Everything to Know

⬇ Download this section

Where this format overrides General Guidelines: The headline formula is locked to [Subject]: Everything You Need to Know with the subject front-loaded—rather than the open principles in §1.2. The focus keyphrase structure departs from General Guidelines’ [Person/Topic] [Does/Is] [Thing] format and follows a format-specific pattern. This format also introduces requirements with no brand-level equivalent: a word count range (500–1,500 words) and a required article structure. Text in red throughout this page marks anything that overrides or goes beyond the General Guidelines.

Purpose

The Everything to Know article is a comprehensive resource designed to cover all essential aspects of a subject in one well-structured page. Its purpose is to attract search traffic by answering the questions readers are already asking and demonstrating authority on the topic. These pages function as evergreen references—they should be kept current and updated as the subject’s situation changes.

Do not confuse with the Google Discover Explainer format (§3.1, retired 2026-05-28), which used the What Is [Topic]? / Who Is [Person]? formula and was purpose-built for Discover’s passive-browse context. The Everything to Know format targets search intent and covers everyday topics and subjects outside of the “What Is / Who Is” frame.

Headline (H1)

(REQUIRED)

Required formula: [Subject]: Everything You Need to Know
Keep the subject at the front of the headline—do not move it after the “Everything You Need to Know” phrase.

• Character count: 80–100 characters
• Build from the focus keyphrase outward—[Focus Keyphrase]: Everything You Need to Know
• Do not use the What Is [Topic]? or Who Is [Person]? formula—those belonged to the Google Discover Explainer format (§3.1, retired 2026-05-28); regardless, never use them in Everything to Know
• Casing varies by publishing destination—adjust per site style guide before publishing

Optimize before publishing. Articles are indexed almost immediately after publishing. Errors in the H1 or SEO title at the time of publish can take hours to re-index—by which point the news cycle has moved on. Get it right before hitting publish.

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 first 8 words carry the most weight
• Must match the H1 in intent—similar but not identical
• Must contain a verb
• Is a concise version of the H1, not a string of keywords

Dek

(REQUIRED)

• Entered as a separate CMS field—do not place inside the article body
• Must contain the focus keyphrase
• Should summarize the article in a way that entices the click

Meta Description

(REQUIRED)

• 100–155 characters (approximately 2 sentences)
• Must contain the focus keyphrase and relevant proper nouns
• Must not repeat the H1 or SEO title verbatim
• Functions as a dek—entices clicks, does not merely summarize
• A useful approach: pull two sentences from the article that best capture its scope

Focus Keyphrase

(REQUIRED)

</span>

• Must appear in: H1, SEO title, dek (CMS field), meta description
• Should reflect how a real person would search for this topic
• Use Google Trends data to inform H2 keyword choices

Tone

(REQUIRED)

Informative, comprehensive, and easy to navigate. Conversational and human—never stiff or institutional. Confident and specific—avoid vague generalities.

Word Count

(REQUIRED)

Target: 500–1,500 words. Word count is a target range, not a hard ceiling. If the topic requires more depth, go longer—provided the article remains well-organized and every word earns its place.

Article Structure

(REQUIRED)

The following structure is mandatory for this format. General Guidelines do not prescribe article structure.

[AI DISCLAIMER—CUE sites only]
"This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI."

[LEDE / INTRO]
- Open with why the topic matters or why it is relevant now
- Do not open with a definition
- No throat-clearing openers

[H2 SECTION 1—keyword from Google Trends]
- Cover one essential aspect of the subject
- Answer common questions related to this aspect
- Use examples where helpful

[H2 SECTION 2—keyword from Google Trends]
- Continue covering essential aspects of the subject

[H2 SECTION N—keyword from Google Trends]
- Add as many H2 sections as the topic requires
- Each H2 must introduce a substantive section, not serve as decoration

[INTERNAL LINKS—embedded throughout body copy]
- 3–5 contextual internal links
- Placed naturally within relevant sections
- Not to be confused with Related Links, which break up inline copy

Formatting Rules

(REQUIRED)

• Use H2 subheadings as primary section headers—pull keywords from Google Trends for each H2
• Bullet points permitted for lists within body copy—not as a substitute for prose
• Keep paragraphs short for mobile readability
• Keep information current—update the article when the subject’s situation changes

Internal Links

(REQUIRED)

3–5 contextual internal links per article. See General Guidelines §1.4 for full anchor text rules.

Link to:

• Other relevant articles about the subject
• Timeline pages related to the subject
• Celebrity or topic tag pages on the site
• Previously published site articles about events mentioned in the piece

UsW: 3 minimum, 5 maximum. Do not confuse internal links 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.

</span>

URL Structure

(REQUIRED)

General Guidelines do not prescribe URL patterns. The following is mandatory for this format.

• 4+ keywords, front-loaded
• Strip stop words
• Keep short and descriptive
• Pattern: [subject-keyword]-everything-to-know or [subject-keyword]-what-to-know or similar

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

Pre-Publish Checklist

• 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
• If updated article: byline and dateline handled per General Guidelines §1.5
• All facts verified; all links point to reputable sources
• Focus keyphrase in H1, SEO title, dek (CMS), and meta description
• H1: 80–100 characters, [Subject]: Everything You Need to Know formula, subject front-loaded, no prohibited language
• SEO title: 50–70 characters, matches H1 intent, front-loaded keywords
• Meta description: 100–155 characters, no repeated hed language
• Dek entered as CMS field—not placed inside article body
• Lede opens with why the topic matters—no definition opener, no throat-clearing
• 3–5 internal links with descriptive anchor text (UsW: 3 min, 5 max); not confused with Related Links
• H2 subheadings contain Google Trends keywords
• Total word count is 500–1,500 words
• Information is current and up-to-date
• Hero image: 1200px+ wide, 16:9, 300K+ res, no logos/text/stock
• URL: short, keyword-forward, stop words stripped
• 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