Candidate Selection
Inputs
Current Ahrefs evidence packet; content inventory; product truth; current site authority; country; existing-URL/cannibalization check.
Method
- Reject incomplete, conflicting, or stale evidence. Broad research may be 30 days old; the selected overview and SERP packet must be within 14 days.
- Establish traffic potential from parent topic and top-page footprint, not one keyword’s volume.
- Classify intent from actual SERP page types and reader job.
- Score Business Value: 3 natural direct customer path; 2 meaningful product help; 1 support/nurture; 0 no credible path.
- Assess link reality using difficulty, top-ten referring domains, weak-link winners, site ceiling, internal links, and the promotion/linkable-asset plan.
- Test AI-overview risk: a topic fails when the answer removes any differentiated reason to click.
- Test cannibalization against existing pages. Prefer the canonical page or a relaunch when appropriate.
- Name weak ranking URLs, their weakness, and the exact counter-asset.
- Declare the Article Promise: reader job, portfolio role, uniqueness asset, authority source, conversion path, and internal-link/promotion plan.
Decisions
GO: all evidence is present, Business Value is at least 2, intent and link reality fit, and the Article Promise is specific.KILL: no fit, no click reason, no realistic link plan, unresolved cannibalization, or cosmetic uniqueness.DATA_REQUIRED: identify the exact report, country, fields, filters, freshness, and accepted attachment format.
Output
Candidate brief with evidence citations, the Course Formula (Business Value × Traffic Potential ÷ max(1, Estimated Links Needed)), vulnerability verdict, and decision.
1---2name: candidate-selection3description: Select one publishable SEO opportunity from verified Ahrefs evidence.4---56# Candidate Selection78## Inputs910Current Ahrefs evidence packet; content inventory; product truth; current site authority; country; existing-URL/cannibalization check.1112## Method13141. Reject incomplete, conflicting, or stale evidence. Broad research may be 30 days old; the selected overview and SERP packet must be within 14 days.152. Establish traffic potential from parent topic and top-page footprint, not one keyword’s volume.163. Classify intent from actual SERP page types and reader job.174. Score Business Value: 3 natural direct customer path; 2 meaningful product help; 1 support/nurture; 0 no credible path.185. Assess link reality using difficulty, top-ten referring domains, weak-link winners, site ceiling, internal links, and the promotion/linkable-asset plan.196. Test AI-overview risk: a topic fails when the answer removes any differentiated reason to click.207. Test cannibalization against existing pages. Prefer the canonical page or a relaunch when appropriate.218. Name weak ranking URLs, their weakness, and the exact counter-asset.229. Declare the Article Promise: reader job, portfolio role, uniqueness asset, authority source, conversion path, and internal-link/promotion plan.2324## Decisions2526- `GO`: all evidence is present, Business Value is at least 2, intent and link reality fit, and the Article Promise is specific.27- `KILL`: no fit, no click reason, no realistic link plan, unresolved cannibalization, or cosmetic uniqueness.28- `DATA_REQUIRED`: identify the exact report, country, fields, filters, freshness, and accepted attachment format.2930## Output3132Candidate brief with evidence citations, the Course Formula (`Business Value × Traffic Potential ÷ max(1, Estimated Links Needed)`), vulnerability verdict, and decision.33
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