What to Know Next

Platform: All platforms Type: Forward-Looking Explainer

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Where this format overrides General Guidelines: The headline formula is locked to [Subject]: What's Happening, Why, and What Could Be Next (or the trigger-event variant) with a forward-looking signal required—rather than the open principles in §1.2. The focus keyphrase structure favors why and what next query variants over a generic primary phrase. This format also introduces requirements with no brand-level equivalent: a word count range of 700–1,000 words with inverted proportionality (≈25% / 30% / 45% across Sections 1 / 2 / 3); a mandatory Status Bar italicized directly under the headline; a mandatory Forecaster Pull Quote (named, titled, affiliated, forward-looking) placed in Section 2 or 3; a mandatory Three Signals to Watch boxed callout closing Section 3; sourced causation in Section 2; and a paired prediction-plus-action requirement in Section 3. Text in red throughout this page marks anything that overrides or goes beyond the General Guidelines.

Purpose

A What to Know Next article is a forward-looking explainer that contextualizes a development for the reader by answering three questions in sequence—what’s happening, why it’s happening, and what could be next—and closing with a clear, reader-actionable takeaway. The format is built for the curious optimizer (§Personas): a reader drawn to trending topics who has seen the headline, caught the buzz, and now wants the full picture—what it actually is, why it’s having a moment, and what it means for them.

These pages catch the reader in the curiosity-driven middle of the news cycle—past the breaking-news hit but before the topic is fully resolved. The format performs well on Discover because it satisfies the “what does this mean for me” question that headlines alone don’t answer, and it builds repeat trust by giving readers a complete picture rather than a snippet.

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 informational/static; What to Know Next is forward-looking and ends on a forecast plus a reader action. What to Know Next supersedes Discover Explainer for forward-looking explainer needs. Also do not confuse with the Recap format (§3.6), which is retrospective and analyzes events that have already concluded.

Headline (H1)

(REQUIRED)

Primary formula: [Subject]: What's Happening, Why, and What Could Be Next
Alternate formula: [Subject] [Trigger Event]: Here's What This Means Going Forward

Optimize before publishing. This format relies on Discover and trending-search traffic—both of which index quickly. Errors in the H1 or SEO title at publish time cost clicks during the peak interest window and can’t be re-earned once the news cycle moves on. Get it right before hitting publish.

SEO Title

(REQUIRED)

Dek

(REQUIRED)

Meta Description

(REQUIRED)

Focus Keyphrase

(REQUIRED)

Type Format
Primary The main search query for the subject—e.g., "sleep tape", "what is HRV"
Secondary (if applicable) Forward-looking variants from Google Trends / People Also Ask—e.g., "does sleep tape work", "why is HRV important"

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Tone

(REQUIRED)

Informed, plainspoken, forward-leaning—explanatory without being overly academic; confident without overpromising. The reader wants a directional take, not hedged neutrality. Take a position on where this is headed and what it means; readers reward writers who commit and lose interest in writers who don’t.

Word Count

(REQUIRED)

Target: 700–1,000 words total with inverted proportionality—roughly 25% Section 1 (What’s Happening) · 30% Section 2 (Why It’s Happening) · 45% Section 3 (What Could Be Next).

The forward-looking section is the longest by design—that’s the point of the format. Most explainers and recaps front-load the news beat; What to Know Next deliberately weights Section 3 heaviest because the forecast is the payoff. If Section 1 is your longest section, you have written an Everything to Know piece with a forecast bolted on, not a What to Know Next.

The format’s value depends on all three sections being present and proportional. Skipping or shorting “Why” turns the piece into a news brief; skipping or shorting “What Could Be Next” turns it into a recap.

Article Structure

(REQUIRED)

The following three-section arc is mandatory. All three sections must be present and roughly proportional; the format does not work otherwise.

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

[STATUS BAR—italicized one-line, directly beneath H1] (REQUIRED, format-specific)
Stage: [Emerging | Building | Peaking | Cresting] · Momentum: [Low | Moderate | High] · Forecast confidence: [Low | Moderate | High]

[LEDE / INTRO—2–3 sentences]
- Frame the development and why it matters now
- Signal the full arc—news + explanation + forward look
- Close with an implicit promise of takeaway value
- No throat-clearing openers; no opening with a definition

[H2 SECTION 1—What's Happening] (≈25% of total word count)
- Lead with 2–3 snippet-ready sentences answering "what is this?"
- Cover essential facts plainly: who, what, when, where, scale
- Cite at least one primary source (data release, official statement, study, court filing)
- Stay descriptive—no analysis or interpretation here

[H2 SECTION 2—Why It's Happening] (≈30% of total word count)
- Identify 2–3 forces driving the development (economic, cultural, regulatory, behavioral, structural)
- Use expert quotes, data trends, or historical context to ground each cause
- Attribute every causal claim to a named source, dataset, or established trend
- The Forecaster Pull Quote MAY land here (or in Section 3—wherever it fits the arc best)

[FORECASTER PULL QUOTE—visual pull-quote treatment, not inline attribution] (REQUIRED, format-specific)
"[Forward-looking quote—prediction, interpretation, or directional read—NOT definitional or descriptive.]"
— [Name], [Title], [Institution]

[H2 SECTION 3—What Could Be Next] (≈45% of total word count; THE LONGEST SECTION BY DESIGN)
- Frame 2–3 plausible near-term predictions or scenarios
- For each one, translate the forecast into a concrete reader action—what to watch for, what to prepare for, what decisions this might affect
- Pair specific predictions with specific takeaways—a vague "keep an eye on X" doesn't satisfy the format
- Close with a single clear takeaway—the most useful thing the reader should walk away with

[THREE SIGNALS TO WATCH—boxed callout at end of Section 3] (REQUIRED, format-specific)
THREE SIGNALS TO WATCH
1. [Concrete near-term event, date, or milestone the reader can monitor]
2. [Second specific signal—a release, ruling, launch, data point]
3. [Third specific signal—something the reader could spot in the wild]

[INTERNAL LINKS—embedded throughout body copy]
- 3–5 contextual internal links
- Anchor to relevant explainers, related news beats, and supporting data pieces
- Do not stack as a Related Links block

Status Bar

(REQUIRED)

General Guidelines have no equivalent element. The following is mandatory for this format.

Every What to Know Next article opens with a one-line italicized Status Bar placed directly beneath the headline. It is the format’s visual fingerprint and a forcing function: if the writer cannot fill it in confidently, the topic is not right for this format.

Format (italic line, directly under H1): Stage: [value] · Momentum: [value] · Forecast confidence: [value]

Example: Stage: Emerging · Momentum: High · Forecast confidence: Moderate

Field Definition Allowed values
Stage Where the topic sits in its lifecycle Emerging, Building, Peaking, Cresting
Momentum How fast the topic is moving Low, Moderate, High
Forecast confidence How well the field can predict what is next Low, Moderate, High

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Forecaster Pull Quote

(REQUIRED)

General Guidelines have no equivalent element. The following is mandatory for this format.

Every What to Know Next article includes one named-forecaster pull quote. The quote must be visually treated as a pull quote—NOT inline attribution. Place it in Section 2 or Section 3, wherever it lands best in the arc.

Required attributes:

Attribute Requirement
Function Forward-looking—a prediction, interpretation, or directional read
Disallowed Definitional or descriptive statements (e.g., “HRV measures heart-rate variability”—that belongs in body copy, not the pull quote)
Attribution Named individual, with title and institution—all three required
Placement Section 2 or Section 3, whichever serves the arc better
Visual treatment Pull-quote styling—NOT inline attribution within a paragraph

Qualifying example:

“This will hit mainstream adoption within 18 months.” — Jane Doe, Senior Analyst, Forrester

Disqualifying example (definitional, not forward-looking):

“HRV measures heart-rate variability.”

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Three Signals to Watch

(REQUIRED)

General Guidelines have no equivalent element. The following is mandatory for this format.

Every What to Know Next article closes Section 3 with a boxed callout listing exactly three specific, monitorable signals. Each signal must be concrete: a date, a release, a product launch, a data point, or an observable change the reader could spot in the wild.

Format:

THREE SIGNALS TO WATCH
1. [Concrete signal—date, release, launch, data point]
2. [Concrete signal—same standard]
3. [Concrete signal—same standard]

Qualifying example:

  1. Watch for the August FDA guidance update on continuous glucose monitors.
  2. Watch for the Q3 earnings call from Dexcom for OTC launch timing.
  3. Watch for new CGM SKUs appearing at major pharmacy retailers (Walgreens, CVS).

Disqualifying examples:

“Watch the market”—too vague, no specific event or timeframe “Keep an eye on inflation”—directional but not monitorable “Trends in wellness tech”—category-level, not a signal

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Formatting Rules

(REQUIRED)

(REQUIRED)

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

Link to:

UsW: 3 minimum, 5 maximum, placed naturally within copy. Do not stack as a Related Links block—Related Links 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
Logos NOT permitted
Text overlays NOT permitted
Generic stock NOT permitted

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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
Skipping or shorting “Why” Format requirement—turns the piece into a news brief and forfeits the format’s authority earn
Skipping or shorting “What Could Be Next” Format requirement—turns the piece into a recap; the forward look is the format’s defining payoff
Section 1 (What’s Happening) being the longest section Format requirement—the format’s inverted proportionality demands Section 3 carry ≈45% of total word count; a front-loaded news beat reads as Everything to Know with a forecast bolted on
Missing or incomplete Status Bar Format requirement—every article opens with Stage · Momentum · Forecast confidence directly under the H1; partial fields (“TBD”) disqualify the article
Forecaster Pull Quote that is definitional rather than forward-looking Format requirement—the named expert exists to give a directional read; a definitional quote belongs in body copy or in a Discover Explainer (§3.1), not in this format’s pull quote
Forecaster Pull Quote rendered as inline attribution instead of a visual pull quote Format requirement—pull-quote visual treatment is part of the format’s reader-facing fingerprint
Forecaster missing name, title, or institution Format requirement—all three required; unattributed forecasts fail Google E-E-A-T and reduce reader trust
Three Signals to Watch missing, or containing fewer/more than exactly three signals Format requirement—exactly three concrete, monitorable signals at the close of Section 3
Vague signals (“watch the market,” “keep an eye on inflation,” “trends in wellness tech”) Format requirement—each signal must name a specific event, release, date, data point, or observable change
Vague structural causes (“market forces,” “changing demographics”) not tied to a named source Format requirement—every cause must be attributed; vague claims don’t rank and don’t persuade
Predictions without an actionable takeaway Format requirement—each scenario must pair a forecast with a concrete reader action, decision, or thing to watch for
No forward-looking signal in the headline Format requirement—what's next, what comes next, here's what this means, or equivalent must appear
Section 1 leading with analysis instead of the news beat Format requirement—snippet-ready descriptive lede first; analysis belongs in Section 2
Using the What Is [Topic]? / Who Is [Person]? formula without a forward-looking second clause That was the Google Discover Explainer format (§3.1, retired 2026-05-28)—do not reach for the retired format; use What to Know Next or another active format
NSFW in any metadata field Suppresses article in feeds—see General Guidelines §1.3
Clickbait or misleading headlines Helpful Content algorithm penalty risk—see General Guidelines §1.2
Generic stock images or images with text overlays Format image spec—visually specific imagery required
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