SEO Strategy
Helps with SEO decisions that span tools and sub-domains — which tool to pick, which tasks to prioritize, and how to build an SEO workflow as a solopreneur or small team.
Step 1 — Gather context
If references/learnings.md exists, read it first.
Ask the user:
-
What's your SEO situation?
- A) Starting from zero — new site, no SEO yet
- B) Organic traffic is flat or declining — need to diagnose
- C) Choosing SEO tools — need help picking
- D) Specific sub-domain — keyword research, technical audit, link building, local SEO, schema, or content optimization
- E) WordPress SEO plugin selection
- F) Something else — describe it -
What kind of site?
- A) SaaS / web app
- B) Content site / blog
- C) Local business
- D) E-commerce (Shopify, WooCommerce)
- E) Portfolio / landing page -
Monthly SEO budget?
- A) $0 — free tools only
- B) Under $50/mo
- C) $50-150/mo
- D) $150+/mo
If the user's prompt already provides context, skip to the relevant step.
Step 2 — Route or answer directly
| If the question is about... | Route to... |
|---|---|
| Semrush features, API, MCP, or configuration | /sales-semrush {question} |
| Ahrefs features, API v3, MCP server, API units/credits, or v2→v3 migration | /sales-ahrefs {question} |
| Yoast plugin setup, scores, schema, or REST API | /sales-yoast {question} |
| AI visibility / LLM citation tracking | /sales-ai-visibility {question} |
| Launch directory backlinks | /sales-launch-directory {question} |
| Directory submission services | /sales-directory-submission {question} |
For cross-tool SEO strategy, continue to Step 3.
Step 3 — SEO reference
Read references/platforms.md for tool comparison tables, pricing, and "when to pick" guidance by budget tier.
Answer the user's question using only the relevant section. Don't dump the full reference.
Step 4 — Actionable guidance
SEO priority framework (for solopreneurs with limited time):
- Week 1-2: Foundation — Google Search Console setup, fix crawl errors, submit sitemap, install SEO plugin (Rank Math free or Yoast free), set up rank tracking for 10-20 target keywords
- Week 3-4: Keyword research — Find 20-30 low-competition keywords (KD < 20, volume > 100). Use free tools first (GSC, Ubersuggest free tier, Google autocomplete / "People also ask"). Upgrade to paid only if you need competitor data. (Note: AnswerThePublic dropped its free tier in 2026 — cheapest plan is now $20/mo or a $99 one-time lifetime.)
- Month 2: Content — Publish 4-8 pages targeting your keyword list. Focus on search intent match over keyword density. One well-researched 2000-word article beats five thin posts.
- Month 3: Technical — Run a site audit (Semrush, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, or Screaming Frog free). Fix: broken links, redirect chains, missing meta descriptions, slow pages (Core Web Vitals).
- Ongoing: Links — Build links through directory submissions, guest posts, and HARO/Connectively responses. Quality over quantity — 5 relevant DA 40+ links beat 50 spammy ones.
- Monthly: Monitor — Check GSC for position changes, crawl errors, and index coverage. Adjust keyword targets based on what's moving.
WordPress plugin decision:
- Rank Math Free — best value: unlimited focus keywords, redirects, schema, GSC integration, all free
- Yoast Premium — best for beginners who want guided setup and don't mind paying per site
- AIOSEO — best for agencies: 100 sites on Elite plan ($299.50/yr)
- SEOPress — developer favorite: clean code, no upsells, $49/yr (1 site) up to $149/yr (unlimited sites)
Tool budget tiers:
- $0/mo: Google Search Console + Rank Math + Ubersuggest free + Ahrefs Webmaster Tools
- $30-50/mo: Mangools ($29/mo) or Ubersuggest ($29/mo) for keyword research + rank tracking, or Ahrefs Starter ($29/mo) if you mainly want backlink data
- $50-100/mo: SE Ranking (entry tier ~$55-65/mo — confirm current price, plans were renamed Core/Growth/Enterprise in 2026) — best value all-in-one with AI features
- $130-200/mo: Ahrefs Lite ($129/mo) for backlinks or Semrush Pro ($139.95/mo) for all-in-one + content + API
If you discover something not covered, append to references/learnings.md.
Gotchas
> Best-effort from research — review these, especially pricing which changes frequently.
- Don't buy tools before you have content. SEO tools show you what to fix, but you need pages to fix first. Start with free tools until you have 20+ indexed pages.
- Keyword difficulty is relative to YOUR domain. A KD of 20 is "easy" for an established site but still hard for a brand-new domain with DA 0. New sites should target KD < 10.
- Traffic estimates from tools are estimates. Semrush, Ahrefs, and SE Ranking all model traffic — they can be 50-200% off for niche sites. Use them for relative comparison, not absolute numbers.
- AI search is changing SEO. Zero-click answers and LLM citations mean traditional ranking isn't the only game. Track AI visibility alongside traditional rankings. Add
llms.txtto your root directory. - Free trials auto-renew. Both Semrush and Ahrefs charge immediately after trial ends. Set a calendar reminder.
Related skills
/sales-semrush— Semrush platform help (keyword research, site audits, rank tracking, API, MCP). Install:
npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-semrush -a claude-code/sales-ahrefs— Ahrefs platform help (Site Explorer/backlinks, REST API v3 + official MCP server, API-units/credit model, v2→v3 migration). Install:
npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-ahrefs -a claude-code/sales-yoast— Yoast SEO plugin help (WordPress/Shopify, schema, readability scores). Install:
npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-yoast -a claude-code/sales-ai-visibility— AI visibility monitoring (LLM citations, AI search presence). Install:
npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-ai-visibility -a claude-code/sales-launch-directory— Launch directory backlink strategy. Install:
npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-launch-directory -a claude-code/sales-do— Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install:
npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do -a claude-code
Examples
Example 1: New SaaS founder starting SEO from zero
User says: "I just launched my SaaS app. I have zero organic traffic. Where do I start with SEO?"
Skill does:
1. Recommends the priority framework: GSC setup → SEO plugin → keyword research → content → technical audit → links
2. Suggests free tool stack to start: Google Search Console + Rank Math + Ubersuggest free tier
3. Advises finding 20-30 low-KD keywords and publishing content before investing in paid tools
4. Notes that backlinks from launch directories are a quick win — routes to /sales-launch-directory
Result: Prioritized action plan with free tools, no overwhelm
Example 2: Choosing between Semrush and cheaper alternatives
User says: "Semrush is $140/mo and that's steep for me. What are good cheaper alternatives?"
Skill does:
1. Reads platforms reference for budget-tier comparison
2. Recommends by budget: Mangools ($29/mo) for basic keyword research, SE Ranking ($55/mo) for best-value all-in-one, Ahrefs ($129/mo) if backlinks are the priority
3. Notes Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free for your own site (site audit + backlink data)
4. Suggests starting with GSC + Ubersuggest free and upgrading only when you hit limits
Result: Budget-matched tool recommendation with free alternatives
Example 3: WordPress plugin selection
User says: "Should I use Yoast or Rank Math? I'm building a WooCommerce store."
Skill does:
1. Reads platforms reference for WordPress plugin comparison
2. Compares: Rank Math free gives 5 focus keywords, redirects, schema, GSC integration — all free. Yoast charges for redirects and limits to 1 keyword on free.
3. For WooCommerce: Rank Math has WooCommerce SEO integration on free tier; Yoast requires the $79/yr WooCommerce SEO add-on
4. Notes AIOSEO is also strong for WooCommerce with better product schema handling
5. Recommends Rank Math Free for budget-conscious WooCommerce stores
Result: Clear plugin recommendation with WooCommerce-specific reasoning
Troubleshooting
Organic traffic dropped suddenly
Symptom: Google Search Console shows a sharp traffic decline over 1-2 weeks
Cause: Could be algorithm update, manual penalty, technical issue (robots.txt blocking, noindex tags), or seasonal drop.
Solution: Check GSC for manual actions first. Then check Index Coverage for new errors. Compare the timing to known Google algorithm updates (search "Google algorithm update [month] [year]"). If it's a specific page group, check for accidental noindex tags or canonical URL changes. If it's site-wide, run a technical audit.
Site not getting indexed despite submitting sitemap
Symptom: Pages submitted to Google Search Console but showing as "Discovered - currently not indexed" or "Crawled - currently not indexed"
Cause: Google is choosing not to index low-quality or thin pages. New domains with little authority take longer. Duplicate content or canonical issues can prevent indexing.
Solution: Focus on publishing unique, in-depth content (1500+ words). Build a few quality backlinks to signal authority. Check for duplicate content issues. Ensure pages are linked from your navigation or other indexed pages. Be patient — new sites can take 2-4 weeks per page.
Spending money on tools but traffic isn't growing
Symptom: Paying $100+/mo for SEO tools, running reports, but organic traffic stays flat
Cause: Tools show data but don't create results. Common trap: running audits and researching keywords without publishing content or building links. Analysis paralysis.
Solution: For every hour spent in SEO tools, spend 3 hours creating content or building links. Set a rule: no new tool subscriptions until you've published 20 pages targeting researched keywords. Track output (pages published, links built) alongside input (tool reports run).
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