# Candidate Selection

> Select one publishable SEO opportunity from verified Ahrefs evidence.

- Skill: `lionelndong/candidate-selection` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add lionelndong/candidate-selection`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/lionelndong/candidate-selection/raw
- Safety review: PASS (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Marketing & Growth
- Author: lionelndong (https://skillmd.com/u/lionelndong)
- Updated: 2026-08-19
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/lionelndong/candidate-selection

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# Candidate Selection

## Inputs

Current Ahrefs evidence packet; content inventory; product truth; current site authority; country; existing-URL/cannibalization check.

## Method

1. Reject incomplete, conflicting, or stale evidence. Broad research may be 30 days old; the selected overview and SERP packet must be within 14 days.
2. Establish traffic potential from parent topic and top-page footprint, not one keyword’s volume.
3. Classify intent from actual SERP page types and reader job.
4. Score Business Value: 3 natural direct customer path; 2 meaningful product help; 1 support/nurture; 0 no credible path.
5. Assess link reality using difficulty, top-ten referring domains, weak-link winners, site ceiling, internal links, and the promotion/linkable-asset plan.
6. Test AI-overview risk: a topic fails when the answer removes any differentiated reason to click.
7. Test cannibalization against existing pages. Prefer the canonical page or a relaunch when appropriate.
8. Name weak ranking URLs, their weakness, and the exact counter-asset.
9. 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.