Free AI skill + interactive checklist7 steps, updated for 2026
Tick it off here, or install it as an AI skill your assistant runs for you. The classic blog post checklist, rebuilt for how people write in 2026, including a step for getting cited by AI answer engines, not just ranked.
00The system
A content writing checklist is a repeatable set of steps that takes a piece from brief to published. This one covers seven: plan the brief, write a strong headline and hook, structure for skimmers and machines, add real substance, optimize for SEO, optimize for AI answer engines, then edit and ship. Each step maps to a place inside StoryChief.
Add it to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT, Windsurf, or Gemini, and your assistant walks you through all seven steps, drafting, structuring, and optimizing the piece with you as you write.
Want it to write against your real brief and brand voice, not a blank chat? Meet the StoryChief AI Marketing Agent.
Install in seconds
.zip.Works in any agent that supports skills. MIT licensed, yours to adapt.
01–07The checklist
Work top to bottom. Tick each item as you go; your progress saves in this browser so you can come back to it.
Your progress0 of 28 done
01Plan
Great writing starts as a clear brief, not a blank page. Decide who the piece is for, the exact question it answers, and the angle that makes it worth reading before you draft.
StoryChief briefs carry the focus keyword, audience, intent, and outline straight into the editor, so the draft starts aligned instead of guessing.
See briefs02Hook
You have one line to win the click and one paragraph to keep it. Lead with the promise, then answer the core question immediately so readers and AI engines both get value up front.
William, the built-in AI assistant, drafts headlines, intros, and continuations from your brief and brand voice, so you start from a strong line instead of a cursor blinking.
See the editor03Structure
Most readers scan, and AI engines extract. Both reward the same thing: a clear hierarchy where every section stands on its own and answers one question.
The readability and structure score flags long paragraphs, missing subheadings, and passive voice as you write, with one-click ways to fix them.
See the editor04Substance
Anyone can generate filler now, so depth is the differentiator. Bring a point of view, original evidence, and named sources that prove you know the topic first-hand.
The AI Marketing Agent writes from your brand voice, company intelligence, and live research, so drafts carry your point of view rather than generic boilerplate.
Meet the agent05SEO
On-page SEO is still how most readers find you. Place your keyword where it counts, tighten the metadata, and link the piece into the rest of your site.
The Optimize for GEO & SEO sidebar scores keyword placement, metadata, links, and images in real time, with a live search preview as you edit.
See SEO scoring06GEO
More readers now meet your brand inside ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews than on a blue link. Generative engine optimization (GEO) is writing so those engines can quote you, not just rank you.
StoryChief checks AI visibility as you write, scoring snippet extractability, content freshness, and outbound citations so your content is built to be quoted.
See AI visibility07Polish
The first draft is for you, the edit is for the reader. Cut what does not earn its place, verify every claim, and tell the reader exactly what to do next.
Readability checks, the Fix spelling command, and a built-in plagiarism scan catch the issues a tired writer misses, all inside the same editor.
See the editorGEONew in 2026
Generative engine optimization (GEO) is the new pain point for writers. Readers increasingly get their answer inside ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews without ever clicking. These four moves make your writing easy for those engines to quote.
AI engines extract the opening of a section almost wholesale. Put a direct 40 to 60 word answer right after each heading, then add the nuance, so the quotable part comes first.
Pages with FAQ schema are cited far more often in AI answers than pages without. Keep it to 5 to 8 questions in real searcher language, with self-contained 50 to 150 word answers.
Back claims with a linked statistic roughly every 150 to 200 words, and attribute expert points to a named person. Sourced, specific writing is the writing engines trust enough to quote.
Update key facts and the published date on a regular cadence, and favor lists and comparison tables for evaluative points. Fresh, structured passages are the easiest for engines to lift.
StoryChief scores these signals as you write. See how AI visibility works.
Stop switching between a doc, an SEO plugin, a GEO checker, and a publishing tool. StoryChief brings briefs, an AI editor, SEO and GEO scoring, and multi-channel publishing into one place.
“Since we started using StoryChief, we have seen an increase in traffic, and we can easily see which blogs are catching on, and how we can best continue working.”
Sofie TernestFounder, So YesJoin 1,000+ teams and agencies who plan, create, and distribute with StoryChief. Full control, every step. Get started in minutes.