What it does. Strategic SEO planning for new or existing websites. Industry-specific templates, competitive analysis, content strategy, and implementation roadmap. Use when user says "SEO plan", "SEO strategy", "SEO planning", "content strategy", "keyword strategy", "content calendar", "site architecture", or "SEO roadmap". Part of seo skill (claude-seo: 25 sub-skills, 18 sub-agents) (AgriciDaniel/claude-seo).

Upstream	AgriciDaniel/claude-seo
Skill file	skills/seo-plan/SKILL.md
License	MIT (skill folder LICENSE.txt)
Author	Daniel Agrici
Fetched	2026-09-10

Install

• Claude Code: /plugin marketplace add AgriciDaniel/claude-seo; other agents: npx skills add AgriciDaniel/claude-seo --skill seo-plan.
• Raw file: curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AgriciDaniel/claude-seo/HEAD/skills/seo-plan/SKILL.md

SKILL.md (verbatim)

name: seo-plan
description: >
  Strategic SEO planning for new or existing websites. Industry-specific
  templates, competitive analysis, content strategy, and implementation
  roadmap. Use when user says "SEO plan", "SEO strategy", "SEO planning",
  "content strategy", "keyword strategy", "content calendar",
  "site architecture", or "SEO roadmap".
user-invocable: true
argument-hint: "[business-type]"
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: AgriciDaniel
  version: "2.2.6"
  category: seo

Strategic SEO Planning

Process

1. Discovery

• Business type, target audience, competitors, goals
• Current site assessment (if exists)
• Budget and timeline constraints
• Key performance indicators (KPIs)

2. Competitive Analysis

• Identify top 5 competitors
• Analyze their content strategy, schema usage, technical setup
• Identify keyword gaps and content opportunities
• Assess their E-E-A-T signals
• Estimate their domain authority

3. Architecture Design

• Load industry template from assets/ directory
• Design URL hierarchy and content pillars
• Plan internal linking strategy
• Sitemap structure with quality gates applied
• Information architecture for user journeys

4. Content Strategy

• Content gaps vs competitors
• Page types and estimated counts
• Blog/resource topics and publishing cadence
• E-E-A-T building plan (author bios, credentials, experience signals)
• Content calendar with priorities

5. Technical Foundation

• Hosting and performance requirements
• Schema markup plan per page type
• Core Web Vitals baseline targets
• AI search readiness requirements
• Mobile-first considerations

6. Implementation Roadmap (4 phases)

Phase 1: Foundation (weeks 1-4)

• Technical setup and infrastructure
• Core pages (home, about, contact, main services)
• Essential schema implementation
• Analytics and tracking setup

Phase 2: Expansion (weeks 5-12)

• Content creation for primary pages
• Blog launch with initial posts
• Internal linking structure
• Local SEO setup (if applicable)

Phase 3: Scale (weeks 13-24)

• Advanced content development
• Link building and outreach
• GEO optimization
• Performance optimization

Phase 4: Authority (months 7-12)

• Thought leadership content
• PR and media mentions
• Advanced schema implementation
• Continuous optimization

Industry Templates

Load from assets/ directory:

• saas.md: SaaS/software companies
• local-service.md: Local service businesses
• ecommerce.md: E-commerce stores
• publisher.md: Content publishers/media
• agency.md: Agencies and consultancies
• generic.md: General business template

Output

Deliverables

• SEO-STRATEGY.md: Complete strategic plan
• COMPETITOR-ANALYSIS.md: Competitive insights
• CONTENT-CALENDAR.md: Content roadmap
• IMPLEMENTATION-ROADMAP.md: Phased action plan
• SITE-STRUCTURE.md: URL hierarchy and architecture

KPI Targets

Metric	Baseline	3 Month	6 Month	12 Month
Organic Traffic	...	...	...	...
Keyword Rankings	...	...	...	...
Domain Authority	...	...	...	...
Indexed Pages	...	...	...	...
Core Web Vitals	...	...	...	...

Success Criteria

• Clear, measurable goals per phase
• Resource requirements defined
• Dependencies identified
• Risk mitigation strategies

DataForSEO Integration (Optional)

If DataForSEO MCP tools are available, use dataforseo_labs_google_competitors_domain and dataforseo_labs_google_domain_intersection for real competitive intelligence, dataforseo_labs_bulk_traffic_estimation for traffic estimates, kw_data_google_ads_search_volume and dataforseo_labs_bulk_keyword_difficulty for keyword research, and business_data_business_listings_search for local business data.

Error Handling

Scenario	Action
Unrecognized business type	Fall back to generic.md template. Inform user that no industry-specific template was found and proceed with the general business template.
No website URL provided	Proceed with new-site planning mode. Skip current site assessment and competitive gap analysis that require a live URL.
Industry template not found	Check assets/ directory for available templates. If the requested template file is missing, use generic.md and note the missing template in output.

Other files in this skill

• LICENSE.txt
• assets/agency.md
• assets/ecommerce.md
• assets/generic.md
• assets/local-service.md
• assets/publisher.md
• assets/saas.md

assets/agency.md (verbatim)

<!-- Updated: 2026-02-07 -->

Agency/Consultancy SEO Strategy Template

Industry Characteristics

• Service-based, high-value transactions
• Expertise and trust are paramount
• Long consideration cycles
• Portfolio/case study driven decisions
• Relationship-based sales
• Niche specialization benefits

Recommended Site Architecture

/
├── Home
├── /services
│   ├── /service-1
│   │   ├── /sub-service-1
│   │   └── ...
│   └── /service-2
├── /industries
│   ├── /industry-1
│   ├── /industry-2
│   └── ...
├── /work (or /case-studies)
│   ├── /case-study-1
│   ├── /case-study-2
│   └── ...
├── /about
│   ├── /team
│   │   ├── /team-member-1
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── /culture
│   └── /careers
├── /insights (or /blog)
│   ├── /articles
│   ├── /guides
│   ├── /webinars
│   └── /podcasts
├── /contact
├── /process
└── /faq

Schema Recommendations

Page Type	Schema Types
Homepage	Organization, ProfessionalService
Service Page	Service, ProfessionalService
Case Study	Article, Organization (client)
Team Member	Person, ProfilePage
Blog	Article, BlogPosting

ProfessionalService Schema Example

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "ProfessionalService",
  "name": "Agency Name",
  "description": "What the agency does",
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "logo": "https://example.com/logo.png",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Agency St",
    "addressLocality": "City",
    "addressRegion": "State",
    "postalCode": "12345"
  },
  "telephone": "+1-555-555-5555",
  "areaServed": "National",
  "hasOfferCatalog": {
    "@type": "OfferCatalog",
    "name": "Services",
    "itemListElement": [
      {
        "@type": "Offer",
        "itemOffered": {
          "@type": "Service",
          "name": "Service 1"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

E-E-A-T Requirements

Team Pages Must Include

• Professional headshots
• Detailed bios with credentials
• Industry experience
• Speaking engagements
• Publications
• Social profiles

Case Studies Must Include

• Client name (with permission) or industry
• Challenge/problem statement
• Approach/methodology
• Results with specific metrics
• Timeline
• Testimonial quote

Content Priorities

High Priority

1. Service pages (detailed, specific)
2. Industry pages (vertical expertise)
3. 3-5 detailed case studies
4. Team/leadership pages

Medium Priority

1. Methodology/process page
2. Blog with thought leadership
3. Comparison content (vs alternatives)
4. FAQ page

Thought Leadership Topics

• Industry trend analysis
• How-to guides (non-competitive)
• Original research/surveys
• Event recaps and insights
• Expert interviews
• Tool/technology reviews

Content Strategy

Service Pages (min 800 words)

• Clear value proposition
• Methodology overview
• Deliverables list
• Relevant case studies
• Team members who deliver this service
• CTA to schedule consultation

Industry Pages (min 800 words)

• Industry-specific challenges
• How you solve them differently
• Relevant case studies
• Industry credentials/experience
• Client logos (with permission)

Case Studies (min 1,000 words)

• Executive summary
• Client background
• Challenge details
• Solution approach
• Implementation process
• Measurable results
• Client testimonial
• Related services/CTA

Key Metrics to Track

• Organic traffic to service pages
• Case study page views
• Contact form submissions from organic
• Time on page for key content
• Blog → service page conversion

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) for Agencies

• Publish original case studies with specific, citable metrics and results
• Use Person schema with sameAs links for all team members (builds entity authority)
• Use ProfilePage schema for team member pages
• Include clear, quotable expertise statements in service page descriptions
• Produce original industry research and surveys AI systems can cite
• Structure thought leadership content with clear headings and extractable insights
• Maintain consistent agency entity information across directories, social profiles, and industry sites
• Monitor AI citation in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews for brand and key service terms

assets/ecommerce.md (verbatim)

<!-- Updated: 2026-02-07 -->

E-commerce SEO Strategy Template

Industry Characteristics

• High transaction intent
• Product comparison behavior
• Price sensitivity
• Visual-first decision making
• Seasonal demand patterns
• Competitive marketplace listings

Recommended Site Architecture

/
├── Home
├── /collections (or /categories)
│   ├── /category-1
│   │   ├── /subcategory-1
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── /category-2
│   └── ...
├── /products
│   ├── /product-1
│   ├── /product-2
│   └── ...
├── /brands
│   ├── /brand-1
│   └── ...
├── /sale (or /deals)
├── /new-arrivals
├── /best-sellers
├── /gift-guide
├── /blog
│   ├── /buying-guides
│   ├── /how-to
│   └── /trends
├── /about
├── /contact
├── /shipping
├── /returns
└── /faq

Schema Recommendations

Page Type	Schema Types
Product Page	Product, Offer, AggregateRating, Review, BreadcrumbList
Category Page	CollectionPage, ItemList, BreadcrumbList
Brand Page	Brand, Organization
Blog	Article, BlogPosting

Additional E-commerce Schema (2025)

• ProductGroup: Use for products with variants (size, color). Wraps individual Product entries with variesBy and hasVariant properties. See schema/templates.json.
• Certification: For product certifications (Energy Star, safety, organic). Replaced EnergyConsumptionDetails (April 2025). Use hasCertification on Product.
• OfferShippingDetails: Include shipping rate, handling time, and transit time. Critical for Merchant Center eligibility.

Google Merchant Center Free Listings: Products can appear in Google Shopping for free. Ensure a purchase page and Product structured data in the initial server-rendered HTML (not JavaScript-injected): Product with name, image, and offers; Offer with price, priceCurrency, availability, and url as applicable.

JS Rendering Note: Product structured data should be in initial server-rendered HTML: not dynamically injected via JavaScript (per December 2025 Google JS SEO guidance).

Product Schema Example

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "Product Name",
  "image": ["https://example.com/product.jpg"],
  "description": "Product description",
  "sku": "SKU123",
  "brand": {
    "@type": "Brand",
    "name": "Brand Name"
  },
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "99.99",
    "priceCurrency": "USD",
    "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock",
    "url": "https://example.com/product"
  },
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": "4.5",
    "reviewCount": "42"
  }
}

Content Requirements

Product Pages (min 400 words)

• Unique product descriptions (not manufacturer copy)
• Feature highlights
• Use cases / who it's for
• Specifications table
• Size/fit guide (for apparel)
• Care instructions
• Customer reviews

Category Pages (min 400 words)

• Category introduction
• Buying guide excerpt
• Featured products
• Subcategory links
• Filter/sort options

Technical Considerations

Pagination

• Use rel="next"/rel="prev" or load-more
• Ensure all products are crawlable
• Canonical to main category page

Faceted Navigation

• Noindex filter combinations that create duplicate content
• Use canonical tags appropriately
• Ensure popular filters are indexable

Product Variations

• Single URL for parent product with variants
• Or separate URLs with canonical to parent
• Structured data for all variants

Content Priorities

High Priority

1. Category pages (top level)
2. Best-selling product pages
3. Homepage
4. Buying guides for main categories

Medium Priority

1. Subcategory pages
2. Brand pages
3. Comparison content
4. Seasonal landing pages

Blog Topics

• Buying guides ("How to Choose...")
• Product comparisons
• Trend reports
• Use cases and inspiration
• Care and maintenance guides

Key Metrics to Track

• Revenue from organic search
• Product page rankings
• Category page rankings
• Click-through rate (rich results)
• Average order value from organic

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) for E-commerce

AI search platforms increasingly answer product queries directly. Optimize for AI citation:

• Include clear product specifications, dimensions, materials in structured format
• Use ProductGroup schema for variant products
• Provide original product photography with descriptive alt text
• Include genuine customer review content (AggregateRating schema)
• Maintain consistent product entity data across all platforms (site, Amazon, Merchant Center)
• Structure comparison content with clear feature tables AI can parse
• Add detailed FAQ content for common product questions

assets/generic.md (verbatim)

<!-- Updated: 2026-02-07 -->

Generic Business SEO Strategy Template

Overview

This template applies to businesses that don't fit neatly into SaaS, local service, e-commerce, publisher, or agency categories. Customize based on your specific business model.

Recommended Site Architecture

/
├── Home
├── /products (or /services)
│   ├── /product-1
│   ├── /product-2
│   └── ...
├── /solutions (if applicable)
│   ├── /solution-1
│   └── ...
├── /about
│   ├── /team
│   ├── /history
│   └── /values
├── /resources
│   ├── /blog
│   ├── /guides
│   ├── /faq
│   └── /glossary
├── /contact
├── /support
└── /legal
    ├── /privacy
    └── /terms

Universal SEO Principles

Every Page Should Have

• Unique title tag (30-60 chars)
• Unique meta description (120-160 chars)
• Single H1 matching page intent
• Logical heading hierarchy (H1→H2→H3)
• Internal links to related content
• Clear call-to-action

Schema for All Sites

Page Type	Schema Types
Homepage	Organization, WebSite
About	Organization, AboutPage
Contact	ContactPage
Blog	Article, BlogPosting
FAQ	QAPage for genuine Q&A; FAQPage no longer yields rich results (retired May 2026); keep FAQPage only when useful for on-page content structure
Product/Service	Product or Service

Content Quality Standards

Minimum Word Counts

Page Type	Min Words
Homepage	500
Product/Service	800
Blog Post	1,500
About Page	400
Landing Page	600

E-E-A-T Essentials

1. Experience: Share real examples and case studies
2. Expertise: Display credentials and qualifications
3. Authoritativeness: Earn mentions and citations
4. Trustworthiness: Full contact info, policies visible

Technical Foundations

Must-Haves

• HTTPS enabled
• Mobile-responsive design
• robots.txt configured
• XML sitemap submitted
• Google Search Console verified
• Core Web Vitals passing (LCP <2.5s, INP <200ms, CLS <0.1)

Should-Haves

• Structured data on key pages
• Internal linking strategy
• 404 error page optimized
• Redirect chains eliminated
• Image optimization (WebP, lazy loading)

Content Priorities

Phase 1: Foundation (weeks 1-4)

1. Homepage optimization
2. Core product/service pages
3. About and contact pages
4. Basic schema implementation

Phase 2: Expansion (weeks 5-12)

1. Blog launch (2-4 posts/month)
2. FAQ page
3. Additional product/service pages
4. Internal linking audit

Phase 3: Growth (weeks 13-24)

1. Consistent content publishing
2. Link building outreach
3. GEO optimization
4. Performance optimization

Phase 4: Authority (months 7-12)

1. Thought leadership content
2. Original research
3. PR and media mentions
4. Advanced schema

Key Metrics to Track

• Organic traffic (overall and by section)
• Keyword rankings (branded and non-branded)
• Conversion rate from organic
• Pages indexed
• Core Web Vitals scores
• Backlinks acquired

Customization Points

Adjust this template based on:

1. Business Model: B2B vs B2C vs D2C
2. Geographic Scope: Local, national, or international
3. Content Type: Product-focused vs content-heavy
4. Competition Level: Niche vs competitive market
5. Resources: Budget and team capacity

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Checklist

• Include clear, quotable facts and statistics that AI systems can extract and cite
• Use structured data (Schema.org) to help AI systems understand content
• Build topical authority through comprehensive content clusters
• Provide original data, research, or unique perspectives AI cannot find elsewhere
• Maintain consistent entity information (brand, people, products) across the web
• Structure content with clear headings, definitions, and step-by-step formats
• Consider adding an llms.txt file at site root (emerging convention for AI crawlers: Google treats it as a regular text file)
• Monitor AI citation across Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Bing Copilot

assets/local-service.md (verbatim)

<!-- Updated: 2026-02-07 -->

Local Service Business SEO Strategy Template

Industry Characteristics

• Geographic-focused searches
• High intent, quick decision making
• Reviews heavily influence decisions
• Phone calls are primary conversion
• Mobile-first user behavior
• Emergency/urgent service needs

Recommended Site Architecture

/
├── Home
├── /services
│   ├── /service-1
│   ├── /service-2
│   └── ...
├── /locations
│   ├── /city-1
│   │   ├── /service-1-city-1
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── /city-2
│   └── ...
├── /about
├── /reviews
├── /gallery (or /portfolio)
├── /blog
├── /contact
├── /emergency (if applicable)
└── /faq

Quality Gates

Location Page Limits

• ⚠️ WARNING at 30+ location pages
• 🛑 HARD STOP at 50+ location pages

Unique Content Requirements

Page Type	Min Words	Unique %
Primary Location	600	60%+
Service Area	500	40%+
Service Page	800	100%

What Makes Location Pages Unique

• Local landmarks and neighborhoods
• Specific services offered at that location
• Local team members
• Location-specific testimonials
• Community involvement
• Local regulations or considerations

Schema Recommendations

Page Type	Schema Types
Homepage	LocalBusiness, Organization
Service Pages	Service, LocalBusiness
Location Pages	LocalBusiness (with geo)
Contact	ContactPage, LocalBusiness
Reviews	LocalBusiness (with AggregateRating)

LocalBusiness Schema Example

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "Business Name",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Main St",
    "addressLocality": "City",
    "addressRegion": "State",
    "postalCode": "12345"
  },
  "telephone": "+1-555-555-5555",
  "openingHours": "Mo-Fr 08:00-18:00",
  "geo": {
    "@type": "GeoCoordinates",
    "latitude": "40.7128",
    "longitude": "-74.0060"
  },
  "areaServed": ["City 1", "City 2"],
  "priceRange": "$$"
}

Google Business Profile Integration

• Ensure NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone)
• Sync service categories
• Regular post updates
• Photo uploads
• Review response strategy

Google Business Profile Updates (2025-2026)

• Video verification is now standard: postcard verification has been largely phased out. Prepare for a short video verification process showing the business location or service area.
• WhatsApp integration replaced Google Business Chat (deprecated). Businesses can connect WhatsApp as their primary messaging channel.
• GBP Q&A availability: GBP Q&A remains available for select categories/regions; maintain Q&A and supporting website FAQ content where relevant.
• Business hours are a top-5 ranking factor: "Business is open at time of search" ranked as a top individual factor for the first time (Whitespark 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors Report). Keep hours accurate; consider extended hours if feasible.
• Review "Stories" format: Google Maps now shows review snippets in a swipeable Stories format on mobile. Encourage detailed, descriptive reviews with photos.

Service Area Business (SAB) Update (June 2025)

Google updated SAB guidelines to disallow entire states or countries as service areas. SABs must specify: cities, postal/ZIP codes, or neighborhoods. If you serve an entire metro area, list the major cities within it rather than the state.

AI Visibility for Local Businesses

One March 2025 vendor dataset reported AI Overviews on ~0.14% of local keywords; treat coverage as methodology-dependent. ChatGPT and Perplexity are increasingly used for local recommendations.

To optimize for AI local visibility:

• Ensure presence on expert-curated "best of" lists (ranked #1 AI visibility factor in Whitespark 2026 report)
• Maintain consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across all platforms
• Build genuine review volume and quality
• Use LocalBusiness schema with complete properties (geo, openingHours, priceRange, areaServed)

Content Priorities

High Priority

1. Homepage with clear service area
2. Core service pages
3. Primary city page
4. Contact page with all locations

Medium Priority

1. Service + location combination pages
2. FAQ page
3. About/team page
4. Reviews/testimonials page

Blog Topics

• Seasonal maintenance tips
• How to choose a [service provider]
• Warning signs of [problem]
• DIY vs professional comparisons
• Local regulations and permits

Key Metrics to Track

• Local pack rankings
• Phone call volume from organic
• Direction requests
• Google Business Profile insights
• Reviews count and rating

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) for Local

• Include clear, quotable service descriptions and pricing ranges
• Use LocalBusiness schema with complete geo, openingHours, and areaServed
• Build presence on curated "best of" and local directory lists
• Maintain consistent NAP across all platforms (Google, Yelp, Apple Maps)
• Include original photos of work, team, and location
• Structure FAQ content for common local service questions
• Monitor AI citation in ChatGPT and Perplexity local recommendations

assets/publisher.md (verbatim)

<!-- Updated: 2026-02-07 -->

Publisher/Media SEO Strategy Template

Industry Characteristics

• High content volume
• Time-sensitive content (news)
• Ad revenue dependent on traffic
• Authority and trust critical
• Competing with social platforms
• AI Overviews impact on traffic

Recommended Site Architecture

/
├── Home
├── /news (or /latest)
├── /topics
│   ├── /topic-1
│   ├── /topic-2
│   └── ...
├── /authors
│   ├── /author-1
│   └── ...
├── /opinion
├── /reviews
├── /guides
├── /videos
├── /podcasts
├── /newsletter
├── /about
│   ├── /editorial-policy
│   ├── /corrections
│   └── /contact
└── /[year]/[month]/[slug] (article URLs)

Schema Recommendations

Page Type	Schema Types
Article	NewsArticle or Article, Person (author), Organization (publisher)
Author Page	Person, ProfilePage
Topic Page	CollectionPage, ItemList
Homepage	WebSite, Organization
Video	VideoObject
Podcast	PodcastEpisode, PodcastSeries

NewsArticle Schema Example

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "NewsArticle",
  "headline": "Article Headline",
  "datePublished": "2026-02-07T10:00:00Z",
  "dateModified": "2026-02-07T14:30:00Z",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Author Name",
    "url": "https://example.com/authors/author-name"
  },
  "publisher": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "Publication Name",
    "logo": {
      "@type": "ImageObject",
      "url": "https://example.com/logo.png"
    }
  },
  "image": ["https://example.com/article-image.jpg"],
  "mainEntityOfPage": {
    "@type": "WebPage",
    "@id": "https://example.com/article-url"
  }
}

E-E-A-T Requirements

Publishers face highest E-E-A-T scrutiny.

Author Pages Must Include

• Full name and photo
• Bio and credentials
• Areas of expertise
• Contact information
• Social profiles (sameAs)
• Previous articles by this author

Editorial Standards

• Clear correction policy
• Transparent editorial process
• Fact-checking procedures
• Conflict of interest disclosures

Content Priorities

High Priority

1. Breaking news (speed matters)
2. Evergreen guides on core topics
3. Author pages with credentials
4. Topic hubs/pillar pages

Medium Priority

1. Opinion/analysis pieces
2. Video content
3. Interactive content
4. Newsletter landing pages

GEO Considerations

• Clear, quotable facts in articles
• Tables for data-heavy content
• Expert quotes with attribution
• Update dates prominently displayed
• Structured headings (H2/H3)
• First-party data and original research are highly cited by AI systems
• Ensure author entities are clearly defined with Person schema + sameAs links
• Monitor AI citation frequency across Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity
• Treat AI citation as a standalone KPI alongside organic traffic

Publisher SEO Updates (2025-2026)

• Google News automatic inclusion: Google News no longer accepts manual applications (since March 2025). Inclusion is fully automatic based on Google's content quality criteria. Focus on Google News sitemap markup and consistent, high-quality publishing cadence.
• KPI shift: Traffic-based KPIs (sessions, pageviews) are declining in relevance as AI Overviews reduce click-through rates. Leading publishers are shifting to: subscriber conversions, time on page, scroll depth, newsletter signups, AI citation frequency, and revenue per visitor.
• Site reputation abuse risk: Publishers hosting third-party content (coupons, product reviews, affiliate content) under their domain are at high risk. Google penalized Forbes, WSJ, Time, and CNN for this in late 2024. If hosting third-party content, ensure strong editorial oversight and clear first-party involvement.

Technical Considerations

Core Web Vitals

• Ad placement affects CLS
• Lazy load ads and images below fold
• Optimize hero images for LCP
• Minimize render-blocking resources

AMP (if used)

• Consider dropping AMP (no longer required for Top Stories)
• Ensure canonical setup is correct
• Monitor performance vs non-AMP

Pagination

• Proper pagination for multi-page articles
• Or infinite scroll with proper indexing
• Canonical to page 1 or full article

Key Metrics to Track

• Page views from organic
• Time on page
• Pages per session
• Newsletter signups from organic
• Google News/Discover traffic
• AI Overview appearances

assets/saas.md (verbatim)

<!-- Updated: 2026-02-07 -->

SaaS SEO Strategy Template

Industry Characteristics

• Long sales cycles with multiple touchpoints
• Feature-focused decision making
• Comparison shopping behavior
• Heavy research phase before purchase
• Integration and ecosystem considerations

Recommended Site Architecture

/
├── Home
├── /product (or /platform)
│   ├── /features
│   │   ├── /feature-1
│   │   ├── /feature-2
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── /integrations
│   │   ├── /integration-1
│   │   └── ...
│   └── /security
├── /solutions
│   ├── /by-industry
│   │   ├── /industry-1
│   │   └── ...
│   └── /by-use-case
│       ├── /use-case-1
│       └── ...
├── /pricing
├── /customers
│   ├── /case-studies
│   │   ├── /case-study-1
│   │   └── ...
│   └── /testimonials
├── /resources
│   ├── /blog
│   ├── /guides
│   ├── /webinars
│   ├── /templates
│   └── /glossary
├── /docs (or /help)
│   └── /api
├── /company
│   ├── /about
│   ├── /careers
│   ├── /press
│   └── /contact
└── /compare
    ├── /vs-competitor-1
    └── /vs-competitor-2

Content Priorities

High Priority Pages

1. Homepage (value proposition, social proof)
2. Features overview
3. Pricing page
4. Key integrations
5. Top 3-5 use case pages

Medium Priority Pages

1. Individual feature pages
2. Industry solution pages
3. Case studies (2-3 detailed ones)
4. Comparison pages (vs competitors)

Content Marketing Focus

1. Bottom-of-funnel: Comparison guides, ROI calculators
2. Middle-of-funnel: How-to guides, best practices
3. Top-of-funnel: Industry trends, educational content

Schema Recommendations

Page Type	Schema Types
Homepage	Organization, WebSite, SoftwareApplication
Product/Features	SoftwareApplication, Offer
Pricing	SoftwareApplication, Offer (with pricing)
Blog	Article, BlogPosting
Case Studies	Article, Organization (customer)
Documentation	TechArticle

Key Metrics to Track

• Organic traffic to pricing page
• Demo/trial signups from organic
• Blog → pricing page conversion
• Comparison page rankings
• Integration page performance

Comparison & Alternative Pages

Comparison pages are among the highest-converting content types for SaaS, with conversion rates of 4-7% vs. 0.5-1.8% for standard blog content (35.8% of marketers report comparison content performs "better than ever" per Intergrowth November 2025 survey).

Recommended page types:

• /{product}-vs-{competitor}: Direct 1:1 comparison
• /{competitor}-alternative: Targeting competitor brand searches
• /compare/{category}: Category comparison hub
• /best-{category}-tools: Roundup-style pages

Best practices:

• Include structured comparison tables with pricing, features, pros/cons
• Be factually accurate about competitors: verify claims regularly
• Include customer testimonials from users who switched
• Add FAQ content for common comparison questions (FAQPage rich results retired May 2026; keep markup only when it accurately represents visible FAQ content)
• Update regularly: stale comparison data damages credibility
• Cross-reference the seo-competitor-pages skill for detailed frameworks

Legal considerations:

• Nominative fair use generally permits competitor brand mentions for comparison purposes
• Do NOT imply endorsement or affiliation
• Do NOT make false or unverifiable claims about competitor products
• Different jurisdictions have different trademark laws: consult legal counsel

Competitive Considerations

• Monitor competitor feature releases
• Track competitor content strategies
• Identify keyword gaps in feature coverage
• Watch for new comparison opportunities

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) for SaaS

• Include clear, structured feature comparisons that AI systems can parse and cite
• Use SoftwareApplication schema with complete feature lists and pricing
• Publish original benchmark data, case studies, and ROI metrics
• Build content clusters around key product categories and use cases
• Ensure integration pages have clear, quotable descriptions
• Structure pricing information in tables AI can extract
• Monitor AI citation across Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity

Back to seo skill (claude-seo: 25 sub-skills, 18 sub-agents) or Agent skills.