Recipe (pending)

Platform: All platforms Type: Recipe

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Where this format overrides General Guidelines: The focus keyphrase is locked to [Recipe Name] recipe—not the open [Person/Topic] [Does/Is] [Thing] structure in §1.2. The word “Recipe” must appear in the H1 and SEO title (with narrow exceptions). The SEO title character range is 50–70 characters rather than the universal 60–70. This format introduces requirements with no brand-level equivalent: a format-specific intro word count (150–350 words), a required dek structure, a URL naming convention, and guidance on headline keyword strategy. Text in red throughout this page marks anything that overrides or goes beyond the General Guidelines.

Purpose

A Recipe page delivers a complete, searchable recipe with enough context to earn the click and keep the reader. The primary SEO goal is to rank for [Recipe Name] recipe—the most common way people search for food content. These pages are evergreen and should remain accurate and current.

Headline (H1)

(REQUIRED)

The word “Recipe” must appear in the H1.
Exceptions: Recipe-specific sites where the word would be redundant; promo headlines.

Good examples:

Optimize before publishing. Articles are indexed almost immediately after publishing. Get the H1 and SEO title right before hitting publish.

SEO Title

(REQUIRED)

The word “Recipe” must appear in the SEO title.
Exceptions: Recipe-specific sites where the word would be redundant; promo headlines.
If the article includes a recipe-specific video, add (with Video) at the end of the SEO title.

Good examples:

Research the competition. Use tools such as Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Ubersuggest to review what titles AllRecipes, Epicurious, Bon Appétit, and similar sites are using for the same dish. Use the intitle:keyword search operator in Google to see what headlines are ranking (e.g., intitle:black bean soup recipe).

Dek

(REQUIRED)

Meta Description

(REQUIRED)

Example (Salted Turtle Cookies Recipe): “These salted turtle cookies are a delicious combination of dulce de leche and dark chocolate, topped with sea salt—and are sure to be your family’s favorite treat.”

Focus Keyphrase

(REQUIRED)

Type Format
Primary "[Recipe Name] recipe"
Secondary (if applicable) "[Descriptor] [Recipe Name] recipe" (e.g., "crispy pork carnitas recipe", "authentic neapolitan pizza crust recipe")

</span>

Tone

(REQUIRED)

Warm, approachable, and helpful. Conversational and human—never stiff or institutional. Confident and specific—avoid vague generalities. The reader should feel like they are getting a recipe from someone who has actually made it.

Word Count

(REQUIRED)

Intro body copy: 150–350 words. It is acceptable to go over 350 words if the additional content is helpful to the reader and directly relevant to the recipe. The intro must mention the name of the food the recipe is for.

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."

[INTRO—150–350 words]
- Must mention the name of the food the recipe is for
- Can include backstory, serving suggestions, what makes this version special
- Do not open with a definition or throat-clearing openers
- Include internal links here—link to other relevant recipes or related content

[RECIPE CARD—ingredients and instructions]
- Follow CMS recipe card format for the platform
- Ingredients list
- Step-by-step instructions

[OPTIONAL H2 SECTIONS—as needed]
- Tips, variations, storage instructions, serving suggestions, etc.
- Use Google Trends keywords in H2 headings where natural

[INTERNAL LINKS—embedded in intro and body copy]
- 3–5 contextual internal links
- Placed naturally within relevant sections

Formatting Rules

(REQUIRED)

(REQUIRED)

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

Link to:

Anchor text—additional guidance for this format:

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 The finished dish—must clearly show what the recipe produces
Logos NOT permitted
Text overlays NOT permitted
Generic stock NOT permitted

</span>

URL Structure

(REQUIRED)

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

Tags

(REQUIRED)

General Guidelines do not specify tags. The following are mandatory for this format.

What to Avoid

Prohibited Reason
Omitting “Recipe” from the H1 and SEO title Format requirement—”Recipe” must appear in both (except on recipe-specific sites or in promo headlines)
“How to Make [Dish]” as the headline or SEO title People search for [dish] recipe, not “how to make” constructions—this pattern underperforms in recipe search
Intro that never mentions the name of the food Format requirement—the intro must reference the dish by name
SEO title over 70 characters Truncated in search results
NSFW in any metadata field Suppresses article in feeds—see General Guidelines §1.3
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
Generic stock images or images with text overlays Format image spec—hero must show the finished dish
Publishing without human review Universal compliance rule—see General Guidelines §1.8

Pre-Publish Checklist