Initial commit — SEO Guidelines & SmartCrawl reference

SmartCrawl plugin reference (11 docs): - Overview, configuration, titles & meta, schema, sitemaps, social/OG, redirects, breadcrumbs, content analysis, hooks/filters, known issues SEO strategy playbook (6 docs): - Keyword research, per-page-type selection, on-page optimization, local SEO, technical SEO, content strategy Reusable templates (3): - Site audit checklist, keyword research worksheet, page optimization checklist Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-04-17 13:32:17 -05:00
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+# Content Strategy
+
+How to plan, prioritize, and organize content for maximum SEO impact.
+
+## Topic Clusters and Pillar Pages
+
+The modern approach to building topical authority.
+
+### Structure
+
+- **Pillar page:** A comprehensive page covering a broad topic. Targets a competitive short-tail keyword.
+- **Cluster pages:** 5-15 supporting pages each covering a subtopic in depth. Each targets a specific long-tail keyword.
+- **Internal links:** Every cluster page links to the pillar page and vice versa. Cluster pages also link to each other.
+
+### Example: Motorcycle Safety School
+
+**Pillar page:** "Complete Guide to Getting Your Motorcycle License in Alaska"
+- Targets: "motorcycle license Alaska"
+
+**Cluster pages:**
+- "What to Expect at a Basic Rider Course" → links to pillar
+- "Motorcycle Gear Checklist for Beginners" → links to pillar
+- "Alaska Motorcycle Laws and Requirements" → links to pillar
+- "How to Choose the Right Motorcycle Safety Course" → links to pillar
+- "MSF Certification: What It Means and Why It Matters" → links to pillar
+- "Riding in Alaska: Weather, Roads, and Safety Tips" → links to pillar
+
+**Why this works:** Google sees concentrated topical authority. The pillar page gets authority from all cluster pages. Cluster pages get authority from the pillar. The whole cluster ranks better than isolated pages would.
+
+## Content Gap Analysis
+
+Find topics competitors cover that you don't.
+
+### Process
+
+1. Search your primary keywords and study the top 5 results
+2. List every subtopic, question, and section they cover
+3. Compare against your own content
+4. Prioritize gaps by: search intent match → search volume → difficulty
+
+### Format Gaps
+
+If competitors only have text and you create a video, infographic, or interactive tool — you can rank with a differentiated asset.
+
+## Seasonal Keyword Opportunities
+
+### Plan Ahead
+
+Create seasonal content **2-3 months before peak** to give Google time to index and rank it.
+
+| Business Type | Peak Season | Content Should Be Live By |
+|--------------|-------------|--------------------------|
+| Motorcycle training (Alaska) | Spring (March-May) | January-February |
+| Event-based businesses | Season start | 2-3 months ahead |
+| Portfolio/hiring | Q4 (hiring season) | September-October |
+| General services | January (new year planning) | November-December |
+
+### Seasonal Content Types
+
+- "[Season] [Year] [Service] Schedule" pages
+- Seasonal preparation guides
+- Event announcements and previews
+- Year-in-review or seasonal recap posts
+
+### Reuse Strategy
+
+Don't create new seasonal URLs each year. Update the same page:
+- `/spring-motorcycle-courses/` (update content annually)
+- NOT `/spring-2026-motorcycle-courses/` (dead URL next year)
+
+## Prioritization Framework
+
+### Tier 1 — Immediate (Highest ROI)
+
+| Action | Why |
+|--------|-----|
+| Pages ranking positions 5-20 | "Striking distance" — small improvements = big gains |
+| Service pages with transactional intent | Closest to revenue |
+| Pages with high impressions but low CTR | Fix title/description for quick win |
+
+### Tier 2 — Soon
+
+| Action | Why |
+|--------|-----|
+| Homepage optimization | Highest-authority page |
+| Core location pages | Foundation for local SEO |
+| Top blog posts that could rank higher | Already have some authority |
+
+### Tier 3 — Ongoing
+
+| Action | Why |
+|--------|-----|
+| New blog content (topic clusters) | Builds topical authority over time |
+| Portfolio/case study pages | Supports E-E-A-T |
+| About/contact optimization | Supports local SEO |
+| Content for identified gaps | Fills missing coverage |
+
+### Golden Rule
+
+**Optimize existing content before creating new content.** A page that already exists with some authority responds to improvements faster than a brand new page.
+
+## Content Quality Standards
+
+### Every Published Page Should Have
+
+- [ ] One primary keyword targeted
+- [ ] Clear search intent match
+- [ ] Title tag optimized (50-60 chars, keyword near start)
+- [ ] Meta description hand-crafted (150-160 chars)
+- [ ] H1 with primary keyword
+- [ ] Structured subheadings (H2/H3)
+- [ ] Internal links to/from related pages
+- [ ] At least one image with descriptive alt text
+- [ ] Clear CTA (for commercial/transactional pages)
+- [ ] SmartCrawl focus keyword set and analysis reviewed
+
+### Content Types and Minimum Quality
+
+| Type | Minimum Length | Key Elements |
+|------|---------------|-------------|
+| Service page | 500+ words | Pricing/CTA, features, FAQ, testimonials |
+| Blog post | 800+ words | Answer the query thoroughly, internal links |
+| Pillar page | 2,000+ words | Comprehensive coverage, links to all clusters |
+| Location page | 500+ words | Unique local content, NAP, map |
+| Portfolio piece | 300+ words | Project summary, skills, outcomes |
+
+**Length is a guideline, not a rule.** A 400-word service page that perfectly answers the query will outrank a 2,000-word page that buries the answer.
+
+## Content Calendar
+
+### Monthly Rhythm
+
+| Week | Activity |
+|------|----------|
+| Week 1 | Publish 1 new blog post (from topic cluster plan) |
+| Week 2 | Optimize 2 existing pages (striking distance keywords) |
+| Week 3 | Publish 1 new blog post or update an old one |
+| Week 4 | Review Search Console data, plan next month |
+
+### Quarterly Activities
+
+- Review and update all service page content
+- Audit internal links (find orphan pages, fix broken links)
+- Check keyword rankings and adjust strategy
+- Update seasonal content
+
+This cadence is sustainable for small business sites and compounds over time.
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+# Keyword Research
+
+How to find the right keywords for any site, with an emphasis on free tools and methods applicable to small business WordPress sites.
+
+## Fundamentals
+
+### Primary vs Secondary Keywords
+
+**Primary keyword:** The single most important search term a page should rank for. Every page gets exactly one. It should appear in the title tag, H1, URL slug, and first 100 words.
+
+**Secondary keywords:** 3-5 closely related terms or synonyms that support the primary keyword. These go in H2/H3 headings, body content, and image alt text.
+
+Google's NLP (BERT, MUM) understands synonyms and related concepts, so exact-match repetition is unnecessary — semantic relevance matters more.
+
+**Example for a motorcycle safety course in Alaska:**
+- Primary: "motorcycle safety course Anchorage"
+- Secondary: "MSF basic rider course Alaska", "learn to ride motorcycle Anchorage", "motorcycle license training Alaska", "beginner motorcycle class near me"
+
+### Long-Tail vs Short-Tail
+
+| Aspect | Short-tail (1-2 words) | Long-tail (3+ words) |
+|--------|----------------------|---------------------|
+| Example | "motorcycle course" | "weekend motorcycle safety course Anchorage AK" |
+| Search volume | High | Low |
+| Competition | Very high | Low to moderate |
+| Conversion rate | Low (vague intent) | High (specific intent) |
+| Best for | Brand awareness, pillar pages | Service pages, blog posts, local pages |
+
+**For small business sites, long-tail keywords are the priority.** You won't outrank national brands for "motorcycle course" but you can rank #1 for "motorcycle safety course Anchorage Alaska."
+
+### Search Intent Types
+
+Google categorizes every query by intent. **Matching intent is more important than keyword density or backlinks for ranking.**
+
+| Intent | Signals | Content Type | Example |
+|--------|---------|-------------|---------|
+| **Informational** | "how to", "what is", "guide", questions | Blog posts, guides, FAQs | "how to prepare for a motorcycle safety course" |
+| **Navigational** | Brand names, specific products | Homepage, branded pages | "Alaska Safe Riders" |
+| **Commercial** | "best", "vs", "review", "top" | Comparison pages, service pages | "best motorcycle training courses in Alaska" |
+| **Transactional** | "buy", "register", "near me", "price" | Service pages, registration, contact | "register motorcycle safety course Anchorage" |
+
+**Check the current SERP for your target keyword** to see what Google considers the correct intent. If the top results are all blog posts, Google expects informational content — don't try to rank a service page there.
+
+### Keyword Difficulty vs Search Volume
+
+For small/local business sites, **ignore high-difficulty keywords at first.**
+
+| Combination | Strategy |
+|-------------|----------|
+| Low difficulty + moderate volume | **Best opportunities — quick wins** |
+| Low difficulty + low volume | Still valuable if commercial/transactional intent |
+| High difficulty + high volume | Long-term goals only |
+| High difficulty + low volume | Skip entirely |
+
+**Quick difficulty check without paid tools:** Search your target keyword. If page 1 is dominated by Wikipedia, major publications, and government sites — too competitive. If you see other small businesses, local directories, and niche sites — achievable.
+
+## Free Research Tools
+
+### 1. Google Search Console (Your Best Tool)
+
+Shows exactly what queries people use to find (or almost find) your site.
+
+**Quick wins from Search Console:**
+
+- **Performance > Queries > Sort by impressions:** See what Google shows your site for. High impressions + low clicks = fix your title/description or create dedicated content.
+- **Position 8-20 keywords ("striking distance"):** These are queries where you're on page 1-2 but not top 5. A small content improvement or better title tag can push these up.
+- **Pages report:** See which pages rank for which queries. If one page ranks for many unrelated queries, split content into separate focused pages.
+- **Filter by query containing your location:** Find local search opportunities.
+
+### 2. Google Autocomplete / People Also Ask / Related Searches
+
+Free and directly reflects what people search for.
+
+- **Autocomplete:** Type your service in Google and note every suggestion. Use the "alphabet soup" method: type `[service] a`, `[service] b`, etc.
+- **People Also Ask (PAA):** Click on PAA questions to expand — Google loads more each time. Each question is a potential blog post or FAQ entry.
+- **Related Searches:** At the bottom of the SERP. Semantically related queries Google considers relevant.
+
+**Use incognito mode** and set location to your target area for accurate local results.
+
+### 3. Google Trends
+
+- **Compare seasonal patterns:** When do people search for your services most?
+- **Compare keyword variations:** "motorcycle safety course" vs "motorcycle riding course" vs "motorcycle training"
+- **Filter by region:** National trends may not match Alaska or Nashville patterns
+- **Rising queries:** Terms growing in popularity — early opportunities
+
+### 4. Free Tool Tiers
+
+| Tool | Free Limit | Best For |
+|------|-----------|----------|
+| **Google Keyword Planner** | Unlimited (with Google Ads account) | Volume ranges, related keywords |
+| **Ubersuggest** | 3 searches/day | Volume, difficulty, suggestions |
+| **AnswerThePublic** | 3 searches/day | Questions people ask about a topic |
+| **Keyword Surfer** (Chrome ext.) | Unlimited | Volume in Google search results |
+| **AlsoAsked.com** | 3 searches/day | PAA data visualization |
+| **Ahrefs Webmaster Tools** | Unlimited (site owner) | What you currently rank for |
+
+### 5. Competitor Analysis (No Paid Tools)
+
+- **Search your target keywords** and study who ranks on page 1:
+  - Their title tags and meta descriptions
+  - Content structure and length
+  - Header tags (view source)
+  - What topics they cover that you don't
+- **Check competitor sitemaps:** `competitor.com/sitemap.xml` reveals their full content strategy
+- **Google `site:competitor.com [your service]`** to see their pages targeting similar keywords
+- **Ahrefs Free Backlink Checker:** Shows top backlinks for any URL
+
+## The Keyword Matrix
+
+For local businesses, create a grid:
+
+| | Anchorage | Fairbanks | Wasilla | Eagle River |
+|---|-----------|-----------|---------|-------------|
+| motorcycle course | Target | Target | Assess | Assess |
+| rider training | Target | Assess | -- | -- |
+| motorcycle license | Target | Target | Assess | -- |
+
+Each intersection with "Target" gets its own page or section. "Assess" means check volume before investing.
+
+## Research Process
+
+### Step 1: Seed Keywords
+
+List everything you think your customers might search for. Include:
+- Service names
+- Problem descriptions ("how to get motorcycle license")
+- Location variations
+- Competitor brand names (for comparison content)
+
+### Step 2: Expand with Tools
+
+Run seed keywords through Google Autocomplete, PAA, Keyword Planner, and Ubersuggest. Note every relevant variation.
+
+### Step 3: Classify by Intent
+
+Tag each keyword as informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional.
+
+### Step 4: Assess Difficulty
+
+For each keyword, quick-check the SERP. Can you realistically compete?
+
+### Step 5: Prioritize
+
+Use the [Keyword Research Template](../templates/keyword-research-template.md) to organize and prioritize.
+
+### Step 6: Map to Pages
+
+Assign one primary keyword to each existing page. Create new pages for keywords that don't have a natural home.
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+# Keyword Selection by Page Type
+
+Every page on the site should target one primary keyword with a clear intent match. This guide covers how to choose keywords for each common page type.
+
+## Homepage
+
+| Aspect | Guidance |
+|--------|---------|
+| **Primary keyword** | Core service + primary location |
+| **Intent** | Navigational + commercial |
+| **Title pattern** | `[Brand Name] \| [Primary Service] in [Location]` |
+| **Example** | "Alaska Safe Riders \| Motorcycle Safety Courses in Anchorage, AK" |
+
+**Rules:**
+- Establish what you do, where, and why you're the best choice
+- Don't try to rank for everything — let inner pages handle specifics
+- Don't keyword-stuff the homepage
+
+## Service / Product Pages
+
+| Aspect | Guidance |
+|--------|---------|
+| **Primary keyword** | Specific service + location |
+| **Intent** | Commercial or transactional |
+| **Title pattern** | `[Service Name] in [City, State] \| [Brand]` |
+| **Example** | "Basic Rider Course in Anchorage, AK \| Alaska Safe Riders" |
+
+**Rules:**
+- **Each distinct service gets its own page** — "Basic Rider Course" and "Advanced Rider Course" should be separate pages
+- Include pricing (or "contact for pricing"), what's included, duration, schedule, FAQs, testimonials
+- Clear CTA (register, contact, sign up)
+- Answer the questions a buyer would have before purchasing
+
+## Blog Posts
+
+| Aspect | Guidance |
+|--------|---------|
+| **Primary keyword** | Informational long-tail query |
+| **Intent** | Informational |
+| **Title pattern** | `[Question/Topic] — [Brand or Category]` |
+| **Example** | "What to Wear to a Motorcycle Safety Course \| Alaska Safe Riders" |
+
+**Rules:**
+- Each post targets one specific question or topic
+- Use Google's "People Also Ask" to find questions your audience searches
+- **Internal link every blog post to relevant service pages** — this is the primary SEO purpose of blog content
+- One blog post per topic — don't split thin content across multiple posts
+
+## Portfolio Pages
+
+| Aspect | Guidance |
+|--------|---------|
+| **Primary keyword** | Descriptive + role-based |
+| **Intent** | Navigational or commercial investigation |
+| **Title pattern** | `[Project Name] — [Role/Skill] Portfolio \| [Brand]` |
+| **Example** | "IDT 5210 Capstone — Instructional Design Portfolio \| Chelsea Paige Mann" |
+
+**Rules:**
+- Each portfolio piece: descriptive title, project summary with natural keywords, skills/tools, outcomes
+- Alt text on portfolio images should describe the work shown, not just "screenshot"
+- Link to related pieces and back to the portfolio index
+
+## Contact Page
+
+| Aspect | Guidance |
+|--------|---------|
+| **Primary keyword** | "contact [brand]" or "[service] [location] contact" |
+| **Intent** | Navigational / transactional |
+| **Title pattern** | `Contact [Brand] \| [Location]` |
+| **Example** | "Contact Alaska Safe Riders \| Anchorage, AK" |
+
+**Rules:**
+- Include full NAP (Name, Address, Phone)
+- Embedded Google Map
+- Contact form
+- Business hours
+- These signals support local SEO even if the page itself doesn't rank for much
+
+## About Page
+
+| Aspect | Guidance |
+|--------|---------|
+| **Primary keyword** | "[brand name] [location]" or "about [brand name]" |
+| **Intent** | Navigational |
+| **Title pattern** | `About [Brand] — [Qualifier] \| [Location]` |
+| **Example** | "About Alaska Safe Riders — MSF-Certified Training Since 2015" |
+
+**Rules:**
+- Credentials, experience, team info, location details
+- Supports E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
+- Natural keyword use (don't force it)
+- Link to service pages and Google Business Profile
+
+## Landing Pages
+
+| Aspect | Guidance |
+|--------|---------|
+| **Primary keyword** | Highly specific transactional term |
+| **Intent** | Transactional |
+| **Title pattern** | `[Specific Offer] in [Location] \| [Brand]` |
+| **Example** | "Spring 2026 Motorcycle Course — Register Now \| Alaska Safe Riders" |
+
+**Rules:**
+- Minimal navigation, singular CTA
+- Everything on the page drives toward one action
+- Seasonal landing pages capture time-specific traffic
+- Can noindex after the season ends, then republish/update for the next cycle
+
+## Location Pages (Multi-Location Businesses)
+
+| Aspect | Guidance |
+|--------|---------|
+| **Primary keyword** | `[service] in [specific location]` |
+| **Intent** | Commercial / transactional |
+| **Title pattern** | `[Service] in [City] \| [Brand]` |
+| **Example** | "Motorcycle Courses in Fairbanks, AK \| Alaska Safe Riders" |
+
+**Rules:**
+- **Each location page needs genuinely unique content** — local landmarks, directions, area-specific details, local testimonials
+- **Do NOT create thin location pages** that only swap city names — Google penalizes doorway pages
+- Only create if you have enough real content to differentiate each page
+
+## Common Mistakes
+
+| Mistake | Fix |
+|---------|-----|
+| Same keyword on multiple pages | One primary keyword per page. If two pages target the same term, merge them. |
+| Homepage targeting specific long-tail | Let inner pages handle specifics. Homepage = broad brand + service + location. |
+| Blog posts with no internal links to services | Every blog post should link to at least one relevant service page. |
+| Service pages with no CTA | Every service page needs a clear next step (register, contact, buy). |
+| Portfolio pages with no keywords | Add descriptive titles and summaries with natural keyword use. |
+| Contact page with just a form | Add NAP, map, hours, and service area for local SEO signals. |
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+# Local SEO
+
+For small businesses with physical locations or defined service areas, local SEO often has the highest ROI of any optimization effort. This is critical for Alaska, Nashville, and other location-specific client sites.
+
+## Google Business Profile (GBP)
+
+The single most important local ranking factor.
+
+### Setup Checklist
+
+- [ ] **Business name:** Exact legal name (no keyword stuffing)
+- [ ] **Address:** Full street address (or service area if no storefront)
+- [ ] **Phone:** Local number (not toll-free if possible)
+- [ ] **Hours:** Complete and accurate, including holidays
+- [ ] **Website URL:** Link to homepage
+- [ ] **Business description:** 750 characters max, include primary keywords naturally
+- [ ] **Primary category:** Choose carefully — strongest ranking signal
+- [ ] **Secondary categories:** Add all that apply (less weight but still help)
+- [ ] **Services/Products:** List all offerings with descriptions
+- [ ] **Attributes:** Check all applicable attributes (wheelchair accessible, etc.)
+- [ ] **Photos:** Add 10+ photos at setup, then monthly updates
+
+### Ongoing GBP Activities
+
+| Activity | Frequency | Impact |
+|----------|-----------|--------|
+| Google Posts | Weekly | Shows activity, appears in knowledge panel |
+| Photos | Monthly | 100+ photos = 520% more calls (BrightLocal data) |
+| Review responses | Within 24-48 hours | Directly impacts ranking + trust |
+| Q&A | Seed with common questions | Prevents random/incorrect answers |
+| Hours updates | As needed | Especially holidays and seasonal changes |
+
+### Getting Reviews
+
+- Ask satisfied customers directly (in person or follow-up email)
+- Share a direct review link: `search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=[YOUR_PLACE_ID]`
+- Respond to **every** review (positive and negative) professionally
+- Never buy or incentivize reviews — Google penalizes this
+
+## NAP Consistency
+
+**NAP = Name, Address, Phone number.** Must be identical everywhere.
+
+### The Rule
+
+Pick ONE format and use it everywhere:
+- "123 Main Street" vs "123 Main St." vs "123 Main St" — choose one
+- Include or exclude suite numbers consistently
+- Phone format: `(907) 555-0123` or `907-555-0123` — pick one
+
+### Where NAP Must Appear
+
+- Website (header, footer, contact page)
+- Google Business Profile
+- Yelp, Facebook, Instagram
+- Industry-specific directories
+- Chamber of Commerce, BBB
+- Apple Maps, Bing Places
+- Any citation or directory listing
+
+### Auditing Citations
+
+- Search your business name and manually check the top 20 results
+- Use Moz Local checker (free) for a broader scan
+- Fix inconsistencies immediately — they confuse Google
+
+## Local Schema Markup
+
+Add `LocalBusiness` schema to your website. See [Schema Markup](../smartcrawl/schema-markup.md) for SmartCrawl-specific implementation.
+
+### Minimum Required
+
+```json
+{
+  "@context": "https://schema.org",
+  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
+  "name": "Business Name",
+  "address": {
+    "@type": "PostalAddress",
+    "streetAddress": "123 Main St",
+    "addressLocality": "Anchorage",
+    "addressRegion": "AK",
+    "postalCode": "99501",
+    "addressCountry": "US"
+  },
+  "telephone": "+1-907-555-0123",
+  "url": "https://example.com"
+}
+```
+
+### Recommended Additional
+
+- `openingHoursSpecification`
+- `geo` (latitude/longitude)
+- `areaServed`
+- `priceRange`
+- `image` (logo)
+- `sameAs` (social profiles, directory listings)
+
+Choose the most specific `@type` subtype that applies (e.g., `EducationalOrganization`, `ProfessionalService`).
+
+## Location-Based Keywords
+
+### Keyword Patterns
+
+| Pattern | Example |
+|---------|---------|
+| `[service] + [city]` | "motorcycle course Anchorage" |
+| `[service] + [state]` | "motorcycle safety training Alaska" |
+| `[service] + near me` | Handled by Google via GBP/location signals |
+| `[service] + [neighborhood]` | "riding lessons Eagle River" |
+| `[service] + [qualifier] + [location]` | "affordable motorcycle course Anchorage AK" |
+
+### Keyword Matrix
+
+List all services down one side and all locations across the top. Each intersection is a potential target:
+
+| | Anchorage | Fairbanks | Wasilla |
+|---|-----------|-----------|---------|
+| Basic Rider Course | Primary | Secondary | Assess |
+| Advanced Course | Primary | -- | -- |
+| Safety Clinic | Primary | Secondary | -- |
+
+### "Near Me" Optimization
+
+You do **NOT** optimize for "near me" by putting "near me" on your page. Google determines "near me" results based on:
+- Searcher's physical location
+- Your GBP location
+- Local relevance signals (NAP, citations, reviews, local content)
+
+**Optimize for `[service] + [city/state]` instead** — this covers both explicit geo-queries and implicit "near me" intent.
+
+## Location Pages
+
+### When to Create Them
+
+Only if you have genuinely unique content for each location:
+- Local landmarks, directions
+- Area-specific service details
+- Local testimonials
+- Unique offerings per location
+
+### When NOT to Create Them
+
+**Do not create thin location pages** that only swap city names. Google penalizes doorway pages. A page that says the same thing as another page but with "Fairbanks" instead of "Anchorage" is a doorway page.
+
+### Template for Good Location Pages
+
+```
+# [Service] in [City], [State]
+
+[2-3 paragraphs about the service specific to this location]
+
+## What to Expect
+[Location-specific details]
+
+## Getting Here
+[Directions, parking, landmarks]
+
+## Local Testimonials
+[Reviews from customers in this area]
+
+## Schedule & Pricing
+[Location-specific schedule if different]
+
+[CTA to register/contact]
+```
+
+## Local Content Ideas
+
+Content that signals local relevance to Google:
+
+- Event coverage (local events you participate in or sponsor)
+- Local partnerships and community involvement
+- Area guides related to your industry
+- Seasonal content specific to your region
+- Local news or industry updates
+- Customer success stories from the area
+
+## Mobile Optimization
+
+Most "near me" and local searches happen on mobile:
+
+- Font size minimum 16px
+- Tap targets minimum 48x48px
+- Click-to-call phone numbers
+- Embedded Google Map on contact page
+- Fast load times (especially on mobile networks)
+
+## Local SEO Checklist
+
+- [ ] Google Business Profile fully completed and verified
+- [ ] NAP consistent across all platforms
+- [ ] LocalBusiness schema on website (validated)
+- [ ] Location keywords in title tags and meta descriptions of key pages
+- [ ] Contact page has full NAP + Google Map
+- [ ] Collecting and responding to reviews
+- [ ] Listed in relevant local directories
+- [ ] Mobile-friendly and fast-loading
+- [ ] Google Posts published weekly
+- [ ] Photos updated monthly on GBP
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+# On-Page Optimization
+
+Current best practices (2025-2026) for optimizing individual pages. These apply regardless of the SEO plugin used.
+
+## Title Tags
+
+### Rules
+
+- **Length:** 50-60 characters (Google truncates at ~580px pixel width)
+- **Primary keyword:** As close to the beginning as possible
+- **Unique:** Every page must have a unique title
+- **Brand name:** At the end (builds recognition)
+- **Don't stuff:** One primary keyword is enough
+
+### CTR Optimization
+
+Include value propositions, numbers, or power words:
+
+| Weak | Strong |
+|------|--------|
+| `Home - My Website` | `Motorcycle Safety Courses Anchorage, AK \| Alaska Safe Riders` |
+| `Services` | `Basic Rider Course (MSF Certified) \| Alaska Safe Riders` |
+| `Blog Post Title` | `What to Expect at a Basic Rider Course (2026 Guide)` |
+
+## Meta Descriptions
+
+### Rules
+
+- **Length:** 150-160 characters
+- **Include primary keyword** naturally (Google bolds matching terms)
+- **Include a CTA:** "Register today", "Learn more", "Contact us"
+- **Include differentiators:** Price, location, certifications
+- **Hand-craft** for important pages — auto-generated descriptions rarely perform well
+
+### Example
+
+> Learn to ride with Alaska's most experienced MSF-certified instructors. Weekend and weekday courses in Anchorage. Register online — classes fill fast.
+
+**Note:** Google rewrites ~60% of meta descriptions, but well-written ones are kept and significantly improve CTR.
+
+## Header Tags
+
+### Hierarchy
+
+- **H1:** Exactly one per page. Contains primary keyword. Closely matches the title tag.
+- **H2:** Major sections (3-8 per page). Use secondary keywords and related topics.
+- **H3:** Subsections under H2s. Use long-tail variations and questions.
+- **Never skip levels** (no H1 directly to H3)
+
+### Headers are semantic, not visual
+
+Using `<b>` or large font size is NOT the same as a proper `<h2>`. Headers tell search engines about content hierarchy.
+
+## Content Optimization
+
+### Keyword Density is Dead
+
+Google's algorithms (BERT, MUM, Helpful Content System) understand topics, not word frequency. What replaces it:
+
+**Topical coverage:** Cover the topic comprehensively. If writing about motorcycle safety courses, naturally mention gear requirements, licensing, MSF certification, course duration, prerequisites, etc.
+
+**E-E-A-T signals:**
+- **Experience:** First-person accounts, original photos, real examples
+- **Expertise:** Deep knowledge, cite specifics, avoid filler
+- **Authoritativeness:** Author bios, credentials, industry affiliations
+- **Trustworthiness:** Accurate information, transparent business info
+
+**Google's Helpful Content guidelines:**
+- Written for humans first, not search engines?
+- Demonstrates first-hand experience?
+- Reader will feel they learned enough to achieve their goal?
+
+### Practical Rules
+
+- Put the most important information first (inverted pyramid)
+- Short paragraphs (2-4 sentences)
+- Answer the searcher's question within the first 100-200 words
+- Use lists, tables, and structured formatting
+- Content should be as long as it needs to be — a focused 500-word service page can outrank a padded 3,000-word one
+
+## Image Optimization
+
+### Alt Text
+
+- **Describe what the image shows** in plain language
+- **Include keywords naturally** where they genuinely describe the image
+- **Keep under 125 characters** (screen readers truncate longer)
+- **Decorative images** get empty alt (`alt=""`)
+
+### File Names
+
+`basic-rider-course-anchorage.jpg` beats `DSC00451.jpg`
+
+### Technical
+
+- Use WebP or AVIF format for smaller file sizes
+- Set explicit width and height attributes (prevents CLS)
+- Lazy load below-the-fold images
+- Compress to reasonable quality (80-85% is usually sufficient)
+
+## Internal Linking
+
+One of the most underused and highest-ROI SEO tactics.
+
+### Rules
+
+- **Every page should link to and be linked from 2-3+ other pages**
+- **Descriptive anchor text** — "our basic rider course" not "click here"
+- **Blog posts → service pages** (primary purpose of blog content for SEO)
+- **Service pages → related services** (keeps users on site)
+- **Fix orphan pages** — any page with zero internal links is nearly invisible to Google
+
+### Site Structure
+
+```
+Homepage
+├── Service Page 1
+│   ├── Blog Post A (links back to Service 1)
+│   └── Blog Post B (links back to Service 1)
+├── Service Page 2
+│   ├── Blog Post C
+│   └── Blog Post D
+├── About
+└── Contact
+```
+
+This pyramid distributes authority downward from the homepage.
+
+## URL Slugs
+
+### Rules
+
+- **Short and descriptive:** `/basic-rider-course/`
+- **Include primary keyword:** `/motorcycle-safety-course-anchorage/`
+- **Hyphens, not underscores:** Google treats hyphens as word separators
+- **Lowercase only**
+- **No dates in URLs** unless truly time-bound content
+- **Never change URLs without 301 redirects**
+
+### Bad vs Good
+
+| Bad | Good |
+|-----|------|
+| `/2026/04/09/blog-post/` | `/how-to-prepare-for-motorcycle-course/` |
+| `/services/` | `/motorcycle-safety-courses-anchorage/` |
+| `/page_about_us/` | `/about/` |
+
+## Quick Optimization Checklist
+
+For any page:
+
+- [ ] Title tag: 50-60 chars, primary keyword near start, unique
+- [ ] Meta description: 150-160 chars, keyword included, CTA, hand-crafted
+- [ ] H1: Exactly one, contains primary keyword
+- [ ] H2/H3: Use secondary keywords in subheadings
+- [ ] Content: Answers the searcher's question in the first 200 words
+- [ ] Images: Descriptive alt text, optimized file size, descriptive file names
+- [ ] Internal links: 2-3+ links to/from related pages, descriptive anchors
+- [ ] URL: Short, keyword-included, lowercase, hyphens
+- [ ] Focus keyword set in SmartCrawl (up to 3)
+- [ ] SmartCrawl SEO analysis: all green or justified yellow
+- [ ] Readability: Flesch-Kincaid 60-70 target
@@ -0,0 +1,194 @@
+# Technical SEO
+
+Technical foundations that must be in place for any SEO effort to succeed. These affect how Google crawls, indexes, and ranks your site.
+
+## Core Web Vitals
+
+Google's page experience signals. Content relevance is still more important, but poor performance can hold you back.
+
+### Metrics
+
+| Metric | Target | What It Measures |
+|--------|--------|-----------------|
+| **LCP** (Largest Contentful Paint) | Under 2.5s | How fast the main content loads |
+| **INP** (Interaction to Next Paint) | Under 200ms | How responsive the page is to input |
+| **CLS** (Cumulative Layout Shift) | Under 0.1 | How much the layout shifts during load |
+
+### How to Improve
+
+**LCP:**
+- Optimize images (WebP/AVIF, proper sizing, lazy loading for below-fold)
+- Reduce server response time (caching, CDN)
+- Preload critical resources (fonts, hero images)
+- Minimize render-blocking CSS/JS
+
+**INP:**
+- Minimize JavaScript execution time
+- Break up long tasks
+- Optimize event handlers
+- Defer non-critical JavaScript
+
+**CLS:**
+- Set explicit width/height on images and embeds
+- Don't insert content above existing content dynamically
+- Use `font-display: swap` or preload web fonts
+- Reserve space for ads/embeds
+
+### WordPress Specifics
+
+- Use server-level caching (EA-Nginx proxy cache is already configured on our server)
+- Optimize images on upload (Smush or similar)
+- Minimize plugin count — each plugin adds overhead
+- Use Hummingbird or LiteSpeed Cache for asset optimization
+- Purge Nginx cache after changes: `rm -rf /var/cache/ea-nginx/proxy/<account>/*`
+
+## Mobile-First Indexing
+
+Google uses the **mobile version** of your site for indexing and ranking. There is no separate desktop index.
+
+### Requirements
+
+- [ ] All desktop content is also visible on mobile
+- [ ] Viewport meta tag present: `<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">`
+- [ ] Font size minimum 16px body text
+- [ ] Tap targets minimum 48x48px with 8px spacing
+- [ ] No horizontal scrolling
+- [ ] Content hidden in accordions/tabs is fine (as long as it's in the HTML)
+
+### Testing
+
+- Google's Mobile-Friendly Test
+- Search Console > Mobile Usability report
+- Chrome DevTools device emulator
+
+## Crawlability and Indexability
+
+### XML Sitemap
+
+- Submit to Google Search Console
+- SmartCrawl generates this automatically
+- Verify at `yoursite.com/sitemap.xml`
+- Include all important pages, exclude thin/duplicate content
+
+### Robots.txt
+
+Recommended content:
+
+```
+User-agent: *
+Allow: /
+Disallow: /wp-admin/
+Allow: /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php
+
+Sitemap: https://yoursite.com/sitemap.xml
+```
+
+**Do NOT block CSS/JS files** — Google needs them for mobile-first rendering.
+
+### Crawl Budget
+
+For small sites (<500 pages), crawl budget is rarely an issue. For larger sites:
+- Don't waste budget on filter pages, parameter URLs, or thin pagination
+- Use `noindex` on pages with no SEO value
+- Keep the sitemap clean (only valuable URLs)
+
+### Index Status
+
+Check Search Console > Pages report for:
+
+| Status | Meaning | Action |
+|--------|---------|--------|
+| Indexed | Page is in Google | Good |
+| Discovered — not indexed | Google knows about it but hasn't indexed it | Improve content quality, add internal links |
+| Crawled — not indexed | Google crawled it but chose not to index | Content isn't valuable enough — improve or noindex |
+| Excluded by noindex | You set noindex | Intentional? If not, fix it |
+
+### What to Noindex
+
+- Thank you / confirmation pages
+- Internal search results
+- Tag archives with thin content
+- Author archives on single-author sites
+- Admin/login pages
+- Paginated archives
+- Media attachment pages
+
+## Canonical URLs
+
+### Self-Referencing Canonicals
+
+Every page should have: `<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/current-page/">`
+
+SmartCrawl handles this automatically for most cases.
+
+### Choose One Format
+
+Pick one and redirect all variations to it:
+
+| Decision | Options |
+|----------|---------|
+| www vs non-www | `example.com` or `www.example.com` |
+| HTTP vs HTTPS | Always HTTPS |
+| Trailing slash | `/page/` or `/page` — pick one |
+
+Redirect the other variations via `.htaccess` or server config (not SmartCrawl — this is a server-level concern).
+
+## Structured Data
+
+See [Schema Markup](../smartcrawl/schema-markup.md) for SmartCrawl implementation.
+
+### Priority Order
+
+| Schema Type | Rich Result | Priority |
+|-------------|-------------|----------|
+| **LocalBusiness** | Knowledge panel, maps | Every local business |
+| **FAQ** | Expandable Q&A in SERPs | Pages with Q&A content |
+| **BreadcrumbList** | Breadcrumb trail in SERPs | All pages (via Breadcrumbs module) |
+| **Event** | Date/time/location in SERPs | Event listings |
+| **Course** | Course listing | Educational offerings |
+| **Article** | Article metadata | Blog posts |
+| **Product** | Price, availability, rating | WooCommerce products |
+| **Review / AggregateRating** | Stars in results | Review pages (genuine reviews only) |
+
+### Validation
+
+Always validate after deployment:
+
+1. [Google Rich Results Test](https://search.google.com/test/rich-results)
+2. [Schema.org Validator](https://validator.schema.org/)
+3. Google Search Console > Enhancements (ongoing monitoring)
+
+## HTTPS
+
+- **Required.** No exceptions. Google uses HTTPS as a ranking signal.
+- All HTTP URLs should 301 redirect to HTTPS
+- Mixed content (HTTP resources on HTTPS pages) must be fixed
+- SSL certificates are managed via cPanel on our server
+
+## Page Speed Quick Wins
+
+| Action | Impact | Effort |
+|--------|--------|--------|
+| Enable server-level caching | High | Already done (EA-Nginx) |
+| Optimize images (WebP, compression) | High | Low |
+| Lazy load below-fold images | Medium | Low |
+| Minimize active plugins | Medium | Low |
+| Preload critical fonts | Medium | Low |
+| Defer non-critical JavaScript | Medium | Medium |
+| Use a CDN | Medium | Medium |
+| Inline critical CSS | Low | High |
+
+## Technical SEO Audit Checklist
+
+- [ ] Site loads over HTTPS (no mixed content)
+- [ ] XML sitemap exists and is submitted to Search Console
+- [ ] Robots.txt is correct (not blocking important resources)
+- [ ] All pages have self-referencing canonical tags
+- [ ] One URL format (www/non-www, slash/no-slash) with redirects for the rest
+- [ ] No orphan pages (every page has internal links)
+- [ ] Core Web Vitals pass (LCP < 2.5s, INP < 200ms, CLS < 0.1)
+- [ ] Mobile-friendly test passes
+- [ ] No 404 errors on important pages (check Search Console)
+- [ ] Structured data validates without errors
+- [ ] No duplicate title tags or meta descriptions
+- [ ] Images have alt text and are optimized