blog-calendar

# Blog Calendar: Editorial Planning

Generates editorial calendars with topic clusters, publishing cadence,
material-change reviews, content-decay investigation, template recommendations,
distribution planning, and seasonal hooks. It does not treat publication or
update frequency as a ranking or citation signal.

## Cross-reference

This skill operates at the FLOW Find stage. Before selecting topics, run
`/blog flow find` for keyword discovery, content prioritization, and audience
avatar prompts that should inform cluster selection and topic sequencing.

## Workflow

### Step 1: Understand the Blog

Gather context:
1. **Niche/industry**: What is the blog about?
2. **Existing content**: Scan for existing blog posts (Glob for *.md, *.mdx, *.html)
3. **Publishing cadence**: How often can they publish? (default: 2x/week)
4. **Timeframe**: Monthly or quarterly calendar?
5. **Business goals**: What should the blog drive? (traffic, leads, authority)

### Step 2: Topic Cluster Design

Design 3-5 topic clusters (pillar + supporting content):

```
Cluster: [Pillar Topic]
├── Pillar Page: [Comprehensive guide - 3,000+ words]
├── Supporting: [Subtopic 1 - 2,000 words]
├── Supporting: [Subtopic 2 - 2,000 words]
├── Supporting: [Subtopic 3 - 1,500 words]
├── Comparison: [X vs Y - 1,500 words]
└── FAQ: [Common questions - 1,500 words]
```

Each cluster should:
- Target a primary keyword theme
- Cover the topic comprehensively for topical authority
- Include varied content types (guides, comparisons, how-tos, listicles)
- Support internal linking between cluster pages

### Step 2.5: Content Decay Detection

Scan existing posts for material change signals. Dates are inventory metadata,
not proof that content is stale or fresh.

| Signal | Review Question | Priority Effect |
|--------|-----------------|-----------------|
| Query or fact volatility | Have prices, laws, products, events, or guidance changed? | Raise when the changed fact is material |
| Performance trend | Is there a sustained decline after controlling for seasonality and Search surface? | Investigate before rewriting |
| Source availability | Are important sources outdated, contradicted, or unavailable? | Raise when claims lose support |
| Reader intent | Does the page still solve the current task? | Raise when intent materially shifted |

Do not prioritize an update solely because a frontmatter date is old or a
vendor sample observed recently updated citations.

Output a decay report:

```
## Content Decay Report
| Post | Material Change Evidence | Performance Context | Priority | Action |
|------|--------------------------|---------------------|----------|--------|
| [slug] | [changed fact/source/intent] | [surface and comparison] | Critical | Correct material error |
| [slug] | [documented change] | [sustained trend] | High | Schedule substantive review |
| [slug] | [no confirmed change] | [stable/unclear] | Low | Monitor |
```

Priority levels:
- **Critical**: Materially wrong or harmful information needs correction
- **High**: Confirmed fact, source, product, or intent change affects usefulness
- **Medium**: Sustained performance change warrants investigation
- **Low**: No material change; monitor without editing the date

### Step 3: Freshness Update Schedule

Plan review triggers around the topic:
- **Fast-changing topics**: Review when the governing facts or official sources change
- **Seasonal topics**: Review before the relevant season using current evidence
- **Product or pricing content**: Review after documented product changes
- **Evergreen topics**: Review when evidence, intent, or performance indicates a need

Change `lastUpdated` only after substantive content changes.

### Step 4: Seasonal & Trending Hooks

Research seasonal opportunities:
1. **Industry events**: Conferences, product launches, algorithm updates
2. **Seasonal trends**: Use Google Trends UI, API, or exported data when available; if relying on WebSearch only, mark trend timing as unverified
3. **Annual reports**: When do major studies release new data?
4. **Algorithm updates**: Validate the current Google update timeline against the Google Search Status Dashboard before scheduling update content. Do not rely on a static list.

#### Seasonal Trends Integration

- Map seasonal peaks to content production schedule
- Plan content 4-6 weeks before seasonal peaks for indexing lead time
- Create "evergreen with seasonal hook" content (e.g., "X Guide [Year]" updated annually)
- Track industry report release cycles:
  - Ahrefs Annual State of SEO (typically Q1)
  - Google Year in Search (December)
  - HubSpot State of Marketing (Q1)
  - Gartner Hype Cycle (August)
  - Major conference dates in the niche
- Use WebSearch to validate timing of trends before scheduling

### Step 5: Generate the Calendar

#### Content Mix Formula

Start from this planning heuristic, then adjust for decay risk, authority gaps,
team capacity, and available source material:
**60% new content / 30% freshness updates / 10% repurposed content**

| Cadence | Monthly Posts | New | Refreshes | Repurposed |
|---------|-------------|-----|-----------|------------|
| 2 posts/week | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 posts/week | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 |
| 4 posts/week | 16 | 10 | 5 | 1 |
| 1 post/week | 4 | 2-3 | 1 | 0-1 |

Within new posts, aim for content type diversity:
- **Guides/How-tos**: 30-40% of new content
- **Comparisons/Alternatives**: 15-20%
- **Listicles/Roundups**: 15-20%
- **Case studies/Data research**: 10-15%
- **Thought leadership/News analysis**: 10-15%

#### Template Integration

For each new post entry, recommend a content template from these 12 available:
`how-to-guide`, `listicle`, `case-study`, `comparison`, `pillar-page`,
`product-review`, `thought-leadership`, `roundup`, `tutorial`,
`news-analysis`, `data-research`, `faq-knowledge`

Reference: `skills/blog/references/content-templates.md` for full template details.

#### Monthly Calendar Format

```
# Editorial Calendar: [Month Year]

## Publish