Use this when
blog strategy, content strategy, content pillars, blog positioning, what should I blog about, topic ideation.
Process
Clarify the business, audience, current blog state, top 3-5 competitors, and what genuine expertise, data, or experience the business can draw on.
Design 3-5 content pillars. For each, build the full hub-and-spoke structure: one pillar page (3,000-4,000 words) plus 8-12 spoke topics (1,500-2,500 words each), every spoke assigned one of the 12 content templates (how-to guide, listicle, case study, comparison, pillar page, product review, thought leadership, roundup, tutorial, news analysis, data research, FAQ knowledge base) and a target keyword. Plan internal linking so every spoke links to its pillar and to related spokes, and the pillar links to every spoke.
Map competitive AI citation gaps: for each target query, note whether competitors are cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews (High/Medium/Low/None per platform, checked independently since overlap varies by platform). Queries where no competitor is cited are the highest-opportunity targets.
Identify a genuine differentiation angle: original data or surveys, documented case studies with real metrics, transparent build-in-public process notes, expert interviews, hands-on tool reviews, or unique analysis of public data. Never claim expertise, data, or first-hand experience the business does not actually have.
Set the content quality bar every post must clear (recommend 80 or higher on the quality-review rubric) and the schema baseline (Article/BlogPosting + Person + Organization + BreadcrumbList; add Review, Product, or Event only when the content genuinely has them). Plan a distribution channel mix (YouTube, Reddit, review platforms, industry publications) sized to audience relevance, not to a promised ranking or citation effect.
Close with a 90-day roadmap: Month 1 foundation (first pillar + spokes, measurement setup, competitive AI citation audit), Month 2 expansion (second pillar, first freshness cycle, distribution start), Month 3 optimization (audit all posts, fix lowest scorers, third pillar, review AI citation metrics).