SEO Specialist

# CLAUDE.md — SEO Specialist
> Version: 2026-02-17 | Difficulty: intermediate

## What Your AI Can Now Do
- Research any keyword's real ranking potential before you invest a single hour writing content
- Audit a page for technical SEO issues and get a fix-it list in under 60 seconds
- Generate content briefs that already account for competitor gaps and search intent
- Track ranking drops automatically and get alerted before traffic craters
- Identify which existing pages to refresh instead of writing yet another new post

---

## Quick Start
1. Paste this file into your project as `CLAUDE.md`
2. Add your Google Analytics and Search Console credentials to `.env`
3. Run `/keyword-research [your main topic]` to see what Claude finds
4. Run `/audit-page [your homepage URL]` to get your first technical audit
5. Review the Project Structure below and create the folders that match your workflow

---

## About Me
SEO specialist managing organic search growth across 1-3 websites. I optimize 4-8 articles per month, run quarterly technical audits, and target 20% YoY organic traffic growth. Primary metrics: organic traffic, keyword rankings, domain authority, and conversion rate from organic.

---

## Pre-Built Commands

| Command | What It Does |
|---------|-------------|
| `/keyword-research [topic]` | Returns primary keyword, volume, difficulty, intent type, long-tail variations, and a recommended content angle |
| `/content-brief [keyword]` | Generates a full writer brief: target keywords, outline, competitor gaps, word count, and internal linking opportunities |
| `/audit-page [url]` | Checks title tag, meta, H1, keyword usage, internal links, images, schema, and Core Web Vitals — returns a prioritized fix list |
| `/rank-check [keyword]` | Pulls current ranking position, trend over last 30 days, and flags any drops greater than 5 positions |
| `/cannibalization-check [keyword]` | Scans your site for pages competing for the same keyword and recommends consolidation or differentiation |

---

## How Claude Connects to Your Tools

| Tool | Why You Need It |
|------|----------------|
| Google Analytics | Pull organic traffic data, landing page performance, bounce rates, and conversion metrics from GA4 |
| AnySite | Analyze competitor pages, scrape SERP results, review backlink profiles, and find content gaps |
| Google Workspace | Store SEO reports, content briefs, and audit docs in Drive; coordinate with writers via email |

### Setup
```bash
# Required in .env
GOOGLE_ANALYTICS_PROPERTY_ID=your-ga4-property-id
GOOGLE_CREDENTIALS_PATH=./credentials.json
```

---

## SEO Rules
- **MUST:** Classify search intent (informational, navigational, transactional, commercial) before targeting any keyword
- **MUST:** One H1 per page containing the primary keyword — never identical to the title tag
- **MUST:** Set canonical tags as self-referencing on every page with no exceptions
- **MUST:** Check backlink profile before redirecting any URL — a blind 301 can destroy link equity overnight
- **SHOULD:** Keep title tags under 60 characters with the primary keyword near the front
- **SHOULD:** Refresh pages ranking positions 5-20 before writing new content on the same topic
- **SHOULD:** Link every new page to 3-5 existing relevant pages and get it linked from 2-3 high-authority pages
- **MUST:** Never keyword-stuff — if it reads weird to a human, rewrite it

---

## Project Structure
```
seo/
├── keyword-research/
│   └── [topic-cluster]/
├── content-briefs/
├── audits/
│   ├── technical/
│   └── page-level/
├── reporting/
└── link-building/
```

### What These Folders Mean
- **keyword-research/** — Keyword clusters grouped by topic, including primary terms, long-tail, and competitor gaps
- **content-briefs/** — One brief per target keyword, used to hand off to writers
- **audits/technical/** — Quarterly site-wide audits tracking crawl issues, Core Web Vitals, and indexation
- **audits/page-level/** — Individual page audits run before or after publishing
- **reporting/** — Monthly traffic snapshots and ranking tracker exports
- **link-building/** — Outreach prospects and email templates for backlink campaigns

---

## Automation

| When | What Happens | If It Fails |
|------|-------------|-------------|
| New content brief created | Auto-checks keyword cannibalization against existing pages | Flag the keyword for manual review and list all competing URLs |
| Page published | Runs audit on title, meta, H1, alt text, schema, and internal links | Save the audit as "pending" and alert you to run it manually |
| Weekly (Monday) | Pulls ranking changes for tracked keywords and flags drops > 5 positions | Log that the check was missed and double-check next Monday |
| 90 days post-publish | Evaluates page performance vs. brief targets — recommends refresh, expand, or consolidate | Add the page to next quarterly audit for manual review |
| Content brief handed off | Validates that the brief includes intent, outline, and word count | Blocks handoff and lists the missing fields |

---

## Gotchas
- **MUST:** Never chase high-volume keywords on a new domain — target long-tail with clear intent first and build authority over time
- **MUST:** Never audit the same page twice without checking if the last audit's fixes were actually implemented — most SEO debt is unfinished work
- **SHOULD:** Stop over-optimizing Core Web Vitals once you are in the "good" range — diminishing returns past that point
- **MUST:** Never publish "SEO-optimized content" that reads like it was written for robots — high bounce rates tank rankings long-term
- **SHOULD:** Always check if a ranking drop is algorithmic (site-wide) vs. page-specific before taking action

---

## Memory & Learning
Claude builds context over time:
- Which keywords drove actual traffic vs. which ones looked promising but flopped
- Technical issues found in past audits and whether fixes were implemented
- Your site's ranking trajectory by topic cluster across quarters
- Content angles and formats that consistently outperform (listicles vs. guides vs. tools)
- Competitor moves that shifted your rankings

To save something important: just say "remember that [fact]" in conversation.
To review saved memories: use the `/memory` command to open the memory editor.