SEO Content Skill

Purpose

Evaluate content quality through the lens of Google's E-E-A-T framework, modern content quality signals, and AI citation readiness (GEO). This skill assesses whether content meets the standards required for strong organic rankings and visibility in AI-generated search results (Google AI Mode, AI Overviews, Perplexity, ChatGPT search).

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E-E-A-T Scoring Model

Weight Distribution

Signal	Weight	Rationale
Experience	20%	First-hand experience signals authenticity and practical value
Expertise	25%	Demonstrated subject-matter depth drives topical authority
Authoritativeness	25%	External validation and recognition establish domain credibility
Trustworthiness	30%	The foundation; without trust, other signals lose impact

Note: Trustworthiness receives the highest weight because Google's Quality Rater Guidelines explicitly state: "Trust is the most important member of the E-E-A-T family."

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Experience (20 points)

Demonstrates that the content creator has first-hand, real-world experience with the topic.

Signal	What to Check	Points
First-person narratives	"I tested this...", "In my experience...", "When I built..."	4
Original data or research	Proprietary surveys, experiments, case studies with real numbers	4
Specific examples	Named tools, specific configurations, exact steps taken	3
Visual proof	Screenshots, photos, videos showing hands-on experience	3
Timeline references	"Over the past 3 years...", "Since 2021..."	2
Practical tips	Advice that only comes from doing, not just researching	2
Limitations disclosed	Honest about what did not work or constraints encountered	2

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Expertise (25 points)

Demonstrates deep subject-matter knowledge and technical competence.

Signal	What to Check	Points
Technical depth	Content goes beyond surface level; explains "why" not just "what"	5
Author credentials	Author bio with relevant qualifications, certifications, roles	4
Accurate information	Facts are correct, up to date, and verifiable	4
Nuanced analysis	Acknowledges complexity, trade-offs, and context-dependent answers	3
Industry terminology	Correct use of domain-specific terms (not keyword stuffing)	3
Comprehensive coverage	Addresses the topic fully; no obvious gaps	3
Methodology transparency	Explains how conclusions were reached	3

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Authoritativeness (25 points)

Demonstrates that the site, brand, or author is a recognized authority on the topic.

Signal	What to Check	Points
Outbound citations	Links to authoritative sources (academic, industry leaders, government)	5
Inbound link profile	(When available) Other authoritative sites link to this content	4
Author recognition	Author is known in the industry; has other published work	4
Brand authority signals	About page, team page, company history, media mentions	3
Content depth across topic	Multiple related articles showing topical cluster coverage	3
Social proof	Testimonials, case studies, client logos, partnerships	3
Consistent publishing	Regular content updates showing ongoing commitment to topic	3

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Trustworthiness (30 points)

Demonstrates that the content, site, and organization can be trusted.

Signal	What to Check	Points
HTTPS enforced	Site uses HTTPS with valid certificate	4
Contact information	Physical address, phone number, or clear contact form	4
Privacy policy	Linked and comprehensive	3
Terms of service	Present and accessible	2
Editorial policy	Content review process disclosed	3
Date transparency	Published date and last updated date visible	3
Source attribution	Claims are backed with citations or links	4
Error correction	Corrections or updates noted when content changes	2
No deceptive practices	No misleading headlines, bait-and-switch, or hidden affiliates	3
Advertising transparency	Sponsored content and affiliate links clearly disclosed	2

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Word Count Analysis by Page Type

Page Type	Minimum	Optimal Range	Maximum Before Concern
Blog Post (informational)	800	1,500 to 2,500	5,000+ (check for fluff)
Blog Post (how-to/tutorial)	1,000	2,000 to 3,000	6,000+ (check readability)
Blog Post (listicle)	600	1,000 to 2,000	4,000+ (check item depth)
Landing Page	300	500 to 1,000	2,000+ (check conversion focus)
Product Page	200	300 to 800	1,500+ (check buying intent focus)
Category Page	100	200 to 500	1,000+ (check user intent)
Homepage	300	500 to 1,000	2,000+ (check focus)
Pillar Page	2,000	3,000 to 5,000	10,000+ (check navigation)
FAQ Page	500	1,000 to 2,000	3,000+ (check relevance)
About Page	300	500 to 1,000	2,000+ (check focus)

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Readability Assessment

Flesch Reading Ease Score

Score Range	Difficulty Level	Target Audience	Assessment
90-100	Very Easy	5th grade	Too simple for most B2B content
80-89	Easy	6th grade	Consumer content, broad audience
70-79	Fairly Easy	7th grade	Good for general web content
60-69	Standard	8th-9th grade	Optimal for most informational content
50-59	Fairly Difficult	10th-12th grade	Acceptable for technical/professional
30-49	Difficult	College	Only for highly technical audiences
0-29	Very Difficult	College graduate	Likely too complex; consider simplifying

Readability Checks

Check	Target	Severity
Flesch Reading Ease	60-70 for general; 50-60 for technical	Medium
Average sentence length	15-20 words	Medium
Paragraph length	2-4 sentences (or 40-80 words)	Low
Passive voice usage	Under 10% of sentences	Low
Transition words	Present in at least 30% of sentences	Low
Subheading frequency	One every 200-300 words	Medium
Bullet/list usage	At least one list per 500 words of content	Low
Short paragraphs	No single paragraph exceeds 150 words	Medium

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Keyword Optimization

Check	Pass Criteria	Severity
Primary keyword in title	Within first 60 characters of title tag	High
Primary keyword in H1	Present in visible H1 text	High
Primary keyword in first 100 words	Appears naturally in opening paragraph	High
Primary keyword density	1-2% (natural usage)	Medium
No keyword stuffing	Density under 3%; reads naturally	High
Secondary keywords present	2-3 related keywords used throughout	Medium
Semantic variations (LSI)	Synonyms and related terms used naturally	Medium
Keyword in URL	Present in URL slug	Medium
Keyword in meta description	Included naturally (Google may bold it in SERPs)	Medium
Keyword in image alt text	At least one image alt contains keyword	Low
Keyword in subheadings	Present in at least one H2 or H3	Medium

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Content Structure Analysis

Check	Pass Criteria	Severity
Clear heading hierarchy	H1 > H2 > H3 (no skipped levels)	High
Table of contents	Present for content over 2,000 words	Medium
Introduction with hook	First paragraph establishes topic and reader value	Medium
Conclusion with CTA	Clear summary and next step for the reader	Medium
Internal links	3+ links to relevant pages on the same site	High
External links	2+ links to authoritative external sources	High
Visual content	At least 1 image per 500 words; tables for data	Medium
FAQ section	Present for informational content (addresses related queries)	Medium
Scannable format	Short paragraphs, bullet points, bold key terms	Medium
Content freshness	Updated within last 12 months (or topic is evergreen)	Medium

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AI Content Assessment

Per September 2025 Quality Rater Guidelines

Google's position: AI-generated content is acceptable if it is helpful, reliable, and created for people. The focus is on content quality, not content origin.

Check	What to Evaluate	Severity
Adds unique value	Content provides insights, analysis, or perspectives not available elsewhere	High
Not generic filler	Avoids vague, surface-level content that could apply to any topic	High
Factually accurate	All claims are verifiable and correct	Critical
Human editorial oversight	Evidence of human review, editing, and quality control	High
Original analysis	Not just rephrased from top-ranking competitors	Medium
Personal voice	Consistent tone and perspective throughout	Medium
No hallucinated facts	No fabricated statistics, quotes, or citations	Critical
Disclosure (if applicable)	AI assistance disclosed where required by regulations or policy	Low

Content Quality Red Flags

Red Flag	What It Indicates	Severity
Generic opening ("In today's world...")	Low-effort, potentially mass-produced content	Medium
Repetitive phrasing	Same idea restated multiple ways to inflate word count	High
Vague claims without evidence	"Many experts say..." without naming experts	High
Perfect grammar with no personality	Robotic tone, no human voice	Medium
Excessive hedging	"It could potentially be argued that perhaps..."	Medium
Keyword-first writing	Content organized around keywords, not user intent	High
No original insights	Entirely derivative of existing top-ranking content	High

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Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Signals

AI Search Landscape (Current as of 2025)

Platform	Feature	Impact on SEO
Google AI Mode (May 2025)	Full conversational AI search experience	Cited sources get visibility; uncited sources lose clicks
Google AI Overviews	AI-generated summaries at top of SERPs	Sources cited in overviews see increased CTR
Perplexity	AI search engine with source citations	Direct citations drive referral traffic
ChatGPT Search	OpenAI's web search feature	Sources influence AI responses
Bing Copilot	Microsoft's AI search integration	Cited sources displayed alongside AI answers

Helpful Content System (Merged into Core Ranking March 2024)

The Helpful Content System is no longer a separate ranking system; it was merged into Google's core ranking algorithm in March 2024. The principles remain critical:

Principle	What It Means	Check
People-first content	Written for humans, not search engines	Does removing SEO terms still make this content worth reading?
Satisfying experience	Reader gets what they came for	Does the content fully answer the query implied by the title?
Demonstrates E-E-A-T	All four signals present	See E-E-A-T scoring above
Not search-engine-first	Content not primarily designed to attract search visits	Would you feel confident sharing this with a friend?
Adds value beyond sources	Not just rephrasing or aggregating	What does this content provide that source material does not?

GEO Optimization Checks

Signal	Why It Matters for AI Search	Check
Clear, quotable statements	AI engines extract concise statements for citations	Content contains 2-3 sentence summaries of key points
Structured data (JSON-LD)	Helps AI understand content semantics	Schema markup present and accurate
Definitive answers	AI prefers content that directly answers questions	Key questions answered in 1-2 sentences before elaboration
Statistics and data	AI engines cite sources with specific data points	Original or properly cited statistics included
Author authority	AI engines prefer citing authoritative sources	Author bio with credentials, expertise signals present
Recency signals	AI engines prefer current information	Published date and last updated date visible
FAQ format	Question-answer format is directly extractable by AI	FAQ section with clear, concise answers
Source citations	Content that cites sources is itself more citable	Outbound links to authoritative references
Topical depth	AI engines favor comprehensive, in-depth coverage	Content covers the topic more thoroughly than competitors
Unique perspective	AI engines value novel viewpoints over repetition	Content includes original analysis, opinions, or data

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Output Format

# Content Quality Assessment: [URL]
**Analyzed:** [YYYY-MM-DD]
**Page Type:** [blog/landing/product/etc.]
**Word Count:** [N]
**Primary Keyword:** [keyword]

## E-E-A-T Score: XX/100

| Signal | Score | Max | Assessment |
|--------|-------|-----|------------|
| Experience | XX | 20 | [Strong/Adequate/Weak/Missing] |
| Expertise | XX | 25 | [Strong/Adequate/Weak/Missing] |
| Authoritativeness | XX | 25 | [Strong/Adequate/Weak/Missing] |
| Trustworthiness | XX | 30 | [Strong/Adequate/Weak/Missing] |
| **Total** | **XX** | **100** | |

## Content Quality Metrics

| Metric | Value | Target | Status |
|--------|-------|--------|--------|
| Word Count | [N] | [range for page type] | [PASS/WARN/FAIL] |
| Flesch Reading Ease | [N] | 60-70 | [PASS/WARN/FAIL] |
| Avg Sentence Length | [N] words | 15-20 | [PASS/WARN/FAIL] |
| Keyword Density | [N]% | 1-2% | [PASS/WARN/FAIL] |
| Internal Links | [N] | 3+ | [PASS/WARN/FAIL] |
| External Links | [N] | 2+ | [PASS/WARN/FAIL] |
| Images | [N] | 1 per 500 words | [PASS/WARN/FAIL] |

## AI Content Assessment
[Evaluation of content quality, originality, and helpfulness per QRG]

## GEO Readiness: XX/100
[Assessment of AI citation readiness, quotable statements, structured data]

## Recommendations
1. [Most impactful improvement]
2. [Second improvement]
3. ...

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Usage

# Assess content quality of a page
/seo-content https://example.com/blog/article

# Assess with specific keyword focus
/seo-content https://example.com/blog/article --keyword "saas validation"

# Assess with industry context
/seo-content https://example.com/pricing --industry saas

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Notes

• E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor but informs the quality signals that are used for ranking
• The Helpful Content System was merged into core ranking in March 2024; it no longer operates as a separate system
• GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is an emerging discipline; best practices will evolve
• Google AI Mode launched in May 2025 and represents a fundamental shift in how search results are displayed
• AI content assessment follows the September 2025 Quality Rater Guidelines: quality matters, not origin
• Word count targets are guidelines, not rules; some topics genuinely require more or fewer words
• Readability scores should match the target audience; B2B SaaS content can be more complex than consumer content