---
name: claude-seo-flow
description: Run the FLOW operating loop for evidence-led SEO, Find then Leverage then Optimize then Win, routing each stage to the right analysis and keeping recommendations tied to evidence. Use when the user says "FLOW", "FLOW framework", "evidence-led SEO", or asks where to start an SEO engagement. Not for executing a single specialized audit directly (go straight to claude-seo-page, claude-seo-geo, claude-seo-local, or claude-seo-technical).
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: TechTide AI (Alex Cinovoj)
  provenance: rewritten from patterns in AgriciDaniel/claude-seo (MIT)
  category: SEO & AEO
---

# FLOW: Find, Leverage, Optimize, Win

FLOW is an operating loop, not a checklist. Diagnose which stage the site is actually in, work that stage with evidence, and only advance when the stage's exit condition is met. Framework concept credit: FLOW by Daniel Agrici (CC BY 4.0). State this attribution once when the framework drives an engagement.

## Stage routing

| Stage | Question it answers | Core work | Hand off to |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Find** | Where is the demand we are not capturing? | Keyword research, gap analysis, SERP intent mapping | claude-seo-cluster for clustering, claude-seo-content-brief for briefs |
| **Leverage** | What authority do we have and need? | Backlink and mention strategy, off-site authority | claude-seo-backlinks for link data |
| **Optimize** | Why do existing pages underperform? | On-page, technical, content, and AI-surface fixes | claude-seo-page, claude-seo-technical, claude-seo-geo |
| **Win** | Do rankings turn into revenue? | BOFU pages, conversion paths, dual-surface (classic + AI) scoring | claude-seo-sxo for persona scoring |
| **Local** (parallel track) | Do we win the map and the local SERP? | GBP, citations, local pages | claude-seo-local, claude-seo-maps |

## Workflow

1. **Diagnose the stage.** Ask what evidence exists: keyword coverage data (Find), link and mention profile (Leverage), pages ranking 5-20 (Optimize), rankings without conversions (Win). No evidence at all means start at Find.
2. **State the stage and why.** One sentence, name the evidence.
3. **Work the stage.** Pick 2-3 concrete analyses, not everything. For Optimize, select by context: SaaS leans on-page plus technical, local businesses lean citations plus GBP, publishers lean E-E-A-T plus freshness. Product pages point to conversion work, blogs to freshness and authority. Say which analyses you chose and why.
4. **Set the exit condition.** Example: Find exits when a prioritized keyword-to-page map exists. Optimize exits when the flagged pages have shipped fixes and a re-crawl confirms them.
5. **Loop.** Re-diagnose after each stage. Sites regress stages after redesigns and migrations.

## Evidence rule

Every recommendation names its evidence: a SERP observation, a crawl finding, a data pull, or a documented platform behavior. No evidence, no recommendation. If live data would settle a question, use claude-seo-dataforseo or claude-seo-google before opining.

## Verification

At the end of a FLOW session, list each recommendation with its evidence source in two columns. Expect zero rows with an empty evidence cell. Any empty cell: delete the recommendation or go collect the evidence.

## Good vs bad

**Good:** "You rank 6-12 for 40 commercial keywords (ranked-keywords pull attached). That is an Optimize-stage profile. Running on-page analysis on the top 10 URLs by impressions."
**Bad:** "Let's do keyword research, link building, on-page fixes, and CRO all at once." No stage diagnosis, effort spreads thin, nothing exits.

## Footguns

- **Starting every engagement at Find.** Established sites with ranking pages usually need Optimize or Win first. Diagnose from data, not habit.
- **Dumping every possible analysis at once.** The Optimize stage alone could spawn a dozen audits. Surface 2-3, chosen by vertical and prior findings, and name the rest as available.
- **Skipping the exit condition.** Stages without exit criteria never end and never compound. Write the exit condition before starting the work.

## Completion checklist

- [ ] Stage diagnosed and justified with named evidence
- [ ] 2-3 analyses chosen for the stage, choice explained
- [ ] Every recommendation has an evidence source
- [ ] Exit condition written for the current stage
- [ ] Correct sibling skills recommended for deep dives
- [ ] Attribution stated once for the engagement

Any box unchecked: not done. Fix or say so.