---
name: blog-article
description: Write standard blog posts (2100+ words) for gauravtiwari.org with proper voice and formatting.
---

# Skill: Blog Article

Standard blog posts for gauravtiwari.org. Use for informational, educational, and opinion content.

## Specifications

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Default length | 2100+ words |
| Paragraphs | 3-6 sentences (1-2 for emphasis) |
| Readability | 8th grade |
| Format | WordPress Gutenberg Markdown |
| FAQs | Required (ACF Accordion) |

## Article Structure

```markdown
[Strong Opening - 2-3 paragraphs, no throat clearing]

## H2 Section Title

[Intro paragraph before any H3s]

[Content paragraphs]

### H3 Subsection (if needed)

[More content]

## Another H2 Section

[Continue pattern]

## Frequently Asked Questions

[ACF Accordion block with 5-8 FAQs]

[Closing - clear next action, no fluff]
```

## Opening Rules

### Never Start With:
- "In today's..."
- "Have you ever wondered..."
- "If you're like most..."
- "In this article, we will..."
- "[Topic] is important because..."

### Good Opening Patterns:

**The direct statement:**
> WordPress caching is confusing. I'll make it simple.

**The hook with stakes:**
> Your site is losing visitors every second it takes to load. Here's exactly how to fix it.

**The contrarian take:**
> Most WordPress speed guides are wrong. They focus on plugins when the real problem is your hosting.

**The personal experience:**
> I spent $3,000 on premium hosting before realizing a $5/month VPS could outperform it.

**The uncomfortable truth:**
> Here's the uncomfortable truth. Most businesses don't fail because the idea was bad. They fail because income stopped flowing.

## Content Rules

### Be Specific

**Bad:** "You should optimize your images."
**Good:** "Compress images with ShortPixel. Target under 100KB for blog images. Use WebP. This alone can cut 2-3 seconds off load time."

### Include Numbers

**Bad:** "This significantly improved my site speed."
**Good:** "Load time dropped from 3.2 seconds to 0.8 seconds. PageSpeed went from 45 to 94."

### Take Clear Stances

**Bad:** "Both WP Rocket and FlyingPress are good options."
**Good:** "I use FlyingPress on my own sites. It's faster than WP Rocket in my tests. The setup takes longer, but the results are worth it."

### Acknowledge Tradeoffs

> FlyingPress is my current favorite. It's faster than WP Rocket and the interface is cleaner. The downside: smaller community, fewer tutorials online, and if you need hand-holding support, WP Rocket's documentation is better.

## Conversational Texture

Apply the conversational texture guidelines from `voice-dna.md`. Every blog post should include ellipses (...), connectors (well, look, OK, honestly), casual asides, and rhetorical question pivots. Target ~16-24 informal touches per article. See `./context/voice-dna.md` > "Conversational Texture" for the full reference and frequency guide.

## Formatting

### Paragraphs
- 3-6 sentences standard
- 1-2 sentences for emphasis
- Never more than 6 sentences
- Blank line between paragraphs

### Headings
- H2 for main sections
- H3 for subsections only
- Never H3 immediately after H2
- Always intro paragraph after H2

### Lists
- Default to prose
- Lists only for: steps, comparisons, quick reference
- Substantive items (not one-word bullets)
- Blank line before list

**Bad list:**
- Fast
- Reliable
- Affordable

**Good list:**
- Loads pages in under 1 second on budget hosting
- 99.9% uptime over 3 years based on monitoring
- $49/year with no upsells for essential features

### No Em-Dashes

**Bad:** "The plugin—which I've used for three years—works perfectly."
**Good:** "The plugin works perfectly. I've used it for three years."

## Internal Linking

Include 3-5 internal links per article:

```markdown
If you're setting up a new blog, check out my guide on [starting a WordPress blog](https://gauravtiwari.org/start-a-blog/).
```

**Placement:**
- Natural within paragraphs
- Relevant to current section
- Not clustered together

## Affiliate Links

Check `/knowledge/affiliate-products.md` for available links.

**Format:**
```markdown
I recommend [FlyingPress](https://gauravtiwari.org/go/flyingpress/) for caching.
```

**Rules:**
- Only when genuinely best option
- One recommendation per category
- Natural paragraph placement
- Disclose affiliate relationship if required

## FAQ Block

Required for all articles. 5-8 questions minimum.

### Question Types:
1. Common reader questions
2. Clarifications on complex points
3. Alternative scenarios
4. Comparison questions
5. "What if" questions

### Format:

```html
<!-- wp:acf/accordion {"name":"acf/accordion","data":{"acf_accord_enable_faq_schema":"1","_acf_accord_enable_faq_schema":"field_acf_accord_enable_faq_schema","acf_accord_groups":"3","_acf_accord_groups":"field_acf_accord_groups","acf_accord_groups_0_acf_accord_group_title":"What is the best caching plugin for WordPress?","_acf_accord_groups_0_acf_accord_group_title":"field_acf_accord_group_title","acf_accord_groups_0_acf_accord_group_content":"<p>FlyingPress is the best for speed. WP Rocket is best for ease of use. LiteSpeed Cache is best if you're on LiteSpeed servers.</p>","_acf_accord_groups_0_acf_accord_group_content":"field_acf_accord_group_content","acf_accord_groups_1_acf_accord_group_title":"Is free caching enough?","_acf_accord_groups_1_acf_accord_group_title":"field_acf_accord_group_title","acf_accord_groups_1_acf_accord_group_content":"<p>For small sites with light traffic, yes. LiteSpeed Cache and WP Super Cache work fine. But once you hit 10,000+ monthly visitors, premium plugins like FlyingPress or WP Rocket make a noticeable difference.</p>","_acf_accord_groups_1_acf_accord_group_content":"field_acf_accord_group_content","acf_accord_groups_2_acf_accord_group_title":"Do I need a CDN with a caching plugin?","_acf_accord_groups_2_acf_accord_group_title":"field_acf_accord_group_title","acf_accord_groups_2_acf_accord_group_content":"<p>Yes. Caching handles server-side optimization. CDN handles delivery. Use Cloudflare (free) or Bunny CDN ($1/month for most sites) alongside your caching plugin.</p>","_acf_accord_groups_2_acf_accord_group_content":"field_acf_accord_group_content"},"mode":"preview"} /-->
```

**Rules:**
- Single line, no breaks
- Set group count as string
- Index from 0
- Wrap answers in `<p>` tags
- Include all underscore-prefixed field keys

## Closing Rules

### End With:
- Clear next action
- Specific recommendation
- Question for engagement (optional)

**Good closing:**
> Here's what to do right now: Install FlyingPress or WP Rocket. Run a speed test before and after. If you're not under 2 seconds, your hosting is the problem, not the plugin.
>
> Questions? Drop them in the comments.

### Never End With:
- Generic summary
- "In conclusion..."
- Repeating what you already said
- Wishy-washy statements

## Image Placement

Include images to break up long content and illustrate key points.

### Syntax

```markdown
[IMAGE: Description of what the image shows]
Alt: Descriptive alt text for accessibility
```

### When to Include Images

| Situation | Image Type |
|-----------|------------|
| Complex concept explanation | Diagram or illustration |
| Before/after results | Side-by-side comparison |
| Tool recommendations | Screenshot of interface |
| Data or statistics | Chart or graph |
| Process explanation | Flowchart |

### Placement Guidelines

- First image within first 300 words
- One image per major section (H2) minimum for articles 2000+ words
- Place AFTER explaining the concept, not before
- Don't cluster multiple images together

---

## ACF Blocks to Use

See `_acf-blocks-for-writing.md` for full syntax.

| Situation | Block |
|-----------|-------|
| Important callout or warning | Callout block |
| Personal opinion/take | Opinion Box block |
| Key point to emphasize | Callout block (info type) |
| FAQ section | Accordion block |

### Callout Block Example

```html
<!-- wp:acf/callout {"name":"acf/callout","data":{"callout_type":"info","callout_title":"Key Takeaway","callout_content":"<p>Your main point here.</p>"}} /-->
```

---

## Related Patterns

See `_common-patterns.md` for:
- Specific Numbers pattern (use throughout)
- Internal Linking requirements
- Quick Answer / TL;DR pattern (optional for long articles)
- Verdict / Bottom Line pattern (for recommendation articles)

---

## Output Checklist

- [ ] Strong opening (no throat clearing)
- [ ] H2s with intro paragraphs
- [ ] 3-6 sentence paragraphs
- [ ] Specific numbers included
- [ ] Clear recommendations
- [ ] 3-5 internal links (check `./knowledge/published-blog-articles.md`)
- [ ] Affiliate links where relevant (check `./knowledge/affiliate-products.md`)
- [ ] Image placeholders included
- [ ] ACF blocks used where appropriate
- [ ] 5-8 FAQs in ACF Accordion format
- [ ] Clear closing with next action
- [ ] 2100+ words
- [ ] No banned phrases (check `./resources/banned-phrases.md`)
