# Obituary (pending) Platform: All platforms | Type: Obituary > **Where this format overrides General Guidelines:** The headline formula is locked to `[Celebrity Name] Dead: [Descriptor] Was [Age]`. The focus keyphrase structure departs from General Guidelines' `[Person/Topic] [Does/Is] [Thing]` format. The tone is more specific than universal General Guidelines guidance. This format introduces requirements with no brand-level equivalent: a word count range (300–600 words; 500 for UsW), a required article structure, and outlet-specific distinctions—UsW treats cause of death as a separate story; WW frames obituaries as career/legacy retrospectives rather than breaking death news. Text in **red** throughout this page marks anything that overrides or goes beyond the General Guidelines. --- ### Purpose An Obituary marks the death of a public figure with accuracy and respect. It serves as a reliable source of record and gives readers an overview of the person's life and legacy. **Outlet-specific framing:** - **UsW:** Breaking news obituary—confirm the death, provide career highlights and reactions, and link to a separate cause of death article when available - **WW:** Legacy and career retrospective—less focused on the death as breaking news; more focused on celebrating the person's work, impact, and the legacy they leave behind > **Accuracy is paramount.** Do not publish until the death has been confirmed by a reliable source—official statement, family representative, or verified wire service report. A premature or incorrect obituary is a serious editorial error. --- ### Headline (H1) **(REQUIRED)** **Required formula:** `[Celebrity Name] Dead: [Descriptor] Was [Age]` - Celebrity name must be front-loaded - Descriptor should identify the person clearly—their primary role, title, or what they are most known for (e.g., *Actor*, *Grammy-Winning Singer*, *TV Legend*, *Olympic Gold Medalist*) - Character count: 80–100 characters - Casing varies by publishing destination—adjust per site style guide before publishing > **Publish fast, publish right.** Obituaries are among the most time-sensitive articles in entertainment journalism. They must go live quickly—but never before the death is confirmed. Accuracy cannot be sacrificed for speed. --- ### SEO Title **(REQUIRED)** - Character count: 50–70 characters—titles under 60 risk missing keywords and clarity; titles over 70 are truncated in search results - Must contain the focus keyphrase - Must front-load keywords—the celebrity's name and "dead" or "death" carry the most search weight - Must match the H1 in intent—similar but not identical - Must contain a verb --- ### Dek **(REQUIRED)** - Entered as a separate CMS field—do not place inside the article body - Must contain the focus keyphrase - Should confirm the death, include the age, and briefly identify who the person was --- ### Meta Description **(REQUIRED)** - 100–155 characters (approximately 2 sentences) - Must contain the focus keyphrase and relevant proper nouns (name, profession, age) - Must not repeat the H1 or SEO title verbatim - Tone must remain respectful—do not sensationalize --- ### Focus Keyphrase **(REQUIRED)** | Type | Format | |---|---| | Primary | `"[Celebrity Name] dead"` | | Secondary (if applicable) | `"[Celebrity Name] cause of death"` | **UsW:** Cause of death is a **separate story**—do not use `"[Celebrity Name] cause of death"` as the secondary keyphrase for the obituary itself. Reserve it for the dedicated cause of death article when cause is confirmed. - Must appear in: H1, SEO title, dek (CMS field), meta description - Use Google Trends data to validate keyword choices—search volume around an obituary spikes immediately and declines quickly --- ### Tone **(REQUIRED)** Respectful, somber, and informative. The reader may be a fan who is grieving. Never sensationalize the death. Never lead with speculation. The tone must honor the person's life and work while delivering accurate information clearly. - **WW:** Lean toward celebratory and reflective—honor the career and legacy, not just the loss --- ### Word Count **(REQUIRED)** Target: 300–600 words.
**UsW:** Target 500 words. These articles are intentionally focused. Do not pad. A well-crafted, respectful 400-word obituary is better than an inflated 700-word one. --- ### Article Structure **(REQUIRED)** The following structure is mandatory for this format. General Guidelines do not prescribe article structure. **UsW—Breaking News Obituary:** ``` [AI DISCLAIMER—CUE sites only] "This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI." [LEDE / INTRO] - Confirm the death: name, age, and cause of death if available and confirmed - Do not speculate on cause of death—only report what is confirmed - Identify the person and what they were known for [CAREER AND LIFE OVERVIEW] - Brief overview of the most significant moments in their career - Key works, roles, achievements, or milestones - Personal life context if relevant and known [REACTIONS] - Quotes and reactions from other celebrities, colleagues, or public figures - Source reactions to verified social media posts, statements, or wire reports [INTERNAL LINKS—embedded throughout] - 3–5 contextual internal links ``` **WW—Legacy and Career Retrospective:** ``` [AI DISCLAIMER—CUE sites only] "This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI." [LEDE / INTRO] - Acknowledge the loss and introduce the subject - Frame around their legacy and impact rather than the mechanics of the death [CAREER AND LEGACY OVERVIEW] - Celebrate the most significant and beloved moments of their career - What they left behind—the work, the influence, the cultural impact - Personal life context where appropriate [REACTIONS] - Tributes, quotes, and reactions from others in the industry and public - Source reactions to verified statements or social media posts [INTERNAL LINKS—embedded throughout] ``` --- ### Formatting Rules **(REQUIRED)** - Confirm the death with a reliable source before publishing—official statement, family representative, or verified wire service report - Do not speculate on cause of death—only report what has been officially confirmed - **UsW:** If cause of death is available, it goes in a separate article—link to it from the obituary when published - Maintain a respectful tone throughout—in headlines, body copy, metadata, and image selection - Keep paragraphs short for mobile readability - Bullet points permitted for career highlights if used as a list—not as a substitute for prose --- ### Internal Links **(REQUIRED)** 3–5 contextual internal links per article. See General Guidelines §1.4 for full anchor text rules. Link to: - The celebrity's tag page on the site - Articles about their most famous works, roles, or projects - **UsW:** Link to the cause of death article once it is published **UsW:** 3 minimum, 5 maximum. Do not confuse with Related Links—Related Links are used to break up inline copy and are counted separately. --- ### Hero Image **(REQUIRED)** General Guidelines do not specify image requirements. The following specs are mandatory for this format. | Spec | Requirement | |---|---| | Minimum width | 1200px (1600px+ preferred) | | Aspect ratio | 16:9 | | Resolution | 300K+ pixels | | Subject | A dignified, well-known photo of the subject | | Tone | The image must be appropriate to the somber nature of the article—no paparazzi shots, no unflattering candids | | Logos | NOT permitted | | Text overlays | NOT permitted | | Generic stock | NOT permitted | --- ### URL Structure **(REQUIRED)** General Guidelines do not prescribe URL patterns. The following is mandatory for this format. - 4+ keywords, front-loaded with the celebrity's name - Strip stop words - Keep short and descriptive - **UsW pattern:** `[celebrity-name]-dead-at-[age]` or `[celebrity-name]-dead-[descriptor]` - **WW pattern:** may reflect legacy framing rather than breaking news—e.g., `[celebrity-name]-legacy` or `stars-we-lost-[topic]` --- ### Tags **(REQUIRED)** General Guidelines do not specify tags. The following are mandatory for this format. - `TH-CSA` - `The Commons` - *(Tags subject to change—check for updates)* --- ### What to Avoid | Prohibited | Reason | |---|---| | Publishing before the death is confirmed | Accuracy requirement—an unverified obituary is a serious editorial error | | Speculating on cause of death | Only confirmed causes of death may be reported; speculation causes harm and damages credibility | | UsW: including cause of death in the obituary when not yet confirmed | Cause of death is a separate story for UsW—do not conflate the two | | Sensationalist tone in headline, dek, or body copy | Format tone requirement—obituaries must be respectful throughout | | Unflattering or inappropriate hero image | Format image requirement—image must be dignified and appropriate to the somber nature of the piece | | NSFW in any metadata field | Suppresses article in feeds—see General Guidelines §1.3 | | Clickbait or sensationalist headlines | Helpful Content algorithm penalty risk and editorial integrity violation—see General Guidelines §1.2 | | Affiliate links (unlabeled) | Google penalty risk—see General Guidelines §1.4 | | "Click here" or "read more" as anchor text | Poor UX and SEO signal—see General Guidelines §1.4 | | Publishing without human review | Universal compliance rule—see General Guidelines §1.8 | --- ### Pre-Publish Checklist - Death confirmed by reliable source—official statement, family representative, or verified wire service report - AI disclaimer present at top of article (CUE sites only) and "Created With AI" checkbox checked in CUE - Named human byline—creator/first editor only, no staff byline - All facts verified; age, cause of death (if included), and career details confirmed accurate - Focus keyphrase in H1, SEO title, dek (CMS), and meta description - H1: 80–100 characters, `[Celebrity Name] Dead: [Descriptor] Was [Age]` formula, celebrity name front-loaded - SEO title: 50–70 characters, matches H1 intent, front-loaded keywords, contains verb - Meta description: 100–155 characters, no repeated hed language, tone is respectful - Dek entered as CMS field—not placed inside article body - **UsW:** Cause of death handled as a separate article—not included unless officially confirmed; link added when published - **WW:** Article frames legacy and career retrospective, not just the breaking death news - Cause of death not speculated upon—only officially confirmed causes reported - Career highlights and key works included - Reactions from celebrities or public figures included and sourced accurately - 3–5 internal links—celebrity tag page, articles about famous works, cause of death article (UsW, when available); not confused with Related Links - **UsW:** Word count ~500 words; **all outlets:** 300–600 words - Hero image: 1200px+ wide, 16:9, 300K+ res, dignified photo of the subject, no logos/text/stock - URL: celebrity name front-loaded, pattern matches outlet convention - Headline casing adjusted for publishing destination - Tags applied: `TH-CSA` and `The Commons` - Passes all Google Helpful Content standard questions (General Guidelines §1.7) - Human review and approval obtained before publishing