SEO Strategy & Planning
SEO is a long game that compounds. This skill helps you plan a content strategy that drives organic signups — deciding what to build, in what order, targeting which keywords.
This skill answers what to write and where. For the other SEO concerns:
- seo-content — How to write it (content briefs, humanized writing, SERP feature targeting)
- technical-seo — How to implement it in code (meta tags, schema, CWV, crawlability, GEO)
- seo-audit — How to assess what exists (scan a codebase, produce an action plan)
Core Principles
- SEO is not gaming Google — it's structuring content so it's findable and useful.
- Content quality and relevance determine rankings. Technical SEO is table stakes.
- Target intent, not just keywords. "Best CRM" and "CRM pricing" have completely different searchers.
- One page per intent. Cannibalizing your own rankings is the most common SaaS SEO mistake.
- Internal linking is your most underused lever.
SEO Timeline: Set Realistic Expectations
| Timeframe | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| Month 1-2 | Pages indexed, minimal traffic. Focus on building content. |
| Month 3-4 | Long-tail keywords start ranking (page 2-3). |
| Month 5-6 | Some pages reach page 1 for low-competition terms. |
| Month 6-12 | Compound growth as domain authority builds. |
Reality check: SEO takes 3-6 months to show results. If you need signups this week, use paid ads or outreach. SEO is the engine you build now so you're not paying for every click forever.
Content Architecture for SaaS
Build your site structure around search intent, not your org chart.
High-Priority Pages (Build First)
| Page Type | URL Pattern | Search Intent |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage | / | Branded searches, direct traffic |
| Feature pages | /features/[feature] | "How to [solve problem]" |
| Pricing page | /pricing | "[Product] pricing", "[category] pricing" |
| Comparison pages | /compare/[competitor] | "[Product] vs [Competitor]" |
| Use case pages | /for/[audience] | "[Category] for [role/industry]" |
Content Pages (Build Over Time)
| Page Type | URL Pattern | Search Intent |
|---|---|---|
| How-to guides | /blog/how-to-[action] | Tutorials that drive signups |
| Listicles | /blog/best-[category] | "Best [category] tools" — feature your product |
| Guides | /blog/[topic]-guide | Comprehensive mid-funnel content |
| Templates | /templates/[use-case] | "[Use case] template" — free value |
| Glossary | /glossary/[term] | "What is [term]?" — top-of-funnel |
Tell AI:
Create a content architecture for our SaaS product [name]:
- Product solves [problem] for [audience]
- Main features: [list features]
- Top 3 competitors: [list competitors]
Generate a sitemap with URL patterns for: homepage, feature pages, comparison pages,
use case pages, and initial blog post ideas. Prioritize by search intent value.
Keyword Intent Mapping
Every keyword has an intent. Match your page type to the intent:
| Intent | Example Searches | Best Page Type |
|---|---|---|
| Informational | "what is [concept]", "how to [action]" | Blog post, glossary entry |
| Navigational | "[your brand] login", "[your brand] pricing" | Ensure YOUR pages rank #1 |
| Commercial | "best [category] tools", "[tool A] vs [tool B]" | Comparison page, listicle |
| Transactional | "[category] pricing", "buy [product]" | Pricing page, signup page |
Tell AI:
Do keyword research for our product [name] in the [category] space:
- Find 20 keywords our ICP would search for
- Classify each by intent (informational, navigational, commercial, transactional)
- Estimate competition level (low, medium, high)
- Recommend which page type to create for each keyword
- Prioritize: low competition + high intent first
Internal Linking Strategy
Internal links are free and high-impact. Use them intentionally.
Rules
- Every blog post links to at least 1 feature/product page
- Every feature page links to related features and relevant blog posts
- Use descriptive anchor text: "our workflow automation feature" not "click here"
- Create hub pages that link to all content in a topic cluster
Topic Clusters
Group content around themes. Each cluster has:
- Pillar page — Comprehensive overview (e.g., "Complete Guide to [Topic]")
- Cluster pages — Specific subtopics (e.g., "How to [specific action]")
- Internal links — Every cluster page links to the pillar. Pillar links to all clusters.
Tell AI:
Build an internal linking plan for our site:
- Audit existing pages and identify linking opportunities
- For each blog post, suggest 2-3 internal links to product/feature pages
- For each feature page, suggest 2-3 links to related blog posts
- Identify gaps: pages with zero internal links pointing to them
- Use descriptive anchor text (not "click here" or "learn more")
Content Planning
Prioritization Framework
Write content in this order:
- Bottom-of-funnel first: Comparison pages, pricing page, feature pages — these convert
- Mid-funnel: How-to guides, use case pages — these build authority
- Top-of-funnel: Glossary, broad guides — these drive volume (but lower conversion)
Content Calendar (Simple Version)
Tell AI:
Create a 3-month content calendar for our SaaS blog:
- Product: [name], solves [problem] for [audience]
- Goal: drive organic signups
- Mix: 2 bottom-funnel pieces, 2 mid-funnel pieces, 1 top-funnel piece per month
- For each piece: title, target keyword, intent, URL, and brief outline
Measuring SEO Results
| Metric | Tool | What It Tells You |
|---|---|---|
| Organic traffic | Google Search Console (free) | How many people find you via search |
| Keyword rankings | Google Search Console | Which queries you appear for and position |
| Click-through rate | Google Search Console | Whether your titles/descriptions earn clicks |
| Organic signups | Your analytics tool | Whether SEO traffic actually converts |
Tell AI:
Set up SEO tracking:
- Connect Google Search Console to our site
- Add UTM parameters to track organic → signup conversion
- Create a monthly report: top 10 pages by organic traffic, top 10 keywords by impressions,
click-through rate by page, and organic signup count
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Writing content with no keyword research | Research first. Every page should target a specific keyword + intent. |
| Targeting high-competition keywords first | Start with long-tail, low-competition keywords. Build authority before going after "CRM software". |
| No internal links | Link every page to related pages. It's free and high-impact. |
| Duplicate intent across pages | One page per search intent. Don't create 3 blog posts targeting the same keyword. |
| Expecting results in 2 weeks | SEO takes 3-6 months. Track progress monthly, not daily. |
| Ignoring existing content | Update and improve old content before writing new. A refreshed page ranks faster than a new one. |