# Pre-Publish Optimization Checklist Run this before every piece goes live. Each section is a gate — fail a gate, fix it before moving on. --- ## Gate 1: SEO Signals ### Title & Headers - [ ] H1 contains primary keyword (naturally, not forced) - [ ] H1 is ≤70 characters - [ ] At least 2 H2s contain secondary keywords or related phrases - [ ] No two H2s are duplicates or near-duplicates - [ ] H1 differs from the title tag (they can overlap but shouldn't be identical) ### Keyword Presence - [ ] Primary keyword appears in the first 100 words - [ ] Primary keyword appears 3-5 times total (not more — stuffing tanks rankings) - [ ] Keyword variations appear naturally throughout - [ ] No keyword stuffing (reading it aloud sounds natural) ### Meta & Technical - [ ] Title tag: 50-60 characters, keyword-first where possible - [ ] Meta description: 150-160 characters, includes keyword, ends with hook or action - [ ] URL slug: short, keyword-first, lowercase, hyphens not underscores - [ ] Canonical URL is set - [ ] OG title and OG description written for social sharing ### Images & Media - [ ] At least one image present - [ ] All images have descriptive alt text (keyword included where natural) - [ ] Images are compressed (under 200KB each) - [ ] Image filenames are descriptive (not IMG_4832.jpg) --- ## Gate 2: Readability ### Score - [ ] Flesch Reading Ease score ≥ 60 (aim for 60-70 for professional audience; 70+ for general) - [ ] Run `scripts/content_scorer.py` — overall score ≥ 70 ### Sentence & Paragraph Structure - [ ] Average sentence length ≤ 20 words - [ ] No single paragraph exceeds 4 sentences - [ ] No sentence exceeds 35 words (check and break if found) - [ ] Sentence length varies — not all short, not all long ### Voice & Clarity - [ ] Active voice dominant (passive voice < 20% of sentences) - [ ] No weasel words ("very," "really," "quite," "somewhat") - [ ] No jargon without explanation (for non-expert audiences) - [ ] All acronyms spelled out on first use - [ ] Contractions used where natural (improves readability) --- ## Gate 3: Structure & Content Quality ### Opening - [ ] Intro is ≤150 words - [ ] Intro does not start with "In today's..." or "Welcome to..." - [ ] Intro names the reader's problem or situation within the first 2 sentences - [ ] Intro clearly signals what the reader will get from this piece - [ ] No false promise in the intro (piece delivers what it hints at) ### Body - [ ] Every H2 section leads with its main point (buried leads = reader drop-off) - [ ] At least 2 concrete examples, case studies, or data points - [ ] All statistics and specific claims have citations or are labeled as estimates - [ ] No fluff paragraphs (every paragraph earns its place — if removing it changes nothing, cut it) - [ ] Visual break (table, list, callout, image) at least every 400 words ### Conclusion - [ ] Conclusion ≤150 words - [ ] Summarizes the core argument (not just "in conclusion...") - [ ] Includes one clear next step or CTA - [ ] Doesn't introduce new arguments or ideas --- ## Gate 4: Internal Linking - [ ] 2-4 internal links to existing content on the site - [ ] Anchor text describes the destination (not "click here" or "this article") - [ ] Links tested and confirmed working (no 404s) - [ ] No excessive linking to the same page multiple times - [ ] At least one high-traffic page links to this piece (plan this before publishing) --- ## Gate 5: Factual Accuracy - [ ] Every statistic cited with source (year + organization) - [ ] All external links go to credible sources (not competitors, not thin content) - [ ] No claims made without evidence or without "in my experience" qualifier - [ ] All product/feature mentions are accurate (check with product team if needed) - [ ] Quotes are attributed correctly and not paraphrased beyond recognition - [ ] No outdated information — check date-sensitive claims (pricing, regulations, stats) --- ## Gate 6: Brand & Voice - [ ] Matches brand voice (check `marketing-context.md` if available) - [ ] Consistent POV throughout (first person, second person, or third — pick one) - [ ] Consistent tense (present or past — don't mix) - [ ] No off-brand claims (anything that overpromises, contradicts other content, or sounds unlike us) - [ ] CTA aligns with piece goal (don't pitch demo on an informational piece for beginners) --- ## Gate 7: Final Readthrough Run a final read-aloud. Catch what scanning misses. - [ ] Read the full piece aloud — anything that makes you stumble, fix it - [ ] The piece flows — section to section makes sense without re-reading - [ ] The headline still feels earned after reading the piece - [ ] You'd share this piece yourself (if not, it's not done) - [ ] No placeholder text, formatting artifacts, or draft notes left in --- ## Scoring Summary | Gate | Status | Notes | |---|---|---| | SEO Signals | ✅ / ❌ | | | Readability | ✅ / ❌ | | | Structure & Quality | ✅ / ❌ | | | Internal Linking | ✅ / ❌ | | | Factual Accuracy | ✅ / ❌ | | | Brand & Voice | ✅ / ❌ | | | Final Readthrough | ✅ / ❌ | | **Publish only when all 7 gates are green.** If you're skipping a gate, document why. Conscious tradeoffs are fine. Unconscious shortcuts aren't.