What Matters in Foundation SEO

Foundation SEO is the groundwork: the signals that tell Google (and apps like Slack or X) what each page is called, what it is about, and which URL is the “real” one. Each section ends with a copy-paste prompt for your AI editor—replace YOUR_SITE_URL with your live domain before you send it.

What matters in foundation SEO

1. Page title and meta description

Controls the main line and snippet people see in Google.
Aim for roughly 50–60 characters for the title and 150–160 for the description so they do not truncate awkwardly.
Write for humans: clear benefit, no stuffing. Use a unique title and description on important pages (home, pricing, product).

Implementation prompt

# SEO fix: Title & meta description — YOUR_SITE_URL

I am improving foundation SEO on https://YOUR_SITE_URL. The stack is Next.js.

Please help me:
- Set a unique page title and meta description for each main route (home, pricing, key marketing pages).
- Keep titles around 50–60 characters and meta descriptions around 150–160 characters where sensible.
- Remove duplicate or empty metadata.

Use Next.js conventions (App Router: generateMetadata in route .tsx files, or the metadata export). Fix issues in priority order (homepage and money pages first).

Detected stack: Next.js — prefer .tsx and app/ or pages/ patterns.

2. One H1 and heading order

Use exactly one H1 per page; it should state the page topic in plain language.
Use H2 and H3 for sections in a logical order (do not skip levels for no reason).
Messy heading trees show up quickly in tools like Ahrefs → Content.

Implementation prompt

# SEO fix: Heading structure (H1–H3) — YOUR_SITE_URL

I am fixing heading hierarchy on https://YOUR_SITE_URL (Next.js).

Please:
- Ensure each page has exactly one H1 that matches user intent.
- Map H2/H3 to section structure; fix multiple H1s or wrong order.
- Suggest copy tweaks only if a heading is vague or duplicate.

Use stack-appropriate files (.tsx components, MDX if we use it). Prioritize high-traffic pages first.

Detected stack: Next.js.

3. Open Graph and X (Twitter) cards

When someone pastes your link, Open Graph tags drive the preview (title, description, image, URL).
Use a 1200×630 image when possible. Build assets with BruhGrow OG Generator if you do not have a designer.
Set twitter:card to summary_large_image so X shows a large preview.

Implementation prompt

# SEO fix: Open Graph & Twitter/X cards — YOUR_SITE_URL

I need correct social previews for https://YOUR_SITE_URL (Next.js).

Please:
- Add or fix Open Graph tags: og:title, og:description, og:image (1200x630), og:url, og:type, og:site_name where applicable.
- Add Twitter/X meta: twitter:card = summary_large_image, plus title, description, and image.
- Ensure og:image URLs resolve on production (not localhost).

Use Next.js metadata API or head management. If we use dynamic OG images (e.g. /api/og), wire them per route where it helps.

Detected stack: Next.js — .tsx metadata or layout files.

4. robots.txt and XML sitemap

robots.txt tells crawlers what to avoid and should link to your sitemap; it must use your production host, not localhost.
Sitemap lists URLs you want discovered; submit it in Google Search Console.

Implementation prompt

# SEO fix: robots.txt & XML sitemap — YOUR_SITE_URL

I am fixing crawl signals for https://YOUR_SITE_URL (Next.js).

Please:
- Ensure robots.txt lives at the site root, uses the live domain, and references the sitemap URL(s).
- Confirm sitemap.xml (or generated sitemap) includes important public URLs and excludes private or duplicate junk.
- Remove any dev/staging URLs accidentally shipped to production config.

Use Next.js patterns (e.g. app/robots.ts, sitemap.ts, or static public files). Order fixes by crawl impact first.

Detected stack: Next.js.

5. Canonical URL and indexability

Canonical marks the preferred URL when duplicates exist (www vs bare, query strings, etc.).
Watch for accidental noindex on live pages and 404 on important routes—audits call this indexability.

Implementation prompt

# SEO fix: Canonical URLs & indexability — YOUR_SITE_URL

I am fixing duplicate URL and indexing issues on https://YOUR_SITE_URL (Next.js).

Please:
- Add or fix canonical link tags so one preferred URL is clear per template.
- Search for accidental noindex, wrong robots meta, or blocking that should not apply to production.
- Flag redirect chains or soft 404s on key pages.

Use Next.js metadata and middleware only where appropriate. Prioritize homepage, product, and blog templates.

Detected stack: Next.js.

6. Structured data (JSON-LD) and AI search readiness

JSON-LD tells Google what “type” of thing a page is (Organization, WebSite, Article, FAQ, SoftwareApplication, etc.).
Clear entities and structure also help AI search (AEO): tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity can cite you more reliably when the page and schema state who you are and what the page is about.
Validate with Google Rich Results Test. Ahrefs → Structured data shows what crawlers see.

Implementation prompt

# SEO fix: JSON-LD schema & AI Search Readiness (AEO) — YOUR_SITE_URL

I am improving structured data on https://YOUR_SITE_URL (Next.js).

Please:
- Add or refine JSON-LD for Organization, WebSite, and Article (for blog posts) as a sensible baseline.
- Include a section on AI Search Readiness (AEO): how clear entity definitions (JSON-LD) and semantic headings help LLMs like GPT-4 or Perplexity understand and cite the site.
- Keep markup valid; suggest testing with Google Rich Results Test.

Use Next.js (script tags in layout/page .tsx or a small component). Prioritize templates with the highest visibility.

Detected stack: Next.js — .tsx and JSON-LD in script type="application/ld+json".

7. Images and alt text

Meaningful images need short, accurate alt text for accessibility and image SEO.
Decorative-only images can use empty alt; do not leave important thumbnails or hero art without a description.

Implementation prompt

# SEO fix: Image alt text & accessibility — YOUR_SITE_URL

I am fixing image SEO on https://YOUR_SITE_URL (Next.js).

Please:
- Audit Next/Image and img usage; add descriptive alt for content images; use empty alt only for decorative graphics.
- Fix icons or logos that carry meaning but currently have empty alt.
- Note any lazy-loading or LCP-sensitive images that need special handling.

Use .tsx components. Prioritize above-the-fold and template images first.

Detected stack: Next.js.

Tools that help you verify

Google Search Console — Verify the site, submit the sitemap, watch indexing and queries.
Ahrefs — Paid; use Content, Social tags, Indexability, Structured data, and Images for a pro-style pass.
TrustSEO — Free audit on a live URL; use its Implementation Prompt feature to generate fixes like the blocks above, tuned to your issues.

Implementation prompt — full foundation pass

# SEO Audit follow-up: Foundation fixes — YOUR_SITE_URL

I ran an SEO audit on https://YOUR_SITE_URL (Next.js). Help me fix issues in priority order, starting with the most impactful.

Include:
- Metadata (title, description), single H1 and heading order.
- Open Graph and Twitter large-image cards; production-safe image URLs.
- robots.txt, sitemap, canonicals, and indexability (noindex, status codes).
- JSON-LD baseline plus a short note on AI Search Readiness (AEO) and entity clarity.
- Image alt text for meaningful assets.

Detected stack: Next.js — use .tsx and framework conventions (App Router preferred).

Before you ship

1–2: Title, description, and heading structure clean on key pages.
3: OG + X previews correct on production; use BruhGrow if you need images fast.
4–5: robots + sitemap on the live host; Search Console has the sitemap; canonicals and indexability sane.
6–7: Light validated schema; alt text on important images.
Re-scan with TrustSEO or Ahrefs when you can.

Get this layer right, then invest in content and links.

List your product on MarketingDB if you want a dofollow listing alongside solid SEO basics.

What Matters in Foundation SEO

Key takeaways