SEO Guidelines Configuration

Define SEO optimization standards for maximum search visibility and rankings

The seo-guidelines.md context file defines SEO best practices and requirements for all content. It ensures articles are optimized for search engines while maintaining quality and readability.

Location

Template: ~/workspace/source/context/seo-guidelines.md

Example: Included in template (comprehensive SEO standards)

What It Defines

The SEO guidelines file contains:

• Content Length Requirements - Target word counts by content type
• Keyword Optimization - Density, placement, and integration rules
• Content Structure - Heading hierarchy and article templates
• Meta Elements - Title, description, and URL standards
• Internal Linking - Strategy and requirements
• External Linking - Authority and citation guidelines
• Readability - Target reading level and formatting
• Featured Snippets - Optimization for position 0
• Mobile Optimization - Mobile-first considerations

Content Length Requirements

Target Word Counts

Define word count expectations by content type:

**Standard Blog Post:** 1,500-3,000 words (target: 2,000-2,500)
**Pillar Content / Comprehensive Guides:** 3,000-5,000 words maximum
**How-To Guides:** 1,500-2,500 words
**News / Updates:** 800-1,200 words (exception to standard)

Important Guidelines

**Maximum for most articles:** 3,000 words
**Maximum for pillar content:** 5,000 words

**Why:**
- Articles over 3,000 words often hurt user experience
- Concise, focused content often performs better
- If topic requires more, break into series

**Quality over quantity:**
- Don't add fluff to hit word counts
- Every section should provide genuine value
- Better to have 2,000 valuable words than 3,000 padded words

Keyword Optimization

Keyword Research Requirements

Define pre-writing research process:

Before writing any article:

1. Identify primary target keyword
2. Research search volume and difficulty
3. Analyze top 10 ranking competitors
4. Identify 3-5 secondary/related keywords
5. List LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords

Keyword Density Guidelines

**Primary Keyword:** 1-2% density
- Example: In 2,000-word article, use keyword 20-40 times
- Natural integration is critical—never force keywords

**Secondary Keywords:** 0.5-1% density each

**LSI Keywords:** Sprinkle throughout naturally

Critical Keyword Placement

Primary keyword MUST appear in:

- [ ] H1 headline (preferably near beginning)
- [ ] First 100 words of article
- [ ] At least 2-3 H2 subheadings
- [ ] Last paragraph / conclusion
- [ ] Meta title (within first 60 characters)
- [ ] Meta description
- [ ] URL slug

Keyword Integration Best Practices

Natural Language:

❌ Keyword stuffing:

Podcast hosting is important. Podcast hosting helps podcasters.
Our podcast hosting platform offers podcast hosting services for
podcast hosting needs.

✅ Natural integration:

Podcast hosting is important for creators who want to distribute
their show to major platforms. A reliable host ensures your episodes
are accessible wherever listeners discover new content.

Use Variations:

Don't repeat exact phrase robotically:

- "podcast hosting" 
- "hosting your podcast"
- "podcast host"
- "hosting platform for podcasts"

Question Formats:

Include conversational variations:

- "how to start a podcast"
- "starting a podcast"
- "can I start a podcast"
- "podcast startup guide"

Content Structure Requirements

Heading Hierarchy

H1 (Title):

**Requirements:**
- Only one H1 per article
- Include primary keyword naturally
- 60 characters or less (for SERP display)
- Compelling and benefit-focused
- Answer: "What will I learn/gain?"

**Examples:**
- ✅ "How to Start a Podcast: Complete 2025 Guide"
- ✅ "12 Proven Podcast Growth Strategies"
- ❌ "Podcast Tips" (too vague, no value prop)

H2 (Main Sections):

**Requirements:**
- 4-7 H2 sections for standard articles
- At least 2-3 should include keyword variations
- Descriptive and keyword-rich
- Logical progression through topic
- Can be standalone (readers understand flow from H2s alone)

H3 (Subsections):

**Requirements:**
- Nested under H2s (never skip from H2 to H4)
- Break complex sections into digestible chunks
- Include keywords where natural
- More specific than H2s

Article Structure Template

# [H1: Compelling Title with Primary Keyword]

## Introduction (150-250 words)
- Hook: Attention-grabbing opening
- Problem: What challenge does this address?
- Promise: What will reader learn/achieve?
- Keyword in first 100 words

## [H2: Main Section 1 - Include Keyword Variation]
### [H3: Subsection if needed]
- Content depth
- Examples
- Data/statistics

## [H2: Main Section 2]
### [H3: Subsection if needed]

## [H2: Main Section 3 - Include Keyword Variation]
### [H3: Subsection if needed]

[Continue with 4-7 total H2 sections]

## Conclusion (150-250 words)
- Recap key points (3-5 takeaways)
- Include keyword
- Clear call-to-action
- Next steps for reader

Meta Elements

Meta Title

**Requirements:**
- Length: 50-60 characters (including "| Brand" if used)
- Primary keyword: Must be included
- Compelling: Should encourage clicks from SERP
- Unique: Different from all other page titles
- Accurate: Must match page content

**Format Options:**
- [Primary Keyword]: [Benefit/Promise]
- How to [Goal] | [Qualifier]
- [Number] Ways to [Achieve Benefit]
- [Topic] Guide for [Audience] | Brand

**Examples:**
✅ "How to Start a Podcast in 2025: Complete Guide"
✅ "12 Proven Podcast Growth Strategies | Castos"
❌ "Podcast Tips and Tricks" (too vague)
❌ "The Ultimate Comprehensive Guide..." (too long)

Meta Description

**Requirements:**
- Length: 150-160 characters
- Primary keyword: Include naturally
- Value proposition: Clear benefit to reader
- Call-to-action: Action phrase (Learn, Discover, Find out)
- Complete: Must not cut off mid-sentence
- Compelling: Should drive clicks from SERP

**Formula:**
[Problem/Question]? [Solution/Benefit]. [Unique angle]. [CTA].

**Examples:**
✅ "Learn how to start a podcast with our step-by-step guide.
Everything from equipment to launch strategy. Perfect for
beginners. Start your show today." (159 chars)

❌ "This is a blog post about podcasting where we discuss
many podcast-related topics." (vague, no value, no CTA)

URL Slug

**Requirements:**
- Include primary keyword
- Lowercase letters only
- Hyphens between words (not underscores)
- Short and descriptive (3-5 words ideal)
- No stop words unless necessary (a, the, and, of)

**Format:** /blog/[primary-keyword-phrase]

**Examples:**
✅ /blog/start-podcast-guide
✅ /blog/podcast-growth-strategies
❌ /blog/how-to-start-a-podcast-in-2025-the-complete-guide (too long)
❌ /blog/post-12345 (no keywords)

Internal Linking Strategy

Requirements

**Per Article:**
- Minimum: 3 internal links
- Optimal: 4-5 internal links
- Maximum: 7 internal links (unless 3,000+ word article)

Link Types to Include

1. **Pillar Content** (1-2 links)
   - Main comprehensive guides on related topics
   - Builds topic cluster authority
   - Usually 2,000+ word cornerstone content

2. **Related Blog Posts** (2-3 links)
   - Articles on related subtopics
   - Creates content web
   - Helps readers explore topics comprehensively

3. **Product/Feature Pages** (0-1 link)
   - Only when contextually relevant
   - Natural mention of how product solves problem
   - Never forced or overly promotional

4. **Resource Pages** (0-1 link)
   - Templates, tools, checklists
   - When mentioned as solutions in content
   - Provides additional value to reader

Anchor Text Best Practices

✅ **Good:**
- "our complete guide to podcast analytics"
- "Learn more about podcast SEO strategies"
- "how to optimize your podcast for growth"

❌ **Bad:**
- "click here"
- "read more"
- "this article"
- Using exact same anchor text repeatedly for same page

Reference

Always check context/internal-links-map.md for:
- Priority linking targets
- Topic clusters
- Most relevant related content

External Linking Strategy

Requirements

**Per Article:**
- Minimum: 2 external links
- Optimal: 3-4 external authority links

**Purpose:**
- Add credibility
- Provide sources
- Support claims

What to Link Externally

✅ **Link to:**
- Statistics and data sources (always cite)
- Research and studies (original research)
- Tools and resources (when recommending)
- Industry authorities (expert opinions)

❌ **Don't link to:**
- Random blogs with no authority
- Spammy or low-quality sites
- Competitors (unless truly best resource)
- Outdated sources

Quality Standards

**Authority:**
✅ Industry publications (credible sources)
✅ Research institutions and studies
✅ Established media outlets

**Relevance:**
Links must directly support content claims

**Freshness:**
Prefer recent sources (within 1-2 years for data)

**Functionality:**
All links must work (no broken links)

Readability Optimization

Target Reading Level

**Goal:** 8th-10th grade reading level (Flesch-Kincaid)

**Why:**
- Accessible to wider audience
- Easier to scan and understand
- Better mobile reading experience

Sentence Structure

**Guidelines:**
- Average length: 15-20 words per sentence
- Maximum: 25 words (break longer into two)
- Variety: Mix short punchy sentences with longer explanatory ones
- Active voice: Preferred over passive (80%+ active)

**Examples:**
✅ Active: "We built this feature to solve that problem."
❌ Passive: "This feature was built to solve that problem."

Paragraph Structure

**Guidelines:**
- Length: 2-4 sentences per paragraph
- One idea: Focus each paragraph on single point
- White space: No walls of text
- Mobile-friendly: Short paragraphs scan better on phones

Formatting for Scannability

**Use:**
- Subheadings: Every 300-400 words
- Lists: For sequential or multiple items
- Bold: Emphasize key concepts
- Short paragraphs: Easier to digest
- White space: Makes content less intimidating

Featured Snippet Optimization

Featured snippets appear at position 0 in Google search results.

Question-Based Snippets

**Format:**
- Include question as H2 heading
- Answer concisely in 40-60 words immediately after
- Use clear, direct language

**Example:**
## What is Podcast Hosting?

Podcast hosting is a service that stores your audio files and
generates an RSS feed that distributes your episodes to podcast
platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

List-Based Snippets

**Format:**
- Use numbered or bulleted lists
- Keep items concise (1-2 sentences each)
- Include 5-8 items typically

Table-Based Snippets

**Format:**
- Use HTML tables or markdown tables
- Comparison charts, pricing, specifications
- Clear headers and organized data

Image Optimization

Image SEO

**File Names:**
✅ podcast-editing-software-interface.jpg
❌ IMG_12345.jpg

**Alt Text:**
- Describe what image shows
- Include keywords naturally if relevant
- 125 characters or less
- No "image of" or "picture of" (implied)

**Example:**
✅ "Podcast editing software interface showing waveform and timeline"
❌ "Image"

Configuration Steps

1. Review the Template

The SEO guidelines template includes comprehensive standards:

cat ~/workspace/source/context/seo-guidelines.md

2. Customize for Your Industry

Adapt guidelines for your specific needs:

• Adjust word counts for your content types
• Define industry-specific keyword practices
• Set link requirements based on your strategy
• Customize meta element formats

3. Align with Brand Voice

Ensure SEO standards support your brand:

• Keyword integration that sounds natural in your voice
• Meta descriptions that match your tone
• Internal linking that reflects your messaging

4. Document Tools

List tools you use for:

• Keyword research
• Content analysis
• Readability checking
• Rank tracking

5. Create Checklists

Build practical checklists for:

• Pre-writing research
• Writing optimization
• Pre-publish review
• Post-publish monitoring

Quality Checklist

Before finalizing SEO guidelines:

• Word count standards defined - Clear targets by content type
• Keyword rules documented - Density, placement, integration
• Structure templates provided - Heading hierarchy and article format
• Meta element standards - Title, description, URL requirements
• Linking strategy clear - Internal and external link guidelines
• Readability standards - Target grade level and formatting
• Image optimization - File names, alt text, placement
• Aligned with brand - SEO supports voice and style

Common Mistakes

Over-Optimizing

❌ Bad: Forcing keywords unnaturally to hit density targets

✅ Good: Natural integration that reads well and includes keywords organically

Ignoring User Experience

❌ Bad: Optimizing for search engines at expense of readability

✅ Good: Optimizing for users first, search engines second

Inconsistent Standards

❌ Bad: Different rules for different writers

✅ Good: Clear, consistent standards everyone follows

Next Steps

Write Content

Generate SEO-optimized content

SEO Optimizer Agent

Automatically optimize content for search

Brand Voice

Define your brand voice guidelines

Context Files Overview

Learn about all context files