Content Schedules

Automate content generation with scheduled keyword-based publishing workflows for consistent SEO content delivery.

Content schedules automate your content generation workflow by automatically creating articles from your keyword clusters on a recurring basis. Set it once, and Forest SEO handles the rest—selecting keywords, generating content, and optionally publishing to your site.

🎯 What Are Schedules?

Content Schedules are automated workflows that:

Run on a recurring basis (daily, weekly, monthly)
Select keywords from chosen clusters
Generate optimized articles automatically
Optionally publish to your CMS
Track generation history

✅ Why Use Schedules?

Benefits

Benefit	Description	Time Saved
⏰ Full Automation	Set and forget content creation	10-20 hrs/week
📊 Consistent Output	Regular publishing cadence	Predictable growth
🎯 Strategic Selection	Smart keyword rotation	No manual planning
🔄 Scalable Growth	Generate 100+ articles/month	Unlimited scaling
💰 Cost Efficient	Token-based pricing per article	$5-$12/article

Impact on SEO

🏗️ Creating a Schedule

Basic Setup

Steps:

Go to Keywords → Schedules
Click Create Schedule button
Configure schedule settings
Click Save & Activate
Monitor executions in dashboard

⚙️ Schedule Configuration

1. Basic Information

Field	Description	Example
Name	Schedule identifier	"Daily Blog Posts"
Description	Purpose and notes	"Generate 3 articles daily for main blog"
Status	Active or Paused	Active

2. Timing & Frequency

Set when content should be generated:

Cron Expression:

Format: minute hour day month weekday

Pattern	Schedule	Use Case
`0 9 * * *`	Daily at 9 AM	Consistent daily publishing
`0 9 * * 1,3,5`	Mon/Wed/Fri at 9 AM	3x per week schedule
`0 9 * * 1`	Every Monday at 9 AM	Weekly content drops
`0 9 1 * *`	1st of month at 9 AM	Monthly roundups
`0 /6 * *`	Every 6 hours	Aggressive publishing

Visual Builder:

💡 Pro Tip

Schedule content generation during off-peak hours (early morning) so articles are ready for review by the time you start work.

3. Cluster Selection

Choose which keyword clusters to use:

Options:

Setting	Behavior	Best For
All Clusters	Selects from entire keyword database	General content publishing
Specific Clusters	Only uses chosen clusters	Focused topic campaigns
Multiple Clusters	Rotates between selected clusters	Diverse content mix

4. Term Selection Strategy

Control how keywords are chosen:

Strategy	How It Works	Best For
🎲 Shuffle	Random selection from available terms	Variety and unpredictability
⏰ Oldest First	Selects least recently generated	Even keyword coverage
🆕 Newest First	Prioritizes recently added terms	Fresh keyword focus

5. Term Cooldown

Prevent keyword reuse for a specified period:

Configuration:

Setting	Description	Recommended
Cooldown Days	Days before term can be reused	365 days (1 year)
Purpose	Avoid duplicate content	Freshness & variety
Impact	Ensures diverse topic coverage	Better SEO

⚠️ Important

If cooldown is too short, you risk creating similar content for the same keyword. Keep it at least 180-365 days for best results.

6. Generation Volume

Control how many articles are created per execution:

Setting	Range	Example Use Case
Max Terms Per Execution	1-100	• 1-3: Quality-focused • 5-10: Balanced • 20-50: High volume • 50-100: Maximum scale

Scaling Strategy:

7. Content Generation Config

Fine-tune article creation settings:

Setting	Options	Default	Purpose
Tone	Professional, Casual, Technical, Auto	Auto	Writing style
Language	50+ languages, Auto	Auto	Output language
Region	US, UK, CA, AU, etc., Auto	Auto	Localization
Length	500-10000 words, Auto	Auto	Article length
Images	0-5, Auto	Auto	Visual content

Auto Mode: When set to "Auto", AI determines optimal values based on:

Keyword intent
Topic complexity
Target audience
Industry standards

8. Publishing Integration

Connect schedule to your CMS for auto-publishing:

Configuration:

Setting	Description	Options
Auto-Publish	Publish automatically after generation	Yes/No
Integration	Target CMS platform	WordPress, Ghost, Tilda, etc.
Post Status	Default publishing status	Draft, Published, Scheduled

Workflows:

Workflow	Auto-Publish	Use Case
Quality-First	Off	Review before publishing
Balanced	Off + spot-check	Review 20% of content
Scale-First	On	Maximum automation

📊 Managing Schedules

Schedule Status

Status Options:

Status	Behavior	Use When
✅ Active	Schedule runs automatically	Normal operation
⏸️ Paused	Schedule is disabled	Temporary pause needed

Toggle Status:

Go to Keywords → Schedules
Find schedule in list
Click pause/play button
Confirm action

Viewing Executions

Track schedule performance:

Execution Details:

Info	Description	Action
Last Execution	Most recent run timestamp	View results
Next Execution	Upcoming scheduled time	Adjust if needed
Success Rate	% of successful generations	Monitor for issues
Articles Created	Total content generated	Track productivity

Editing Schedules

Update existing schedule configuration:

Go to Keywords → Schedules
Click schedule name or edit icon
Modify any settings:
- Timing/frequency
- Cluster selection
- Term strategy
- Generation config
- Auto-publish settings
Save changes

💡 Note

Changes take effect on the next scheduled execution. Currently running generations are not affected.

Deleting Schedules

Remove schedules you no longer need:

Click menu icon (⋮) next to schedule
Select Delete
Confirm deletion

Impact:

Schedule stops immediately
Previous content remains
No future generations
History is preserved

📈 Schedule Strategies

By Publishing Goal

Stage	Frequency	Volume	Auto-Publish	Review Level
Foundation	3x/week	3-5 articles	No	100% review
Growth	Daily	5-10 articles	Partial	50% spot-check
Scale	2x/day	10-20 articles	Yes	20% spot-check
Maintenance	Daily	10 articles	Yes	Automated

By Industry

Industry	Recommended Schedule	Clusters	Notes
SaaS	Daily, 5-10 articles	Product features, integrations, tutorials	Focus on educational content
E-commerce	2x/day, 10-20 articles	Product categories, buying guides	High volume for product discovery
B2B Services	3x/week, 3-5 articles	Industry insights, case studies	Quality over quantity
Content Sites	Daily, 20-50 articles	Multiple topics	Scale for ad revenue
Local Business	Weekly, 3-5 articles	Local services, FAQs	Consistent local presence

✅ Best Practices

Optimization Tips

Practice	Recommendation	Impact
⏰ Off-Peak Generation	Schedule for early morning (6-8 AM)	Content ready for review
📊 Start Small	Begin with 3-5 articles/week	Validate quality first
🎯 Focus Clusters	Target 2-3 clusters initially	Build topical authority
🔄 Regular Review	Check first 20 articles manually	Ensure quality standards
📈 Scale Gradually	Increase 20% every 2 weeks	Sustainable growth
⏸️ Pause When Needed	Stop during major changes	Prevent issues

Quality Control

Monitoring Checklist:

Check	Frequency	Action
Review Sample	Weekly	Check 5-10 random articles
Monitor Stats	Weekly	Track generation success rate
Keyword Coverage	Monthly	Ensure all clusters used
Update Config	Quarterly	Adjust based on performance
Cluster Refresh	Quarterly	Add new keywords

🚨 Common Mistakes

Avoid these scheduling pitfalls:

Mistake	Problem	Solution
Too Aggressive	100 articles/day without review	Start with 10-20, scale slowly
Wrong Timing	Generate during peak hours	Use off-peak times
All Clusters	Diluted topic focus	Select 2-3 core clusters
No Cooldown	Duplicate content created	Set 180-365 day cooldown
Auto-Publish Untested	Quality issues go live	Test with drafts first
Ignored Metrics	Miss performance issues	Weekly monitoring

📊 Monitoring & Analytics

Key Metrics

Metric	What to Track	Good Target
Success Rate	% of successful generations	>95%
Articles/Week	Weekly content output	Varies by goal
Cost/Article	Average token cost	$5-$12
Cooldown Conflicts	Terms in cooldown when needed	<10%
Cluster Coverage	% of clusters used	100% rotation