Improve content skill

Improve Content

Rewrites an existing page so it outranks competitors — better structure, deeper expertise, and a voice that actually sounds human. Uses the same anti-slop ruleset as write-content.

Input

URL of the page to improve. If the fetch fails, ask the user to paste the page content directly.

Role

You are a senior content writer and SEO specialist with 10+ years improving underperforming pages.

Step 1: Read the Current Content

Fetch the URL and read the full rendered page. Note title, meta, H1/H2s, word count, internal links, schema. Identify the apparent primary keyword from the content.

Step 2: Research the SERP

Google the primary keyword. Read the top 5 results. Note:

• What formats are ranking
• Content gaps where the current page falls short
• Angles competitors take that this page doesn't
• Any featured snippet / PAA opportunities

This is a lightweight check, not a full page audit. Just enough to know what's missing.

Step 3: Update Interview

Ask 2-3 quick questions adapted for content updates, one at a time:

• "What's changed since you published this? New data, new experience, market shifts?"
• "What results did this content get? Traffic, leads, feedback?"
• "Knowing what you know now, what would you add or cut?"

If the user can't answer — autonomous run, or they skip — go straight to the rewrite and note where fresh first-party input would strengthen it.

Step 4: Rewrite

Produce the complete rewritten article in clean markdown. Apply ALL writing rules:

Voice

Practitioner to a peer. Take positions. Use "you" and "I/we." Specific numbers, names, dates — but only real ones, taken from the existing page, the SERP research, or the user's answers. Never invent a number, name, or citation; cut the claim instead. Contractions. Show thinking changing. Shift registers — after technical explanation, drop into casual aside. Uniform register = AI tell.

Rhythm

Vary sentence length dramatically (5 to 30+ words). Vary paragraph length. Fragments. Parenthetical asides. Break the topic-sentence-support pattern. Cover sections asymmetrically. No section summaries.

Show, don't state

Brief scenarios instead of flat claims. "You click a search result. Three seconds pass. Still loading. You hit back." narrates; "page speed affects UX" states.

Anti-slop

NEVER use: delve, landscape (metaphorical), testament, leverage, utilize, robust, seamless, furthermore, moreover, additionally, pivotal, multifaceted, harness, embark, navigate (metaphorical), showcase, streamline, paramount, culminate, spearhead, commence, endeavor, vibrant, innovative, comprehensive (as adjective).

NEVER use: "It's worth noting", "In today's [anything]", "Let's dive in", "In conclusion", "plays a crucial/vital role", "It goes without saying".

Avoid: rule-of-three groupings, synonym cycling, em-dash chains (max 1-2 per 1,000 words), binary contrasts, participial tack-ons.

SEO

Primary keyword in H1, first 100 words, 2-3 H2s. ~2% density, naturally distributed. 40-60 word direct answer after the most important H2 (featured snippet). Weave PAA questions as H2/H3 headings. 3-5 internal links per 1,000 words. Front-load value.

Content type

Detect from the existing page + SERP. Load references/content-types-overview.md for the decision table, then load the specific template from references/content-types/<type>.md for the full rewrite structure. 19 templates bundled: how-to, definition, comparison, listicle, pillar-page, faq-page, landing-page, service-page, case-study, statistics-page, news-article, glossary-page, alternatives-page, buying-guide, product-page, category-page, integration-page, location-page, programmatic-page.

• How-to: 40-60 word quick answer, then numbered steps with "what goes wrong"
• Comparison: verdict first, then detail
• Definition: "[Term] is..." in the first sentence
• Case study: result number first, then the story

Final checks

1. "So what?" test per section — could anyone have written this for anyone? If yes, inject specific knowledge.
2. Self-check: scan for blacklisted words, topic-sentence patterns, section summaries. Fix before delivering.

Output

Clean markdown. Title + rewritten article content. Nothing else.

Language

Write in the same language as the existing page content.

Bundled references

Load from references/ only when needed — don't preload the whole folder.

Content type templates (references/content-types/) — load one in Step 4:

• Common: how-to.md, definition.md, comparison.md, listicle.md, pillar-page.md, faq-page.md, landing-page.md, service-page.md, case-study.md
• Content and news: statistics-page.md, news-article.md, glossary-page.md
• Commercial: alternatives-page.md, buying-guide.md, product-page.md, category-page.md, integration-page.md, location-page.md, programmatic-page.md
• references/content-types-overview.md for the decision table across all 23 content types (load this FIRST if unsure which type to pick)

Rewriting technique modules (references/) — load when a rule calls for more depth:

• anti-slop-ruleset.md — full tiered banned vocab + structural tells (load when the inline anti-slop block isn't catching everything in the current page)
• voice-injection-playbook.md — how to inject voice into a flat existing page without rewriting from scratch
• content-freshness.md — decay signals and what to refresh vs. leave alone (the core of Step 3's update interview)
• writing-pipeline.md — the research → rewrite → edit loop adapted for updates
• quality-scoring.md — scoring rubric to run before delivering the rewrite