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6eff12e8ac
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>
102 lines
4.5 KiB
Markdown
102 lines
4.5 KiB
Markdown
# SmartCrawl Overview
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SmartCrawl is a WordPress SEO plugin by WPMU DEV. Current version: **3.15.0** (January 26, 2026). Available as a free plugin on WordPress.org and a Pro version through WPMU DEV membership. Supports WordPress Multisite and has been translated into 16 locales.
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## Full Feature Inventory
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### Core Modules
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| Module | Description |
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|--------|-------------|
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| **Dashboard** | One-click Setup Wizard, SEO Health score, import/export settings (JSON) |
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| **SEO Health / Checkup** | Full site SEO scan with color-coded grading and recommendations |
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| **Titles & Meta** | Global templates with macros + per-post overrides, Google preview snippet |
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| **Social** | Open Graph (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest) + Twitter/X Cards |
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| **Sitemap Generator** | XML, Google News, and Image sitemaps with configurable inclusions/exclusions |
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| **Schema / Structured Data** | 20+ pre-built types + custom schema builder |
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| **Content Analysis** | In-editor SEO analysis + readability scoring, up to 3 focus keywords |
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### Advanced Tools (Sub-modules)
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| Sub-module | Description |
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|------------|-------------|
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| **Redirects** | 301/302/307 redirects, regex support, bulk import/export |
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| **Automatic Linking** | Auto-convert keywords to links (Pro only) |
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| **Breadcrumbs** | Shortcode-based breadcrumb navigation with schema markup |
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| **Moz Integration** | Domain authority and link metrics in the WP dashboard |
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| **Robots.txt Editor** | Edit robots.txt from the admin (Pro only) |
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| **Meta Robots** | Per-post index/noindex, follow/nofollow controls |
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### Additional Features
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| Feature | Description |
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|---------|-------------|
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| **WooCommerce SEO** | Product schema, OG tags, category SEO settings |
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| **Instant Indexing** | Notifies Google when content is added/updated (not IndexNow) |
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| **Import/Export** | JSON-based settings transfer between sites |
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| **Role-based Access** | Control which user roles can access SEO settings |
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## Free vs Pro
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### Free Version Includes
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- One-click setup wizard
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- Titles & Meta descriptions (global templates + per-post overrides)
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- XML Sitemap generator (with exclusions)
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- Google News Sitemap
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- Image Sitemap
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- Open Graph & Twitter Cards
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- SEO content analysis & readability checks (up to 3 focus keywords)
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- Schema markup (all pre-built types + custom schema builder)
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- 301/302/307 Redirects (basic)
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- Breadcrumbs with schema
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- Moz integration
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- Meta robots (index/noindex, follow/nofollow)
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- Multisite support
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- Import/Export settings
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- WooCommerce SEO
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### Pro Adds
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| Feature | Details |
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|---------|---------|
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| Scheduled SEO Audits | Automated URL crawls with email reports |
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| Automatic Linking | Keyword-to-link automation across all content |
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| Location-based Redirects | Geolocation rules for redirect targeting |
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| Site Crawler | Broken URL detection, 404 monitoring, redirect chain detection |
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| Robots.txt Editor | Edit robots.txt from the admin panel |
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| White Label | Custom branding (remove WPMU DEV references) |
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| MaxMind DB | Geolocation integration for location-based features |
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| Priority Support | 24/7 live chat with WPMU DEV team |
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### Pricing
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Pro requires WPMU DEV membership (~$7.50/month), which includes all WPMU DEV premium plugins (Hummingbird, Smush, Defender, Forminator, etc.).
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## Comparison: SmartCrawl vs Yoast vs Rank Math
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| Feature | SmartCrawl Free | Yoast Free | Rank Math Free |
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|---------|----------------|------------|----------------|
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| Focus keywords per post | 3 | 1 | 5 |
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| Schema types | Many + custom builder | Basic | 18+ pre-defined |
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| Redirects | Yes (301/302/307) | No (Pro only) | Yes + 404 monitor |
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| Breadcrumbs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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| XML Sitemap | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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| News Sitemap | Yes | No (Pro) | Pro only |
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| Image Sitemap | Yes | Included in main | Included in main |
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| Open Graph / Twitter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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| Readability analysis | Yes (Flesch-Kincaid) | Yes (more detailed) | Yes |
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| Google Search Console | No | No (limited) | Yes (built-in) |
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| Google Analytics | No | No | Yes (GA4) |
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| IndexNow | No | Yes | Yes |
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| Auto-linking | Pro only | No | Pro only |
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| WooCommerce SEO | Yes | Yes (Pro) | Yes |
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| White label | Pro only | No | Pro only |
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| Moz integration | Yes | No | No |
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### Positioning Summary
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- **SmartCrawl** — Simplest UI, least overwhelming. Best for WPMU DEV ecosystem users. Generous free tier for schema. Weakest on analytics integration and IndexNow.
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- **Yoast** — Most beginner-friendly (traffic-light system). Most detailed readability. Locks more behind Pro.
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- **Rank Math** — Most feature-rich free tier. Best analytics integration. Most focus keywords. Rapidly adding AI-era features.
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