How to Replace a $5K/Month SEO Agency with Claude Cowork
(20 Prompts, Full System)
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LOAD YOUR BUSINESS CONTEXT
This is the step 90% of people skip. It is also why 90% of people get generic output. Before you run a single prompt, Claude needs to know who you are.
Open Claude Cowork and paste this in before you do anything else. Fill in every bracket:
"Here is everything you need to know about my business before we start any SEO work. Reference this every time I ask you to run an audit, build a strategy, or analyze competitors. Never ask me for this information again.
BUSINESS BASICS: Business name: [your business name] Address: [full address] Phone: [phone number] Website: [website URL] Google Business Profile: [GBP URL] Years in business: [X years] Team size: [solo / small team / large team]
SERVICES + MARKET: Primary service: [what you do] Secondary services: [service 2], [service 3], [service 4] Service areas: [city 1], [city 2], [city 3], [city 4], [city 5] Target customer: [who your best customer is] Average job value: [$X]
SEO GOALS: Top 5 keywords I want to rank for: [keyword 1], [keyword 2], [keyword 3], [keyword 4], [keyword 5] Keywords I currently rank for: [keyword 1], [keyword 2] Keywords I should rank for but don't: [keyword 1], [keyword 2]
CURRENT STANDINGS: Google reviews: [X] total, [X] star rating, [X] new reviews per month GBP monthly views: [X impressions if known] Monthly website traffic: [X visits if known] Current map pack status: [ranking for X, not ranking for Y] Biggest SEO problem right now: [one sentence]
COMPETITORS: [competitor name] - [GBP URL] - [website] - [why they're beating you if you know] [competitor name] - [GBP URL] - [website] - [why they're beating you if you know] [competitor name] - [GBP URL] - [website] - [why they're beating you if you know]
WHAT I'VE ALREADY TRIED: [List any SEO work already done]
HOW I WANT YOU TO WORK: Always prioritize quick wins over long-term plays unless I ask otherwise. When you give me a recommendation, tell me the impact level (high/medium/low) and how long it will take to see results. Always output data in spreadsheet format when comparing competitors. When you're unsure about something, tell me. Don't guess. Never ask me for this information again. Use it as the base for everything we do together."
That last line matters. It tells Claude to treat this as permanent context. Once loaded, every prompt gets sharper. Claude stops answering a stranger's SEO question and starts answering yours.
CONNECT CLAUDE TO YOUR SEO TOOLS
Claude Cowork runs through a Chrome extension. That means Claude can open any tab in your browser. Including Ahrefs. Including SEMrush. Including Google Search Console.
Step 1: Make sure the Claude Cowork Chrome extension is installed and active. Step 2: Log into Ahrefs or SEMrush in a Chrome tab. Stay logged in. Step 3: Log into Google Search Console for your property. Stay logged in.
That is it. Claude can now pull real data instead of guessing.
PART 1: GOOGLE BUSINESS PROFILE (PROMPTS 1 THROUGH 8)
PROMPT 1: GBP CATEGORY AUDIT
Start here with every client. If your categories are wrong, nothing else matters. Your GBP has a primary category and secondary categories. Most business owners picked theirs years ago and never touched them. Meanwhile competitors have added categories that directly control which searches trigger their listing in the map pack.
"Open Chrome and go to Google Maps. Search '[service] in [city]' for these 3 keywords: [keyword1], [keyword2], [keyword3]. For each search, note which of my competitors show up in the Map Pack. Then open each competitor's GBP listing and extract their primary category and all secondary categories. Put everything in a spreadsheet. One tab per keyword. Columns: business name, primary category, secondary categories, star rating, review count, ranking position. Highlight any categories my competitors have that I'm missing from my GBP. Then give me a prioritized list of categories I should add, ranked by how many top competitors have them. Start with the ones all 3 competitors share. Those are non-negotiable. End with the ones only 1 competitor has. Those are differentiation opportunities."
Adding one secondary category can get you showing up for a whole new set of searches the next week. Fastest win in local SEO.
PROMPT 2: GBP ATTRIBUTES AUDIT
Most people do not know GBP attributes exist. Attributes are the little tags on your profile like "veteran-owned," "free estimates," "24/7 availability," and "accepts credit cards." Google uses these to match searchers with businesses.
"Open Chrome and go to my Google Business Profile at [URL] and these competitors: [URL1], [URL2], [URL3]. For each listing, extract every visible attribute and tag. Put everything in a spreadsheet. Columns: attribute name, my listing (yes/no), competitor 1 (yes/no), competitor 2 (yes/no), competitor 3 (yes/no). Highlight every attribute my competitors have that I'm missing. Then create three separate lists: Attributes ALL top competitors have because these are table stakes I need immediately. Attributes 2 out of 3 competitors have because these are strong recommendations. Attributes only 1 competitor has because these are differentiation opportunities. For each missing attribute, tell me the likely ranking impact (high/medium/low) and whether it also affects click-through rate."
PROMPT 3: COMPETITOR REVIEW TEARDOWN
Star rating tells you almost nothing. What actually matters is review velocity. A business with 200 reviews that got 180 of them two years ago is weaker than a business with 90 reviews getting 15 a month. Google tracks this.
"Open Chrome and go to these competitor GBP listings: [URL1], [URL2], [URL3]. For each competitor, read their last 50 reviews. Extract: Total review count. Average star rating. How many reviews in the last 30 days. How many reviews in the last 60 days. How many reviews in the last 90 days. The most mentioned services in reviews (list top 5). The most mentioned neighborhoods or cities (list top 5). The most mentioned staff names if any. Any recurring complaints or negative themes. The top 5 keywords and phrases I should train my customers to mention in reviews based on what's working for competitors."
That data is your entire review strategy for the next 6 to 12 months. And the keyword phrases from competitor reviews tell you exactly what to ask your happy customers to mention.
PROMPT 4: REVIEW RESPONSE STRATEGY
Google confirmed that responding to reviews improves local ranking. Your review responses are free real estate for keywords and service mentions.
"Open Chrome and go to my GBP listing at [URL] and these competitors: [URL1], [URL2], [URL3]. For each listing, analyze the last 30 review responses from the business owner. Extract: Total reviews vs responses (calculate response rate %). Average response time if estimable from dates. Whether responses mention specific services. Whether responses mention specific locations or neighborhoods. Average response length in words. Tone (formal/casual/personal). How negative reviews are handled. Any patterns in language that seem to perform well. Put this in a spreadsheet comparing my response strategy vs competitors. Then build me a complete review response template system: 3 variations for 5-star reviews that naturally include [service keyword] + [city keyword]. 3 variations for 4-star reviews that acknowledge the slight gap and invite return. 3 variations for 3-star reviews that take accountability and offer resolution. 3 variations for 1-2 star reviews that are professional, empathetic, and defuse negativity without being defensive. Each template should be 40-80 words. Make them sound like a real person wrote them."
10 reviews a month, each response mentioning your service and city. That is 120 pieces of keyword-rich content on your GBP per year.
PROMPT 5: GBP POSTS STRATEGY
GBP posts are the most underused feature on the platform. They show up on your listing, expire after 7 days, and posting consistently signals to Google that your business is active.
"Open Chrome and go to my GBP listing at [URL] and these competitors: [URL1], [URL2], [URL3]. For each listing, check their GBP posts section and record: total posts in the last 90 days, post frequency in posts per week, post types used (offer/update/event/product), whether posts include images, whether posts include a CTA button, topics and themes covered, any seasonal patterns. Put this in a spreadsheet. Then build me a complete 8-week GBP posting calendar with 2-3 posts per week using a mix of seasonal service promotions, before-and-after project showcases, neighborhood-specific posts mentioning [area1], [area2], [area3], review highlights, team spotlights, and educational posts. Each post must naturally include at least one of these target keywords: [keyword1], [keyword2], [keyword3], should be 100-150 words with a clear CTA, and include an image description so I know exactly what photo to take. Write the full copy for all posts in weeks 1-4 and give me detailed outlines for weeks 5-8."
PROMPT 6: SERVICES SECTION OPTIMIZATION
Google gives you an entire section to list your services with descriptions. Prime keyword real estate and almost nobody optimizes it.
"Open Chrome and go to my GBP listing at [URL] and these competitors: [URL1], [URL2], [URL3]. For each listing, extract the complete services section including every service listed, whether each service has a description, the full text of each description, how descriptions are structured, which services appear in every competitor's listing, and which services appear in some but not all. Put this in a comparison spreadsheet. Then audit my current services section against my website at [URL] and identify services on my site that aren't in my GBP, services in my GBP that have no description, and services where my description is weaker than competitors. Finally, write fully optimized descriptions for all my services. Each one should be 2-3 sentences and 40-60 words, naturally include the primary service keyword, mention at least one specific service area from [area1], [area2], or [area3], include a specific benefit or outcome, and sound like a real business wrote it. Here are my core services: [service1], [service2], [service3], [service4], [service5]."
PROMPT 7: GBP DESCRIPTION OPTIMIZATION
Your GBP description is 750 characters of prime real estate. Most businesses waste it.
"Open Chrome and go to my GBP listing at [URL] and these competitors: [URL1], [URL2], [URL3]. Extract each business's full GBP description and put them in a spreadsheet with these columns: business name, full description text, character count, primary keyword used, secondary keywords mentioned, service areas mentioned, unique selling points mentioned, CTA included, and overall tone. Then analyze what ALL top-ranking competitors mention, what no one mentions that I could own, and what I'm currently saying that nobody else bothers to say. Finally, write me 3 versions of an optimized GBP description each under 750 characters: Version 1 is keyword-focused with maximum ranking signal. Version 2 is conversion-focused and written to make someone pick up the phone. Version 3 is trust-focused and built around experience, reviews, and local credibility. All three must include [keyword1], [keyword2], [keyword3] and service areas [area1], [area2], [area3]. Make them sound like a human wrote them."
Having 3 versions lets you test. Run version 1 for 30 days. Check impressions and calls. Try version 2.
PROMPT 8: GBP PHOTO AUDIT
Businesses with photos get 42% more requests for directions and 35% more click-throughs.
"Open Chrome and go to my GBP listing at [URL] and these competitors: [URL1], [URL2], [URL3]. For each listing, analyze the photo section and record: total photo count, photos uploaded in the last 30 and 90 days, photo types present (team shots, job site, before/after, trucks, equipment, office, completed work close-ups), photo quality, whether any look like stock photos, whether photos include people, and average upload frequency. Put this in a spreadsheet. Then build me a specific 8-week photo upload plan with the exact number of photos per week to beat the top competitor's velocity by 50%, a specific shot list for each week, which weeks to prioritize before/afters vs team shots vs completed installs, a naming convention that includes service keywords and location names, and instructions for geotagging photos to specific neighborhoods: [area1], [area2], [area3]."
PART 2: WEBSITE (PROMPTS 9 THROUGH 13)
PROMPT 9: KEYWORD GAP AUDIT
Find every keyword your competitors rank for that you do not.
"Open Chrome and log into my SEMrush account. Go to the Keyword Gap tool and enter my domain [yourdomain.com] and these 3 competitor domains: [competitor1.com], [competitor2.com], [competitor3.com]. Filter results to show only keywords where competitors rank in positions 1-20 but I don't rank at all and export this list. Filter further to keywords with monthly search volume between 100 and 2,000, keyword contains at least one of these words: [city name], [service type], 'near me', 'emergency', 'best', 'local', and keyword difficulty under 40. For the top 20 keywords, tell me the search volume, keyword difficulty, which competitors rank and at what position, whether I have an existing page that could rank with optimization, and whether I need a new page. Output as a spreadsheet sorted by opportunity score. Add a final column called 'Action Required' that says either 'Optimize existing page' or 'Create new page' for each keyword."
PROMPT 10: MONEY PAGE AUDIT
"Open Chrome and go to my Google Search Console for [yourdomain.com]. Go to Search Results, set the date range to last 3 months, and export all queries and pages. For each page on my site, tell me what keywords it currently ranks for, the average position, impressions and clicks, and whether the page is optimized for the keyword it's ranking for or ranking accidentally. Then identify: pages ranking in positions 4-15 for high-value keywords because these need one optimization push to hit top 3, pages with high impressions but low clicks because that's a title and meta description problem, pages with zero rankings, and keywords I'm ranking for on a page that isn't the right page for that keyword. Then build me a 30-day optimization sprint where week 1 covers title tag and H1 fixes, week 2 covers content additions for thin pages, week 3 covers internal linking fixes, and week 4 covers meta description rewrites. For every fix, write me the exact new copy."
PROMPT 11: SERVICE + CITY PAGE BUILDER
The fastest way to rank in multiple cities is a dedicated page per service per city.
"I need to build location-specific service pages. My primary service is [your main service], the cities I serve are [city1], [city2], [city3], [city4], [city5], my website is [URL]. First check my website and tell me which city plus service pages already exist and which are missing. Then for each missing combination write a fully optimized page that includes: an SEO title under 60 characters with service and city, a meta description under 155 characters, an H1 heading with service and city, an opening paragraph of 100 words addressing the specific pain point of someone in that city, a why choose us section of 150 words specific to that city, a service details section of 200 words, a social proof section with placeholder for reviews from that city, a FAQ section with 3 questions specific to that city, and a CTA with phone number. For each page also give me the exact URL slug, 3 internal linking opportunities, and 2 local directories where I should list this combination."
PROMPT 12: GOOGLE SEARCH CONSOLE ANALYSIS
"Open Chrome and log into Google Search Console for [yourdomain.com]. Export the last 90 days of search performance data. Find my page 2 goldmine by identifying every keyword where I rank between position 11 and 20 with at least 100 impressions per month. For each page 2 keyword, open the page that's ranking and tell me whether the keyword is in the title tag, whether it's in the H1, whether it's in the first 100 words, how many words the page is, whether the page has internal links, and what the meta description says. Then build me a 30-day optimization sprint: week 1 covers title tag and H1 fixes for the top 10 page 2 keywords, week 2 covers content additions for thin pages, week 3 covers internal linking, week 4 covers meta description rewrites. For every single fix, write me the exact new copy I should use."
Page 2 keywords are the lowest hanging fruit in all of SEO. You are one optimization push away from being visible.
PROMPT 13: REVIEW SENTIMENT ANALYSIS
This takes your competitor's reviews and reverse-engineers the exact emotional language customers use, then builds that language into your website copy.
"Open Chrome and go to these competitor GBP listings: [URL1], [URL2], [URL3]. Read through the last 100 reviews for each competitor. Extract: the top 20 emotional words customers use most frequently, the top 10 specific outcomes customers mention, the top 5 fears or frustrations mentioned before the service was done, the exact phrases customers use when they recommend to others, and any language patterns that appear in 5-star reviews but not in 3-star reviews. Then do the same analysis for my reviews at [my GBP URL]. Compare the sentiment and tell me where the emotional gaps are. Finally use all of this data to rewrite: my GBP description using the emotional language real customers use, my homepage headline and subheadline, my review request script so customers naturally use the right words, and 3 social proof statements I can put on my website."
PART 3: BACKLINKS AND AUTHORITY (PROMPTS 14 THROUGH 16)
PROMPT 14: COMPETITOR BACKLINK AUDIT
"Open Chrome and log into my Ahrefs account. Go to Site Explorer and enter [competitor1.com] first. Export their full backlink profile filtered to dofollow links only, DR 20 or higher, traffic 100 or more monthly visits, and not sitewide links. Repeat for [competitor2.com] and [competitor3.com]. Then find domains that link to ALL 3 competitors but not to me (highest priority), domains that link to 2 but not me (medium priority), and domains that link to 1 but not me (worth reviewing). For each high-priority opportunity tell me the domain name and URL, the DR, what type of site it is, how my competitor earned the link, my realistic chance of getting a similar link, and the exact outreach strategy. Then build me a 90-day link building plan where month 1 covers the 5 easiest links, month 2 covers 5 medium-effort links, and month 3 covers 5 authority links. For every link write me the full outreach email."
PROMPT 15: LOCAL CITATION AUDIT
Inconsistent NAP data across directories is one of the most common local SEO killers.
"My business information is: Name: [exact name], Address: [exact address], Phone: [phone], Website: [URL]. Open Chrome and search for my business across these platforms one by one: Google Business Profile, Yelp, Bing Places, Apple Maps, Facebook, BBB, Angi, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, Houzz, Yellow Pages, Manta, Foursquare, Superpages, Citysearch, and any industry-specific directories for [your industry]. For each platform record whether my listing exists, the business name as listed, the address as listed, the phone as listed, the website URL, whether there are duplicates, and the star rating and review count. Create a spreadsheet and flag every inconsistency in red. Then give me a priority fix list showing which inconsistencies are most damaging, step-by-step instructions for correcting each one, high-value directories where I have no listing, and a monthly maintenance checklist."
PROMPT 16: LOCAL SEARCH INTENT MAPPING
"My business is [business type] in [city] and my core services are [service1], [service2], [service3]. Open Chrome and log into SEMrush. Pull all keywords in my niche for my service area with search volume of 20 or more. Categorize every keyword into one of four stages: Stage 1 is problem-unaware where someone has a problem but does not know what it is called. Stage 2 is problem-aware where they know the problem and are researching. Stage 3 is solution-aware where they are comparing providers. Stage 4 is ready to hire where they want to book someone now. For each stage tell me the total keywords, combined monthly search volume, average difficulty, and top 10 keywords. Then build a strategy: Stage 4 goes on service pages and GBP, Stage 3 goes on comparison and FAQ pages, Stage 2 goes on educational blog content, Stage 1 goes on problem-identification content. Tell me which 5 Stage 4 keywords I should rank for within 90 days and exactly what to do for each."
Most businesses spend all their SEO budget on Stage 2 keywords that generate traffic but not calls. Stage 4 converts at 5 to 10x the rate.
PART 4: CONTENT AND TRACKING (PROMPTS 17 THROUGH 20)
PROMPT 17: CONTENT GAP ANALYSIS
"Open Chrome and log into SEMrush. Use the Content Gap tool and enter my domain [yourdomain.com] vs competitors [competitor1.com], [competitor2.com], [competitor3.com]. Filter to keywords with 50-500 monthly searches, keywords containing question words (how, why, what, when, is, can, does), and keywords relating to problems my service solves. For the top 20 content gaps, organize into 3 categories: problem-awareness, solution-comparison, and local service content. For each keyword write a page title, URL slug, and 200-word content brief including target keyword, secondary keywords, questions to answer, word count recommendation, internal links, and CTA."
PROMPT 18: ENTITY OPTIMIZATION
Google does not just rank websites. It ranks entities. Your business needs to exist as a verified entity in Google's knowledge graph.
"My business details are: Name: [exact name], Address: [full address], Phone: [phone], Website: [URL], GBP: [GBP URL], Founded: [year], Owner: [your name], Industry: [industry]. Open Chrome and search '[business name] [city]' and '[owner name] [business name]' and tell me if a Knowledge Panel appears. Check if my business exists on Wikidata. Audit my schema markup at search.google.com/test/rich-results. Then build me a complete entity optimization plan: the exact LocalBusiness schema JSON-LD code ready to paste on my homepage, a list of authoritative sites where I need a presence to build entity signals, the exact anchor text and brand mentions I need across the web, and instructions for getting my knowledge panel to appear."
PROMPT 19: COMPETITOR GBP POSTING PATTERN ANALYSIS
"Open Chrome and go to the GBP listings for these competitors: [URL1], [URL2], [URL3]. For each competitor do a complete analysis of their posting history. For each post extract: exact date and time, day of week, post type, word count, whether it includes an image, whether it has a CTA button, the topic and service mentioned, whether it mentions a neighborhood, whether it includes a price. Put all of this in a spreadsheet. Then analyze the patterns: which days they post most, whether there is a time pattern, which types they use most, seasonal patterns, highest posting months, and gaps I can exploit. Then build me a posting strategy designed to beat these competitors based on the data. Include optimal days, times, post types, and topic mix. Write the first 4 weeks of posts in full."
PROMPT 20: MONTHLY SEO PERFORMANCE REPORT
"Open Chrome and access Google Search Console for [yourdomain.com], Google Business Profile insights for [GBP URL], and Google Analytics 4 if available. Pull data for the last 30 days vs the previous 30 days. From Search Console I need: total clicks and change, total impressions and change, average CTR and change, average position and change, top 10 keywords by clicks, top 10 keywords that improved, top 10 that dropped, pages that gained most clicks, pages that lost most clicks. From GBP I need: total profile views, search queries (branded vs discovery), calls, direction requests, website clicks, photo views, review count change. Then build me a one-page monthly report with 3 wins from this month, 3 problems that need addressing, the single most important action for next month, and whether calls from GBP went up or down. Format it so I can read it in 5 minutes."
THE 12-WEEK EXECUTION ORDER
Do not run all 20 at once. Follow this order.
Weeks 1 and 2: Load your business context. Then run prompts 1 and 2 (GBP categories and attributes). These are the fastest fixes with the most immediate ranking impact. You can see changes within days.
Weeks 3 and 4: Run prompts 3, 4, and 5 (reviews and GBP posts). Now you have a review velocity target and a content calendar.
Weeks 5 and 6: Run prompts 6, 7, and 8 (services, description, photos). Your entire GBP is now fully optimized.
Weeks 7 and 8: Run prompts 9 and 12 (keyword gap and Search Console analysis). Now you know exactly which website pages to fix first.
Weeks 9 and 10: Run prompts 10, 11, and 13 (money page audit, city pages, review sentiment). Your website and messaging start matching your GBP.
Weeks 11 and 12: Run prompts 14, 15, and 16 (backlinks, citations, search intent mapping). Your authority starts building in the right direction.
Ongoing: Run prompts 17, 18, and 19 (content gaps, entity optimization, GBP posting patterns) to build your long-term moat. Run prompt 20 monthly to measure what moved and double down on what works.
The first two weeks alone (categories and attributes) can move your rankings before you even touch your website. Start there. The rest compounds from that foundation.
You just read the full playbook. Most people will close this tab and never implement it. The ones who do usually hit a wall around the technical setup and quit.
Inside the Skool, I walk you through the exact build step-by-step, troubleshoot your setup live in the community, and share the scripts and templates I use to actually land paying clients.
If you want the shortcut instead of the long way around: