# SEO Article Production Workflow

> Rank-focused article production driven off a keyword calendar

| | |
|---|---|
| **Category** | SEO |
| **Type** | Multi Tool |
| **Difficulty** | Intermediate |
| **Automation** | Semi-automated |
| **Runtime** | ~2h |
| **Est. cost** | $4.1 |
| **Version** | 1.0.0 |

## Purpose

Production-line SEO content. Where the content marketing workflow starts from a topic, this one starts from a keyword row in a spreadsheet and runs on a schedule — which is what you need once you are publishing at volume.

Every run produces an article plus the SERP analysis showing why it is structured the way it is, so an editor can challenge the reasoning rather than just the prose.

## Problems solved

- Keyword research and content production live in separate tools and separate heads
- No audit trail for why an article was structured a given way
- Volume publishing degrades quality without a fixed process
- Refresh decisions are made on gut feel

## Benefits

- Runs on a schedule — output becomes a forecast, not a hope
- Every article carries the SERP reasoning behind its structure
- Cost per article is known before you commit
- Refresh candidates surface automatically

## Limitations

- Needs a paid SEO data source to be worth running
- Quality still gated by human review — this increases throughput, not autonomy
- Works poorly where the SERP rewards original research
- A core update can invalidate the structural assumptions overnight

## Success metrics

- Articles published per week
- Median position at 90 days
- Cost per article including tool spend
- Percentage of drafts accepted without restructuring

## Prerequisites

- **Api key** — LLM API key
- **Account** — SEO data provider
- **Account** — Google Sheets
- **Account** — Automation platform

## AI tools used

- **ChatGPT**
- **Claude**

## Steps

### 1. Pull the next keyword from the calendar

The scheduled trigger reads the next unprocessed row: keyword, target slug, intent and owner.

- _Tool:_ Google Sheets
- _Time:_ 2 min

### 2. SERP analysis

Fetch the current top ten and extract their structure, word count, entities covered and content format.

- _Tool:_ Semrush
- _Time:_ 12 min

> ⚠️ If the top ten are dominated by a format you cannot produce, stop and reassign the keyword

### 3. Entity and gap extraction

Identify the entities every ranking page mentions, and the ones only some cover — the second list is the opportunity.

- _Model:_ GPT-4o
- _Time:_ 10 min

```text
From these top-ranking pages for "{{keyword}}", extract:

1. Entities mentioned by ALL of them (mandatory coverage)
2. Entities mentioned by SOME (differentiation opportunities)
3. Entities mentioned by NONE that a domain expert would expect

Pages:
{{page_contents}}

Return three lists. Be concrete — name the entity, not the theme.
```

### 4. Structured outline

Build the outline to cover every mandatory entity and at least three differentiators.

- _Model:_ Claude Sonnet
- _Time:_ 8 min

### 5. Draft and optimise

Draft section by section, then run the optimisation pass for keyword placement and readability.

- _Model:_ Claude Sonnet
- _Time:_ 25 min

### 6. Editorial review

The assigned editor verifies claims, challenges the structure against the SERP analysis, and approves or returns it.

- _Time:_ 45 min

> ⚠️ Every factual claim needs a source check before publication

### 7. Queue for publication

Approved drafts land in the CMS as scheduled posts and the calendar row is marked done.

- _Tool:_ WordPress
- _Time:_ 3 min

### 8. Performance review at 90 days

Compare actual position against the forecast and flag refresh candidates back into the calendar.

- _Tool:_ Google Search Console
- _Time:_ 15 min

## FAQ

**How is this different from the Content Marketing workflow?**

That one starts from a topic and runs on demand. This starts from a keyword calendar and runs on a schedule — built for volume and forecastability rather than one-off pieces.

**What happens when Google ships a core update?**

Re-run step 2 on your main keywords. The SERP structure report is what tells you whether the format that used to rank still does.

**Can this run fully unattended?**

The production side can. Publication should not — the editorial review exists because a confident, wrong article published under your domain costs more than the time it saves.

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_Exported from AIToolsay — https://invitationbuddy.com/workflows/seo-article-production-workflow_