SEO Audit & Optimization Workflow
Run a comprehensive SEO audit using this 10-step framework. Each step includes actionable checks and links to detailed reference guides.
Step 1: Basic Technical SEO Foundation
Verify core technical infrastructure is in place: Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console, robots.txt, XML sitemap, SSL certificate, and mobile responsiveness. Eliminate duplicate content issues. Ensure the site provides a good user experience.
→ Full checklist: references/technical-seo.md
Step 2: Site Speed Optimization
Compress all images (use WebP format). Enable lazy loading for below-fold content. Minify CSS/JS. Enable CDN caching (Cloudflare recommended). Target page load under 3 seconds. Pass Core Web Vitals.
→ Full checklist: references/technical-seo.md (Speed section)
Step 3: Keyword Research (200-300+ targets)
- Define 5-10+ seed keywords for the niche
- Run seeds through Semrush, filter KD 0-20 first
- Extract all relevant keywords, then repeat for higher KD ranges
- Run discovered keywords through AI to generate additional variations
- Classify by search intent: informational, commercial, transactional
- Group into content clusters
→ AI prompts for keyword research: references/seo-checklists.md
Step 4: Create SEO Landing Pages
Build 10-50+ landing pages targeting high buyer-intent keywords. Interlink them in navbar and footer. Ensure all blog content links to relevant landing pages. Each page needs clear value prop at top, search-optimized content below.
→ Template patterns: references/programmatic-seo.md
Step 5: Optimize Landing Pages (On-Page SEO)
For every page, verify:
- Target keyword in H1, H2, body, first 100 words, URL, title tag, meta description
- Semantically related keywords throughout
- SEO-friendly FAQ section at bottom
- Keyword-rich anchor text for internal links
- Content depth 1.5x competitors
→ Full on-page checklist: references/on-page-seo.md
Step 6: Content Operations Setup
Target 10-20+ articles/month. Create detailed content outlines manually (AI is weak at this). Hire 2-5+ writers. Use AI as writing assistant, not replacement. Every piece must beat competitors in depth and quality.
Key AI content workflow:
- Set up AI project with brand voice, top content, competitor articles
- Build outline manually after analyzing top 3 SERP results
- Collaborate with AI iteratively - give feedback, fix output
- Inject real expertise: case studies, screenshots, specific numbers
- Edit ruthlessly - kill all AI red flags
→ Full workflow + blacklist: references/content-strategy.md
Step 7: Internal Linking Strategy
All new content must link to older relevant posts. Monthly interlinking audit: connect old and new content. Use keyword variations as anchor text (never "click here"). 3-5 internal links minimum per post. No orphan pages.
→ Linking checklist: references/on-page-seo.md (Internal Linking section)
Step 8: Competitor Backlink Audit
Run a competitor backlink gap analysis using Semrush to determine how many links per month are needed to close the gap. Filter for quality do-follow links only.
→ Full audit process + calculation method: references/link-building.md
Step 9: Link Building Operations
Set up outreach infrastructure:
- Branded email domain, 30-50 emails/day per inbox, 2-3 inboxes
- 2 follow-ups per prospect (day 3 and day 7)
- Minimum 3,000 outreach emails/month
- 20+ campaigns/month
- Always offer value (guest post, feature, data)
Focus on quality: DA 40+ sites with 1,000+ monthly traffic. Budget $75-150 per placement. 10 quality links > 200 garbage links.
→ Sprint plan + email templates: references/link-building.md
Step 10: Ongoing Operations
- Monitor rankings weekly, find content improvement opportunities
- Publish more and better content than competitors
- Build more and better links than competitors
- Update existing content every 6 months
- Create stats pages as backlink magnets
- Run digital PR campaigns based on search trends
→ Growth strategies: references/link-building.md (Digital PR section)
Quick Reference: Which File Has What
| Topic | Reference File |
|---|---|
| Domain, hosting, robots.txt, sitemap, speed, mobile, Core Web Vitals, schema | references/technical-seo.md |
| Title tags, meta descriptions, headers, URLs, images, internal links, E-E-A-T | references/on-page-seo.md |
| AI content workflow, writing blacklist, system prompts, editing checklist | references/content-strategy.md |
| Backlink audit, 10-day sprint, outreach, digital PR, HARO, stats pages | references/link-building.md |
| Programmatic SEO templates, city pages, comparison pages, AI batch generation | references/programmatic-seo.md |
| Keyword placement, pre/post-publish, launch checklist, AI prompts | references/seo-checklists.md |