You can use Claude for SEO by giving it real search data and letting it do the analysis: cluster keywords, review the top results, write content briefs, audit pages and find quick wins in Search Console. On its own, Claude cannot see search volume, rankings or your Search Console data, so its numbers are guesses. Connect a search data source first, such as the hosted Manifold SEO MCP, and Claude becomes a capable SEO analyst inside the chat.
This guide covers what Claude is good at in SEO, how to connect data, and four workflows you can run today.
What Claude is good at in SEO, and where it fails
Claude is strong at the thinking parts of SEO:
- Synthesis: reading ten ranking pages and explaining what they have in common.
- Clustering: grouping hundreds of keywords by intent and topic.
- Briefs and outlines: turning research into a clear plan for a writer.
- Schema and on-page fixes: writing JSON-LD, title tags and meta descriptions.
- Code: in Claude Code, editing templates, sitemaps and redirects directly.
It fails on anything that needs current facts about search:
- Search volume and keyword difficulty. It has no access to these numbers.
- Rankings. It does not know who ranks for a query today.
- Your own performance. It cannot see your clicks, impressions or positions.
Ask Claude "what's the search volume for X?" without a data connection and you get a plausible estimate with no basis. That is the gap to close before anything else.
Set up: connect search data to Claude
Manifold is a hosted MCP server that gives Claude live SEO data. It is the setup we recommend because:
- It is hosted. Paste one URL; nothing to install.
- No API keys of your own. You don't need separate SEO tool subscriptions or data API accounts.
- Pay per call. 500 free credits per workspace to start, Pro from $20 a month, top-ups from $10. The top 10 Google results for a keyword costs 1 credit and 100 keyword ideas cost 10. See pricing.
In Claude (web or desktop): open Settings, then Connectors, choose Add custom connector, paste https://mcp.manifoldmcp.com/mcp, then connect and sign in.
In Claude Code:
claude mcp add --transport http manifold https://mcp.manifoldmcp.com/mcp
Then run /mcp and sign in.
For Search Console and Bing: open Connections in the Manifold app and sign in to Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools or both. These tools cost 0 credits because the data comes from your own accounts. The Search Console MCP page explains the setup.
If you already pay for Ahrefs or Semrush, their own MCP servers are an alternative for the third-party data. Manifold's advantage is one connection and one credit balance across SEO, Search Console, ads and Reddit data, with no separate plan.
Workflow 1: keyword research and clustering with real volume and KD
The goal: a shortlist of keywords worth targeting, grouped into pages.
Step 1. Generate ideas from a seed.
Use Manifold to find keyword ideas for "[seed topic]" in the US.
Return keyword, volume, KD, intent and CPC. Drop anything with no volume data.
Claude calls seo_search_keywords, which returns volume, difficulty (0 to 100), intent, CPC and a 12-month trend for each idea.
Step 2. Check metrics for a list you already have.
Get volume, KD and intent for these keywords: [paste list].
This uses seo_get_keyword_metrics, useful for lists from customer interviews or a competitor's site.
Step 3. Cluster and prioritise.
Group these keywords into clusters where one page could rank for the whole group.
For each cluster: primary keyword, secondary keywords, combined volume, average KD and the intent.
Rank clusters by opportunity for a site with modest authority, favouring low KD.
Claude is at its best here. Ask it to explain why it grouped keywords together, and challenge any cluster that mixes intents.
Step 4. Find gaps against a competitor (optional).
Show keywords [competitor.com] ranks for that [oursite.com] doesn't, sorted by volume, with KD.
This uses seo_get_keyword_gap.
Workflow 2: SERP review to content brief
The goal: a brief based on what actually ranks, not on what Claude assumes ranks.
Step 1. Pull the results page.
Get the top 10 Google results for "[primary keyword]" in the US, including the AI Overview and its cited sources.
Claude calls seo_get_serp with the AI Overview option. You get each ranking URL, its title and snippet, SERP features such as People Also Ask, and the AI Overview text with references.
Step 2. Analyse the top pages.
For the top 5 organic results, fetch each page's headings and word count.
Tell me: the content type that ranks (guide, list, tool, product page), the subtopics every page covers, what is missing from all of them, and what the AI Overview says.
Claude can use seo_get_page, which returns the title, meta description, headings, word count and schema of a URL for free.
Step 3. Write the brief.
Write a content brief for a page targeting [primary keyword] and [secondary keywords].
Include: search intent, recommended format, a direct 2 to 3 sentence answer to open with, H2 and H3 outline, the gaps we will fill, internal links to suggest, and schema to add.
If the results page shows an AI Overview, ask for a short, direct answer at the top. It helps readers and gives Google a clean passage to cite.
Workflow 3: technical and on-page audit with Claude Code or skills
The goal: a prioritised list of technical fixes, ideally fixed in the same session.
Step 1. Crawl the site.
Run a technical crawl of [oursite.com], up to 500 pages.
Summarise broken links, non-indexable pages, duplicate titles and descriptions, and the issues affecting the most pages.
This uses seo_run_technical_crawl, which runs in the background and returns results when done. A 100-page crawl costs 3 credits.
Step 2. Check AI readiness.
Check whether AI crawlers can read [oursite.com] and list any failing checks.
aeo_get_site_readiness checks robots rules for AI crawlers, rendering and related signals. It is free.
Step 3. Fix it in Claude Code.
If your site lives in a repository, open Claude Code in that folder and ask it to fix the issues the audit found: missing canonical tags, duplicate titles in a template, a broken sitemap. Review each diff before you commit.
Optional: add SEO skills. Skill packs give Claude a consistent audit method. Options include the seo-audit and schema skills in Corey Haines' marketingskills pack, the open-source Claude SEO plugin, and the /seo-audit command in Anthropic's Marketing plugin. Skills supply the checklist; the connector supplies the data. Our Claude marketing skills guide covers installation.
Workflow 4: Search Console quick wins (positions 8 to 20)
The goal: find pages already close to page one and push them over.
Step 1. Pull your queries.
List my Search Console properties, then pull queries and pages for [property] for the last 28 days.
Filter to queries with an average position between 8 and 20 and at least [100] impressions.
Claude calls console_list_properties, then console_get_search_analytics. Both cost 0 credits.
Step 2. Prioritise.
Group these by page. For each page, list its near-miss queries, total impressions and average position.
Rank pages by the clicks they could gain if they reached the top 5.
Step 3. Plan the updates.
For the top 3 pages, fetch the current page and the top 5 results for its main query.
Tell me exactly what to add or change: missing subtopics, title tag, internal links, and where the query terms are missing.
This combines your own data with the live SERP. It is often one of the quickest wins available, because these pages already rank.
Prompts to keep handy
- "Which of our pages lost the most clicks this month compared with last month, and for which queries?"
- "What does the AI Overview say for [query], and is our site cited?"
- "Compare backlinks for [oursite.com] and [competitor.com]: referring domains, dofollow share and domain rank."
- "Write title tags under 60 characters and meta descriptions between 150 and 160 characters for these five pages."
Claude or ChatGPT for SEO?
Both work well once connected to data, and the same Manifold server works in both. Claude Code is the stronger choice when you want to edit site files in the same session. If you use ChatGPT, see our guide to ChatGPT for SEO.
FAQ
Can Claude do SEO?
Claude can do most SEO analysis and writing tasks well, but it cannot see search data by default. Connect a data source and it can research keywords, review SERPs, audit sites and analyse Search Console data.
Does Claude know search volume?
No. Any volume Claude gives you without a connected data source is an estimate. Connect a tool that returns real metrics, such as Manifold's seo_get_keyword_metrics.
What are the best Claude SEO skills?
Popular options include the SEO skills in Corey Haines' marketingskills pack, the Claude SEO plugin and the /seo-audit command in Anthropic's Marketing plugin. All of them work better when paired with a live data connector.
Can Claude connect to Google Search Console?
Yes, through an MCP connector. With Manifold, you connect Search Console once in the app, and Claude can read clicks, impressions, CTR and positions at no credit cost.
Is Claude Code useful for SEO?
Yes, especially for technical SEO. It can read and edit your site's code, so it can fix the issues an audit finds in the same session.