Claude Code SEO routine: 6 weekly steps from 240 AI Mode searches
Publishing every week is easier when Monday starts with the same six steps. This Claude Code SEO routine moves one set of buying searches through four pages, internal links, a YouTube video, outreach and a weekly citation check.
You can run the routine manually or let Distribb schedule the work for you.
What 240 Google AI Mode searches showed
I ran 240 live US searches through Google AI Mode across 12 categories and read all 4,854 sources in the answers. Half of the searches had buying intent and half asked learning questions.
YouTube appeared in 94 of 120 buying answers. It appeared in 54 of 119 learning answers. Reddit appeared in 49 of the 120 buying answers.
I then opened all 202 YouTube videos cited by the answers. The middle video was 10 minutes and 34 seconds long, and 140 of the 202 videos had a chapter list.
I also opened 496 cited best-of lists. Ninety-three percent had a contact page.
Those results produced the six-step Monday routine below.
Step 1: choose five buying searches
Start with phrases someone types while comparing a product or service. Useful shapes include best CRM software, CRM software pricing, cheapest CRM software, CRM software review and best CRM software for small agencies.
Each buying phrase pattern in the source study produced at least one AI citation in at least 10 of the 12 categories checked. Ask Claude to build a short list from the service pages on your site, then choose five searches for the week.
Time: 20 minutes.
Step 2: write one pillar page and three buying posts
The pillar page answers the category question. Each supporting post answers one exact buying search.
Give each post one checked sentence that makes sense on its own. A CRM pricing page could say, Acme CRM costs $49 a month and includes unlimited client portals. A sentence with a price, product and included feature is easier to quote than a point spread across three paragraphs.
Time: about two hours with Claude.
Step 3: link the service page and all four posts
Link the service page to the pillar and the three buying posts. Then link each post back to the service page.
Use descriptive link text such as CRM software pricing because it tells a reader where the link goes. The four posts now feed the page where a visitor can buy or book a call.
Time: 15 minutes.
Step 4: record a YouTube video for the same search
Use the post as the script and record an eight to twelve minute walkthrough. Put the exact search phrase in the title and add chapters that start at 0:00.
The study found YouTube in 94 of 120 buying answers, and 140 of the 202 cited videos had chapters. The middle cited video ran for 10 minutes and 34 seconds.
Time: 45 minutes.
Step 5: contact cited lists and answer current questions
Run your buying searches in AI Mode and record every best-of list in the citations. Open each list, check that it still covers your category, and contact the writer through the page they provide. Ninety-three percent of the 496 lists checked in the study had a contact page.
Use the same subject knowledge to answer real questions in Quora, LinkedIn, YouTube comments and the communities that appear in the current results. Citation sources can change, so check the current answer before choosing where to spend time.
Time: 45 minutes.
Step 6: check which searches quoted you
Run the same five buying searches in AI Mode every Monday and write down whether your site, video or third-party mention appears in the citations.
Search Console can supply a second list of question-shaped searches. Filter the Query report with this regular expression:
(?i)^(who|what|why|how|which|is|are|can|does)\b
The direct AI Mode check verifies whether you were cited. The Search Console filter shows question queries that may deserve another page or an update.
Time: 10 minutes.
Put the six steps on Monday
The source timings add up to about four hours and 15 minutes for the first pass:
- 20 minutes to choose buying searches
- Two hours to write one pillar and three supporting posts with Claude
- 15 minutes to add the internal links
- 45 minutes to record and publish the video
- 45 minutes to contact cited lists and answer current questions
- 10 minutes to check the same searches again
Keep the searches where your pages or videos begin to appear. Replace a search after repeated checks show no movement, then run the six steps again with the next buying question.
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose keywords for a Claude Code SEO routine?
Choose buying searches that name the product, price, comparison or customer type. Examples include best CRM software, CRM software pricing and best CRM software for small agencies. Build the list from your real service pages so every content piece can link to a page where the reader can take the next step.
How many pages should I publish each week?
The source routine uses one pillar page and three posts that each answer one buying search. The pillar covers the category, while every supporting post stays focused on one question. Link all four pages to the relevant service page.
How long does the six-step SEO routine take?
The source timings add up to about four hours and 15 minutes for the first pass. Writing takes about two hours, and the video plus outreach takes another 90 minutes. The weekly citation check takes 10 minutes once the pages and video are live.
Why should I make a YouTube video when I already wrote the post?
YouTube appeared in 94 of the 120 buying answers checked in Google AI Mode. A video gives your answer a chance to appear in the video source slot as well as the normal web citations. Use the post as the script, put the search phrase in the title and add chapters from 0:00.
How do I find websites to contact for AI citation outreach?
Run the buying question in AI Mode and record the cited best-of lists. Check each page before contacting its writer, then use the contact route the site provides. In the source study, 93 percent of 496 checked lists had a contact page.
How do I check whether Google AI Mode quoted my pages?
Repeat the same five buying searches and inspect the citations in each answer. Record whether your site, YouTube video or a third-party page mentioning you appears. Search Console question queries can help choose the next page, but the live AI Mode answer is the direct citation check.
Which of the six steps is missing from your Monday SEO routine?
