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How to Customize Writing Standards

This guide shows you how to adapt the default Seer writing standards for specific clients or projects.

When to Customize

Customize writing standards when:

  • Client has specific brand voice requirements
  • Industry requires particular terminology
  • Project needs different formality level
  • Deliverable type has unique conventions

Don't customize for personal preference—keep team consistency by using defaults when possible.

Customization Options

Level Scope Method
Project Single project/repo CLAUDE.md overrides
Client All work for one client Client-specific skill
Division All work in a division Division skill resources

Option 1: Project-Level Overrides (CLAUDE.md)

For single-project customization, add overrides to your project's CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md:

# Project Writing Standards

## Voice Overrides

For this project, override default Seer standards:

- **Formality**: More formal than standard Seer voice
- **Terminology**: Use "user" not "customer"
- **Acronyms**: Always expand on first use

## Client-Specific Terms

| Use | Don't Use |
|-----|-----------|
| Platform users | Customers |
| Dashboard | Control panel |
| Analytics suite | Reporting tool |

## Tone

This client prefers:
- Technical precision over accessibility
- Formal language over conversational
- Detailed explanations over brevity

Pros: Quick, no plugin changes needed
Cons: Only applies to one project

Option 2: Client-Specific Skill

For reusable client customizations, create a client skill:

Step 1: Create Skill Directory

mkdir -p plugins/divisions/seo/skills/client-acme/resources

Step 2: Create SKILL.md

---
name: client-acme
description: "Writing standards for Acme Corp deliverables"
type: domain
auto-load: false
version: 1.0.0
---

# Acme Corp Writing Standards

When creating deliverables for Acme Corp:

## Voice

- Professional and authoritative
- Technical but accessible
- Data-driven with clear recommendations

## Terminology

| Seer Default | Acme Preference |
|--------------|-----------------|
| Users | Customers |
| Website | Digital property |
| Traffic | Visits |

## Structure

Acme prefers:
1. Executive summary first (3 bullets max)
2. Data tables with RAG status indicators
3. Recommendations as numbered action items

## Formatting

- Use Acme brand colors in charts: #1E40AF, #3B82F6
- Include Acme logo placeholder in reports
- Date format: DD MMM YYYY (e.g., 15 Jan 2026)

Step 3: Create Activation Rules

Create skill-rules-fragment.json:

{
  "client-acme": {
    "type": "domain",
    "enforcement": "suggest",
    "priority": "high",
    "promptTriggers": {
      "keywords": ["acme", "acme corp", "acme corporation"],
      "intentPatterns": ["(deliverable|report|audit).*(acme)"]
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Use the Skill

The skill activates when "Acme" appears in your prompt:

Create a content audit report for Acme Corp

Or invoke explicitly:

Use the client-acme skill for this deliverable

Pros: Reusable across projects, team-consistent
Cons: Requires plugin modification

Option 3: Division-Level Resources

For standards that apply across an entire division, add resources to the division's methods skill:

Location

plugins/divisions/seo/skills/seo-methods/resources/
├── data-analysis.md
├── strategy.md
└── client-voice-variants.md  # Add this

Example: client-voice-variants.md

# Client Voice Variants

## Enterprise Clients

For Fortune 500 / enterprise clients:
- More formal tone
- Executive-friendly summaries
- Detailed methodology sections
- ROI-focused recommendations

## SMB Clients

For small/medium business clients:
- Conversational tone
- Action-oriented language
- Budget-conscious recommendations
- Quick-win focus

## Agency Partners

For agency white-label work:
- Neutral voice (no Seer branding)
- Flexible formatting
- Methodology-light (they know SEO)
- Data-heavy deliverables

Reference in SKILL.md:

## Voice Variants

Adjust voice based on client type. See resources/client-voice-variants.md for detailed guidance.

Pros: Central management, easy updates
Cons: Less granular than client-specific skills

Layering Standards

Standards layer from general to specific:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  1. core-dependencies/writing-standards (Base)          │
│     Default Seer voice, tone, formatting                │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                        │
                        ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  2. Division skill resources (Division defaults)        │
│     seo-methods/resources/client-voice-variants.md      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                        │
                        ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  3. Client-specific skill (Client overrides)            │
│     client-acme/SKILL.md                                │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                        │
                        ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  4. Project CLAUDE.md (Project-specific)                │
│     One-off overrides for this project only             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

More specific layers override more general ones.

Best Practices

DO

  • Document why you're customizing, not just what
  • Keep overrides minimal—only change what's necessary
  • Use consistent terminology across all client work
  • Review customizations quarterly for relevance

DON'T

  • Override core quality standards (data accuracy, etc.)
  • Create client skills for one-off projects (use CLAUDE.md)
  • Duplicate entire writing-standards skill (just override differences)
  • Make customizations without team awareness

Examples

Example 1: Formal Enterprise Client

CLAUDE.md addition:

## Writing Overrides for Enterprise Client

- Use third person ("the analysis shows") not first person
- Always include methodology section
- Minimum 3 data points per recommendation
- Executive summary must fit on one page

Example 2: Casual Startup Client

CLAUDE.md addition:

## Writing Overrides for Startup Client

- Conversational tone, contractions OK
- Skip methodology details
- Focus on quick wins and low-effort items
- Use emoji sparingly in headers ✅

Example 3: White-Label Agency Work

CLAUDE.md addition:

## White-Label Requirements

- Remove all Seer branding references
- Use neutral "the analysis" not "our analysis"
- Placeholder for agency logo: [AGENCY_LOGO]
- Do not reference internal tools by name

Troubleshooting

"Customizations aren't applying"

Check: Is the skill/CLAUDE.md being loaded?

Fix: Verify file location and activation rules.

"Getting mixed voice in output"

Check: Are multiple conflicting skills active?

Fix: Use more specific activation keywords or lower conflicting skill priority.

"Team using different standards"

Check: Is customization in shared location?

Fix: Move from personal CLAUDE.md to shared client skill.

Reference

Explanation

How-To