SEO Strategy

SEO Strategy

SEO = optimizing a website for organic search results. Core principle: content for people, not for systems.

Related skills: geo-optimization (E-E-A-T, GEO, writing guidelines) | seo-keyword-research (keywords) | content-creator (writing & publishing)

SEO in the AI era

SEO is the foundation that GEO builds on. See the geo-optimization skill for AI visibility and anti-patterns.

Technical SEO

Crawlability: XML sitemap up-to-date | robots.txt correct | no unintended noindex | canonical tags for duplicates | clean URLs | 301 redirects (no 404s) | HTTPS required

Mobile-first indexing: Fully rolled out by Google since July 2024 — Google indexes exclusively the mobile version of pages. Ensure content, structured data, and internal links are identical on desktop and mobile. No mobile version = not indexed.

IndexNow: Protocol to notify search engines (Bing, Yandex, Naver) directly when pages are created or updated. Free, faster indexation than waiting for a crawl. Implementation: generate a key via Bing Webmaster Tools and add a simple API call to your publishing workflow. WordPress: use the IndexNow plugin. (Note: Google has its own crawl prioritization and does not use IndexNow.)

Core Web Vitals: LCP < 2.5s | INP < 200ms | CLS < 0.1 (source: web.dev/articles/vitals). For details: use a web performance optimization tool or skill.

Schema Markup: LocalBusiness (business details) | Article (blog posts) | BreadcrumbList | Service | Person (author, E-E-A-T) | VideoObject (videos)

Schema status (Feb 2026) — only use active types:

JSON-LD rendering: Ensure JSON-LD is in the initial server-rendered HTML. JavaScript-injected structured data can be processed with a delay by Google — critical for Product and Offer markup. (Source: Google JS SEO guidelines Dec 2025)

JavaScript SEO — 4 critical rules (Dec 2025):

1. Canonical conflict: If the raw HTML has a different canonical than JavaScript injects, Google may use both. Ensure they are identical.
2. noindex via JavaScript: If raw HTML contains noindex but JavaScript removes it, Google may still honor the raw HTML signal. Always send noindex in the initial server response.
3. Non-200 status codes: Google does not render JavaScript on pages returning non-HTTP 200. Meta tags and structured data via JS are then invisible to Googlebot.
4. Structured data in JS: Product and Offer markup via JS may be processed with a delay. Always embed time-sensitive structured data in server-rendered HTML.

On-page SEO

• Title: unique, primary keyword near the front, max 60 characters
• Meta description: unique, 120-155 characters, primary keyword + CTA
• Headings: one H1 per page, H2 for main sections, H3 for subsections, logical hierarchy
• Content: lead with the answer, short paragraphs (3-4 sentences), bullet points
• Semantic SEO: use synonyms and related terms (entities). Google expects context: for "baking" also "oven", "temperature", "ingredients". Without these, Google understands the topic less well.
• URL: short, descriptive, includes primary keyword, hyphens
• Images: descriptive filenames (seo-checklist-smb.jpg), alt text, WebP/AVIF, properly sized
• Video: YouTube embeds increase engagement, VideoObject schema, transcription for indexation

Internal links and content clusters

• Link from within content, use descriptive anchor texts (not "click here")
• Pillar links to at least 3 supporting articles; supporting articles link back

Pillar (core topic)
  |-- Supporting A  |-- Supporting B  |-- Supporting C  |-- Checklist D

Search intent

SEO vs GEO per intent: SEO-first for navigational and transactional queries (blue link dominant). GEO-first for long-tail informational/commercial questions where AI Overviews take the most space. See the geo-optimization skill.

SEO content length guidelines

Workflow: keyword research > determine search intent > set up structure > write with expertise > internal links > meta tags > CTA + social proof > publish > monitor

Helpful Content test: Does this article add something that doesn't already exist? (original data, unique case study, practical experience). Avoid interstitial pop-ups. If not: rewrite or remove.

Myth-busting: Word count is not a direct ranking factor (confirmed by Google). A 500-word article that fully answers the search query outranks a 2,000-word article that doesn't. Use length guidelines as minimums for topical coverage, not as a goal in themselves. The Flesch readability score is also not a ranking factor — Yoast deprioritized it in v19.3. Use readability as a quality indicator, not as an SEO metric.

Writing guidelines (E-E-A-T, language, authorship): see the geo-optimization skill.

Conversion (CRO)

Findability is step 1, action is step 2. Every SEO page needs a logical next step (button, form, lead magnet). Social proof (reviews, logos) on landing pages reduces bounce rate.

Voice Search

90%+ of voice answers come directly from Featured Snippets. Voice queries have a local intent in 46% of cases.

Platform → index source: Google Assistant → Google | Siri → Bing | Alexa → Bing | Cortana → Bing. Submit Siri- and Alexa-visible content also via Bing Webmaster Tools.

speakable schema (WordPress: add via JSON-LD in functions.php or SEO plugin):

{
  "@type": "Article",
  "speakable": {
    "@type": "SpeakableSpecification",
    "cssSelector": [".article-summary", "h2 + p"]
  }
}

Source: Bhanunamikaze/Agentic-SEO-Skill

Google AI Mode

In May 2025, Google launched AI Mode as a separate tab in Google Search (available in 180+ countries). Unlike AI Overviews (above organic results), AI Mode offers a fully conversational search experience without organic blue links. AI citation is the only visibility mechanism within AI Mode.

Implication: Treat AI citation as an independent KPI alongside traditional rankings and traffic. Monitor visibility in Google AI Mode, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Bing Copilot separately — not only via Search Console.

Source: Google I/O May 2025

Authority and external signals

• Backlinks: relevance over quantity; one authoritative link > 100 vague links
• Digital PR: mentions on niche websites or local news sites
• Brand mentions: brand name on social media and forums builds trust, even without a link. See the geo-optimization skill for the GEO scorecard (external validation, niche association, sentiment) and the Reddit factor.

Content maintenance

Local SEO

• Google Business Profile: claim, verify, complete fully, respond to reviews
• NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistent across website + external profiles
• Local keywords in title tags and content
• Schema LocalBusiness with address

Monitoring

SMB minimum: Search Console + GA4 + Yoast SEO (free).

CTR optimization (quick win): Find pages in Search Console with high impressions but low CTR. Optimize title and meta description with action words ("Step-by-step", "2026 update", "Free check") to get more clicks from the same position.

WordPress REST API automation

SEO metadata can be automated via the WordPress REST API, reducing manual work significantly.

Fields that work via REST API (wp-json/wp/v2/posts/{id}, method POST, meta object):

Fields that may NOT work via API (depends on installation):

Recommended workflow for automated publishing:

1. Script creates draft post — _yoast_wpseo_title and _yoast_wpseo_metadesc set via API
2. Manually in wp-admin: Yoast SEO > SEO tab > Set Focus keyphrase > Save
3. Then check the Yoast analysis

Yoast thresholds to target:

SEO checklist for SMBs

Technical: HTTPS | sitemap in Search Console | robots.txt | no 404s | responsive | Core Web Vitals | schema markup

On-page: unique titles (60 chars) + descriptions (120-155 chars) | one H1 | logical H2-H3 | alt text | descriptive filenames | internal links

Content: pillar + supporting articles | answers real questions | author + date visible | min. 1,200 words | search intent determined | CTA per page

Local: Business Profile complete | NAP consistent | local keywords

Scope

Data integrity

• Only verified facts; no rankings or statistics without a source

References

• Google: Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS thresholds)
• Google Search Central: Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content
• Google Search Central: How Search Works
• Yoast: SEO REST API (read-only; meta via WP REST API meta object)
• WordPress: REST API — Posts