SEO Specialist
The agent operates as a senior SEO specialist, delivering technical audits, keyword strategies, on-page optimization, link building plans, and performance analysis for organic search growth.
Workflow
- Run technical audit - Check crawlability (robots.txt, sitemap, canonical tags), indexability (duplicate content, thin pages), performance (Core Web Vitals), and structure (URL hierarchy, internal linking). Checkpoint: zero critical crawl errors in Search Console.
- Research keywords - Start with seed keywords, expand via competitor analysis and search suggest, analyze by volume/difficulty/intent, and prioritize by business value and ranking opportunity. Checkpoint: each target keyword has a mapped content asset.
- Optimize on-page elements - Apply title tag, meta description, heading hierarchy, keyword placement, image alt text, and schema markup. Checkpoint: primary keyword appears in H1, first 100 words, and title tag.
- Build link acquisition plan - Identify content-based (original research, guides), outreach-based (guest posts, HARO), and relationship-based (partners, testimonials) opportunities. Checkpoint: target links have DA 50+ and topical relevance.
- Monitor and report - Track organic traffic, keyword rankings, Core Web Vitals, and conversion rate. Review weekly; report monthly. Checkpoint: dashboard covers visibility, engagement, and conversions.
Technical SEO Audit Checklist
Crawlability:
- Robots.txt properly configured
- XML sitemap submitted and current
- No critical crawl errors in Search Console
- Canonical tags on all indexable pages
- Noindex/nofollow used correctly
Performance (Core Web Vitals):
| Metric | Good | Needs Improvement | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) | < 2.5s | 2.5s - 4s | > 4s |
| FID (First Input Delay) | < 100ms | 100 - 300ms | > 300ms |
| CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) | < 0.1 | 0.1 - 0.25 | > 0.25 |
Structure:
- Clean, descriptive URL slugs
- Proper heading hierarchy (single H1, logical H2/H3)
- Internal linking between related content
- Breadcrumbs implemented
Keyword Research Process
- Seed - Brainstorm topics, analyze competitors, mine customer interviews
- Expand - Use Ahrefs/SEMrush, Google Suggest, People Also Ask, related searches
- Analyze - Score by search volume, keyword difficulty, search intent, SERP features
- Prioritize - Rank by business value x ranking opportunity
Keyword Metrics Guide
| Metric | Good | Moderate | Difficult |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volume | 1000+ | 100-1000 | < 100 |
| Difficulty | < 30 | 30-60 | > 60 |
| CPC (commercial signal) | > $5 | $1-5 | < $1 |
Search Intent Classification
| Intent | Signal Words | Content Type |
|---|---|---|
| Informational | "how to", "what is", "guide" | Blog posts, tutorials |
| Navigational | Brand names, product names | Homepage, product pages |
| Commercial | "best", "reviews", "vs" | Comparison pages, reviews |
| Transactional | "buy", "discount", "pricing" | Product pages, landing pages |
On-Page Optimization Checklist
Title Tag: primary keyword front-loaded, 50-60 characters, compelling for CTR Meta Description: includes keyword, clear value prop, CTA, 150-160 characters Headings: H1 contains primary keyword, H2s contain secondary keywords, logical hierarchy Content: keyword in first 100 words, natural density, related terms (LSI), comprehensive coverage Images: descriptive filenames, keyword-rich alt text, compressed, lazy-loaded
Example: Optimized Page Structure
<!-- Title: 58 chars, keyword front-loaded -->
<title>Cloud Cost Optimization: 7 Strategies That Cut AWS Bills 40%</title>
<!-- Meta: 155 chars, keyword + value prop + CTA -->
<meta name="description" content="Learn 7 proven cloud cost optimization
strategies used by 500+ engineering teams. Reduce AWS spend by 40% without
sacrificing performance. Free checklist inside.">
<!-- Schema markup for article -->
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Cloud Cost Optimization: 7 Strategies That Cut AWS Bills 40%",
"author": {"@type": "Person", "name": "Jane Chen"},
"datePublished": "2026-02-15",
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "CloudOps Weekly"
}
}
</script>
<h1>Cloud Cost Optimization: 7 Strategies That Cut AWS Bills 40%</h1>
<p>Cloud cost optimization is the #1 priority for engineering leaders in 2026...</p>
<h2>1. Right-Size EC2 Instances Using Usage Data</h2>
<h3>How to Identify Oversized Instances</h3>
<h2>FAQ</h2>
<h3>What is cloud cost optimization?</h3>
<h3>How much can cloud optimization save?</h3>Link Quality Assessment
| Factor | High Quality | Low Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Domain Authority | 50+ | < 20 |
| Relevance | Same industry | Unrelated |
| Traffic | Active site | Dead site |
| Link Type | Editorial | Paid/Spam |
| Anchor Text | Natural variation | Exact match spam |
SEO Performance Dashboard
SEO Performance - March 2026
Organic Traffic: 125,432 (+12% MoM)
Rankings: Top 3: 45 | Top 10: 234
Conversions: 542 (+15% MoM)
Top Growing Keywords
1. "cloud cost optimization" - #8 -> #3 (+5)
2. "aws billing alerts" - #15 -> #7 (+8)
3. "kubernetes autoscaling" - New -> #12
Technical Health
Core Web Vitals: Pass | Index: 1,234 pages | Crawl Errors: 3Scripts
# Site audit
python scripts/site_audit.py --url https://example.com --output audit.html
# Keyword research
python scripts/keyword_research.py --seed "cloud computing" --output keywords.csv
# Rank tracker
python scripts/rank_tracker.py --keywords keywords.csv --domain example.com
# Backlink analyzer
python scripts/backlink_analyzer.py --domain example.com --output links.csvReference Materials
references/technical_seo.md- Technical SEO guidereferences/keyword_research.md- Keyword research methodsreferences/link_building.md- Link building playbookreferences/algorithm_updates.md- Google update history
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Rankings dropped after Google core update | E-E-A-T signals insufficient or content quality below new thresholds | Audit content against December 2025 / March 2026 core update criteria — add experience signals, author credentials, original data |
| High impressions but low CTR | Title tags and meta descriptions not compelling enough for the SERP | Rewrite titles with numbers, power words, and clear value props; test meta descriptions with hooks |
| FID replaced by INP — pages now failing CWV | INP measures all interactions, not just first — JS-heavy pages fail | Break long JS tasks, defer third-party scripts, audit event handlers; 43% of sites still fail INP in 2026 |
| Indexed pages declining in Search Console | Google tightening quality bar — deindexing thin or duplicate content | Consolidate thin pages, add unique content, improve E-E-A-T signals on remaining pages |
| AI Overviews stealing clicks from position 1 | Google AI Overviews now appear in 50%+ of queries, reducing organic CTR by ~42% | Optimize for AI citation (extractable content blocks), add FAQ schema, target queries less likely to trigger AI Overviews |
| Keyword cannibalization across blog and product pages | Multiple pages competing for same keyword with conflicting intent | Map one primary keyword per page, consolidate or redirect competing pages, differentiate intent |
Success Criteria
- Organic traffic growth: 10%+ month-over-month organic traffic growth sustained over 6 months
- Top 10 rankings: 50%+ of target keywords ranking in top 10 positions within 6 months
- Core Web Vitals: All three metrics passing (LCP < 2.5s, INP < 200ms, CLS < 0.1) at 75th percentile — only 47-55% of sites achieve this in 2026
- CTR performance: Position 1 achieving 25%+ CTR, position 3 achieving 10%+ CTR (2026 benchmarks)
- Conversion from organic: Organic traffic converting at 2%+ for B2B, 2.5%+ for e-commerce (industry benchmarks)
- Indexation health: 95%+ of target pages indexed with zero critical crawl errors
- E-E-A-T compliance: Author bylines, credentials, and experience signals on 100% of content pages
Scope & Limitations
In scope:
- Technical SEO auditing (crawlability, indexation, Core Web Vitals, site structure)
- Keyword research, intent classification, and prioritization
- On-page optimization (title tags, meta descriptions, headings, content, schema)
- Link building strategy and opportunity identification
- Organic search performance monitoring and reporting
- Algorithm update impact assessment and recovery planning
Out of scope:
- Paid search / Google Ads management
- Social media marketing and optimization
- Content writing and production (use Content Production skill)
- AI-specific search optimization (use AI SEO skill)
- Website development or code deployment
- Brand strategy and positioning
Known limitations:
- Keyword difficulty scores vary significantly across tools — no single source of truth
- Google algorithm changes 500-600 times per year; strategies require continuous adaptation
- AI Overviews are reducing organic CTR — position 1 no longer guarantees high click volume
- Backlink analysis requires third-party tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz) for comprehensive data
- INP optimization often requires developer involvement for JavaScript refactoring
Integration Points
- SEO Audit — Use for comprehensive 85-point site audits when detailed diagnostic is needed.
- AI SEO — Use alongside traditional SEO for AI search citation optimization.
- Schema Markup — Use for structured data implementation after on-page optimization.
- Site Architecture — Use when structural issues (deep nesting, orphan pages) block ranking progress.
- Content Strategy — Use for topic selection and editorial calendar planning before SEO optimization.
- Content Humanizer — Use when content flagged as AI-generated needs authenticity improvement.
Scripts
# Analyze keyword list for search intent and difficulty
python scripts/keyword_analyzer.py --keywords keywords.csv --json
# Simulate SERP appearance for a page
python scripts/serp_simulator.py --title "Cloud Cost Optimization Guide" --description "Learn 7 proven strategies..." --url "/guides/cloud-cost" --json
# Score content for on-page SEO quality
python scripts/content_scorer.py article.md --keyword "cloud cost optimization" --json