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Author SHA1 Message Date
Corey Haines 11e3b0ff69 release: v1.8.0 — 5 new skills, security hardening, plugin fix
release: v1.8.0
2026-04-21 14:59:34 -07:00
Corey Haines e18a04403b chore: update VERSIONS.md and paid-ads version for v1.8.0
Add 4 new skills to version table (aso-audit, community-marketing,
customer-research, directory-submissions). Bump paid-ads to 1.2.0.
Add v1.8.0 changelog entry.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-04-21 14:55:09 -07:00
Corey Haines 34501dd36c Merge pull request #249: add conversion tracking reference
feat: add conversion tracking reference to paid-ads skill
2026-04-21 14:53:30 -07:00
Corey Haines 20443e1361 Merge pull request #253: fix CLI credential leakage
fix: harden CLI tools against credential leakage
2026-04-21 14:53:28 -07:00
Corey Haines 9698318a30 fix: harden CLI tools against credential leakage
Move Supermetrics API key from query string to x-api-key header.
Mask ZoomInfo JWT by default in auth command (use --show-token to reveal).

Cherry-picked from #201.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-04-21 13:32:33 -07:00
Corey Haines c8e2d11556 Merge pull request #252 from coreyhaines31/fix/merge-competitor-profiling
feat: add competitor-profiling skill (from PR #225)
2026-04-21 13:28:23 -07:00
Corey Haines a45a348b08 Merge PR #225: add competitor-profiling skill
Resolves marketplace.json conflict (strips ./ prefix, adds competitor-profiling, updates count to 38).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-04-21 13:24:26 -07:00
Corey Haines 5d48b351be Merge pull request #251 from coreyhaines31/fix/merge-directory-submissions
feat: add directory-submissions skill (from PR #232)
2026-04-21 13:23:56 -07:00
Corey Haines cafdd38e58 Merge PR #232: add directory-submissions skill
Resolves marketplace.json conflict (strips ./ prefix, adds directory-submissions, updates count to 37).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-04-21 13:23:27 -07:00
Corey Haines c38fd75ec5 Merge pull request #215 from basseko/feat/international-seo-audit
feat(seo-audit): add International SEO & Localization section
2026-04-21 13:22:36 -07:00
Corey Haines dfe912224e Merge pull request #250 from coreyhaines31/fix/marketplace-plugin-paths
fix: remove ./ prefix from plugin skill paths (closes #243)
2026-04-21 13:22:02 -07:00
Corey Haines 2ea0f0c2c7 fix: remove ./ prefix from plugin skill paths
Claude Code plugin validator rejects bare ./ prefixes as escaping
the plugin directory. Strips ./ from all skill paths and source field
so the plugin loads correctly.

Closes #243

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-04-21 13:21:42 -07:00
Josh Gonsalves 4eaf647eef Add directory-submissions skill
New skill covering directory-driven distribution: startup/SaaS/AI/agent/MCP/no-code
directories, Product Hunt prep, Reviews playbook (G2/Capterra 10-in-30 protocol),
GEO optimization, destination pages strategy, and Reddit/LinkedIn community loops.

Includes:
- SKILL.md (376 lines) with workflow, PH 3-week timeline, reviews protocol, KPIs
- references/directory-list.md — full tiered catalog with DR, dofollow, notes
- references/positioning-variations.md — per-tier copy templates (7 tiers)
- references/submission-tracker-template.csv — ready-to-use tracker with 78 rows

Registered in marketplace.json and README skill table (alphabetical).
2026-04-10 11:34:42 -04:00
njcameron 138dc3a9be chore: remove PR_DESCRIPTION.md 2026-04-07 12:08:50 +00:00
njcameron 2b4cccbfcf feat: persist raw scrape, SEO, and review data to disk 2026-04-07 12:07:48 +00:00
njcameron a04b00d810 feat: add competitor-profiling skill 2026-04-07 12:01:10 +00:00
Bassel Koshak d97425f15b feat(seo-audit): add International SEO & Localization section
Add comprehensive internationalization coverage to the SEO audit skill,
backed by 40+ sources from Google Search Central, John Mueller, and
authoritative SEO publications.

New section covers:
- Hreflang implementation (placement, reciprocal refs, x-default, scale)
- Canonicalization for multilingual sites (self-referencing, conflict rules)
- International sitemaps (structure, size limits, Next.js caveats)
- Locale URL structure (subdirectories vs ccTLDs, content negotiation)
- Content quality across locales (AI translation stance, thin pages, HCU)

Also adds:
- Multilingual/Multi-Regional site type to Common Issues
- references/international-seo.md with evidence and source URLs
- Version bump to 1.2.0
2026-04-02 10:50:44 +03:00
15 changed files with 2022 additions and 50 deletions
+40 -38
View File
@@ -12,46 +12,48 @@
"plugins": [
{
"name": "marketing-skills",
"description": "36 marketing skills for technical marketers and founders: ASO, CRO, copywriting, cold email, SEO, AI SEO, paid ads, ad creative, churn prevention, pricing strategy, referral programs, revenue operations, sales enablement, customer research, site architecture, and more",
"source": "./",
"description": "38 marketing skills for technical marketers and founders: ASO, CRO, copywriting, cold email, SEO, AI SEO, paid ads, ad creative, churn prevention, pricing strategy, referral programs, revenue operations, sales enablement, customer research, site architecture, and more",
"source": ".",
"strict": false,
"skills": [
"./skills/ab-test-setup",
"./skills/ad-creative",
"./skills/ai-seo",
"./skills/analytics-tracking",
"./skills/aso-audit",
"./skills/churn-prevention",
"./skills/cold-email",
"./skills/community-marketing",
"./skills/competitor-alternatives",
"./skills/content-strategy",
"./skills/copy-editing",
"./skills/copywriting",
"./skills/customer-research",
"./skills/email-sequence",
"./skills/form-cro",
"./skills/free-tool-strategy",
"./skills/launch-strategy",
"./skills/lead-magnets",
"./skills/marketing-ideas",
"./skills/marketing-psychology",
"./skills/onboarding-cro",
"./skills/page-cro",
"./skills/paid-ads",
"./skills/paywall-upgrade-cro",
"./skills/popup-cro",
"./skills/pricing-strategy",
"./skills/product-marketing-context",
"./skills/programmatic-seo",
"./skills/referral-program",
"./skills/revops",
"./skills/sales-enablement",
"./skills/schema-markup",
"./skills/seo-audit",
"./skills/signup-flow-cro",
"./skills/site-architecture",
"./skills/social-content"
"skills/ab-test-setup",
"skills/ad-creative",
"skills/ai-seo",
"skills/analytics-tracking",
"skills/aso-audit",
"skills/churn-prevention",
"skills/cold-email",
"skills/community-marketing",
"skills/competitor-alternatives",
"skills/competitor-profiling",
"skills/content-strategy",
"skills/copy-editing",
"skills/copywriting",
"skills/customer-research",
"skills/directory-submissions",
"skills/email-sequence",
"skills/form-cro",
"skills/free-tool-strategy",
"skills/launch-strategy",
"skills/lead-magnets",
"skills/marketing-ideas",
"skills/marketing-psychology",
"skills/onboarding-cro",
"skills/page-cro",
"skills/paid-ads",
"skills/paywall-upgrade-cro",
"skills/popup-cro",
"skills/pricing-strategy",
"skills/product-marketing-context",
"skills/programmatic-seo",
"skills/referral-program",
"skills/revops",
"skills/sales-enablement",
"skills/schema-markup",
"skills/seo-audit",
"skills/signup-flow-cro",
"skills/site-architecture",
"skills/social-content"
]
}
]
+2
View File
@@ -63,10 +63,12 @@ See each skill's **Related Skills** section for the full dependency map.
| [cold-email](skills/cold-email/) | Write B2B cold emails and follow-up sequences that get replies. Use when the user wants to write cold outreach emails,... |
| [community-marketing](skills/community-marketing/) | Build and leverage online communities to drive product growth and brand loyalty. Use when the user wants to create a... |
| [competitor-alternatives](skills/competitor-alternatives/) | When the user wants to create competitor comparison or alternative pages for SEO and sales enablement. Also use when... |
| [competitor-profiling](skills/competitor-profiling/) | When the user wants to research, profile, or analyze competitors from their URLs. Also use when the user mentions 'competitor profile,' 'competitor research,'... |
| [content-strategy](skills/content-strategy/) | When the user wants to plan a content strategy, decide what content to create, or figure out what topics to cover. Also... |
| [copy-editing](skills/copy-editing/) | When the user wants to edit, review, or improve existing marketing copy, or refresh outdated content. Also use when the... |
| [copywriting](skills/copywriting/) | When the user wants to write, rewrite, or improve marketing copy for any page — including homepage, landing pages,... |
| [customer-research](skills/customer-research/) | When the user wants to conduct, analyze, or synthesize customer research. Use when the user mentions "customer... |
| [directory-submissions](skills/directory-submissions/) | When the user wants to submit their product to startup, SaaS, AI, agent, MCP, no-code, or review directories for backlinks, domain rating, and discovery. Covers Product Hunt prep, Reviews playbook, GEO, and destination pages strategy. |
| [email-sequence](skills/email-sequence/) | When the user wants to create or optimize an email sequence, drip campaign, automated email flow, or lifecycle email... |
| [form-cro](skills/form-cro/) | When the user wants to optimize any form that is NOT signup/registration — including lead capture forms, contact forms,... |
| [free-tool-strategy](skills/free-tool-strategy/) | When the user wants to plan, evaluate, or build a free tool for marketing purposes — lead generation, SEO value, or... |
+20
View File
@@ -8,12 +8,17 @@ Current versions of all skills. Agents can compare against local versions to che
| ad-creative | 1.2.0 | 2026-03-14 |
| ai-seo | 1.2.0 | 2026-03-14 |
| analytics-tracking | 1.2.0 | 2026-03-14 |
| aso-audit | 1.0.0 | 2026-04-21 |
| churn-prevention | 1.2.0 | 2026-03-14 |
| cold-email | 1.2.0 | 2026-03-14 |
| competitor-alternatives | 1.2.0 | 2026-03-14 |
| community-marketing | 1.0.0 | 2026-04-21 |
| competitor-profiling | 1.0.0 | 2026-04-07 |
| content-strategy | 1.2.0 | 2026-03-14 |
| copy-editing | 1.2.0 | 2026-03-14 |
| copywriting | 1.2.0 | 2026-03-14 |
| customer-research | 1.0.0 | 2026-04-21 |
| directory-submissions | 1.0.0 | 2026-04-21 |
| email-sequence | 1.2.0 | 2026-03-14 |
| form-cro | 1.2.0 | 2026-03-14 |
| free-tool-strategy | 1.2.0 | 2026-03-14 |
@@ -40,6 +45,21 @@ Current versions of all skills. Agents can compare against local versions to che
## Recent Changes
### 2026-04-21
- Added `aso-audit` skill for App Store and Google Play optimization
- Added `community-marketing` skill for community-led growth
- Added `customer-research` skill for customer interviews, surveys, and voice-of-customer analysis
- Added `directory-submissions` skill for Product Hunt, G2, AI directories, and backlink strategy
- Added `competitor-profiling` skill for competitive intelligence research
- Added international SEO & localization section to `seo-audit` (1.2.0)
- Added conversion tracking reference to `paid-ads` (cross-platform pixel setup)
- Added Zapier SDK integration for 8,000+ app access
- Fixed plugin loading: removed `./` prefix from marketplace.json skill paths
- Hardened CLI tools: Supermetrics API key moved to header, ZoomInfo JWT masked by default
- Fixed community-marketing YAML frontmatter
- Fixed Zapier webhook URL validation
- Total skills: 38
### 2026-03-14
- Added `lead-magnets` skill for lead magnet strategy, format selection, and conversion optimization
- Added Composio integration layer for MCP access to OAuth-heavy tools (HubSpot, Salesforce, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Google Sheets, Slack, Notion, etc.)
+411
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@@ -0,0 +1,411 @@
---
name: competitor-profiling
description: "When the user wants to research, profile, or analyze competitors from their URLs. Also use when the user mentions 'competitor profile,' 'competitor research,' 'competitor analysis,' 'profile this competitor,' 'analyze competitor,' 'competitive intelligence,' 'competitor deep dive,' 'who are my competitors,' 'competitor landscape,' 'competitor dossier,' 'competitive audit,' or 'research these competitors.' Input is a list of competitor URLs. Output is structured competitor profile markdown files. For creating comparison/alternative pages from profiles, see competitor-alternatives. For sales-specific battle cards, see sales-enablement."
metadata:
version: 1.0.0
---
# Competitor Profiling
You are an expert competitive intelligence analyst. Your goal is to take a list of competitor URLs and produce comprehensive, structured competitor profile documents by combining live site scraping with SEO and market data.
## Initial Assessment
**Check for product marketing context first:**
If `.agents/product-marketing-context.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing-context.md` in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered.
Before profiling, confirm:
1. **Competitor URLs** — the list of competitor website URLs to profile
2. **Your product** — what you do (if not in product marketing context)
3. **Depth level** — quick scan (key facts only) or deep profile (full research)
4. **Focus areas** — any specific dimensions to prioritize (e.g., pricing, positioning, SEO strength, content strategy)
If the user provides URLs and context is available, proceed without asking.
---
## Core Principles
### 1. Facts Over Opinions
Every claim in a profile should be traceable to a source — scraped page content, review data, or SEO metrics. Label inferences clearly.
### 2. Structured and Comparable
All profiles follow the same template so they can be compared side by side. Consistency matters more than completeness on any single profile.
### 3. Current Data
Profiles are snapshots. Always include the date generated. Flag anything that looks stale (e.g., "pricing page last updated 2023").
### 4. Honest Assessment
Don't exaggerate competitor weaknesses or downplay their strengths. Accurate profiles are useful profiles.
---
## Saving Raw Data
Before synthesizing the profile, persist all raw scrape, SEO, and review data to disk so it can be re-read, audited, or re-used later without re-running expensive API calls.
**Directory layout** (relative to project root):
```
competitor-profiles/
├── raw/
│ └── <competitor-slug>/
│ └── <YYYY-MM-DD>/
│ ├── scrapes/ # one .md file per scraped page (homepage.md, pricing.md, ...)
│ ├── seo/ # one .json file per DataForSEO call (backlinks-summary.json, ranked-keywords.json, ...)
│ └── reviews/ # one .md or .json file per review source (g2.md, capterra.md, ...)
├── <competitor-slug>.md # final synthesized profile
└── _summary.md # cross-competitor summary
```
Rules:
- `<competitor-slug>` is lowercase, hyphenated (e.g. `responsehub`, `safe-base`)
- `<YYYY-MM-DD>` is the date the data was pulled — supports re-running and diffing snapshots over time
- Save each Firecrawl scrape as raw markdown to `scrapes/<page-name>.md`
- Save each DataForSEO response as raw JSON to `seo/<endpoint-name>.json`
- Save each review source to `reviews/<source>.md` (cleaned text) or `.json` (raw)
- Always create the date folder fresh on a new run; never overwrite a prior date's data
The synthesized profile (`<competitor-slug>.md`) should reference the raw data folder it was built from in its `## Raw Data Sources` section.
---
## Research Process
### Phase 1: Site Scraping (Firecrawl)
For each competitor URL, scrape key pages to extract positioning, features, pricing, and messaging.
#### Step 1: Map the site
Use **Firecrawl Map** to discover the competitor's site structure and identify key pages:
```
firecrawl_map → competitor URL
```
From the map, identify and prioritize these page types:
- Homepage
- Pricing page
- Features / product pages
- About / company page
- Blog (top-level, for content strategy signals)
- Customers / case studies page
- Integrations page
- Changelog / what's new (if exists)
#### Step 2: Scrape key pages
Use **Firecrawl Scrape** on each identified page:
```
firecrawl_scrape → each key page URL
```
Save each result to `competitor-profiles/raw/<competitor-slug>/<YYYY-MM-DD>/scrapes/<page-name>.md` before extracting fields.
Extract from each page:
| Page | What to Extract |
|------|----------------|
| **Homepage** | Headline, subheadline, value proposition, primary CTA, social proof claims, target audience signals |
| **Pricing** | Tiers, prices, feature breakdown per tier, billing options, free tier/trial details, enterprise pricing signals |
| **Features** | Feature categories, key capabilities, how they describe each feature, screenshots/demo signals |
| **About** | Founding story, team size, funding, mission statement, headquarters |
| **Customers** | Named customers, logos, industries served, case study themes |
| **Integrations** | Integration count, key integrations, categories |
| **Changelog** | Release velocity, recent focus areas, product direction signals |
#### Step 3: Scrape competitor reviews (optional but high-value)
Use **Firecrawl Scrape** or **Firecrawl Search** to find:
- G2 reviews page for the competitor
- Capterra reviews page
- Product Hunt launch page
- TrustRadius profile
Save each scraped review page to `competitor-profiles/raw/<competitor-slug>/<YYYY-MM-DD>/reviews/<source>.md`. Then extract: overall rating, review count, common praise themes, common complaint themes, and 3-5 representative quotes.
---
### Phase 2: SEO & Market Data (DataForSEO)
Use DataForSEO MCP tools to gather quantitative competitive intelligence. Save each raw response as JSON to `competitor-profiles/raw/<competitor-slug>/<YYYY-MM-DD>/seo/<endpoint-name>.json` before parsing it into the profile. For the full list of MCP tools used in this skill (Firecrawl + DataForSEO) and example calls, see [references/tool-reference.md](references/tool-reference.md).
#### Domain Authority & Backlinks
Use **backlinks_summary** to get:
- Domain rank / authority score
- Total backlinks
- Referring domains count
- Spam score
Use **backlinks_referring_domains** for:
- Top referring domains (quality signals)
- Link acquisition patterns
#### Keyword & Traffic Intelligence
Use **dataforseo_labs_google_ranked_keywords** to get:
- Total organic keywords ranking
- Keywords in top 3, top 10, top 100
- Estimated organic traffic
Use **dataforseo_labs_google_domain_rank_overview** for:
- Domain-level organic metrics
- Estimated traffic value
- Top keywords by traffic
Use **dataforseo_labs_google_keywords_for_site** to discover:
- What keywords they target
- Content gaps vs. your site
#### Competitive Positioning Data
Use **dataforseo_labs_google_competitors_domain** to find:
- Their closest organic competitors (may reveal competitors you haven't considered)
- Market overlap data
Use **dataforseo_labs_google_relevant_pages** to find:
- Their highest-traffic pages
- Content that drives the most organic value
---
### Phase 3: Synthesis
Combine scraped content with SEO data to build the profile. Cross-reference claims (e.g., if they claim "10,000 customers" on site, check if their traffic/backlink profile supports that scale).
---
## Output Format
### Profile Document Structure
Generate one markdown file per competitor, saved to a `competitor-profiles/` directory in the project root.
**Filename**: `competitor-profiles/[competitor-name].md`
**For the full profile and summary templates**: See [references/templates.md](references/templates.md)
Each profile follows this structure:
```markdown
# [Competitor Name] — Competitor Profile
**URL**: [website]
**Generated**: [date]
**Depth**: [quick scan / deep profile]
---
## At a Glance
| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Tagline | [from homepage] |
| Founded | [year] |
| Headquarters | [location] |
| Team size | [estimate] |
| Funding | [if known] |
| Domain rank | [from DataForSEO] |
| Est. organic traffic | [monthly] |
| Referring domains | [count] |
| Organic keywords | [count] |
---
## Positioning & Messaging
**Primary value proposition**: [headline + subheadline from homepage]
**Target audience**: [who they're speaking to, based on copy analysis]
**Positioning angle**: [how they position — e.g., "simplicity-first," "enterprise-grade," "all-in-one"]
**Key messaging themes**:
- [theme 1 — with source page]
- [theme 2]
- [theme 3]
---
## Product & Features
### Core capabilities
- [capability 1] — [brief description from their site]
- [capability 2]
- ...
### Notable differentiators
- [what they emphasize as unique]
### Integrations
- [count] integrations
- Key: [list top 5-10]
### Product direction signals
- [based on changelog / recent feature releases]
---
## Pricing
| Tier | Price | Key Inclusions |
|------|-------|---------------|
| [Free/Starter] | [price] | [what's included] |
| [Pro/Growth] | [price] | [what's included] |
| [Enterprise] | [price] | [what's included] |
**Billing**: [monthly/annual, discount for annual]
**Free trial**: [yes/no, duration]
**Notable**: [any pricing quirks — per-seat, usage-based, hidden costs]
---
## Customers & Social Proof
**Named customers**: [list notable logos]
**Industries**: [primary industries served]
**Case study themes**: [what outcomes they highlight]
**Review ratings**:
- G2: [rating] ([count] reviews)
- Capterra: [rating] ([count] reviews)
---
## SEO & Content Strategy
**Organic strength**:
- Estimated monthly organic traffic: [number]
- Organic keywords (top 10): [count]
- Organic traffic value: $[estimated]
**Top organic pages** (by estimated traffic):
1. [page URL] — [keyword] — [est. traffic]
2. [page URL] — [keyword] — [est. traffic]
3. [page URL] — [keyword] — [est. traffic]
**Content strategy signals**:
- Blog post frequency: [estimate]
- Primary content types: [guides, comparisons, templates, etc.]
- Content focus areas: [topics they invest in]
**Backlink profile**:
- Referring domains: [count]
- Top referring sites: [list 5]
- Link acquisition pattern: [growing/stable/declining]
---
## Strengths & Weaknesses
### Strengths
- [strength 1 — with evidence source]
- [strength 2]
- [strength 3]
### Weaknesses
- [weakness 1 — with evidence source]
- [weakness 2]
- [weakness 3]
---
## Competitive Implications for [Your Product]
**Where they're strong vs. us**: [areas where this competitor has an advantage]
**Where we're strong vs. them**: [areas where you have an advantage]
**Opportunities**: [gaps in their offering or positioning we can exploit]
**Threats**: [areas where they're improving or gaining ground]
---
## Raw Data Sources
- Homepage scraped: [date]
- Pricing page scraped: [date]
- SEO data pulled: [date]
- Review data pulled: [date, sources]
```
---
### Summary Document
After profiling all competitors, generate a `competitor-profiles/_summary.md` that includes:
1. **Competitor landscape overview** — one paragraph summarizing the competitive field
2. **Comparison table** — key metrics side by side for all profiled competitors
3. **Positioning map** — where each competitor sits (e.g., simple↔complex, cheap↔premium)
4. **Key takeaways** — 3-5 strategic observations from the research
5. **Gaps and opportunities** — where the market is underserved
---
## Quick Scan vs. Deep Profile
### Quick Scan (faster, lower cost)
- Scrape: homepage + pricing page only
- SEO: domain rank overview + ranked keywords summary
- Skip: reviews, technology stack, backlink details
- Output: abbreviated profile (At a Glance + Positioning + Pricing + SEO summary)
### Deep Profile (comprehensive)
- Scrape: all key pages + review sites
- SEO: full backlink analysis + keyword intelligence + competitor discovery
- Include: technology stack, content strategy analysis, review mining
- Output: full profile template
Default to **quick scan** unless the user requests deep profiling or specifies a small number of competitors (3 or fewer).
---
## Handling Multiple Competitors
When profiling more than one competitor:
1. **Parallelize scraping** — scrape all competitors' homepages simultaneously, then pricing pages, etc.
2. **Use consistent metrics** — pull the same DataForSEO metrics for every competitor so profiles are comparable
3. **Build the summary last** — after all individual profiles are complete
4. **Prioritize by relevance** — if the user has 10+ competitors, suggest profiling the top 5 first based on domain overlap or market similarity
---
## Updating Profiles
Profiles are snapshots. When updating:
- Check pricing pages first (most volatile)
- Re-pull SEO metrics (traffic and rankings shift monthly)
- Scan changelog for product changes
- Update the "Generated" date
- Note what changed since last profile in a `## Change Log` section at the bottom
---
## Task-Specific Questions
Only ask if not answered by context or input:
1. What competitor URLs should I profile?
2. Quick scan or deep profile?
3. Any specific dimensions to focus on (pricing, SEO, positioning)?
4. Should I compare findings against your product?
---
## Related Skills
- **competitor-alternatives**: For creating comparison/alternative pages from these profiles
- **customer-research**: For mining reviews and community sentiment in depth
- **content-strategy**: For using competitor content gaps to plan your own content
- **seo-audit**: For auditing your own site relative to competitors
- **sales-enablement**: For turning profiles into battle cards and sales collateral
- **paid-ads**: For analyzing competitor ad strategies
- **pricing-strategy**: For deeper pricing analysis informed by competitor profiles
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
# Profile Templates
Ready-to-use templates for competitor profile sections and the summary document.
## Contents
- Quick Scan Template
- Summary Comparison Table
- Positioning Map
- Competitive SWOT
- Profile Update Changelog
---
## Quick Scan Template
Abbreviated profile for when speed matters more than depth.
```markdown
# [Competitor Name] — Quick Profile
**URL**: [website]
**Generated**: [date]
## At a Glance
| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Tagline | [from homepage] |
| Target audience | [inferred from copy] |
| Pricing starts at | [lowest paid tier] |
| Free tier/trial | [yes/no + details] |
| Domain rank | [from DataForSEO] |
| Est. organic traffic | [monthly] |
| Organic keywords (top 10) | [count] |
| Referring domains | [count] |
## Positioning
**Headline**: "[exact homepage headline]"
**Subheadline**: "[exact subheadline]"
**Positioning angle**: [1-2 sentence summary of how they position]
## Pricing Summary
| Tier | Price | Notable Inclusions |
|------|-------|-------------------|
| [tier] | [price] | [key items] |
| [tier] | [price] | [key items] |
## Key Takeaway
[2-3 sentences: what makes this competitor notable, where they're strong, where they're weak]
```
---
## Summary Comparison Table
Use after profiling all competitors to create a side-by-side view.
```markdown
# Competitive Landscape Summary
**Generated**: [date]
**Your product**: [name]
**Competitors profiled**: [count]
## Side-by-Side Comparison
| Dimension | [Your Product] | [Competitor 1] | [Competitor 2] | [Competitor 3] |
|-----------|---------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
| **Tagline** | [yours] | [theirs] | [theirs] | [theirs] |
| **Target audience** | [yours] | [theirs] | [theirs] | [theirs] |
| **Positioning** | [angle] | [angle] | [angle] | [angle] |
| **Starting price** | $[X]/mo | $[X]/mo | $[X]/mo | $[X]/mo |
| **Free tier** | [yes/no] | [yes/no] | [yes/no] | [yes/no] |
| **Domain rank** | [score] | [score] | [score] | [score] |
| **Est. organic traffic** | [number] | [number] | [number] | [number] |
| **Referring domains** | [count] | [count] | [count] | [count] |
| **G2 rating** | [score] | [score] | [score] | [score] |
| **Key strength** | [one-liner] | [one-liner] | [one-liner] | [one-liner] |
| **Key weakness** | [one-liner] | [one-liner] | [one-liner] | [one-liner] |
```
---
## Positioning Map
Visual representation of where competitors sit along two key dimensions. Choose the two axes most relevant to your market.
### Common Axis Pairs
| Market Type | X-Axis | Y-Axis |
|-------------|--------|--------|
| SaaS tools | Simple → Complex | Cheap → Expensive |
| Developer tools | Low-code → Code-first | Individual → Team |
| B2B platforms | SMB-focused → Enterprise-focused | Point solution → Platform |
| Content tools | Template-driven → Custom | Self-serve → Managed |
### Format
```markdown
## Positioning Map
**Axes**: [X-axis label] vs. [Y-axis label]
[Y-axis high label]
[Competitor A] │ [Competitor B]
───────────────────────┼───────────────────────
[X-axis low] │ [X-axis high]
[Your Product] │ [Competitor C]
[Y-axis low label]
### Interpretation
- [1-2 sentences about what the map reveals]
- [where the whitespace / opportunity is]
```
---
## Competitive SWOT
Per-competitor SWOT relative to your product.
```markdown
## SWOT: [Competitor] vs. [Your Product]
### Strengths (theirs vs. ours)
- [Where they genuinely outperform us — be honest]
### Weaknesses (theirs vs. ours)
- [Where they fall short compared to us — with evidence]
### Opportunities (for us)
- [Gaps in their offering we can exploit]
- [Segments they're ignoring]
- [Messaging angles they're missing]
### Threats (from them)
- [Areas where they're improving fast]
- [Features they're building that overlap with us]
- [Market moves that could shift perception]
```
---
## Profile Update Changelog
Append to the bottom of any profile when updating it.
```markdown
---
## Change Log
| Date | What Changed | Source |
|------|-------------|--------|
| [date] | Pricing increased from $X to $Y | Pricing page re-scrape |
| [date] | Launched [feature] | Changelog scrape |
| [date] | Domain rank changed from X to Y | DataForSEO re-pull |
| [date] | Added [integration] | Integrations page re-scrape |
```
@@ -0,0 +1,179 @@
# MCP Tool Reference for Competitor Profiling
Quick reference for the Firecrawl and DataForSEO MCP tools used in competitor profiling.
## Contents
- Firecrawl Tools (site scraping)
- DataForSEO Tools (SEO & market data)
- Recommended Execution Order
- Error Handling
---
## Firecrawl Tools
### firecrawl_map
**Purpose**: Discover all URLs on a competitor's site to identify key pages.
**When to use**: First step for every competitor — before scraping individual pages.
**Key output**: List of URLs with their page types/paths.
**Tip**: Look for paths containing `/pricing`, `/features`, `/about`, `/customers`, `/integrations`, `/blog`, `/changelog`.
### firecrawl_scrape
**Purpose**: Extract content from a single page as clean markdown.
**When to use**: After mapping, scrape each key page individually.
**Key output**: Page content in markdown format — headlines, body text, structured data.
**Tip**: Scrape homepage first — it reveals positioning, audience, and social proof in one shot.
### firecrawl_search
**Purpose**: Search the web for specific content about a competitor.
**When to use**: Finding review pages, press coverage, or competitor mentions not on their own site.
**Example queries**:
- `"[Competitor Name]" site:g2.com`
- `"[Competitor Name]" review`
- `"[Competitor Name]" funding OR raised`
### firecrawl_crawl
**Purpose**: Crawl multiple pages from a site in one operation.
**When to use**: Deep profiles where you want to analyze many pages (e.g., all feature pages, all blog posts). More expensive — use selectively.
**Tip**: Set page limits to avoid crawling entire sites. Target specific URL patterns.
### firecrawl_extract
**Purpose**: Extract structured data from a page using a schema.
**When to use**: When you need specific data points in a consistent format (e.g., pricing tier details, feature lists).
**Tip**: Define a clear schema for what you want extracted — more reliable than parsing raw markdown.
---
## DataForSEO MCP Tools
### Domain-Level Intelligence
#### backlinks_summary
**Purpose**: Get domain authority, total backlinks, referring domains, spam score.
**Input**: Target domain (e.g., `competitor.com`)
**Key metrics**: `domain_rank`, `total_backlinks`, `referring_domains`, `backlinks_spam_score`
#### backlinks_referring_domains
**Purpose**: List top referring domains — shows where their link equity comes from.
**Input**: Target domain + limit
**Key metrics**: Per-domain: `rank`, `backlinks`, `domain` name
#### dataforseo_labs_google_domain_rank_overview
**Purpose**: Organic search overview — traffic, keywords, traffic value.
**Input**: Target domain
**Key metrics**: `organic_count` (keywords), `organic_traffic` (estimated monthly), `organic_cost` (traffic value in $)
#### dataforseo_labs_google_ranked_keywords
**Purpose**: What keywords a domain ranks for, with positions.
**Input**: Target domain
**Key metrics**: Per-keyword: `keyword`, `position`, `search_volume`, `url` (ranking page)
**Tip**: Sort by traffic to find their highest-value keywords.
#### dataforseo_labs_google_keywords_for_site
**Purpose**: Keywords relevant to a domain — broader than ranked keywords, includes opportunities.
**Input**: Target domain
**Key metrics**: `keyword`, `search_volume`, `competition`, `cpc`
### Competitive Analysis
#### dataforseo_labs_google_competitors_domain
**Purpose**: Find a domain's closest organic competitors by keyword overlap.
**Input**: Target domain
**Key metrics**: `domain`, `avg_position`, `intersections` (shared keywords), `full_domain_rank`
**Tip**: May reveal competitors the user hasn't considered.
#### dataforseo_labs_google_domain_intersection
**Purpose**: Find keywords where two domains both rank — shows direct competition.
**Input**: Two target domains
**Key metrics**: `keyword`, position for each domain, `search_volume`
**Tip**: Use this to compare the user's domain vs. each competitor.
#### dataforseo_labs_google_relevant_pages
**Purpose**: Find a domain's most important pages by organic traffic.
**Input**: Target domain
**Key metrics**: `page`, `metrics` (traffic, keywords per page)
**Tip**: Reveals their content strategy — which pages drive the most value.
### Technology Detection
#### domain_analytics_technologies_domain_technologies
**Purpose**: Detect the technology stack a domain uses.
**Input**: Target domain
**Key metrics**: Technologies grouped by category (CMS, analytics, marketing, payments, etc.)
### Backlink Deep Dive
#### backlinks_backlinks
**Purpose**: List individual backlinks to a domain.
**Input**: Target domain + limit
**Key metrics**: `url_from`, `url_to`, `anchor`, `domain_from_rank`, `is_new`
#### backlinks_bulk_ranks
**Purpose**: Compare domain ranks across multiple domains at once.
**Input**: Array of target domains
**Key metrics**: `domain_rank` per domain
**Tip**: Use this for the summary comparison table.
---
## Recommended Execution Order
### Quick Scan (per competitor)
```
1. firecrawl_map → get site URLs
2. In parallel:
a. firecrawl_scrape → homepage
b. firecrawl_scrape → pricing page
c. dataforseo_labs_google_domain_rank_overview → organic metrics
d. backlinks_summary → domain authority
3. Synthesize into abbreviated profile
```
### Deep Profile (per competitor)
```
1. firecrawl_map → get site URLs
2. In parallel (batch 1 — scraping):
a. firecrawl_scrape → homepage
b. firecrawl_scrape → pricing page
c. firecrawl_scrape → features page(s)
d. firecrawl_scrape → about page
e. firecrawl_scrape → customers/case studies page
f. firecrawl_scrape → integrations page
3. In parallel (batch 2 — SEO data):
a. dataforseo_labs_google_domain_rank_overview
b. dataforseo_labs_google_ranked_keywords
c. backlinks_summary
d. backlinks_referring_domains
e. dataforseo_labs_google_relevant_pages
f. dataforseo_labs_google_competitors_domain
4. In parallel (batch 3 — optional extras):
a. domain_analytics_technologies_domain_technologies
b. firecrawl_search → G2/Capterra reviews
c. dataforseo_labs_google_domain_intersection (vs. user's domain)
5. Synthesize into full profile
```
### Multi-Competitor (3+ competitors)
```
1. Map all competitor sites in parallel
2. Scrape all homepages in parallel, then pricing pages in parallel
3. Pull domain_rank_overview for all in parallel
4. Pull backlinks_bulk_ranks for all at once
5. Build profiles in sequence (synthesis requires focus)
6. Build summary comparison last
```
---
## Error Handling
| Issue | Action |
|-------|--------|
| Firecrawl scrape returns empty/blocked | Try with `firecrawl_browser_create` for JS-heavy sites |
| Pricing page not found in map | Search for `/pricing`, `/plans`, `/packages` — some sites use different paths |
| DataForSEO returns no data for domain | Domain may be too new or too small — note "insufficient data" in profile |
| Rate limits hit | Space out requests; prioritize highest-value data first |
| Review page scraping blocked | Use `firecrawl_search` to find cached or alternative review sources |
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---
name: directory-submissions
description: When the user wants to submit their product to startup, SaaS, AI, agent, MCP, no-code, or review directories for backlinks, domain rating, and discovery. Also use when the user mentions "directory submissions," "submit to directories," "backlinks from directories," "list my product," "submit to Product Hunt," "BetaList," "TAAFT," "Futurepedia," "G2 listing," "Capterra listing," "AlternativeTo," "SaaSHub," "AI directories," "MCP registry," "agent directory," "dofollow backlinks," "launch directories," or "directory tracker." Use this whenever someone is planning the directory layer of a product launch or an ongoing backlink campaign. For the broader launch moment, see launch-strategy. For programmatic SEO pages that should live behind these backlinks, see programmatic-seo. For AI citation optimization, see ai-seo.
metadata:
version: 1.0.0
---
# Directory Submissions
You are an expert in directory-driven distribution for software products. Your goal is to help the user build a compounding backlink + discovery foundation by submitting to the right directories, in the right order, with the right positioning — and to make sure that foundation actually produces leads instead of vanity backlinks.
## Before Starting
**Check for product marketing context first:**
If `.agents/product-marketing-context.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing-context.md` in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.
---
## Core Philosophy
Directory submissions are the **foundation layer** of distribution — never the whole strategy. They do three things well:
1. **Pass dofollow backlinks** from high domain-rating sites into your marketing pages. This raises your DR, which makes your entire site easier to rank for competitive keywords.
2. **Create discovery surface area** — people browsing AI/SaaS directories are in-market buyers, not random traffic.
3. **Get cited by AI engines** — ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews all pull heavily from high-DR directories when answering "what's the best [category]?" queries. AI-referred traffic converts **627× higher** than traditional search traffic.
But directories alone will not generate meaningful leads. They exist to pass link equity into the pages that DO generate leads — template galleries, comparison pages, alternative pages, blog posts. **Build the destination pages first, then submit to directories so the link equity has somewhere useful to land.**
The full directory catalog lives in `references/directory-list.md`. The positioning variant library lives in `references/positioning-variations.md`. The submission tracker template lives in `references/submission-tracker-template.csv`.
---
## The Three Hard Rules
### Rule 1: Foundation before submission
Never submit to a directory until the landing page it will link to is live, indexed, and has:
- A single `<h1>` and sequential heading hierarchy — pages with clean hierarchy have **2.8× higher AI citation rates**, and 87% of ChatGPT-cited pages use a single H1.
- A real pricing page (even "free while in beta" counts — most Tier 1 directories require one).
- Privacy policy + terms.
- Logo assets in PNG + SVG + square 1024×1024 + favicon.
- 58 real product screenshots at 1920×1080 (not marketing mockups).
- A 6090 second demo video — products with video on Product Hunt get **2.7× more upvotes**.
- FAQ schema markup (AI engines heavily weight `FAQPage` JSON-LD for answer extraction).
- Structured data: `Organization`, `Product`, `SoftwareApplication`.
### Rule 2: Destination pages before directories
Directories are the *source* of link equity. You need *destinations* that can convert the resulting traffic. Minimum destinations before submitting to anything:
- 35 competitor alternative pages (`/alternatives/[competitor]`) targeting "[competitor] alternative" keywords. Comparison/alternative pages convert at **515%** vs 0.52% for generic content.
- 35 use-case pages (`/for/[audience]` or `/use-cases/[use-case]`).
- Template gallery with 20+ entries (if applicable — this was Typeform's largest SEO growth driver, generating 30K non-branded signups and $3M/year LTV).
- 1 "best of" blog post you wrote yourself about your own category, including honest coverage of competitors.
### Rule 3: Positioning varies by directory type
Never copy-paste the same description everywhere. AI engines penalize duplicate content, and each directory audience responds to different framing. See `references/positioning-variations.md` for the full variant library. Short version:
| Surface | Lead with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Startup directories | **Outcome** | Audience is other founders. They care what it does. |
| SaaS directories | **Alternative framing** | People search "[competitor] alternative" — meet them there. |
| AI directories | **AI-first architecture** | TAAFT/Futurepedia audiences explicitly want AI tools. |
| Agent/MCP directories | **Agent/MCP angle** | Niche but high-intent. A real moat. |
| No-code directories | **Ease + power** | Audience values speed-to-build over depth. |
| Dev directories | **Technical depth** | Dev audiences reward technical substance. |
| B2B review sites | **ROI + use case** | Buyers want outcomes and case studies. |
---
## Workflow
### Step 1: Readiness assessment (Phase 0)
Ask the user these 9 questions. If any are "no", they're not ready — help them build the missing piece first.
1. Is the product publicly accessible (no password wall)?
2. Is there a pricing page (even "free while in beta")?
3. Are privacy policy + terms live?
4. Logo assets in PNG + SVG + square + favicon?
5. 58 real screenshots + 6090s demo video?
6. Landing pages GEO-ready (single H1, sequential hierarchy, FAQ schema, structured data)?
7. At least 3 alternative pages and 3 use-case pages live and indexed?
8. Template gallery or lead magnet asset (if applicable to category)?
9. At least 20 beta/early users who could leave a review on G2?
A "no" on any of 17 is a hard block. A "no" on 89 is a soft block: you can launch but will lose Tier 2 review value and Typeform-style compounding.
### Step 2: Choose the tiers
Full catalog in `references/directory-list.md`. Summary:
| Tier | When | Examples | Typical count |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Tier 1 — Flagship launch** | Launch week only | Product Hunt (anchor), BetaList, HN Show HN, Fazier, DevHunt | ~15 |
| **Tier 2 — Startup/SaaS** | Week 1 + rolling | AlternativeTo, SaaSHub, G2, Capterra, F6S, SourceForge, Slashdot | ~15 |
| **Tier 3 — AI directories** | Week 13 | TAAFT, Futurepedia, Toolify, Future Tools, aitools.inc, AIStage | ~25 |
| **Tier 4 — Agent/MCP registries** | Week 13 (if MCP) | Glama, APITracker, LF MCP Registry, AI Agents List | ~10 |
| **Tier 5 — No-code directories** | Week 13 (if no-code) | NoCodeFinder, No Code MBA, We Are No Code | ~6 |
| **Tier 6 — "Best of" listicles** | Rolling outreach | Cold outreach to DR 40+ blog posts | ~10 inclusions |
| **Tier 7 — Integration marketplaces** | When integrations ship | Zapier, HubSpot, Slack, Airtable, Notion | ~5 |
**Triage rule:** Only submit where the product is a genuine fit. Forcing a listing into the wrong category burns the first-submission advantage and gets rejected by moderators.
### Step 3: Prepare asset variations
For each tier, prep a distinct description variant (pulled from `references/positioning-variations.md`):
- **Tagline** under 10 words
- **Short description** at 60 chars
- **Long description** at 150 words
- **58 category tags**
- **Logo** assets
- **Screenshots** + demo video URL
- **Founder story** (23 sentences)
**Critical:** Don't copy-paste the same long description into every directory. Vary the opening sentence, the feature emphasis, and the audience framing per tier. AI engines cross-reference and down-weight duplicate content.
### Step 4: Batch submit
Set up the tracker spreadsheet (`references/submission-tracker-template.csv`). Work left-to-right through it. 23 hours per batch is realistic.
Per submission:
1. Copy the tier-appropriate positioning variant.
2. Fill in the form.
3. Upload assets.
4. Submit.
5. Log: date, URL, status, moderator notes.
6. Once live, verify the backlink exists and is dofollow: `curl -sIL https://directory.com/your-listing | grep -i rel=`. If absent, the link is dofollow.
---
## Product Hunt Deep Dive (The Anchor Event)
Product Hunt is the single highest-leverage submission but also the most easily wasted. The 2026 PH algorithm weights **comment quality** more than upvote count — a post with 50 upvotes + 30 genuine comments ranks above one with 200 upvotes + 5 comments. **80% of failed launches** fail because they launched without a warm audience OR asked for upvotes instead of feedback.
### 3-week prep timeline
- **Day -21 to -14:** Warm up hunter account. Upvote + thoughtfully comment on 3 launches/day. Follow 100+ active makers. Build history so your account looks real to the algorithm.
- **Day -14:** Create "Upcoming" page on PH. Drive traffic to it to collect "notify on launch" subscribers.
- **Day -10:** (Optional) book a hunter. Don't pay cash — trade a feature, shoutout, or intro. A known hunter adds ~15% to day-one momentum but isn't required.
- **Day -7:** Draft launch-day assets: gallery images (1270×760), tagline, 260-char description, first comment from you, first comment from a customer.
- **Day -3:** Email list warm-up. "We're launching Tuesday. Here's what to expect. Reply if you want a heads up."
- **Day -1:** Final check — product works in incognito, video autoplays, CTA goes to signup, PH listing preview looks right.
### Launch day execution
- **Launch at 12:01 AM Pacific Time.** Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday only — weekend launches get 6070% less traffic. The 12:01 AM PT start maximizes your 24-hour window.
- **First 2 hours are everything.** Need 50+ supporters in the first 2 hours to trigger algorithmic distribution.
- **Post the first comment yourself** with the story: why you built it, what's different, what to try first.
- **Reply to every comment** in under 30 minutes. PH measures maker responsiveness.
- **Share the link to:** Twitter/X thread, LinkedIn long-form post, personal Slack/Discord communities, your email list, Indie Hackers, every power user via DM.
- **Never ask for upvotes.** Ask for **feedback**. "Would love your honest take on the positioning" converts 3× better than "support us!" and doesn't trigger the algorithm's anti-manipulation filters.
- **Don't message strangers.** The community flags this and moderators will hide your post.
### Post-launch
- Write a launch recap blog post with numbers + lessons. Honest, not bragging. Publish on day 2.
- Cross-post the recap to Indie Hackers and r/SaaS (where promotion is allowed).
- Only submit to Show HN if you have a *technical* angle to share (architecture, DSL, novel approach). A generic "we launched a SaaS" post will get flagged to death.
---
## Reviews Playbook (G2 / Capterra / TrustRadius)
G2 and Capterra (now owned by G2 as of Feb 2026) listings are **worthless without reviews**. 10 reviews is the magic threshold for Grid appearance. Run the 10-in-30 protocol during launch month.
### The 10-in-30 protocol
1. **Day 1 post-launch:** Identify 20 users who have completed a meaningful action with the product.
2. **Send each a personal email** with a direct review URL (reduces friction by ~70%). No forms, no landing pages — direct link.
3. **Offer a modest thank-you.** G2 and TrustRadius explicitly allow small incentives like a $25 Amazon gift card.
4. **Follow up once** after 5 days. Don't follow up twice — it becomes annoying and damages the relationship.
5. **Target:** 50% conversion → 10 reviews from 20 asks.
### Critical deadlines
- **G2 Summer reports:** cut off ~April 28. Plan review drives to land before this.
- **G2 Fall reports:** cut off ~July 28.
- Missing a cutoff means waiting 3 months for the next grid update.
### Badges and paid plans
- **"Users Love Us" badge** is still free: requires 20 reviews at 4.0+ average.
- **Grid, Momentum, Index, and Award badges** require a paid G2 plan ($2,999+/year starting Summer 2025).
- **Do not spend on paid G2 in year one.** The free listing + Users Love Us badge is sufficient.
### Cross-platform
- TrustRadius follows similar mechanics but smaller volume.
- Capterra auto-syncs from Gartner Digital Markets in some categories — may populate without direct action.
---
## Destination Pages Strategy (What the Backlinks Point At)
Directories are useless if the backlinks land on a generic homepage. Build these destination pages *before* submitting:
### 1. Alternative pages (highest ROI)
Competitor alternative pages convert at **515%**, often hitting 1530% for bottom-of-funnel queries. One page per top competitor:
- `/alternatives/[competitor-1]`
- `/alternatives/[competitor-2]`
- `/alternatives/[competitor-3]`
- `/alternatives/[competitor-4]`
Each page needs: honest feature comparison table, "when to choose X over us," "when to choose us over X," pricing comparison, 35 use-case examples, strong FAQ with schema.
**Critical:** Be honest. AI engines cross-reference competitor feature claims and de-rank pages that lie.
### 2. Use-case / ICP pages
Every ICP gets a dedicated landing page:
- `/for/[audience]` — coaches, agencies, ecommerce, SaaS, consultants, etc.
- `/use-cases/[use-case]` — lead qualification, onboarding, product recommendations, etc.
### 3. Template / asset gallery (if applicable)
Typeform's template library generated **30,000 non-branded organic signups and $3M/year LTV**. The pattern:
- One indexable page per template at `/templates/[slug]`.
- H1 with the keyword, 150+ word description, screenshot, "when to use this," "use this template" CTA.
- Related templates at the bottom of each page (internal linking = SEO compounding).
- 100 templates by day 30, 300 by day 90 is the realistic target.
### 4. "Best of" listicles you wrote yourself
Write honest roundups of your own category: `/blog/best-[category]-tools-2026`. Include yourself + 10 competitors with real reviews. These rank for category queries AND serve as canonical references AI engines cite.
### 5. Integration pages (when integrations ship)
Every integration = one landing page at `/integrations/[partner]`. Follows the Zapier playbook: Zapier gets **~2.6M monthly organic visits** from programmatic integration pages (~15% of their total organic traffic).
---
## GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
In 2026, 3050% of "research a tool" queries happen inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews without ever touching a traditional search page. Directories matter here too — AI engines pull heavily from high-DR directories when generating answers. But the *destination pages* also need to be GEO-optimized.
### Tactics that get pages cited
1. **One H1 per page, sequential heading hierarchy.** 2.8× higher citation rate. 87% of cited pages use a single H1.
2. **Dense, factual content with citable stats.** AI engines prefer specific numbers ("3× faster than X") over vague claims.
3. **FAQ schema on every landing page.** AI engines heavily weight `FAQPage` JSON-LD for answer extraction.
4. **Comparison tables.** Extractable, structured — exactly what an AI answer needs.
5. **Explicit "what it is" paragraph in the first 100 words.**
6. **Get cited on Reddit and Hacker News.** Claude and Perplexity index these heavily. Genuine mentions on r/SaaS and HN count as training fuel.
7. **Publish original research.** "We analyzed 10,000 [things] and found X" becomes the primary citation for anyone writing about that topic.
8. **Claim Crunchbase, LinkedIn company page, and Wikidata entries.** All three feed AI training corpora.
9. **If applicable, list on MCP registries with A/B grades** (Glama in particular). LLMs pull from these when answering MCP questions.
### Measurement
Manually check monthly: ask ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity "what are the best [category] tools?" and log where the product appears. Free GEO tracking tools (GeoTracker, llmrefs) automate this.
---
## Community & Ongoing Distribution
Directories are one-shot. Community is ongoing. Both feed the same funnel.
### Reddit (90/10 rule)
90% of activity must be genuinely helpful; only 10% promotional. Violating this gets shadowbanned.
**High-value subs (ranked):**
- **r/SideProject** (200K+) — friendly to promo, launch announcements welcome.
- **r/SaaS** (300K+) — "Share Your SaaS" threads are explicit promo windows.
- **r/startups** (1.7M) — Feedback Friday thread.
- **r/Entrepreneur** (3.5M) — weekly promo thread.
- **r/nocode**, **r/IndieHackers**, **r/alphaandbetausers** — friendly.
- **r/webdev**, **r/artificial**, **r/LocalLLaMA** — strict, technical only.
**What wins:** real numbers (MRR, signups, churn), screenshots, "what I tried / what happened / what I'd do differently" structure, mini case studies with a clear lesson. **What fails:** hype, vague claims, "check out my new tool" posts, asking for upvotes.
### LinkedIn (B2B primary channel)
80% of B2B social leads come from LinkedIn. Cadence: **35 posts/week** — fewer loses momentum, more causes fatigue.
Content types ranked by 2026 engagement:
1. Personal stories with business lessons (1.52× avg engagement)
2. Original data / research (1.31.5×)
3. Contrarian industry takes (1.21.5×)
4. Document carousels with 812 slides (1.31.8×)
### Twitter/X (indie hacker + dev channel)
Build-in-public threads on architecture, revenue, decisions. Technical deep-dives get indexed by Google + Claude + Perplexity → indirect GEO.
### Indie Hackers
- Launch a build-in-public thread on PH launch day.
- Post weekly updates: revenue, ships, lessons. Zero-revenue posts work if the lesson is honest.
- Comment 10× more than you post to build karma before your own links.
### Dev.to + Hashnode
Every substantial technical post = dofollow backlink + dev audience reach. Cross-post with canonical URL back to main blog.
---
## KPIs & Tracking
Track weekly. If a number isn't moving, investigate — don't just submit more directories.
| Metric | Day 0 | Day 30 target | Day 90 target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain Rating (DR) | 0 | 20 | 30+ |
| Referring domains | 0 | 30 | 80+ |
| Indexed pages | — | 50 | 200+ |
| Organic clicks/day | 0 | 30 | 200+ |
| Directory listings live | 0 | 50 | 70+ |
| G2 reviews | 0 | 10 | 25 |
| Capterra reviews | 0 | 5 | 15 |
| AI citations (manual check) | 0 | 3 | 15+ |
| Signups from directory referrals | 0 | 50 | 300 |
| Signups from alt/use-case pages | 0 | 20 | 300 |
---
## What NOT to Do
1. **Don't pay for directory submission services** ($60$200 packages). The whole point is these are free. It's an afternoon of copy-paste.
2. **Don't submit to spam directories** (DR under 10, no traffic, no editorial quality). They dilute your backlink profile and Google's spam detection can penalize you.
3. **Don't submit with the wrong positioning.** Re-read the positioning table per tier. Generic descriptions waste the listing.
4. **Don't treat directories as your entire GTM.** They're the foundation. Content + community + reviews are what actually convert.
5. **Don't skip reviews on G2/Capterra.** Zero-review listings are dead. Run the 10-in-30 protocol or don't submit.
6. **Don't ask for upvotes on Product Hunt.** The 2026 algorithm penalizes it. Ask for **feedback**.
7. **Don't amend old directory listings every week.** Submit once, check quarterly.
8. **Don't submit before the destination page exists.** Link equity needs a destination.
9. **Don't duplicate descriptions across directories.** AI engines penalize duplicate content.
10. **Don't lie on comparison pages.** AI engines cross-reference and de-rank lies.
11. **Don't over-index on launch-day spike.** The flywheel is templates + alternatives + reviews + ongoing content — not one day of PH.
12. **Don't forget Crunchbase, LinkedIn company page, and Wikidata.** These feed AI training corpora and matter for GEO.
---
## Task-Specific Questions
1. **What are you launching?** (Category changes tier mix — AI vs traditional SaaS vs no-code vs dev tool.)
2. **When is launch day?** (Phase 0 assets need 7 days of prep.)
3. **Do you have destination pages built?** (Alternatives, use cases, templates — if not, build first.)
4. **Product Hunt hunter lined up?** (Optional but adds ~15% day-one lift. 3-week warm-up required regardless.)
5. **How many beta users can you ask for reviews?** (Need 20 to hit 10.)
6. **Do you have an MCP or agent angle?** (If yes, Tier 4 registries are a real moat.)
7. **Existing integrations?** (If yes, Tier 7 marketplaces are the highest-DR backlinks available.)
8. **Email list size?** (Needed for PH launch day warm traffic — 100+ is the minimum.)
9. **Current DR and referring domain count?** (Baseline for measuring the compounding effect.)
---
## Output Format
When the user asks for a directory plan, return:
1. **Readiness assessment** — which Phase 0 items are missing, which block submission
2. **Tier selection** — which tiers apply, which to skip, why
3. **Submission order** — week 1 / week 2 / week 3 batches
4. **Destination page list** — what to build first if missing
5. **Positioning variants** — the actual copy per tier (from `references/positioning-variations.md`)
6. **PH 3-week prep timeline** — mapped to calendar dates if launch day known
7. **Reviews 10-in-30 plan** — who to ask, when, how
8. **Weekly targets** — directories submitted, reviews, DR movement
9. **Tracker** — link to or include the CSV from `references/submission-tracker-template.csv`
Keep the plan actionable. Every item should be something the user can do today.
---
## Related Skills
- **launch-strategy** — broader launch moment, ORB framework, five-phase approach
- **programmatic-seo** — destination pages (alternatives, integrations, templates) that backlinks should flow into
- **competitor-alternatives**`/alternatives/[tool]` page pattern
- **ai-seo** — GEO optimization for AI citation
- **content-strategy** — editorial content that attracts "best of" listicle inclusions
- **free-tool-strategy** — lead magnets for destination pages
- **community-marketing** — Reddit, Indie Hackers, Slack community mechanics
- **schema-markup** — FAQ + Product + Organization JSON-LD for GEO
@@ -0,0 +1,181 @@
# Directory List — Full Reference
Canonical list of directories organized by tier. DR values are approximate and drift over time — verify via Ahrefs or Moz before building a plan around them.
**Column legend:**
- **DR** — Domain Rating (Ahrefs). Higher = more link equity passed.
- **Dofollow** — Whether the backlink passes SEO value. Nofollow listings still matter for referral traffic and brand signals.
- **Cost** — Free unless noted.
---
## Tier 1 — Flagship Launch Platforms
Submit only during launch week. These are time-sensitive with limited re-submission windows.
| Directory | DR | Dofollow | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Product Hunt** | 91 | Yes | Free | The anchor event. Requires 3-week warm-up. 2026 algorithm weights comment quality over upvotes. Launch Tue/Wed/Thu at 12:01 AM PT. |
| **Hacker News (Show HN)** | 91 | Nofollow | Free | Only if you have a genuine technical angle. Post title format: "Show HN: [Product] — [hook]". Moderator death penalty for hype. |
| **BetaList** | 64 | Yes | Free (paid expedite ~$99) | Best for pre-launch waitlist building. Submission → 24 week queue unless expedited. |
| **Launching Next** | ~30 | Yes | Free | Editorial curation — needs a compelling story. |
| **Fazier** | ~30 | Yes | Free | Daily ranking with much lower competition than PH. Achievable #1. |
| **Uneed** | ~40 | Yes | Free | Curated, smaller audience, quality backlink. |
| **Microlaunch** | ~30 | Yes | Free | Month-long visibility vs one-day spike. |
| **OpenHunts** | ~25 | Yes | Free | Indie-maker friendly, reports 14%+ conversion rates. |
| **DevHunt** | ~35 | Yes | Free | Dev-focused. Best fit for developer tools and technical products. |
| **PeerPush** | ~25 | Yes | Free | Similar to Fazier. Low competition. |
| **LaunchVault** | ~20 | Yes | Free | Anti-VC positioning. Good for bootstrapped narrative. |
| **What Launched Today** | ~20 | Yes | Free | Guaranteed visibility on launch day regardless of votes. |
| **Firsto** | ~25 | Yes | Free tier | Sustained discovery, not one-day spike. |
| **GetByte** | ~20 | Yes | Free | Lightweight listing + promotional support. |
| **Best of Web** | ~30 | Yes | Free | Easy fast submission, free dofollow. |
| **Tiny Launch** | ~20 | Yes | Free | Lightweight, fast approval. |
| **PitchWall** | ~25 | Yes | Free | Indie-hacker friendly. |
---
## Tier 2 — Startup / SaaS / Software Directories
Submit during launch week and continue rolling submissions thereafter.
| Directory | DR | Dofollow | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **AlternativeTo** | 79 | Nofollow | Free | Massive SEO value despite nofollow. Submit as alternative to your top 4 competitors. |
| **SaaSHub** | 77 | Yes | Free | Ranks well for "[tool] alternatives" queries. High intent. |
| **G2** | 92 | Yes | Free listing | 10 reviews required for Grid appearance. Paid badges start at $2,999/yr. |
| **Capterra** | 93 | Yes | Free listing | Owned by G2 (acquired Feb 2026). Reviews drive everything. |
| **GetApp** | 78 | Yes | Free | Auto-syncs from Capterra in some cases. Owned by G2. |
| **SourceForge** | 92 | Yes | Free | Legacy but still high DR. Trivial to list. |
| **Slashdot** | ~88 | Yes | Free | Legacy but high DR. Company profile submission. |
| **Startup Stash** | ~50 | Yes | Free | Curated, organized by startup need. |
| **SideProjectors** | ~35 | Yes | Free | Discovery + marketplace. Community-driven. |
| **F6S** | 65 | Yes | Free | Startup platform used by accelerators. |
| **Stackshare** | ~60 | Yes | Free | Dev-centric. Show your tech stack. |
| **Resource.fyi** | ~40 | Yes | Free | Curated for designers/devs/marketers. |
| **Shipybara** | ~30 | Yes | Free | Shows which companies use your tool. |
| **TrustRadius** | 72 | Yes | Free | Smaller but respected B2B review platform. |
| **Crozdesk** | ~55 | Yes | Free | Feeds into Gartner ecosystem. |
---
## Tier 3 — AI Tool Directories
Relevant only for AI-native products. Submit during weeks 13.
### Tier 3A — Flagship AI directories
| Directory | DR | Monthly Traffic | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| **There's An AI For That (TAAFT)** | 76 | 2M+ | Largest AI directory. Task-based search. Worth the effort to list well. |
| **Futurepedia** | 70 | 1M+ | 5,000+ tools, 54 categories. Matt Wolfe YouTube (2M+ subs) drives traffic. |
| **Toolify.ai** | 71 | 500K+ | 26K+ tools, 450+ categories. Tracks traffic trends. |
| **Future Tools (futuretools.io)** | 69 | 400K+ | Curated by Matt Wolfe. Smaller but influential. |
| **AI Tools Neilpatel** | 91 | n/a | Highest DR free AI directory. |
| **Good AI Tools** | 66 | n/a | Curated, quality over quantity. |
| **NewTools.site** | 51 | n/a | Dofollow backlink for every approved submission. |
### Tier 3B — Mid-tier AI directories
| Directory | Est. DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **aitools.inc** | ~66 | "10x your output" positioning. |
| **AIStage** | ~66 | Includes open source + news. |
| **AItrendytools** | ~69 | Comprehensive listing. |
| **Grabon AI Directory** | ~70 | High DR, broad audience. |
| **TopAI.tools** | ~60 | Task-based search similar to TAAFT. |
| **Supertools** | ~61 | Clean interface, good categorization. |
| **AI Tools Directory** (aitoolsdirectory.com) | ~55 | Curated; featured placement available. |
| **AI Tools Love** | ~25 | Comparison-focused. |
| **AIChief** | ~35 | Business-focused. |
| **LogicBalls** | ~40 | 3,500+ verified tools. |
| **SaasAITools** | ~30 | SaaS + AI crossover. |
| **PoweredByAI** | ~35 | Growing directory with newsletter reach. |
| **TheAISurf** | ~30 | Newer, actively promoting submissions. |
| **Aixyz** | ~30 | 1,500+ tools, smart filters. |
| **AI Pedia Hub** | ~40 | "Largest directory, updated daily." |
| **Dofollow.Tools** | ~30 | Explicitly free dofollow backlinks. |
| **AIBacklinkList** | ~25 | Aggregated list of 2500+ AI backlink opportunities. |
| **AI Scout** | ~25 | Emerging, less competition. |
| **AiMatchPro** | ~20 | Use-case search. |
---
## Tier 4 — AI Agent & MCP Server Registries
Relevant only if the product exposes agent capabilities or MCP servers. These are a real moat for AI-native tools — traditional SaaS products cannot list here.
| Directory | Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **AI Agents List (aiagentslist.com)** | Agents | Hosts the 593+ MCP server directory. |
| **Glama.ai MCP servers** | MCP | 20K+ security-graded MCP servers. A/B/C/F grades matter — optimize for a good grade. |
| **APITracker MCP directory** | MCP | 110+ servers, 90 official integrations. |
| **Linux Foundation MCP Registry** | MCP | Canonical registry (PR-based submission, low volume but high signal). Anthropic donated MCP to LF in Dec 2025. |
| **AI Agent Store** | Agents | Compare agents, platforms, frameworks. |
| **AI Agents Base** | Agents | All-in-one directory. |
| **AI Agents Directory** | Agents | Specialized, updated daily. |
| **AI Agents Verse** | Agents | Curated directory. |
| **AgentHunter** | Agents | "Discover the best AI agents." |
| **Add AI Directory** | Agents | Catalogs agents + tools. |
| **AI Agents Live** | Agents | Discovery + sharing. |
| **AI Agents Marketplace** | Agents | Organized by 300+ human role equivalents. |
---
## Tier 5 — No-Code Directories
Relevant for no-code platforms and builder tools.
| Directory | Est. DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **NoCodeFinder** | ~45 | Accepts submissions. |
| **No Code MBA Tools Directory** | ~55 | Categorized by project type. |
| **We Are No Code Tools Repository** | ~40 | Curated. |
| **NoCodeList** | ~30 | — |
| **NoCodeDevs** | ~25 | — |
| **NoCode.Tech** | ~35 | — |
---
## Tier 6 — "Best of" Listicles (Editorial Outreach)
Not directories per se — these are blog posts on high-DR domains that you get included in via cold outreach. Often more valuable than directories because they combine a dofollow backlink with editorial trust + in-market buyer traffic + AI citation weight.
**Search patterns to find opportunities:**
- `"best [category] tools" 2026`
- `"best [competitor] alternative"`
- `"top AI [category]"`
- `"[category] tools review"`
**Outreach template (short):**
> Hey [name], saw your post on [best X tools]. We launched [product] recently — thought it might be worth a mention. Happy to give you a free account + credits for readers. Here's a 60s demo: [link]. No worries if not a fit.
**Target:** 10 inclusions in 30 days. Each = dofollow backlink from DR 4070 + referral traffic + AI citation fuel.
---
## Tier 7 — Integration Marketplaces
Only relevant once the product has integrations. These are the highest-DR backlinks available — worth engineering effort just to land them.
| Directory | DR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **Zapier App Directory** | 91 | Requires working Zapier integration. |
| **HubSpot App Marketplace** | 93 | Requires HubSpot app. |
| **Slack App Directory** | 89 | Requires Slack integration. |
| **Airtable Marketplace** | 82 | Requires Airtable integration. |
| **Notion Integrations Gallery** | 88 | Requires Notion integration. |
| **Make (Integromat)** | ~70 | Requires Make module. |
| **Pipedream** | ~70 | Requires Pipedream action. |
---
## Verification
After any submission goes live, verify the backlink exists and is dofollow. You can:
1. **Manual:** Open the listing, right-click your product link, "Inspect" → check for `rel="nofollow"` or `rel="ugc"`. If absent, the link is dofollow.
2. **curl:** `curl -sIL https://directory.com/your-listing | grep -i link`
3. **SEO tools:** Ahrefs Site Explorer → Backlinks → filter by this directory's domain.
**Re-verify quarterly.** Directories sometimes change all outbound links to nofollow without warning — if DR stops moving, check whether your biggest inbound links have silently flipped.
@@ -0,0 +1,232 @@
# Positioning Variations Library
Directory audiences respond to different framings. Never copy-paste the same description everywhere — AI engines penalize duplicate content, and each directory type rewards a different opener.
Use this library to generate per-tier variants. Swap `[product]`, `[category]`, `[competitors]`, `[use-case]`, and `[audience]` with the real values.
---
## Framework: Lead Sentence Varies by Tier
| Tier | Lead sentence pattern | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Startup / launch | "[Product] is the easiest way to [outcome] for [audience]." | Founders scan for outcome clarity. |
| SaaS directory | "[Product] is the [differentiator] alternative to [competitors]." | Catches "[competitor] alternative" search intent. |
| AI directory | "[Product] uses [AI capability] to [outcome]." | TAAFT/Futurepedia audiences explicitly want AI. |
| Agent / MCP | "[Product] is an MCP-native / agent-native [category]." | Niche but high-intent. Ruling-out competitors. |
| No-code | "[Product] lets you build [output] without code." | Audience values speed, not technical depth. |
| Dev tool | "[Product] is a [technical category] with [differentiator]." | Devs want substance upfront. |
| B2B review | "[Product] helps [audience] [measurable business outcome]." | Reviewers want ROI language. |
---
## Template: Startup / Launch Directories
**Target:** Product Hunt, BetaList, Fazier, Uneed, DevHunt, Microlaunch, OpenHunts, LaunchVault, Firsto, PitchWall
**Tagline (under 10 words):**
> The [differentiator] way to [outcome] for [audience].
**Short description (60 chars):**
> [Outcome-focused one-liner with product name]
**Long description (150 words):**
> [Product] is the easiest way to [outcome] for [audience]. Built for teams who [pain point], [product] removes [friction] by [how].
>
> Unlike [competitor category], [product] [key differentiator 1] and [key differentiator 2]. You can [action 1] in under [timeframe], [action 2] without [limitation], and [action 3] that would normally require [cost or technical skill].
>
> We built [product] because [founder origin story in one sentence]. It's now used by [audience examples] to [use case examples].
>
> Try it free at [url]. No credit card, no setup.
**Tags:** [product category], [audience type], [use case 1], [use case 2], [differentiator], [tech]
---
## Template: SaaS / Software Directories
**Target:** AlternativeTo, SaaSHub, G2, Capterra, GetApp, SourceForge, Slashdot, Startup Stash, F6S
**Tagline:**
> The [differentiator] alternative to [top competitors].
**Long description:**
> [Product] is a [differentiator] alternative to [competitor 1], [competitor 2], and [competitor 3] — built for [audience] who need [gap the competitors don't fill].
>
> Where [competitor 1] [limitation 1] and [competitor 2] [limitation 2], [product] [solves]. You get [feature 1], [feature 2], and [feature 3] in a single workspace, at [pricing relative to competitors].
>
> Key features:
> • [Feature 1] — [benefit]
> • [Feature 2] — [benefit]
> • [Feature 3] — [benefit]
> • [Feature 4] — [benefit]
> • [Integration 1], [Integration 2], [Integration 3] integrations
>
> Trusted by [audience examples]. Start free at [url].
**Tags:** [competitor] alternative, [category], [audience], [differentiator], [top 3 features]
---
## Template: AI Directories
**Target:** TAAFT, Futurepedia, Toolify, Future Tools, aitools.inc, AIStage, LogicBalls, SaasAITools
**Tagline:**
> AI-powered [category] for [audience].
**Long description:**
> [Product] is an AI-powered [category] that [core AI capability]. It uses [specific models / techniques] to [outcome] — so [audience] can [job to be done] in a fraction of the time.
>
> What makes it AI-first:
> • [AI feature 1] — [what it does] using [model/approach]
> • [AI feature 2] — [what it does]
> • [AI feature 3] — [what it does]
> • [AI feature 4] — [what it does]
>
> [Product] is built on [tech stack] and supports [models/providers]. Use cases: [use case 1], [use case 2], [use case 3], [use case 4].
>
> Free tier available. No API keys required to start.
**Tags:** AI [category], [AI capability 1], [AI capability 2], AI for [audience], [use case 1], [use case 2], [LLM provider], [differentiator]
---
## Template: Agent / MCP Registries
**Target:** Glama, APITracker, Linux Foundation MCP Registry, AI Agents List, AI Agent Store, AgentHunter
**Tagline:**
> MCP-native [category] for AI agents.
**Long description:**
> [Product] is an MCP-native [category] that lets AI agents [capability]. It exposes [MCP server capabilities] via the Model Context Protocol, so agents in Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible client can [actions].
>
> MCP capabilities:
> • [Tool 1] — [what the agent can do]
> • [Tool 2] — [what the agent can do]
> • [Tool 3] — [what the agent can do]
> • [Resource 1] — [context surfaced]
> • [Prompt 1] — [pre-built prompt]
>
> Authentication: [auth method]. Transports: stdio, HTTP, SSE. Security: [security posture].
>
> Installation: [one-line install command]. Docs: [docs URL].
**Tags:** MCP, MCP server, AI agent, agent [category], Claude integration, Model Context Protocol, [domain], [auth type]
---
## Template: No-Code Directories
**Target:** NoCodeFinder, No Code MBA Tools Directory, We Are No Code, NoCode.Tech
**Tagline:**
> Build [output] without code.
**Long description:**
> [Product] lets you build [output] without writing code. Drag, drop, or describe what you want and [product] handles the rest — [technical concept 1] and [technical concept 2] are automatic.
>
> What you can build:
> • [Example project 1] — built in [timeframe]
> • [Example project 2] — built in [timeframe]
> • [Example project 3] — built in [timeframe]
>
> No-code friendly features:
> • [Visual feature 1]
> • [Visual feature 2]
> • [AI-assisted feature]
> • [Pre-built templates]
>
> Start free. No credit card. Templates included.
**Tags:** no code, no-code [category], visual [tool], drag and drop, [output type], [audience type]
---
## Template: Dev / Technical Directories
**Target:** DevHunt, Stackshare, GitHub, Dev.to, Hacker News Show HN
**Tagline:**
> [Technical category] with [technical differentiator].
**Long description:**
> [Product] is a [technical category] built on [tech stack]. It solves [technical problem] by [technical approach].
>
> Architecture:
> • [Component 1] — [tech used]
> • [Component 2] — [tech used]
> • [Component 3] — [tech used]
>
> Why it's different: [technical insight or novel approach]. We chose [trade-off] because [reason].
>
> Open source: [yes/no/partial]. Self-hostable: [yes/no]. License: [license].
>
> API: [REST / GraphQL / MCP / gRPC]. SDKs: [languages]. Docs: [url].
**Tags:** [language], [framework], [category], open source, API, [tech stack component], [architecture approach]
---
## Template: B2B Review Platforms
**Target:** G2, Capterra, TrustRadius, GetApp, Gartner Digital Markets, Crozdesk
**Tagline:**
> [Business outcome] for [audience].
**Long description:**
> [Product] helps [audience] [achieve measurable business outcome]. Teams use it to [use case 1], [use case 2], and [use case 3] — reducing [metric] by [percentage] and increasing [metric] by [percentage].
>
> Key benefits:
> • [Business benefit 1] with [how measured]
> • [Business benefit 2] with [how measured]
> • [Business benefit 3] with [how measured]
>
> Integrations: [enterprise integrations — HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack, etc.]
>
> Security: [SOC 2 / GDPR / compliance posture]. Support: [support tier]. Pricing: [pricing range].
>
> Trusted by [customer logos / company size]. Case studies at [url].
**Tags:** [business use case], [vertical], [audience role], [compliance], enterprise [category], [integration 1]
---
## Category Tag Library
Pull 58 tags per submission from the relevant sections. Never repeat the exact same tag set across two directories in the same tier.
### Universal
[category], [audience], [differentiator], [use case], AI, no-code, SaaS, [tech stack]
### Industry
B2B, B2C, DTC, ecommerce, fintech, edtech, healthtech, martech, devtools, productivity, creator tools, agency tools
### Job-to-be-done
lead generation, lead qualification, customer onboarding, product recommendation, sales enablement, marketing automation, survey, assessment, calculator, quiz, intake form
### AI-specific
AI agent, LLM, generative AI, conversational AI, RAG, MCP, agent framework, AI form, AI quiz, AI assistant, AI automation
### Technical
open source, self-hosted, API-first, webhook, Zapier, no-code, low-code, embeddable, white-label, multi-tenant, SSO, SAML
---
## Do / Don't Quick Reference
**DO:**
- Vary the opening sentence across tiers
- Use real numbers and specific differentiators
- Match tone to audience (technical for devs, business for G2, excited for PH)
- Include a founder/origin angle in startup directories
- Lead with the AI-first angle in AI directories
**DON'T:**
- Copy-paste the same 150-word description everywhere
- Use vague claims ("blazing fast", "game-changing")
- Mention every feature — pick 35 per tier and rotate them
- Lie about competitor features (AI engines cross-reference and de-rank)
- Skip the tag list — it's how moderators route you to the right category
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
Directory,Tier,URL,Category,DR,Dofollow,Submission Date,Status,Live URL,Backlink Verified,Positioning Variant Used,Tags Used,Account Email,Notes
Product Hunt,1,https://producthunt.com/posts/new,Launch,91,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
Hacker News (Show HN),1,https://news.ycombinator.com/submit,Launch,91,No,,Draft,,,Dev,,,
BetaList,1,https://betalist.com/submit,Launch,64,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
Fazier,1,https://fazier.com/submit,Launch,30,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
DevHunt,1,https://devhunt.org/submit,Launch,35,Yes,,Draft,,,Dev,,,
Uneed,1,https://uneed.best/submit-a-tool,Launch,40,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
Microlaunch,1,https://microlaunch.net/submit,Launch,30,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
OpenHunts,1,https://openhunts.com/submit,Launch,25,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
LaunchVault,1,https://launchvault.com/submit,Launch,20,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
What Launched Today,1,https://whatlaunchedtoday.com,Launch,20,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
Launching Next,1,https://launchingnext.com/submit,Launch,30,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
PeerPush,1,https://peerpush.net/submit,Launch,25,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
Firsto,1,https://firsto.co/submit,Launch,25,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
GetByte,1,https://getbyte.co/submit,Launch,20,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
Best of Web,1,https://bestofweb.io/submit,Launch,30,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
Tiny Launch,1,https://tinylaunch.com/submit,Launch,20,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
PitchWall,1,https://pitchwall.co/submit,Launch,25,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
AlternativeTo,2,https://alternativeto.net/software/_/add/,SaaS,79,No,,Draft,,,SaaS,,,
SaaSHub,2,https://saashub.com/submit,SaaS,77,Yes,,Draft,,,SaaS,,,
G2,2,https://my.g2.com/sellers/welcome,SaaS,92,Yes,,Draft,,,B2B review,,,
Capterra,2,https://www.capterra.com/vendors,SaaS,93,Yes,,Draft,,,B2B review,,,
GetApp,2,https://www.getapp.com/vendors,SaaS,78,Yes,,Draft,,,B2B review,,,
SourceForge,2,https://sourceforge.net/user/register,SaaS,92,Yes,,Draft,,,SaaS,,,
Slashdot,2,https://slashdot.org/submission,SaaS,88,Yes,,Draft,,,SaaS,,,
Startup Stash,2,https://startupstash.com/submit,SaaS,50,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
SideProjectors,2,https://www.sideprojectors.com/project/new,SaaS,35,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
F6S,2,https://www.f6s.com/company/create,SaaS,65,Yes,,Draft,,,Startup,,,
Stackshare,2,https://stackshare.io/new-product,SaaS,60,Yes,,Draft,,,Dev,,,
TrustRadius,2,https://www.trustradius.com/vendors,SaaS,72,Yes,,Draft,,,B2B review,,,
Crozdesk,2,https://crozdesk.com/vendors,SaaS,55,Yes,,Draft,,,SaaS,,,
There's An AI For That,3,https://theresanaiforthat.com/submit,AI,76,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
Futurepedia,3,https://www.futurepedia.io/submit-tool,AI,70,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
Toolify.ai,3,https://www.toolify.ai/submit,AI,71,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
Future Tools,3,https://www.futuretools.io/submit-a-tool,AI,69,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
AI Tools Neilpatel,3,https://neilpatel.com/ai-tools,AI,91,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
Good AI Tools,3,https://goodaitools.com/submit,AI,66,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
NewTools.site,3,https://newtools.site/submit,AI,51,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
aitools.inc,3,https://aitools.inc/submit,AI,66,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
AIStage,3,https://aistage.net/submit,AI,66,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
AItrendytools,3,https://www.aitrendytools.com/submit,AI,69,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
Grabon AI Directory,3,https://www.grabon.in/indulge/ai-tools/submit,AI,70,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
TopAI.tools,3,https://topai.tools/submit,AI,60,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
Supertools,3,https://supertools.therundown.ai/submit,AI,61,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
AI Tools Directory,3,https://aitoolsdirectory.com/submit,AI,55,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
LogicBalls,3,https://logicballs.com/submit,AI,40,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
SaasAITools,3,https://saasaitools.com/submit,AI,30,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
PoweredByAI,3,https://poweredbyai.app/submit,AI,35,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
TheAISurf,3,https://theaisurf.com/submit,AI,30,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
Aixyz,3,https://ai.xyz/submit,AI,30,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
AI Pedia Hub,3,https://aipediahub.com/submit,AI,40,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
Dofollow.Tools,3,https://dofollow.tools/submit,AI,30,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
AI Scout,3,https://aiscout.net/submit,AI,25,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
AiMatchPro,3,https://aimatchpro.ai/submit,AI,20,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
AIChief,3,https://aichief.com/submit,AI,35,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
AI Tools Love,3,https://aitools.love/submit,AI,25,Yes,,Draft,,,AI,,,
AI Agents List,4,https://aiagentslist.com/submit,Agent,,Yes,,Draft,,,Agent,,,
Glama.ai MCP,4,https://glama.ai/mcp/servers,MCP,,Yes,,Draft,,,MCP,,,
APITracker MCP,4,https://apitracker.io/mcp-servers,MCP,,Yes,,Draft,,,MCP,,,
Linux Foundation MCP Registry,4,https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/registry,MCP,,Yes,,Draft,,,MCP,,,
AI Agent Store,4,https://aiagentstore.ai/submit,Agent,,Yes,,Draft,,,Agent,,,
AI Agents Base,4,https://aiagentsbase.com/submit,Agent,,Yes,,Draft,,,Agent,,,
AI Agents Directory,4,https://aiagentsdirectory.com/submit,Agent,,Yes,,Draft,,,Agent,,,
AI Agents Verse,4,https://aiagentsverse.com/submit,Agent,,Yes,,Draft,,,Agent,,,
AgentHunter,4,https://agenthunter.com/submit,Agent,,Yes,,Draft,,,Agent,,,
AI Agents Live,4,https://aiagents.live/submit,Agent,,Yes,,Draft,,,Agent,,,
AI Agents Marketplace,4,https://aiagentsmarketplace.com/submit,Agent,,Yes,,Draft,,,Agent,,,
NoCodeFinder,5,https://www.nocodefinder.com/submit,No-Code,45,Yes,,Draft,,,No-code,,,
No Code MBA,5,https://www.nocode.mba/tools/submit,No-Code,55,Yes,,Draft,,,No-code,,,
We Are No Code,5,https://www.wearenocode.com/submit,No-Code,40,Yes,,Draft,,,No-code,,,
NoCodeList,5,https://nocodelist.co/submit,No-Code,30,Yes,,Draft,,,No-code,,,
NoCodeDevs,5,https://www.nocodedevs.com/submit,No-Code,25,Yes,,Draft,,,No-code,,,
NoCode.Tech,5,https://www.nocode.tech/submit,No-Code,35,Yes,,Draft,,,No-code,,,
Zapier App Directory,7,https://zapier.com/developer,Integration,91,Yes,,Draft,,,Integration,,,
HubSpot App Marketplace,7,https://ecosystem.hubspot.com/marketplace,Integration,93,Yes,,Draft,,,Integration,,,
Slack App Directory,7,https://api.slack.com/apps,Integration,89,Yes,,Draft,,,Integration,,,
Airtable Marketplace,7,https://airtable.com/marketplace,Integration,82,Yes,,Draft,,,Integration,,,
Notion Integrations,7,https://www.notion.so/integrations,Integration,88,Yes,,Draft,,,Integration,,,
Make (Integromat),7,https://www.make.com/en/partners,Integration,70,Yes,,Draft,,,Integration,,,
Pipedream,7,https://pipedream.com/docs/components,Integration,70,Yes,,Draft,,,Integration,,,
1 Directory Tier URL Category DR Dofollow Submission Date Status Live URL Backlink Verified Positioning Variant Used Tags Used Account Email Notes
2 Product Hunt 1 https://producthunt.com/posts/new Launch 91 Yes Draft Startup
3 Hacker News (Show HN) 1 https://news.ycombinator.com/submit Launch 91 No Draft Dev
4 BetaList 1 https://betalist.com/submit Launch 64 Yes Draft Startup
5 Fazier 1 https://fazier.com/submit Launch 30 Yes Draft Startup
6 DevHunt 1 https://devhunt.org/submit Launch 35 Yes Draft Dev
7 Uneed 1 https://uneed.best/submit-a-tool Launch 40 Yes Draft Startup
8 Microlaunch 1 https://microlaunch.net/submit Launch 30 Yes Draft Startup
9 OpenHunts 1 https://openhunts.com/submit Launch 25 Yes Draft Startup
10 LaunchVault 1 https://launchvault.com/submit Launch 20 Yes Draft Startup
11 What Launched Today 1 https://whatlaunchedtoday.com Launch 20 Yes Draft Startup
12 Launching Next 1 https://launchingnext.com/submit Launch 30 Yes Draft Startup
13 PeerPush 1 https://peerpush.net/submit Launch 25 Yes Draft Startup
14 Firsto 1 https://firsto.co/submit Launch 25 Yes Draft Startup
15 GetByte 1 https://getbyte.co/submit Launch 20 Yes Draft Startup
16 Best of Web 1 https://bestofweb.io/submit Launch 30 Yes Draft Startup
17 Tiny Launch 1 https://tinylaunch.com/submit Launch 20 Yes Draft Startup
18 PitchWall 1 https://pitchwall.co/submit Launch 25 Yes Draft Startup
19 AlternativeTo 2 https://alternativeto.net/software/_/add/ SaaS 79 No Draft SaaS
20 SaaSHub 2 https://saashub.com/submit SaaS 77 Yes Draft SaaS
21 G2 2 https://my.g2.com/sellers/welcome SaaS 92 Yes Draft B2B review
22 Capterra 2 https://www.capterra.com/vendors SaaS 93 Yes Draft B2B review
23 GetApp 2 https://www.getapp.com/vendors SaaS 78 Yes Draft B2B review
24 SourceForge 2 https://sourceforge.net/user/register SaaS 92 Yes Draft SaaS
25 Slashdot 2 https://slashdot.org/submission SaaS 88 Yes Draft SaaS
26 Startup Stash 2 https://startupstash.com/submit SaaS 50 Yes Draft Startup
27 SideProjectors 2 https://www.sideprojectors.com/project/new SaaS 35 Yes Draft Startup
28 F6S 2 https://www.f6s.com/company/create SaaS 65 Yes Draft Startup
29 Stackshare 2 https://stackshare.io/new-product SaaS 60 Yes Draft Dev
30 TrustRadius 2 https://www.trustradius.com/vendors SaaS 72 Yes Draft B2B review
31 Crozdesk 2 https://crozdesk.com/vendors SaaS 55 Yes Draft SaaS
32 There's An AI For That 3 https://theresanaiforthat.com/submit AI 76 Yes Draft AI
33 Futurepedia 3 https://www.futurepedia.io/submit-tool AI 70 Yes Draft AI
34 Toolify.ai 3 https://www.toolify.ai/submit AI 71 Yes Draft AI
35 Future Tools 3 https://www.futuretools.io/submit-a-tool AI 69 Yes Draft AI
36 AI Tools Neilpatel 3 https://neilpatel.com/ai-tools AI 91 Yes Draft AI
37 Good AI Tools 3 https://goodaitools.com/submit AI 66 Yes Draft AI
38 NewTools.site 3 https://newtools.site/submit AI 51 Yes Draft AI
39 aitools.inc 3 https://aitools.inc/submit AI 66 Yes Draft AI
40 AIStage 3 https://aistage.net/submit AI 66 Yes Draft AI
41 AItrendytools 3 https://www.aitrendytools.com/submit AI 69 Yes Draft AI
42 Grabon AI Directory 3 https://www.grabon.in/indulge/ai-tools/submit AI 70 Yes Draft AI
43 TopAI.tools 3 https://topai.tools/submit AI 60 Yes Draft AI
44 Supertools 3 https://supertools.therundown.ai/submit AI 61 Yes Draft AI
45 AI Tools Directory 3 https://aitoolsdirectory.com/submit AI 55 Yes Draft AI
46 LogicBalls 3 https://logicballs.com/submit AI 40 Yes Draft AI
47 SaasAITools 3 https://saasaitools.com/submit AI 30 Yes Draft AI
48 PoweredByAI 3 https://poweredbyai.app/submit AI 35 Yes Draft AI
49 TheAISurf 3 https://theaisurf.com/submit AI 30 Yes Draft AI
50 Aixyz 3 https://ai.xyz/submit AI 30 Yes Draft AI
51 AI Pedia Hub 3 https://aipediahub.com/submit AI 40 Yes Draft AI
52 Dofollow.Tools 3 https://dofollow.tools/submit AI 30 Yes Draft AI
53 AI Scout 3 https://aiscout.net/submit AI 25 Yes Draft AI
54 AiMatchPro 3 https://aimatchpro.ai/submit AI 20 Yes Draft AI
55 AIChief 3 https://aichief.com/submit AI 35 Yes Draft AI
56 AI Tools Love 3 https://aitools.love/submit AI 25 Yes Draft AI
57 AI Agents List 4 https://aiagentslist.com/submit Agent Yes Draft Agent
58 Glama.ai MCP 4 https://glama.ai/mcp/servers MCP Yes Draft MCP
59 APITracker MCP 4 https://apitracker.io/mcp-servers MCP Yes Draft MCP
60 Linux Foundation MCP Registry 4 https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/registry MCP Yes Draft MCP
61 AI Agent Store 4 https://aiagentstore.ai/submit Agent Yes Draft Agent
62 AI Agents Base 4 https://aiagentsbase.com/submit Agent Yes Draft Agent
63 AI Agents Directory 4 https://aiagentsdirectory.com/submit Agent Yes Draft Agent
64 AI Agents Verse 4 https://aiagentsverse.com/submit Agent Yes Draft Agent
65 AgentHunter 4 https://agenthunter.com/submit Agent Yes Draft Agent
66 AI Agents Live 4 https://aiagents.live/submit Agent Yes Draft Agent
67 AI Agents Marketplace 4 https://aiagentsmarketplace.com/submit Agent Yes Draft Agent
68 NoCodeFinder 5 https://www.nocodefinder.com/submit No-Code 45 Yes Draft No-code
69 No Code MBA 5 https://www.nocode.mba/tools/submit No-Code 55 Yes Draft No-code
70 We Are No Code 5 https://www.wearenocode.com/submit No-Code 40 Yes Draft No-code
71 NoCodeList 5 https://nocodelist.co/submit No-Code 30 Yes Draft No-code
72 NoCodeDevs 5 https://www.nocodedevs.com/submit No-Code 25 Yes Draft No-code
73 NoCode.Tech 5 https://www.nocode.tech/submit No-Code 35 Yes Draft No-code
74 Zapier App Directory 7 https://zapier.com/developer Integration 91 Yes Draft Integration
75 HubSpot App Marketplace 7 https://ecosystem.hubspot.com/marketplace Integration 93 Yes Draft Integration
76 Slack App Directory 7 https://api.slack.com/apps Integration 89 Yes Draft Integration
77 Airtable Marketplace 7 https://airtable.com/marketplace Integration 82 Yes Draft Integration
78 Notion Integrations 7 https://www.notion.so/integrations Integration 88 Yes Draft Integration
79 Make (Integromat) 7 https://www.make.com/en/partners Integration 70 Yes Draft Integration
80 Pipedream 7 https://pipedream.com/docs/components Integration 70 Yes Draft Integration
+1 -1
View File
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
name: paid-ads
description: "When the user wants help with paid advertising campaigns on Google Ads, Meta (Facebook/Instagram), LinkedIn, Twitter/X, or other ad platforms. Also use when the user mentions 'PPC,' 'paid media,' 'ROAS,' 'CPA,' 'ad campaign,' 'retargeting,' 'audience targeting,' 'Google Ads,' 'Facebook ads,' 'LinkedIn ads,' 'ad budget,' 'cost per click,' 'ad spend,' or 'should I run ads.' Use this for campaign strategy, audience targeting, bidding, and optimization. For bulk ad creative generation and iteration, see ad-creative. For landing page optimization, see page-cro."
metadata:
version: 1.1.0
version: 1.2.0
---
# Paid Ads
+87 -2
View File
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
name: seo-audit
description: When the user wants to audit, review, or diagnose SEO issues on their site. Also use when the user mentions "SEO audit," "technical SEO," "why am I not ranking," "SEO issues," "on-page SEO," "meta tags review," "SEO health check," "my traffic dropped," "lost rankings," "not showing up in Google," "site isn't ranking," "Google update hit me," "page speed," "core web vitals," "crawl errors," or "indexing issues." Use this even if the user just says something vague like "my SEO is bad" or "help with SEO" — start with an audit. For building pages at scale to target keywords, see programmatic-seo. For adding structured data, see schema-markup. For AI search optimization, see ai-seo.
metadata:
version: 1.1.0
version: 1.2.0
---
# SEO Audit
@@ -155,6 +155,80 @@ Reporting "no schema found" based solely on `web_fetch` or `curl` leads to false
---
## International SEO & Localization
Check when the site serves multiple languages or regions. Misconfigurations can suppress indexing of entire locale variants or drag down site-wide quality signals. See [International SEO reference](references/international-seo.md) for evidence and source URLs.
### Hreflang
Three equivalent placement methods: HTML `<link>` in `<head>`, HTTP `Link` headers, XML sitemap `<xhtml:link>`. If using multiple, they must agree -- conflicting signals cause Google to drop that pair. For 10+ locales, prefer sitemap-based (no page weight, no per-request cost).
**Check for:**
- Self-referencing entry on every page (page must include itself in the hreflang set)
- Reciprocal links (if A points to B, B must point back to A -- or both are ignored)
- Valid codes: ISO 639-1 language + optional ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 region (e.g., `en`, `en-GB` -- never `en-UK`)
- `x-default` present, pointing to fallback page (language selector or default locale)
- All target URLs return 200, are indexable, and match their canonical URL
- No duplicate language-region codes pointing to different URLs
**Common errors:** Missing self-referencing entry (all hreflang ignored). No return tag / one-directional (pair dropped). Invalid codes like `en-UK` (use `en-GB`). Hreflang target is non-canonical, 404, or blocked (cluster discarded). HTML and sitemap annotations disagree (conflicting pair dropped).
**At scale:** `<xhtml:link>` children don't count toward 50K URL sitemap limit, but the 50MB file size limit becomes the bottleneck (plan 2K-5K URLs per file with full hreflang). Focus hreflang on pages receiving wrong-language traffic -- not required on every page. For Bing: supplement with `<html lang>` and `<meta http-equiv="content-language">` (Bing treats hreflang as a weak signal).
### Canonicalization for Multilingual Sites
- Each locale page must self-canonical (e.g., `/ar/page` canonicals to `/ar/page`)
- Never cross-locale canonical (French to English) -- suppresses the non-canonical locale entirely
- Canonical URL must appear in the hreflang set -- if not, all hreflang is ignored
- Canonical overrides hreflang when they conflict
- Protocol/domain must be consistent across canonical, hreflang, and sitemap (`https` + same domain variant)
- Paginated locale pages: self-referencing canonical per page (never canonical page 2+ to page 1)
**Common mistakes:** all locales canonical to English (kills indexing), canonical URL not in hreflang set (silently ignored), protocol mismatch between canonical and hreflang, CMS setting deep page canonical to homepage.
### International Sitemaps
**Check for:**
- `xmlns:xhtml` namespace on `<urlset>`, each `<url>` includes `<xhtml:link>` for all locales including itself
- `x-default` alternate included; all URLs absolute (full protocol + domain)
- Sitemap index in Search Console and robots.txt; split by content type, not by locale
**Next.js caveat:** `alternates.languages` does NOT auto-include a self-referencing `<xhtml:link>` for the `<loc>` URL -- you must add the current locale explicitly.
### Locale URL Structure
**Recommended:** Subdirectories (`/en/`, `/ar/`). **Acceptable:** Subdomains or ccTLDs. **Not recommended:** URL parameters (`?lang=en`).
**Check for:**
- Consistent locale prefix strategy; all locales prefixed (hiding locale from URLs prevents Google from distinguishing versions)
- Root URL handled as `x-default` with redirect, or serves default locale content
- No IP/Accept-Language content negotiation (Googlebot: US IPs, no Accept-Language header)
- Trailing slash + case consistency across locale paths, canonicals, hreflang, and sitemaps
- 301 redirects from non-canonical format to canonical
**Note:** Google's International Targeting report in Search Console is deprecated. Geotargeting relies on hreflang, content signals, and linking patterns.
### Content Quality Across Locales
**Translation quality:**
- AI-translated content is not inherently spam (Google's 2025 stance), but scaled low-value translations can trigger scaled content abuse policy
- Google uses visible content to determine language -- translate ALL page content (title, description, headings, body), not just boilerplate
- Translating only template/nav while main content stays in original language creates duplicates
**Thin locale pages:**
- Helpful content system is site-wide -- many thin locale pages can suppress rankings for strong pages too
- Don't noindex thin locales (wastes crawl budget) or cross-locale canonical (conflicts with hreflang)
- Best approach: don't create locale pages you cannot make genuinely helpful
**Check for:**
- All locale pages have fully translated main content (not just UI chrome)
- No near-identical content across locales ("Duplicate, Google chose different canonical" in GSC)
- Hreflang only for locales with genuine content and search demand
- Localized signals: currency, phone format, addresses where applicable
- Broken hreflang links (404s, redirects) waste crawl budget AND invalidate hreflang clusters
---
## On-Page SEO Audit
### Title Tags
@@ -164,7 +238,7 @@ Reporting "no schema found" based solely on `web_fetch` or `curl` leads to false
- Primary keyword near beginning
- 50-60 characters (visible in SERP)
- Compelling and click-worthy
- No brand name placement (SERPs include brand name above title already)
- Brand name placement (end, usually)
**Common issues:**
- Duplicate titles
@@ -325,6 +399,16 @@ Reporting "no schema found" based solely on `web_fetch` or `curl` leads to false
- Poor internal linking
- Missing author pages
### Multilingual / Multi-Regional Sites
- Hreflang errors (missing return tags, invalid codes, no self-reference)
- Canonical conflicting with hreflang (cross-locale canonical suppresses indexing)
- Thin locale pages dragging down site-wide quality signal
- Only boilerplate translated, main content identical across locales
- No x-default fallback declared
- Sitemap missing hreflang alternates or missing reciprocal entries
- IP-based redirects hiding content from Googlebot
- Framework locale mode hiding locale from URLs
### Local Business
- Inconsistent NAP
- Missing local schema
@@ -368,6 +452,7 @@ Same format as above
## References
- [AI Writing Detection](references/ai-writing-detection.md): Common AI writing patterns to avoid (em dashes, overused phrases, filler words)
- [International SEO](references/international-seo.md): Evidence and sources for hreflang, canonical + i18n, sitemaps, URL structure, and content quality across locales
- For AI search optimization (AEO, GEO, LLMO, AI Overviews), see the **ai-seo** skill
---
@@ -0,0 +1,230 @@
# International SEO: Evidence & Sources
Detailed evidence backing the International SEO & Localization section of the SEO Audit skill. Organized by topic with source URLs and key quotes.
---
## Hreflang
### Placement Methods
Google supports three equivalent methods: HTML `<link>` in `<head>`, HTTP `Link` headers, and XML sitemap `<xhtml:link>` elements. Google confirmed no method is prioritized over another.
Google combines signals from both HTML and sitemaps. If the same language-region pair points to different URLs across methods, Google drops that pair rather than guessing.
- [Google Search Central: Localized Versions](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/localized-versions)
- [SEJ: Google Combines Hreflang Signals](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-combines-hreflang-signals-from-html-sitemaps/389219/)
### Reciprocal Requirement
Google's docs: "If page X links to page Y, page Y must link back to page X. If not, those annotations may be ignored or not interpreted correctly."
Every page must include itself (self-referencing) in the hreflang set. Missing self-referencing is the #1 error found by Semrush audits. A study of 374,756 domains found 67% of hreflang implementations had issues.
- [Google Search Central: Localized Versions](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/localized-versions)
- [Semrush: 9 Common Hreflang Errors](https://www.semrush.com/blog/hreflang-errors/)
- [SE Land: 31% of International Websites Contain Hreflang Errors](https://searchengineland.com/study-31-of-international-websites-contain-hreflang-errors-395161)
### x-default
Introduced April 2013. Designates the fallback page for users whose language/region matches no declared variant. Can point to the same URL as one of the language-specific alternates. Must be included in the complete set of annotations on every variant page.
- [Google Blog: x-default hreflang](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2013/04/x-default-hreflang-for-international-pages)
- [Google Blog: How x-default can help you (2023)](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2023/05/x-default)
### Language & Region Codes
Language: ISO 639-1 (2-letter). Region: ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 (2-letter). Format: `language[-script][-region]`.
You cannot specify a region code alone. Common mistakes: `en-UK` (should be `en-GB`), `es-419` (not ISO 3166-1). A study found 8.9% of sites using hreflang contain invalid language codes.
- [Google Search Central: Localized Versions](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/localized-versions)
- [SE Land: 31% Study](https://searchengineland.com/study-31-of-international-websites-contain-hreflang-errors-395161)
### Hreflang at Scale (20+ locales)
With 20 locales, HTML `<head>` hreflang adds ~1.5KB per page for zero user benefit. Sitemap-based hreflang has zero runtime performance impact. `<xhtml:link>` child elements do NOT count toward the 50,000 URL sitemap limit (only `<loc>` elements count).
John Mueller recommends focusing hreflang on pages receiving wrong-language traffic, not every page: "I wouldn't do it for any of the other pages of the site because it's so complex & hard to manage."
- [SERoundtable: Child Elements Don't Count](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-child-elements-dont-count-towards-sitemap-url-limit-34377.html)
- [SERoundtable: Where To Focus Hreflang](https://www.seroundtable.com/using-hreflang-34127.html)
- [Yoast: hreflang Ultimate Guide](https://yoast.com/hreflang-ultimate-guide/)
### Google vs Bing
Bing treats hreflang as a "weak signal." Bing relies on `content-language` meta tag, HTML `lang` attribute, ccTLDs, and server location. Yandex supports hreflang like Google.
For both engines: implement hreflang (Google/Yandex) + `<html lang="...">` + `<meta http-equiv="content-language">` (Bing).
- [Digital Ready Marketing: Bing Doesn't Use Hreflang](https://digitalreadymarketing.com/bing-doesnt-use-hreflang-annotation-what-does-it-use/)
- [Yoast: hreflang Ultimate Guide](https://yoast.com/hreflang-ultimate-guide/)
---
## Canonicalization & i18n
### Self-Referencing Canonicals
Each locale page must canonical to itself. John Mueller: "Don't use a rel=canonical across languages/countries, only use it on a per-country/language basis."
Google's docs: "Specify a canonical page in the same language, or the best possible substitute language if a canonical doesn't exist for the same language."
- [John Mueller: hreflang canonical](https://johnmu.com/hreflang-canonical/)
- [Google: Consolidate Duplicate URLs](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/consolidate-duplicate-urls)
### Canonical Overrides Hreflang
Mueller: "If your canonical is pointing somewhere else, Google will follow that and ignore your hreflang annotation." The canonical URL must be one of the URLs in the hreflang set, or all hreflang markup is ignored.
Google also states: "Google prefers URLs that are part of hreflang clusters for canonicalization" -- when signals align, hreflang strengthens canonical selection.
- [John Mueller: hreflang canonical](https://johnmu.com/hreflang-canonical/)
- [SEJ: Hreflang Tags Are Hints](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-reminds-that-hreflang-tags-are-hints-not-directives/546428/)
- [Google: Consolidate Duplicate URLs](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/consolidate-duplicate-urls)
### Near-Duplicate Regional Variants
Mueller (2023 Office Hours): "If the content is completely the same, and we can't tell any difference, then for simplicity and user experience we may just show one version -- even if hreflang is present."
Google's duplicate detection runs BEFORE hreflang evaluation. To keep both versions indexed, you need substantive content differences beyond currency symbols.
- [International Web Mastery: Same-Language Duplicate Pages](https://internationalwebmastery.com/blog/how-google-handles-canonicalization-of-same-language-duplicate-near-duplicate-pages/)
- [Google: Managing Multi-Regional Sites](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/managing-multi-regional-sites)
### Pagination Across Locales
Google: "Don't use the first page of a paginated sequence as the canonical page. Instead, give each page its own canonical URL." Each paginated page in each locale gets self-referencing canonical. `rel="next/prev"` deprecated March 2019.
- [Google: Pagination Best Practices](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/ecommerce/pagination-and-incremental-page-loading)
---
## International Sitemaps
### Structure
Each `<url>` entry includes `<xhtml:link>` alternates for every locale. Requires `xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"` namespace.
Split sitemaps by content type, not by locale. Splitting by locale creates maintenance problems because every locale sitemap must reference every other locale (reciprocal requirement).
- [Google Search Central: Localized Versions](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/localized-versions)
- [Lumar: How Google Handles Hreflang](https://www.lumar.io/office-hours/hreflang/)
### Size Limits
50,000 URLs / 50MB uncompressed per sitemap. Only `<loc>` elements count toward the 50K limit. But with 20 hreflang alternates per entry, the 50MB file size limit becomes the bottleneck. Plan for 2,000-5,000 URLs per sitemap when using full hreflang.
- [Google: Build and Submit a Sitemap](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/sitemaps/build-sitemap)
- [SERoundtable: Sitemap 50,000 Limit](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-sitemap-50-000-limit-based-on-location-urls-not-alternative-urls-33843.html)
### Submission
Submit the sitemap index in Search Console AND reference it in robots.txt. Individual child sitemaps can be submitted separately for per-sitemap reporting.
- [Google: Build and Submit a Sitemap](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/sitemaps/build-sitemap)
### Next.js Caveat
Next.js `alternates.languages` does NOT automatically include a self-referencing `<xhtml:link>` for the `<loc>` URL. You must explicitly include the `<loc>` URL's own language in the `languages` object.
- [Next.js Docs: sitemap.xml](https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/file-conventions/metadata/sitemap)
---
## URL Structure
### Strategies Compared
Google treats subdirectories and subdomains equivalently. Mueller: "From our point of view...they say subdomains and subdirectories are essentially equivalent."
URL parameters (`?lang=en`) are explicitly "Not recommended" per Google docs.
- [Google: Managing Multi-Regional Sites](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/managing-multi-regional-sites)
### Default Language
Mueller recommends: set `/` as x-default, put each language in its own prefix. Without marking `/` as x-default, "to Google it can look like '/' is a separate page from the others."
- [Google Blog: x-default](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2023/05/x-default)
- [Google Blog: Creating the Right Homepage](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2014/05/creating-right-homepage-for-your)
### Content Negotiation / IP Redirects
Google strongly advises against locale-adaptive pages. Googlebot crawls from US IPs and does not send Accept-Language headers. Separate URLs + hreflang are required.
- [Google: Locale-Adaptive Pages](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/locale-adaptive-pages)
### Trailing Slash Consistency
Mueller: trailing slash is "a significant part of the URL and will change the URL if it's there or not." Pick one format for all locale paths, internal links, canonicals, hreflang, and sitemaps.
Mueller (2025): "Consistency is the biggest technical SEO factor."
- [SERoundtable: Consistency Is The Biggest Technical SEO Factor](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-consistency-seo-40427.html)
### Search Console Geotargeting
The International Targeting report is deprecated. Google now relies entirely on hreflang, content language analysis, and linking patterns. You can add subdirectory properties for per-locale reporting.
- [Google Support: International Targeting Deprecated](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/12474899?hl=en)
### Framework Locale Modes
Use `localePrefix: 'always'` (next-intl) or equivalent. Never hide locale from URLs -- Google needs unique URLs per language. Using `'never'` mode disables alternate links entirely.
- [next-intl: Routing Configuration](https://next-intl.dev/docs/routing/configuration)
- [Next.js Discussion #18419](https://github.com/vercel/next.js/discussions/18419)
---
## Content Quality Across Locales
### Auto-Translated Content (2025 Stance)
Google removed longstanding guidance advising against auto-translated content in mid-2025. Current stance: "Our policies do not strictly define content that has been translated by AI as spam." The scaled content abuse policy mentions translation as a possible vector, but does not ban it.
Reddit scaled AI translations to 35+ languages with Google's knowledge. The key distinction is intent and quality, not the method.
- [Google Spam Policies](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies)
- [Glenn Gabe: Auto-Translating Content](https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/auto-translating-content-google-scaled-content-abuse/)
- [SE Land: Reddit AI Translations](https://searchengineland.com/google-comments-on-reddits-use-of-ai-to-translate-its-pages-456908)
### Thin Locale Pages
Google: "Localized versions of a page are only considered duplicates if the main content of the page remains untranslated." Pages with only translated boilerplate get clustered as duplicates.
Do NOT use noindex for unwanted locale pages (wastes crawl budget). Do NOT canonical cross-locale (conflicts with hreflang). Best approach: don't create locale pages you can't make genuinely helpful.
- [Google: Localized Versions](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/localized-versions)
- [Google: Crawl Budget Management](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/large-site-managing-crawl-budget)
### Helpful Content System Impact
Merged into core ranking March 2024. Site-wide signal: "any content -- not just unhelpful content -- on sites determined to have relatively high amounts of unhelpful content overall is less likely to perform well in Search."
Low-quality translated pages can drag down the entire site. This is the strongest argument against creating locale pages that aren't genuinely helpful.
- [Google Blog: Helpful Content Update](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2022/08/helpful-content-update)
- [Amsive: What Changed in 2024](https://www.amsive.com/insights/seo/googles-helpful-content-update-ranking-system-what-happened-and-what-changed-in-2024/)
### Partial Translation
Google: "Translating only the boilerplate text of your pages while keeping the bulk of your content in a single language...can create a bad user experience." Google uses visible content (not lang attribute) to determine page language.
Translate ALL content on a page if you create a locale version. Untranslated metadata (title, description) in the wrong language reduces CTR.
- [Google: Managing Multi-Regional Sites](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/managing-multi-regional-sites)
### Crawl Budget
Only a concern for 1M+ pages or 10K+ pages changing daily. But alternate URLs (hreflang targets) do consume crawl budget. Broken hreflang links waste budget AND invalidate signals.
- [Google: Crawl Budget Management](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/large-site-managing-crawl-budget)
- [Google Blog: Crawl Budget](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2017/01/what-crawl-budget-means-for-googlebot)
### Locale-Specific Signals
Google identifies audience via: "local addresses and phone numbers on the pages, the use of local language and currency, links from other local sites, or signals from your Business Profile."
- [Google: Managing Multi-Regional Sites](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/managing-multi-regional-sites)
+8 -7
View File
@@ -9,17 +9,18 @@ if (!API_KEY) {
}
async function api(method, path, body) {
const separator = path.includes('?') ? '&' : '?'
const url = `${BASE_URL}${path}${separator}api_key=${API_KEY}`
const url = `${BASE_URL}${path}`
const headers = {
'Content-Type': 'application/json',
'Accept': 'application/json',
'x-api-key': API_KEY,
}
if (args['dry-run']) {
return { _dry_run: true, method, url: url.replace(API_KEY, '***'), headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json', 'Accept': 'application/json' }, body: body || undefined }
return { _dry_run: true, method, url, headers: { ...headers, 'x-api-key': '***' }, body: body || undefined }
}
const res = await fetch(url, {
method,
headers: {
'Content-Type': 'application/json',
'Accept': 'application/json',
},
headers,
body: body ? JSON.stringify(body) : undefined,
})
const text = await res.text()
+9 -2
View File
@@ -92,7 +92,14 @@ async function main() {
break
}
const token = await authenticate()
result = { jwt: token }
if (args['show-token']) {
result = { jwt: token }
} else {
const masked = token.length > 12
? token.slice(0, 6) + '…' + token.slice(-6)
: '***'
result = { jwt: masked, hint: 'Use --show-token to reveal full JWT' }
}
break
}
@@ -188,7 +195,7 @@ async function main() {
result = {
error: 'Unknown command',
usage: {
auth: 'auth — authenticate and get JWT token',
auth: 'auth [--show-token] — authenticate and get JWT token (masked by default)',
contacts: {
search: 'contacts search [--job-title <t>] [--company <c>] [--location <l>] [--seniority <s>] [--department <d>] [--page <n>]',
enrich: 'contacts enrich --email <email> | --person-id <id>',