Dominance (High-Value Articles)

• SERP feature audit – Google your keyword, note what appears: Featured snippets? PAA boxes? Video carousel? Image pack? Target these formats
• Featured snippet targeting – Identify format: Paragraph (40-60 words), List (5-8 items), or Table (3-4 columns, 5-7 rows)
• PAA question identification – List all “People Also Ask” questions. Use as H2s in your article

🎯 Pillar Strategy Decision

• Pillar vs cluster – Pillar = 3000-5000 words, broad topic, 8-12 internal links. Cluster = 1000-1500 words, specific subtopic, 2-4 internal links
• Skyscraper candidate? – If competitive topic with existing content that has 50+ backlinks, plan to create 10x better version + outreach campaign

CTA Mapping Table

Output Required

Provide:

1. Intent type: informational/commercial/comparison/transactional
2. Primary keyword: Main target keyword
3. Unique angle: What makes this article different from competitors
4. CTA type: From mapping table above
5. Pillar/Cluster: Is this pillar (3000-5000w) or cluster (1000-1500w)?

Next Step

After completing research, use astro-blog-structure skill for Phase 2.