Opening hook in the first 2 sentences (not a "in today's digital landscape" intro)
Main argument or answer within the first 150 words
Clear H2/H3 hierarchy matching the SERP analysis for the target keyword
Every section delivers on its header (no buried content or topic drift)
Transitions between sections feel natural, not templated
Conclusion summarizes without restating the intro word-for-word
Target keyword in H1, opening paragraph, and at least 2 H2s
Secondary keywords distributed naturally (not stuffed)
Meta title 50-60 characters, includes target keyword, compelling
Meta description 140-160 characters, includes CTA
URL slug is short, keyword-focused, no stop words
3-5 internal links to related articles on the same pillar
1-3 outbound links to high-authority sources (skip low-quality backlinks)
Schema markup applied (Article, FAQ, HowTo where relevant)
No AI tells: "delve into," "in the realm of," "it's important to note," "landscape"
Sentence variety: mix of short, medium, long. No paragraph with identical rhythm.
Active voice dominant (less than 10% passive)
Reading level matches the client's audience (Flesch 50-70 for general, 30-50 for technical)
Voice matches the client's documented brand guide (formality, vocabulary, hedging)
No unnecessary hedging ("might be," "could potentially," "some experts suggest")
Contractions used naturally (if brand voice allows)
Every stat has a source verified within last 24 months
No hallucinated names, products, studies, or URLs
Claims about the client's product/service verified with the client
Industry-specific terminology used correctly (no generic-sounding domain language)
Citations and outbound links resolve correctly (no 404s)
Featured image present, properly sized, relevant to the content
2-4 body images with alt text, captions where useful
Paragraph breaks every 2-4 sentences (no walls of text)
Bulleted or numbered lists used where scannability helps