Build SEO Content Clusters with Topical Authority Maps

This skill turns a pillar topic into a coordinated plan for foundational pages and supporting articles. Each page must solve a reader problem, own a distinct query, and lead to a relevant product action or next step. It starts with existing content so proposed articles do not duplicate published pages or compete with the landing page for the same intent.

The plan defines the pillar's title, primary keyword, search intent, audience, page type, and answer-engine optimization priority. Supporting articles receive a target keyword, intent, content type, priority, and link targets. Foundation comes first, followed by deeper long-tail coverage and conversion-oriented reinforcement. Measured demand needs a source and date; missing demand evidence remains explicitly unknown.

Use it when mapping topical coverage for a product, service, or subject before commissioning articles. A new website normally gets five to ten foundational pages, with ten justified only by ten defensible intents. The skill should return fewer topics when the evidence does not support more, rather than manufacture near-duplicates to fill a quota.

Treat competitor gaps and potential AI citation opportunities as hypotheses until current observations support them. A content map does not establish measured demand, guarantee rankings, or authorize publishing and external distribution. Case studies, reviews, and customer results must have a factual basis.

Inputs include pillar_topic, primary_keyword, target_audience, existing_content, target_keywords, cluster_size, optional search_intent_evidence, and conversion_goal. The output contains a pillar page table, three article priority tiers, an internal link map, a foundational page plan, a calendar, gap analysis, and a cluster health checklist. Represent each foundational page in a table with this structure:

| # | Page / Article | Problem Solved | Primary Query | Intent | Product CTA | Supporting Links |

Every supporting article must link to the pillar and at least one other article. The foundational plan records the problem solved, query, intent, product CTA, and supporting links. Once that foundation is mapped, the calendar proposes up to twenty distinct topics with format, internal link target, and an external distribution candidate. Naming Medium, Hashnode, or dev.to as a candidate is a planning suggestion.

At least two articles use direct-answer structures: an FAQ addressing eight to ten questions and a What Is explainer opening with a definition. Other supported formats include how-to guides, listicles, comparisons, case studies, reviews, glossaries, and opinion pieces. The checklist checks unique queries, assigned types, relevant conversion paths, complete gap analysis, and a connected link map.

The plan can receive keyword research from seo-aeo-keyword-research and feed briefs to seo-aeo-blog-writer and seo-aeo-internal-linking. These connections support the planning sequence; direct-answer formatting still carries no guaranteed extraction or citation probability.