# Article Audit > Audits an article against voice, SEO/GEO, section architecture, citation, and pillar criteria, returning per-criterion scores and a prioritized revision list. - Skill: `joshuashepherd/article-audit` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add joshuashepherd/article-audit` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/joshuashepherd/article-audit/raw - Safety review: PASS (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth, Content Marketing, SEO - Tags: Article Audit, Citation Check, Content Quality, Geo, Pillar Alignment, Seo, Voice Fidelity - Author: JoshuaShepherd (https://skillmd.com/u/joshuashepherd) - Updated: 2026-08-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/joshuashepherd/article-audit --- Audit this article: $ARGUMENTS $ARGUMENTS should be either: (a) a file path to an existing article markdown file, or (b) the article content pasted directly. If neither, ask the user to provide the article. --- ## What This Audit Covers Six audit dimensions, each scored independently: 1. **Voice Fidelity** -- Author's voice markers scored 0.0-1.0 each + failure mode check 2. **Section Architecture** -- mandatory sections present, word counts in range, order correct 3. **SEO Requirements** -- keyword placement, H structure, meta fields, URL slug, internal links 4. **GEO Requirements** -- definition anchor quality, entity disambiguation, citation quality, FAQ presence 5. **Source Citation** -- passages grounded in the author's actual source material, citations formatted correctly, no invented quotes 6. **Pillar & Funnel Alignment** -- pillar assignment correct, CTA present and linked, no orphan content --- ## Dimension 1: Voice Fidelity Read {{VOICE_GUIDE}} for the author's defined voice markers, weights, and targets. Score each marker 0.0-1.0 based on presence, density, and authenticity. For each voice marker defined in the guide: - Score it against the defined target threshold - Quote the specific passages that carry (or fail to carry) this marker - Note the weight assigned to this marker ### Overall Voice Coherence Score Calculate the weighted average using the weights from {{VOICE_GUIDE}}. **Target: defined in {{VOICE_GUIDE}} (typically >=0.75).** Below the target, the article should not publish before revision. ### Failure Mode Check Read the failure modes from {{VOICE_GUIDE}} and flag any that appear. Common failure modes include: - [ ] **Off-brand vocabulary** -- words or phrases specifically flagged in the voice guide - [ ] **Wrong register** -- tone doesn't match the author's characteristic voice - [ ] **Rushing to practice** -- application appears before depth and meaning are established (before the 60% mark) - [ ] **Missing first-person narrative** -- no "I've seen...", "Let me walk you through...", "My experience..." - [ ] **Generic motivational language** -- "You've got this!" "Believe in yourself!" "Start your journey today!" - [ ] **Structural anti-patterns** -- any rhetorical patterns flagged as prohibited in the voice guide --- ## Dimension 2: Section Architecture Check that all mandatory sections are present, in the correct order, and within word count range. | Section | Required | Word Count Target | Check | |---------|----------|-------------------|-------| | Opening hook (no heading) | Yes | 150-250 | Present? Starts with question/reframe (not a quote)? Keyword in first 100 words? | | **H2: What Is [Term]?** | Yes | 200-350 | Present? Definitional? GEO-ready? | | **H2: Stakes/Problem** | Yes | 250-400 | Present? Diagnosis + historical parallel? | | **H2: Core Teaching x 2-4** | Yes | 600-1,200 total | Present? Multiple H3s? H2s as questions? Sources cited? | | **H2: Common Misunderstandings** | Yes | 300-500 | Present? 2-3 H3s? Dissolution not just negation? | | **H2: Foundational Evidence** | Yes (may merge) | 200-350 | Evidence woven? Not used as proof-text? | | **H2: What This Means in Practice** | Yes | 250-400 | Present? Prose not steps? Application earned? | | **H2: How This Connects** | Tier 1 required, others optional | 150-250 | Present (Tier 1)? Internal links? | | CTA / Formation Invitation | Yes | 100-200 | Present? One CTA? Strong close? | | FAQ | Optional but recommended | 200-400 | Present? 3-5 Q&As? Complete standalone answers? | **Total word count check:** - Tier 1: 3,500-4,500 -- flag if outside range - Tier 2: 2,200-3,200 -- flag if outside range - Tier 3: 1,500-2,200 -- flag if outside range **Order check:** Sections must follow the sequence above. Application (Section 7) must come after Core Teaching (Section 4). Flag if not. --- ## Dimension 3: SEO Requirements Score pass/fail for each item: **H Structure:** - [ ] Primary keyword in H1 (article title) - [ ] Primary keyword appears within first 100 words of body - [ ] Primary keyword in at least one H2 - [ ] H2s mirror real search queries ("What Is X?", "How Does X Work?", "Why Does X Matter?") - [ ] H3s are genuine sub-points, not just continuations **Keyword distribution:** - [ ] Primary keyword: natural density, not stuffed (flag if appears more than once every 100 words) - [ ] 3-5 semantic variants present in body - [ ] GEO disambiguation phrase present: "{{AUTHOR_NAME}} [concept]" or "{{AUTHOR_NAME}} developed..." **Meta fields (check if present in frontmatter):** - [ ] `meta_title` -- 50-60 characters, leads with keyword, ends with `-- {{AUTHOR_NAME}}` - [ ] `meta_description` -- 140-160 characters, includes keyword, contains question or tension - [ ] `slug` -- short, keyword-anchored, lowercase, hyphens, no stop words **Internal links:** - [ ] Minimum 3 internal links (to related articles, pathways, or courses) - [ ] Maximum 8 internal links - [ ] Anchor text is natural and descriptive (not "click here" or "read more") --- ## Dimension 4: GEO Requirements Score pass/fail: **Definition Anchor (Section 2):** - [ ] Clean opening definition sentence (20-30 words, complete, crisp) - [ ] Self-contained -- a reader can understand the concept from this section alone - [ ] Entity disambiguation: attributes the concept to {{AUTHOR_NAME}} explicitly - [ ] Does not open with "According to {{AUTHOR_NAME}}..." (too academic) -- embed the attribution naturally **Factual specificity:** - [ ] Historical examples include specific numbers, dates, or locations (not vague) - [ ] Framework components are named precisely (not generalized) **First-person authoritative statements:** - [ ] At least 2 first-person passages (increases GEO citation rate) - [ ] Statements are grounded in known biographical facts or source material (not invented) **Citation quality:** - [ ] Sources cited in correct format: `*Source Title* -- [Section Reference]` - [ ] No invented quotes or paraphrases without attribution - [ ] Direct quotes are verbatim from source material (not close paraphrases presented as quotes) **FAQ:** - [ ] FAQ section present (optional but recommended -- flag if absent) - [ ] Each Q&A is complete and self-contained - [ ] Questions reflect real search phrasing --- ## Dimension 5: Source Citation - [ ] Article draws on the author's actual source material, not general knowledge alone - [ ] At minimum 1-2 direct citations from {{CONTENT_CORPUS}} (blockquotes or close-referenced paraphrases) - [ ] Citations use the correct format - [ ] No invented quotes (flag any author-attributed statement not verifiable in source material) - [ ] Sources cited are appropriate to the pillar If the article cites the author without a source reference, flag each instance for verification. --- ## Dimension 6: Pillar and Funnel Alignment - [ ] Article is clearly assigned to one of the defined pillars - [ ] Topic fits the pillar assignment (not cross-pillar confusion) - [ ] One primary CTA present, linking to a pathway or course - [ ] CTA is appropriate to the pillar (not a random cross-sell) - [ ] No orphan content -- the article connects to something deeper in the funnel - [ ] If Tier 2/3: link to the Tier 1 pillar page is present --- ## Audit Output Format Return the audit as: --- # Article Audit: [Article Title or File Path] **Overall Readiness:** [PUBLISH READY / NEEDS REVISION / MAJOR REVISION REQUIRED] **Word Count:** [actual] / [target range] **Tier:** [1/2/3] -- **Pillar:** [name] --- ## Voice Fidelity Scores | Marker | Score | Target | Status | |--------|-------|--------|--------| | [Voice Marker 1] | 0.X | [target] | PASS / FAIL | | [Voice Marker 2] | 0.X | [target] | PASS / FAIL | | [etc.] | | | | | **Overall Coherence** | **0.X** | **[target]** | **PASS / FAIL** | **Failure modes found:** - [List specific failures with quoted passages] --- ## Section Architecture | Section | Present | Word Count | Status | Notes | |---------|---------|------------|--------|-------| | Opening hook | Y/N | [N] | PASS/FAIL | | | What Is [Term]? | Y/N | [N] | PASS/FAIL | | | [etc.] | | | | | --- ## SEO Score: [X]/[total checks] passing **Failures:** - [specific items failing, with what's needed to fix] --- ## GEO Score: [X]/[total checks] passing **Failures:** - [specific items failing] --- ## Source Citation: [GROUNDED / WEAK / UNVERIFIED] **Issues:** - [specific unattributed or suspect passages] --- ## Pillar & Funnel: [ALIGNED / MISALIGNED] **Issues:** - [specific alignment problems] --- ## Priority Revision List Rank issues by impact (fix these first): 1. **[CRITICAL]** [Issue] -- [What to do to fix it] 2. **[HIGH]** [Issue] -- [Fix] 3. **[MEDIUM]** [Issue] -- [Fix] 4. **[LOW]** [Issue] -- [Fix] --- ## Publish Decision **[PUBLISH READY]** -- All dimensions pass. Ready to go. **[NEEDS REVISION]** -- Minor issues. Fix the Priority Revision List items, then publish. **[MAJOR REVISION REQUIRED]** -- Voice coherence below target, or multiple mandatory sections missing, or source citations unverifiable. Significant rewrite needed before this article should go live.