Seo Strategy

Step-by-Step Process

1. Keyword Research & Mapping

Seed Keyword Clusters

Cluster 1 Core Product (highest intent):

Cluster 2 Problem-aware (educational):

Cluster 3 Comparison/alternative (competitive):

Cluster 4 Broker/IB (partnership leverage):

• Map each keyword cluster to a target page (landing page, blog post, or guide).
• Identify keyword cannibalisation ensure no two pages target the same primary keyword.

2. Content Brief Generation (for Content Engine Agent)

For each target keyword, produce a structured brief:

`

Content Brief: [Primary Keyword]

• Target keyword: [primary] + [3-5 secondary keywords]
• Search intent: [informational / transactional / commercial]
• Content type: [blog / guide / landing page / comparison]
• Target word count: [1,200-2,500 words depending on type]
• Title tag: [50-60 chars, keyword-front-loaded]
• Meta description: [150-160 chars, includes CTA]
• H1: [Matches title tag or close variant]
• Required H2 sections: [List of subheadings covering subtopics]
• Internal links: [2-3 links to other Hedge Edge pages]
• External links: [1-2 authoritative references prop firm sites, broker docs]
• CTA placement: [After intro, mid-content, conclusion trial signup]
• Competitor content to beat: [Top 3 ranking URLs + word count + content gaps]
• Unique angle: [What Hedge Edge can say that competitors cannot first-hand product integration, real user data, prop-firm-specific hedging mechanics] `

3. On-Page Optimization

For each target page, audit and optimise:

• Title tag: Primary keyword within first 30 characters. Max 60 chars. Include brand: "| Hedge Edge".
• Meta description: Action-oriented, includes primary keyword, ends with CTA. Max 160 chars.
• URL structure: Short, keyword-rich, lowercase, hyphens only. E.g., /prop-firm-hedging-tool.
• H1: One per page, matches or closely mirrors title tag.
• Header hierarchy: Logical H2 H3 nesting. Every H2 targets a secondary keyword or subtopic.
• Content quality: Minimum 1,200 words for blog posts, 800 for landing pages. Answer the search intent completely.
• Internal linking: Every page links to at least 2 other Hedge Edge pages. Use descriptive anchor text (not "click here").
• Image optimization: Alt text includes keywords where natural. WebP format. Compressed < 100KB.
• Schema markup:
  • SoftwareApplication schema on product/landing pages.
  • FAQPage schema on guides with Q&A sections.
  • Article schema on blog posts with datePublished and uthor.
  • Organization schema site-wide with London address.
• CTA integration: Non-intrusive trial signup CTA after introduction, within content (contextual), and at conclusion.

4. Technical SEO Audit (Quarterly)

Check via Google Search Console (SEARCH_CONSOLE_KEY) and Lighthouse:

• Indexing: All target pages indexed. No important pages blocked by robots.txt or noindex.
• Sitemap: XML sitemap at /sitemap.xml includes all target pages, excludes utility pages. Submitted to Search Console.
• Robots.txt: Allows Googlebot full access to content pages. Blocks admin, API, and auth routes.
• Canonical tags: Every page has a self-referencing canonical. No duplicate content issues.
• Core Web Vitals:
  • LCP < 2.5s (Vercel edge hosting should achieve < 1.5s).
  • FID < 100ms.
  • CLS < 0.1.
• Mobile usability: No mobile usability errors in Search Console. Responsive design passes on all breakpoints.
• HTTPS: All pages served over HTTPS. No mixed content.
• Structured data validation: Test all schema markup via Google Rich Results Test.
• 404 monitoring: No broken internal links. Redirect chains limited to 1 hop.
• Page speed: Lighthouse Performance 90 on all target pages.

5. Backlink Strategy

• Identify opportunities:
  • Prop-firm education blogs (FTMO blog, The5%ers blog, trading educator sites).
  • Forex/trading tool directories and comparison sites.
  • Trading community forums (ForexFactory, BabyPips, Reddit r/Forex, r/proptrading).
  • Broker partner content (Vantage/BlackBull blog leverage IB relationship).
• Link-worthy assets to create (brief to Content Engine Agent):
  • "The Complete Guide to Prop Firm Hedging Rules (2026)" comprehensive, regularly updated.
  • "Prop Firm Challenge Failure Rate Study" original data from Hedge Edge user base (anonymised).
  • "Multi-Account Drawdown Calculator" interactive tool on hedge-edge.com.
  • Infographic: "The Anatomy of a Failed Prop Firm Challenge".
• Outreach: Coordinate with Business Strategist Agent for partnership-based link opportunities.
• Avoid: Paid link schemes, PBNs, low-quality directory submissions, reciprocal link farms.

6. Rank Tracking & Reporting (Monthly)

• Pull ranking data from Google Search Console:
  • Impressions, clicks, CTR, average position for all target keywords.
  • Page-level performance which pages are gaining/losing.
• Track month-over-month trends for top 30 target keywords.
• Identify keywords in positions 4-10 (striking distance) prioritise for quick-win optimization.
• Flag any keyword drops > 5 positions investigate (algorithm update, content decay, competitor gain).
• Report format:

• Calculate organic traffic contribution to overall trial signups (GA4 attribution).
• Log report in Notion SEO dashboard via NOTION_API_KEY.

7. Competitor Monitoring

• Monthly check of competitor ranking movements for shared keywords.
• Identify new content published by competitors assess whether Hedge Edge needs to respond.
• Monitor competitor backlink profiles for new link opportunities.
• Track competitor domain authority trends.

Output Specification

API & Platform Requirements

Quality Checks

• Every target page has unique title tag, meta description, and H1 (no duplication)
• No keyword cannibalisation each primary keyword maps to exactly one page
• All content briefs include competitor analysis and unique angle
• Technical audit runs quarterly with all issues resolved within 14 days
• Core Web Vitals in "Good" range for all target pages
• Sitemap is up-to-date and submitted to Search Console
• Schema markup validates without errors in Rich Results Test
• Rank tracking report is produced monthly and logged in Notion
• Keywords in positions 4-10 are prioritised for quick-win optimization each month
• No broken internal links (404 check runs weekly via local automation (Railway-deployed))
• Backlink acquisition uses only white-hat methods
• Content briefs are delivered to Content Engine Agent within 48h of keyword approval
• Organic traffic month-over-month growth 10% (ramp phase)