SEO Monitoring Playbook

Source

Sanitized GSC validation action record

Validation

Link docs/evidence/gsc-discovered-validation-final-2026-06-06.json so the follow-up plan starts from a validated Validate fix action.

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Operations reviewer

Validation

Record firstReviewDate, secondReviewDate, cadence, and reviewSurface. Validate with npm run seo:gsc-validation-follow-up-validate before treating the issue as scheduled for follow-up.

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Search Console Page indexing issue detail plus site-side evidence

Validation

Check validation status, affected URL count, changed sample URLs, and failed samples. If sample URLs change, rerun seo:gsc-discovered-samples before editing site code.

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Google SEO operations boundary

Validation

Prevent repeated Validate fix clicks, scaled request-indexing attempts, indexing-status inference from site-side evidence, and syncing account-UI screenshots without explicit approval.

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Reviewer

Validation

Public follow-up JSON must exclude account identifiers, cookies, tokens, raw private GSC UI text, and screenshot paths.

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Sanitized GSC validation action record

Validation

Use gsc-indexing-validation-action and validate it with npm run seo:gsc-validation-action-validate before syncing the record.

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Google Search Console Page indexing issue detail

Validation

Must be true only after the issue detail page visibly changes to Validation started with a retained validationStartDate.

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Production technical evidence

Validation

Link docs/evidence/gsc-discovered-sample-evidence-2026-06-06.json and require sampleTechnicalEvidenceOk, sampleCount, and siteIndexLinkedSampleCount to match the observed sample URLs.

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Reviewer

Validation

State that screenshots stay local when they contain account UI and that the public JSON excludes account identifiers, cookies, tokens, raw private UI text, and screenshot paths.

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Reviewer

Validation

Use docs/search-console-indexing-record-template.json with recordStatus template before capture, generate a draft with npm run seo:gsc-indexing-record-draft, run npm run seo:gsc-indexing-record-ready to list missing reviewer fields, run npm run seo:gsc-indexing-record-summary after recording, run npm run seo:gsc-indexing-records-manifest to inventory archived evidence, and use recorded only after a real GSC URL Inspection result is copied in.

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Google Search Console URL Inspection

Validation

Must be an https URL on www.roth-conversion-calculator-ai.shop.

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URL Inspection result

Validation

Use the observed state such as indexed, not_on_google, discovered_not_indexed, crawled_not_indexed, alternate_canonical, blocked, or duplicate_without_user_selected_canonical.

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URL Inspection live test

Validation

Use can_be_indexed, cannot_be_indexed, not_run, or unknown.

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URL Inspection canonical panel

Validation

Copy the exact Google-selected canonical value or leave empty only when GSC does not show it.

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Request indexing action

Validation

Record attempted, attemptedAt, outcome, and the exact Google message so transient errors do not become site-side regressions.

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Downloaded production-seo-evidence artifact

Validation

Link the GitHub Actions run id and commit SHA and confirm gscEvidenceOk, searchConsoleVerificationOk, internalLinkEvidenceOk, and htmlQualityEvidenceOk. The draft generator can prefill these from a downloaded production-seo-evidence artifact.

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GSC screenshot or exported evidence

Validation

Include at least one real screenshot path or URL before treating the record as final evidence. Use the readiness command to confirm no reviewer-supplied GSC fields remain missing, then use the summary command and records manifest for archive or retry notes. Do not infer private GSC status from site-side evidence.

Open the downloaded production-seo-evidence artifact and confirm the smoke result has ok: true for the canonical production host.

Pass signal

Homepage, robots.txt, sitemap.xml, llms.txt, canonical host, and trust-copy checks all pass.

Use before

Use before any Search Console sitemap resubmission or URL Inspection retry.

Review the priority URL array for statusCode, canonicalUrl, inSitemap, noindex, sitemapLastmod, and lastmodFresh fields.

Pass signal

Every priority URL returns HTTP 200, appears in sitemap.xml, has no noindex signal, and keeps lastmodFresh: true where required.

Use before

Use before deciding whether an indexing delay is site-side or Search Console-side.

Review the GSC discovered-not-indexed sample URLs for HTTP status, canonical URL, sitemap inclusion, /site-index internal discovery, noindex status, lastmod, and title coverage.

Pass signal

The evidence has ok: true, failureCount: 0, sourceIssueState: discovered_not_indexed, siteIndex.linkedSampleCount equal to resultCount, and every sample URL returns 200, appears in sitemap.xml, is linked from /site-index, has no noindex signal, and keeps a self-canonical URL.

Use before

Use before deciding whether a discovered-not-indexed cluster needs a site-side canonical/sitemap fix or should remain in Google crawl-priority monitoring.

Review the sanitized Page indexing validation action record after clicking Validate fix in Google Search Console.

Pass signal

The record validates with npm run seo:gsc-validation-action-validate, has evidenceType: gsc-indexing-validation-action, action: validate_fix_started, validationStarted: true, validationStartDate, affectedUrlCount, sampleTechnicalEvidenceOk: true, siteIndexLinkedSampleCount matching sampleCount, and a privacyBoundary excluding account identifiers, cookies, tokens, raw private UI text, and screenshot paths.

Use before

Use before treating the GSC Discovered - currently not indexed issue as in validation, before syncing evidence to GitHub, or before scheduling the next GSC follow-up.

Review the sanitized follow-up plan after the Page indexing validation action starts, before checking GSC again.

Pass signal

The record validates with npm run seo:gsc-validation-follow-up-validate, has evidenceType: gsc-indexing-validation-follow-up, validation start date, first and second review dates, allowed outcomes, blocked repeated Validate fix actions, linked sample evidence, linked validation-action evidence, and a privacyBoundary excluding account identifiers, cookies, tokens, raw private UI text, and screenshot paths.

Use before

Use before returning to GSC after Validation started, before recording validation passed or failed, or before deciding whether changed samples need new site-side evidence.

Review the site-side Search Console verification evidence after Google property, DNS, or HTML verification changes.

Pass signal

The evidence has ok: true, domainTxtVerified: true, htmlMetaVerified: true, spfRecordRetained: true, canonicalHostRetained: true, and gscUiOwnershipNotAsserted: true so reviewers know this proves public DNS and HTML signals, not the private Search Console UI ownership state.

Use before

Use before retrying domain property verification, switching between URL-prefix and domain properties, or diagnosing Search Console ownership warnings.

Review DNS and HTTPS evidence for the apex host and canonical www host after domain-provider changes or Vercel domain warnings.

Pass signal

The DNS evidence has ok: true, expectedCnameRetained: true, apexRedirectsToCanonical: true, wwwReturnsOk: true, apex HTTPS status 308, and canonical www HTTPS status 200.

Use before

Use before changing DNS records, resubmitting sitemap.xml, or diagnosing Search Console host verification warnings.

Review the live production response headers for CSP, HSTS, nosniff, referrer policy, permissions policy, frame ancestors, base URI, form action, and framework fingerprinting.

Pass signal

The security headers evidence has ok: true, securityHeadersOk: true, contentSecurityPolicyRetained: true, hstsRetained: true, nosniffRetained: true, frameAncestorsNone: true, baseUriSelf: true, formActionSelf: true, permissionsPolicyRetained: true, referrerPolicyRetained: true, and noPoweredByHeader: true.

Use before

Use before security, privacy, launch-readiness, or YMYL trust reviews.

Review the live /api/health evidence for HTTP status, no-store cache control, tax-year metadata, content counts, enabled feature counts, pending professional-review status, and secret-key exposure checks.

Pass signal

The health evidence has ok: true, healthEndpointOk: true, statusOk: true, cacheNoStoreRetained: true, taxYearRetained: true, taxDataLastUpdatedRetained: true, professionalReviewPending: true, blogCoverageRetained: true, glossaryCoverageRetained: true, enabledFeatureCoverageRetained: true, and noSecretLikeKeys: true.

Use before

Use before launch-readiness, uptime, privacy, or production incident reviews.

Review robots.txt, sitemap.xml, feed.xml, and llms.txt evidence for status, canonical host coverage, URL counts, RSS item counts, and AI-discovery coverage.

Pass signal

The crawl discovery evidence has ok: true, robotsDiscoveryRetained: true, sitemapUrlCountRetained: true, sitemapCanonicalHostRetained: true, sitemapRequiredPathsRetained: true, feedItemsRetained: true, feedBlogCoverageRetained: true, llmsCoreCoverageRetained: true, llmsBoundaryRetained: true, sitemap.urlCount at least 120, and feed.itemCount at least 13.

Use before

Use before sitemap resubmission, crawl-discovery incident review, RSS checks, or AI-search discovery review.

Review sitemap URL health and site-index coverage to confirm production internal discovery pages return HTTP 200, retain the canonical host, avoid noindex, and expose core internal links.

Pass signal

The internal link evidence has ok: true, allSitemapUrlsOk: true, canonicalHostRetained: true, noNoindexRetained: true, sitemapUrlHealthRetained: true, siteIndexInternalLinksRetained: true, siteIndexCorePathsRetained: true, sitemap.checkedUrlCount at least 120, and siteIndex.internalLinkCount at least 100.

Use before

Use before diagnosing crawl-depth, orphan-page, sitemap-health, or Search Console discovered-not-indexed issues.

Review production HTML quality evidence for HTTP 200 status, html lang, one H1 per page, title and meta description coverage, canonical tags, image alt text, button names, and form labels.

Pass signal

The HTML quality evidence has ok: true, pageStatusRetained: true, htmlLangRetained: true, singleH1Retained: true, titleRetained: true, metaDescriptionRetained: true, canonicalRetained: true, imageAltRetained: true, buttonNameRetained: true, formLabelRetained: true, pageCount at least 120, and maxFailureCount: 0.

Use before

Use before diagnosing HTML SEO, accessibility, page-template, or rich-result eligibility regressions.

Review the professional review packet evidence before changing public review status or sending the site to a CPA, EA, or qualified tax professional.

Pass signal

The professional review packet evidence has ok: true, pageStatusOk: true, pageTermsRetained: true, sitemapRetained: true, llmsRetained: true, healthPendingReviewRetained: true, taxYearRetained: true, and professionalReviewPacketOk: true in the validator summary.

Use before

Use before professional review handoff, tax-data signoff, or changing review-pending language.

Review the GitHub main evidence scan before syncing private GSC screenshots, account UI images, or docs/evidence image files.

Pass signal

The privacy boundary evidence has ok: true, privacyEvidenceBoundaryOk: true, repository: TAO605/roth-conversion-calculator-ai, branch: main, allowlistRetained: true, gitignoreRulesRetained: true, remotePrivateEvidenceCount: 2, approvedRemotePrivateEvidenceCount: 2, unapprovedRemotePrivateEvidenceCount: 0, and privacyUnapprovedRemoteEvidenceCount: 0.

Use before

Use before syncing evidence to GitHub, attaching Search Console screenshots to public records, or reviewing private/public evidence boundaries.

Review the CI-safe AI endpoint security evidence after AI route, CSP, rate-limit, or environment-default changes.

Pass signal

The AI security evidence has ok: true, aiSecurityOk: true, paidModelFuseRetained: true, originGuardRetained: true, rateLimitRetained: true, fallbackProviderHeaderRetained: true, envExampleSecretHygieneRetained: true, crossOriginProbeBlocked: true, crossOriginProbeStatus: 403, crossOriginProbeProvider: fallback, crossOriginProbeReason: origin_blocked, and homepageCspBlocksBrowserOpenAi: true.

Use before

Use before diagnosing API-key abuse, changing AI explainer model settings, or treating short site visits as paid provider spend evidence.

Review deterministic AI verifier pass, fail, and fallback evidence after AI route, verifier, disclaimer, or model-fuse changes.

Pass signal

The AI verifier regression evidence has ok: true, aiVerifierRegressionOk: true, aiVerifierRegressionScenarioCount: 6, statsPanel.totalFixtures: 6, statsPanel.passFixtures: 1, statsPanel.failFixtures: 4, statsPanel.fallbackFixtures: 1, deterministicCoverage: pass/fail/fallback, routeFailsClosedToFallback: true, and sameOriginFallbackProbeRetained: true.

Use before

Use before enabling paid-model explainer output, reviewing AI compliance changes, or treating model-generated explanations as production-safe.

Confirm the retained validator result reports ok: true after checking smoke, GSC priority URLs, GSC discovered samples, DNS, security headers, health, crawl discovery, internal links, HTML quality, professional review packet, performance, structured data, blog discovery, professional UI evidence, private evidence boundary, AI security evidence, and AI verifier regression evidence together.

Pass signal

The validation summary records the expected host, gscDiscoveredSampleCount, searchConsoleVerificationOk: true, dnsCanonicalOk: true, securityHeadersOk: true, healthEndpointOk: true, crawlDiscoveryUrlCount, internalLinkCheckedUrlCount, htmlQualityPageCount, professionalReviewPacketOk: true, professionalUiScannedFileCount, privacyEvidenceBoundaryOk: true, privacyUnapprovedRemoteEvidenceCount: 0, aiSecurityOk: true, aiVerifierRegressionOk: true, aiVerifierRegressionScenarioCount: 6, and no contract failures.

Use before

Use before attaching the artifact to incident review or a GSC retry note.

Confirm the retained UI source guard scanned src/app and src/features for old glass-template surface classes.

Pass signal

The professional UI evidence has ok: true, scannedFileCount above zero, violationCount: 0, and an empty violations array.

Use before

Use before approving UI, route, or component changes as compliant with the no-glass professional surface system.

Confirm the manifest records artifactName, artifactSchemaVersion, generatedAt, eventName, gitHubRepository, gitHubServerUrl, gitHubRunId, gitHubRunAttempt, gitHubRunUrl, gitHubSha, gitHubCommitUrl, gitHubWorkflow, retentionDays, retained file names, byte sizes, and sha256 checksums for each source evidence file. Re-run npm run seo:evidence-manifest-validate after downloading the artifact.

Pass signal

The manifest includes artifactSchemaVersion, a valid generatedAt ISO timestamp, an allowed eventName, the expected gitHubRepository, the expected gitHubServerUrl, direct GitHub run and commit provenance URLs that match gitHubRunId and gitHubSha, a retained gitHubWorkflow and numeric gitHubRunAttempt for Actions runs, sha256 for every retained source evidence file, includes seo-evidence-manifest.json with selfDescribing: true, includes seo-evidence-manifest-validation-result.json with postManifestValidation: true, records the same run SHA as the workflow, and the checksum validator returns ok: true.

Use before

Use before treating the downloaded artifact as the durable proof package for that deployment.

Open the retained manifest checksum validation result after downloading the production-seo-evidence artifact.

Pass signal

The validation result has ok: true, generatedAtRetained: true, gitHubProvenanceConsistent: true, gitHubRepositoryRetained: true, gitHubServerUrlRetained: true, gitHubWorkflowRetained: true, runAttemptRetained: true, checkedFileCount: 19, sha256CheckedCount: 19, manifestFileCount: 21, and manifestValidationResultRetained: true.

Use before

Use before relying on the manifest checksum contract in Search Console retry notes or incident review.

Must remain fresh after result-positioning, trust-copy, or first-viewport calculator updates.

Minimum lastmod

2026-05-30

Evidence

`npm run seo:gsc-evidence` returns lastmodFresh: true for the canonical homepage URL.

Must remain fresh after Search Console retry, exception, or evidence-loop changes.

Minimum lastmod

2026-05-30

Evidence

CI artifact `production-seo-evidence` includes the parsed sitemap lastmod for /seo-monitoring.

Must remain fresh after methodology, canonical, or tax-data source disclosure changes.

Minimum lastmod

2026-05-30

Evidence

`npm run seo:gsc-evidence` verifies canonical, sitemap inclusion, noindex absence, and lastmodFresh.

Must remain fresh when tax-year update operations or IRS-source review workflows change.

Minimum lastmod

2026-05-30

Evidence

The sitemap entry is parsed directly instead of relying on a broad text match.

Must remain fresh after bracket-data, bracket-room, or tax-year reference updates.

Minimum lastmod

2026-05-30

Evidence

Search Console retry work must use the latest passing GSC evidence JSON before manual URL Inspection.

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Reviewer

Validation

Use docs/search-console-query-opportunity-template.json with recordStatus template before capture, npm run seo:gsc-query-opportunity-import when a GSC Performance CSV export is available, npm run seo:gsc-query-opportunity-draft after a reviewer supplies a single real query row, npm run seo:gsc-query-opportunity-ready to list missing reviewer fields, recorded only after a real GSC query row or screenshot is attached, and npm run seo:gsc-query-opportunity-validate before content work begins.

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Google Search Console Performance report

Validation

Keep the canonical https://www URL-prefix property, date range, exportedAt when available, and sourceType as gsc_performance_export, gsc_screenshot, or manual_gsc_review.

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GSC query row

Validation

Copy the observed query exactly enough for review, but do not publish private Search Console exports directly on the site.

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GSC Performance report

Validation

Record clicks, impressions, CTR, and average position as non-negative numbers or null when the screenshot does not show the metric.

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Query opportunity matrix

Validation

Map the query to an existing safe cluster such as core calculator, bracket room, hidden tax interaction, payment, state, or CPA handoff before choosing a content action. The draft generator can prefill this from the reviewer-supplied query, but the reviewer still confirms it before publication work.

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SEO reviewer

Validation

Use educational actions such as metadata review, internal-link update, guide refresh, or professional-review handoff. Do not use best amount, should convert, guaranteed, absolute-accuracy, optimal conversion, or convert exactly phrasing.

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SEO reviewer

Validation

Use low, review, or professional. Use professional when the query implies state-specific rules, new formulas, exact tax planning, or unsupported tax interactions.

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Compliance or professional reviewer

Validation

Professional-risk records must explicitly retain professional review before content, calculator logic, tax data, or state-specific modeling changes.

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GSC screenshot or export plus production SEO evidence

Validation

Attach screenshotOrExportPath and, when used for production work, link the latest production SEO evidence run id and commit SHA. If browser control is unavailable, export GSC Performance to CSV and run npm run seo:gsc-query-opportunity-import -- --csv <path> --start YYYY-MM-DD --end YYYY-MM-DD.

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Content operations

Validation

Use needs_review, planned, published, deferred, or rejected so query observations become an auditable backlog instead of ad hoc keyword chasing. Run npm run seo:gsc-query-opportunity-import for CSV batches and npm run seo:gsc-query-opportunity-backlog to summarize local query records by status, risk, cluster, and next action before content planning.