# SEO Patterns

> When to activate: SEO strategy, on-page optimization, keyword research, technical SEO, content clustering, Core Web Vitals, schema markup, search rankings

- Skill: `mattakushi432/seo-patterns` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add mattakushi432/seo-patterns`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/mattakushi432/seo-patterns/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Marketing & Growth
- Author: Mattakushi432 (https://skillmd.com/u/mattakushi432)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/mattakushi432/seo-patterns

---


# SEO Patterns

## Keyword Research Framework

### Keyword Tiers
1. **Pillar keywords** — high volume, high competition, broad intent (1-2 words)
2. **Cluster keywords** — medium volume, medium competition, specific intent (2-4 words)
3. **Long-tail keywords** — low volume, low competition, high intent (4+ words)

### Research Process
1. Seed with product/service terms
2. Expand via Google Autocomplete, "People Also Ask", Related Searches
3. Pull competitors' ranking keywords (Ahrefs/Semrush)
4. Filter by: search volume ≥ 100/mo, KD ≤ 40 for new sites
5. Group by intent: Informational / Navigational / Commercial / Transactional
6. Map one primary keyword + 3-5 semantic variants per page

### Intent Classification
| Intent | Query pattern | Content type |
|--------|--------------|--------------|
| Informational | "how to", "what is", "why" | Blog posts, guides |
| Commercial | "best", "vs", "review" | Comparison pages |
| Transactional | "buy", "price", "discount" | Product/landing pages |
| Navigational | Brand + feature | Homepage, feature pages |

## On-Page Optimization Checklist

### Title Tag
- [ ] Primary keyword in first 60 characters
- [ ] Unique per page
- [ ] Includes power word or number where natural
- [ ] Format: `Primary KW — Secondary KW | Brand`

### Meta Description
- [ ] 150-160 characters
- [ ] Includes primary keyword naturally
- [ ] Has clear CTA ("Learn how", "Get started", "See pricing")
- [ ] Unique per page

### Headers
- [ ] H1: contains primary keyword, one per page
- [ ] H2s: contain semantic variants and subtopics
- [ ] H3s: support H2s with specifics
- [ ] Logical hierarchy — never skip levels

### Content
- [ ] Primary keyword in first 100 words
- [ ] Keyword density 1-2% (avoid stuffing)
- [ ] Semantic keywords (LSI) distributed naturally
- [ ] Internal links to cluster pages (3-5 per post)
- [ ] External links to authoritative sources
- [ ] Images: descriptive filenames, alt text with keywords where natural
- [ ] Content length matches top 3 SERP results ± 20%

### URL Structure
- [ ] Short, descriptive slug (`/guide/keyword-research` not `/blog/post?id=123`)
- [ ] Lowercase, hyphens (not underscores)
- [ ] No stop words unless needed for clarity
- [ ] Consistent folder structure

## Technical SEO Checklist

### Crawlability
- [ ] `robots.txt` allows Googlebot on key pages
- [ ] XML sitemap at `/sitemap.xml`, submitted to GSC
- [ ] No orphan pages (every page linked from somewhere)
- [ ] Canonical tags on duplicate/similar content
- [ ] 301 redirects for changed URLs — never 302 for permanent moves

### Indexability
- [ ] No `noindex` on pages you want ranked
- [ ] Check for accidental `noindex` in CMS settings
- [ ] Pagination handled with `rel="next"/"prev"` or canonical
- [ ] Thin content pages consolidated or noindexed

### Site Speed (Core Web Vitals targets)
| Metric | Target | Tool |
|--------|--------|------|
| LCP | < 2.5s | PageSpeed Insights |
| INP | < 200ms | CrUX / PageSpeed |
| CLS | < 0.1 | PageSpeed Insights |
| TTFB | < 800ms | WebPageTest |

### Speed Fixes Priority
1. Serve images in WebP/AVIF, explicit dimensions
2. Lazy-load below-fold images
3. Eliminate render-blocking JS (defer/async)
4. Minify CSS/JS, enable compression (gzip/brotli)
5. Use CDN for static assets
6. Implement caching headers

### Mobile
- [ ] Responsive design (Google mobile-first indexing)
- [ ] Touch targets ≥ 48px
- [ ] No horizontal scroll
- [ ] Readable font size (≥ 16px body)

### HTTPS & Security
- [ ] HTTPS on all pages
- [ ] No mixed content warnings
- [ ] HSTS header enabled

## Content Clustering (Topic Authority Model)

### Cluster Architecture
```
Pillar Page: "Email Marketing Guide" (broad, 3000+ words)
  └── Cluster: "Email Subject Line Best Practices"
  └── Cluster: "Email Segmentation Strategies"
  └── Cluster: "Email Automation Workflows"
  └── Cluster: "Email Deliverability Guide"
  └── Cluster: "Email A/B Testing"
```

### Internal Linking Rules
- Pillar links to all clusters
- Each cluster links back to pillar
- Clusters cross-link when topically relevant
- Use descriptive anchor text (not "click here")
- Anchor text = target page's primary keyword variant

## Schema Markup

### High-Value Schema Types
```json
// Article
{
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "Title",
  "datePublished": "2024-01-01",
  "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "..." },
  "image": "https://..."
}

// FAQ (boosts SERP space)
{
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [{
    "@type": "Question",
    "name": "Question text?",
    "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Answer text." }
  }]
}

// Product
{
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "Product Name",
  "aggregateRating": { "@type": "AggregateRating", "ratingValue": "4.8", "reviewCount": "127" }
}
```

## SERP Feature Targeting

### Featured Snippet Optimization
- Answer the question directly in first paragraph (40-60 words)
- Use the question as an H2
- Follow with list or table for list snippets
- Format: Question → Direct answer → Supporting detail

### People Also Ask
- Include PAA questions as H2/H3 subheadings
- Answer each in 40-60 words immediately below the header
- Use NLP-friendly phrasing that mirrors the question

## Link Building Strategies

### Tier 1 (Highest ROI)
1. **Digital PR** — create data studies, original research, newsworthy content
2. **Broken link building** — find dead links on authority sites, offer your content
3. **Resource page outreach** — find "useful links" pages in your niche
4. **Unlinked brand mentions** — convert mentions to links via outreach

### Outreach Email Template
```
Subject: Quick question about [their page title]

Hi [Name],

Found your [page URL] while researching [topic]. 
You link to [broken/outdated resource] — that page no longer exists.

I wrote an updated guide on [topic]: [your URL]

Might be a good replacement if you're open to it.

[Your name]
```

## SEO Reporting KPIs

| KPI | Frequency | Target |
|-----|-----------|--------|
| Organic sessions | Weekly | +10% MoM |
| Keyword rankings (tracked set) | Weekly | Position delta |
| Click-through rate | Monthly | ≥ 3% avg |
| Organic conversions | Monthly | Tie to revenue |
| Domain Rating / Authority | Monthly | Trend up |
| Core Web Vitals pass rate | Monthly | 100% |
| Indexed pages | Monthly | No unexpected drops |