AI / SEO Playbook Action Plan
Every step of the AI Search Ranking Playbook v2, Parts 1–7, with an honest status for nweautocare.com · baseline October 3, 2026, updated October 7, 2026 · update every session
23 / 57 Done
This is the working checklist for the AI / SEO engagement. Every line of Wabu Web's AI Search Ranking Playbook v2 that applies to a single-location auto repair shop is listed below with exactly one status:
- Done Verified live today. The evidence column says how.
- Blocked Can't proceed until something else happens: a client answer, account access, or a Critical audit fix. The reason is always named.
- In progress Work is live but the line isn't finished. The next-action column says what's left.
- Not started Nothing has been done yet, and nothing stops Wabu from starting. "Not started" is an honest status, not a failure. Silence would be.
Each row links to the audit action that delivers it (C = Critical, H = High, M = Medium, L = Low on the Action Plan). The owner is who has to act next. After the October 7 fix session, 23 of 57 lines are Done (baseline: 7). The off-site, measurement and entity lines are still mostly Blocked or Not started. That's stated plainly so later sessions can't mistake "we fixed the obvious stuff" for "we worked the playbook."
Status Summary (2026-10-07)
Done
23
Verified live Oct 7 (baseline 7)
Blocked
12
Mostly on C2 (wrong website on GBP), C4 (no Search Console / GA4 access), and client answers
Not started
14
Wabu can start now (baseline 33)
In progress
8
Live, with work left
Total lines
57
Parts 1–7 (+ Part 8–9 notes)
Three blockers unlock most of this list
C2: the Google listing (and through it, Bing and Brave) links to nwautocaretx.com, so every entity line depends on fixing it. C4: no Search Console access, plus two GA4 properties owned by unknown accounts; every indexing and measurement line waits on these. Client answers (open questions 4–6, 8–9): the official name, hours, founding/experience story, owners and ASE certifications, prices, and financing provider. Content can't state facts the shop hasn't confirmed.
Part 1 — Retrieval Backends
| Playbook item | Status | Evidence today | Next action | Owner | Audit ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indexed in Google | Done | #1 for "northwest express auto care"; 42 keywords in Semrush | Keep. Monitor after the 301s (H1). | Wabu | — |
| Google index health monitored (Search Console) | Done | Oct 7: wabuwebdesign@gmail.com verified Owner (auto-verified via Google Analytics). 231 indexed / 1.06K not indexed; 169 of the indexed URLs were "Index of" system folders. Directory listing disabled, so they now return 404. Sitemaps list clean, no manual actions, no security issues. | Re-check Page indexing in 2–4 weeks; add a backup verification method; find who owns sc-domain | Client + Wabu | C4 |
| Indexed in Bing (ChatGPT's main source) | Done | The Bing brand search shows nweautocare.com at #2 organic | Keep; add Bing Webmaster Tools (next row) | Wabu | — |
| Bing shows the right entity and website | Blocked: C2 / C4 | Unchanged on Bing's side: local panel still links nwautocaretx.com. All 73 sitemap URLs were pushed to Bing via IndexNow on Oct 7 (HTTP 200). | Import the property into Bing Webmaster Tools from Search Console (needs a Microsoft sign-in by Marco); fix GBP (C2) | Client + Wabu | C2, C4, H6 |
| Indexed in Brave (Claude's source) | Done | Brave lists home, About, Vehicles, Mobile Service, /auto-repair-in-katy-tx/, an old /smart URL | Keep; old URLs drop out after H1 | Wabu | H1 |
| Brave's facts about the business are correct | Blocked: client confirmation | Brave AI summary: "third-generation", "45 years", "Sun 9–1", "$399 for four tires"; map card links nwautocaretx.com | Confirm the real facts (open questions 4–5, 8), then fix the directories Brave summarizes | Client | C2, H6 |
Part 2 — Technical Foundation
| Playbook item | Status | Evidence today | Next action | Owner | Audit ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Server-side rendering (View Source test) | Done | Divi outputs headings, body copy, and review text in the raw HTML (curl crawl of all 88 URLs) | Re-check after any theme change | Wabu | — |
| AI crawlers explicitly allowed (mu-plugin pattern) | Done | Oct 7: ai-crawler-robots.php live; robots.txt has explicit Allow for GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, ChatGPT-User, ClaudeBot, Claude-SearchBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended; GPTBot/ClaudeBot/PerplexityBot get 200 | Keep; re-check after host-level bot rules change | Wabu | L1 |
| Working XML sitemap | Done | Oct 7: Rank Math images off, 50 per page; page-sitemap1/2 + post-sitemap + local-sitemap load in seconds; 73 real URLs, retired duplicates absent | Submit in GSC once access exists (C4) | Wabu | C3 |
| TTFB under ~200 ms | In progress | Oct 7: WP Super Cache (mod_rewrite) serves pages as static files; TTFB ~0.35 s from Houston-area office (was ~0.82 s), most of it network | Re-measure from GSC/CrUX once data exists | Wabu | H4 |
| Light pages (no timeouts) | In progress | Oct 7: homepage HTML 2.33 MB → ~0.9 MB; inline @font-face 3,116 → ~415; images 250 MB → 75 MB; one gtag.js; CLS 0.66 → 0.04; Lighthouse mobile perf ~25 (was 16) | Remaining weight is Divi 5 beta inline CSS (~700 KB): fix with Divi static CSS after the beta→stable update (test on staging first) | Wabu | H4 |
| Semantic heading hierarchy (one H1, question H2/H3s) | Done | Oct 7: nwe-h1-fixes.php: one H1 per page, "Service in Katy, TX" on 24 key pages; /tire-shop/, /about/, /transmission-quote/ doubles fixed; question H2/H3s via FAQ blocks | Apply to new pages as they are built | Wabu | M2 |
| Organization/LocalBusiness schema with sameAs | Done | Oct 7: AutoRepair node: hours Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00, Sat 08:00–16:00 (valid), geo 29.8650537,-95.7030771, priceRange $$, 6 sameAs | Correct hours if the client confirms different ones (H6) | Wabu | H3 |
| Article/author schema connected to real entities | Done | Oct 7: all pages reassigned to the "Northwest Express Auto Care" author; the gravatar username "albertgalopastor1987" no longer appears in schema | — | Wabu | H3, H2 |
| Architecture: important pages 1–2 levels from root | Done | All 87 pages sit one level below the root | Keep the URLs; don't restructure | Wabu | — |
| Internal linking (no orphans) | Done | Oct 7: sitewide Quick Links bar (Services, Coupons, Financing, Warranty, Vehicles, guides, …); menus repointed off retired pages; 18 pages' "Learn more" links fixed to descriptive anchors | Link each new post from its service page | Wabu | M1 |
| llms.txt (Speculative) | Done | Oct 7: /llms.txt returns 200 | — | Wabu | L1 |
Part 3 — Entities
| Playbook item | Status | Evidence today | Next action | Owner | Audit ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sameAs to 5–10 corroborating profiles | Done | Oct 7: 6 sameAs in schema: Facebook, Instagram, Google Maps place, BBB, CARFAX, MapQuest. Yelp/YellowPages/Nextdoor held back until their name/hours/phone are corrected (Nextdoor phone typo) | Add Yelp, YellowPages, Nextdoor after H6 cleanup (target 8–10) | Wabu | H3 |
| One consistent name form | Blocked: client to confirm the official name | Website fully on "Northwest Express Auto Care" (site title, logo alt, schema; another shop's name "Sun Auto Tire & Service" removed from 3 pages; hidden template phone/addresses removed). GBP still "Northwest Express Care" — correction sheet ready for the client. | Open question 4; then align GBP, WP site name, schema, directories | Client | C2, H6 |
| Identical facts everywhere (hours, phone, story) | Blocked: client to confirm hours and history | Website now consistent (Oct 7): Mon–Fri 8–6, Sat 8–4 in the schema and visible text; hidden 7:30–5:30 hours, fake phone and template addresses removed. Off-site still conflicting: Yelp/YP 8–7, Nextdoor phone 832-683-4478, "since 2017" vs. "30 yrs, 2nd gen" vs. "3rd gen, 45 yrs" | Lock the one-entity block, then update each directory | Client + Wabu | H6 |
| Entity Home (one authoritative defining page) | Blocked: owner names / ASE proof | /about/ has the 2017 story but no names, no headcount, "NWE-certified" instead of real certifications | Rebuild /about/ as a factual reference page (see Part 4) | Client + Wabu | M6 |
| Entity salience (brand + service + Katy in H1, first sentence; "our" ownership language) | In progress | Oct 7: H1s carry service + Katy; titles service-first; new content opens with brand + service + Katy | Rewrite the first paragraph of each main service page to the formula | Wabu | M2 |
| One macro topic per page (no cannibalization) | Done | Oct 7: 17 duplicate/leftover pages drafted and 301'd to the matching live page (old "-katy-tx" set, /home_old/, /new/, /services-2/, /service-page/, …); Hello World removed | Watch Semrush for ranking transfer | Wabu | H1 |
| Competitor entity-gap analysis | Not started | Competitors identified (katyautocare.com 223 kw, dillonsautomotive.com 638 kw, katyautoexperts.com 539 kw); no entity extraction run yet | Run an NLP entity extraction on the top 3 pages for "auto repair katy", "oil change katy", and "transmission repair katy"; build a coverage matrix | Wabu | M4 |
| Wikipedia / Wikidata | Not started | None; not expected for a single local shop (notability bar) | Don't pursue; never self-edit. Revisit only if real press coverage appears. | — | — |
Part 4 — Content That Gets Cited
| Playbook item | Status | Evidence today | Next action | Owner | Audit ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answer-first Q&A structure (question heading + 1–3 sentence answer) | Done | Oct 7: FAQ blocks + matching FAQPage schema on 11 pages (added /financing/ and /diagnostic-service/); 3 posts and the cost guide open with a direct answer | Extend to the remaining service pages | Wabu | M4 |
| Prices / specials as quotable text | Blocked: client to confirm current prices | Specials exist only on the orphaned /coupons/; Brave quotes off-site prices ($399 tires, $145 oil+inspection) that we can't verify | Open question 8; then add the specials block to each service page | Client | M4 |
| Named statistics with attribution | In progress | Oct 7: TechNet "3-year / 36,000-mile, 17,000+ shops" now on all 19 service pages, the make pages and the guides | Add the attributed Google rating/review count to home + service pages | Wabu | M4 |
| Direct quotes from credible people | In progress | Oct 7: reviews widget filtered to 4–5★ (H5), so the 1-star review no longer shows sitewide | Add 2–3 service-matched review quotes per page; staff quote once approved (M6) | Wabu | H5, M6 |
| Tables / comparisons | Done | Oct 7: repair/rebuild/replace table (cost guide) and flush vs. drain-and-fill table (new post) | Conventional vs. synthetic table on /oil-change/ (Nov calendar) | Wabu | M4 |
| About page as a factual reference doc (founding year, founders, certifications, HQ, headcount) | Blocked: client details | Has 2017 and the address; missing founders, certifications, headcount | Open questions 5–6 | Client | M6 |
| At least one citable-format piece (cost guide, comparison, original data) | Done | Oct 7: /transmission-replacement-cost-katy-tx/ published: price drivers, option table, quote checklist, financing (Synchrony, Koalafi). No dollar figures (none confirmed by the shop). | Add real price ranges when the client provides them | Client + Wabu | M4 |
| Topical pruning pass | Done | Oct 7: 17 duplicate/leftover pages removed from the index (drafted + 301); category archives noindexed; author archives off | Re-check thin make pages for discontinued brands | Wabu | H1, M7 |
| Information gain (something nowhere else) | Not started | Make pages share one template; service copy is generic | Shop photos (client is sending), named techs, real job stories per page | Client + Wabu | M6, M7 |
| Freshness pass with real updates | In progress | Oct 7: 19 service pages updated (warranty line, FAQs, H1s); 3 new posts; make sections on 9 pages | Monthly: 2 posts per the calendar | Wabu | L2 |
Part 5 — Off-Site Authority & Citations
| Playbook item | Status | Evidence today | Next action | Owner | Audit ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GBP entity optimization (right website, name, categories, services) | Blocked: C2 (website points to nwautocaretx.com; name to confirm) | "Northwest Express Care", 4.5 / 268, website nwautocaretx.com, appointment link Shopmonkey | Get GBP manager access; change the website to nweautocare.com; confirm the name; add "Tire shop" and services | Client + Wabu | C2 |
| Resolve the duplicate site (one website for the entity) | Blocked: client call | nwautocaretx.com (Clutch Clicks) is live and grew from 23 to 142 keywords since Aug 4 | Open question 1; cancel or 301 it page-by-page to nweautocare.com | Client | C2 |
| Google reviews: steady flow + owner replies | Done | 268 reviews; owner replies on the recent reviews shown (Sep 2026 and earlier) | Keep; reply to every review | Client | M8 |
| Review-platform coverage beyond Google (Yelp etc.) | Not started | Yelp 2.5 / 15 with negative snippets; it's what Bing/ChatGPT show | Claim Yelp, respond to reviews, ask happy customers for Yelp/Facebook reviews | Client + Wabu | M8 |
| Reddit / community participation | Not started | No presence; r/houston and r/Katy threads rank in the "auto repair katy" top 12; a Katy Facebook group post ranks for two head terms | An identified owner/manager account that answers car questions in r/Katy; no self-promotion | Client (with Wabu guidance) | L4 |
| YouTube presence | Not started | No channel found | Short in-bay explainers per service, embedded click-to-load | Client + Wabu | L4 |
| Digital PR: get added to "best of" lists that omit the shop | Not started | No list audit yet | Collect the source URLs from the quarterly AI citation check; outreach with the 2017 story + warranty | Wabu | L4 |
| Directory/citation accuracy (NAP) | Blocked: client confirmation of hours/name | Yelp and YP 8–7; Nextdoor phone typo; Brave "Sun 9–1" | Fix after the one-entity block is locked | Client + Wabu | H6 |
| Branded search volume tracked | Not started | Search Console access now exists (Oct 7); the Performance report has branded query data | Record a monthly brand-query baseline ("northwest express auto care", "nw express auto care", "northwest auto care katy") | Wabu | C4 |
| Link quality (relevant, real-readership links) | Not started | No backlink review run in this audit | Pull a Semrush backlink overview at the Jan 2027 re-audit; local sponsorships/partners | Wabu | — |
Part 6 — Active Influence
| Playbook item | Status | Evidence today | Next action | Owner | Audit ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast indexing via Search Console (API / URL inspection) | Done | Oct 7: Owner access confirmed; sitemap_index.xml submitted. Use URL Inspection → Request indexing for each new page | Request indexing for the 3 new guides and the 9 updated make pages | Client + Wabu | C4 |
| IndexNow on every new/changed page (Bing) | Done | Oct 7: Rank Math IndexNow key live; all sitemap URLs submitted (HTTP 200), plus the 13 new/changed URLs the same day | Submit each new or changed page | Wabu | C4 |
| Visibility tracker across engines (source URLs) | Not started | Manual Bing/Brave checks only today | Baseline the 8-prompt check right after C2 lands | Wabu | — |
| Refresh cadence on high-value pages | Not started | — | Quarterly refresh of transmission, oil change, brake, and inspection pages with real updates | Wabu | L2 |
Part 7 — Measurement & Tracking
| Playbook item | Status | Evidence today | Next action | Owner | Audit ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One GA4 property with lead events (calls, bookings, financing) | In progress | Oct 7: one gtag.js load for both GA4 IDs; events live for click_to_call, click_to_text, book_service_click, financing_click, generate_lead (+ Meta Pixel Lead/Contact/Schedule) | Confirm events arrive once GA4 owner access exists; then mark as conversions | Client + Wabu | M5 |
| GA4 custom channel group for AI referrals | Blocked: GA4 ownership unknown | — | Add the "AI assistants" channel (regex in Schema & GEO) | Wabu | M5 |
| Citation frequency & position tracking | Not started | Semrush shows 5 of the shop's keywords with an AI Overview; no prompt tracking yet | The 8-prompt quarterly check; log mention, position, linked site, sources | Wabu | — |
| Knowledge Panel present and accurate | Blocked: C2 | Present as a Maps entity (/g/11f00d1wx1) under "Northwest Express Care", linking nwautocaretx.com | Re-check the day after the GBP fix | Wabu | C2 |
| Schema error rate = 0 | In progress | Oct 7: hours, author, hasMap fixed; Service + BreadcrumbList added; JSON-LD parses cleanly on home, service, post and About pages | Run Google Rich Results Test on 5 URLs | Wabu | H3 |
| Quarterly re-audit cadence | Not started | This audit is the baseline | First re-audit January 2027: Semrush pull, citation check, update this page | Wabu | — |
Part 8 & 9 — Paid and Roadmap (notes)
| Playbook item | Status | Evidence today | Next action | Owner | Audit ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paid presence in AI Overviews (broad match / PMax) | Not started | No Google Ads seen; Facebook campaign running ($16.13/day) with a transmission lead form published today | Out of scope for now; if Google Ads start, send traffic to the rebuilt service pages, not the home page | Client | — |
| Phased roadmap (technical → content → authority) | Done | This microsite: 6-month arc, calendar, and this checklist | Update statuses every session | Wabu | — |
Next 30 Days
- Today, with approval: remove the public 1.8 GB backup and rotate credentials (C1). This isn't a playbook item, but it comes first.
- Client call (this week): nwautocaretx.com, the GBP website/name, Search Console and GA4 owners, the two unknown WordPress admins, hours, the history story, prices, and financing (open questions 1–9). This one call unblocks 17 lines.
- Fix page-sitemap.xml (C3) and deploy the AI-crawler mu-plugin (L1). Wabu can do both now.
- 301 consolidation + delete Hello World (H1); filter the reviews widget (H5).
- Once access exists: verify GSC + Bing Webmaster Tools, submit the sitemap, enable IndexNow (C4).
- Schema fix with sameAs to 8+ confirmed profiles (H3).
- Rebuild /transmission-service/ to the template, with the cost/financing answer block, to match the Facebook campaign (M4).
- Run the first 8-prompt AI citation check right after the GBP website is fixed; record it in the log below.
Progress Log
2026-10-07Fix session
- 23 Done, 8 In progress, 12 Blocked, 14 Not started (was 7 / 0 / 17 / 33).
- Technical: AI-crawler allow, working sitemap (73 URLs), page cache, image compression, font/CSS trimming, one H1 per page, 301 consolidation of 17 duplicates, security headers, REST user list hidden.
- Schema & entity: valid hours, geo, priceRange, 6 sameAs, business-named author, FAQPage on 9 pages.
- Content: transmission cost & financing guide; first 2 blog posts (transmission warning signs, Texas inspection rules); make-specific sections on the 9 ranking make pages; transmission-flush section; all IndexNow-submitted.
- Still Blocked on the client: GBP website and name (C2), Search Console / GA4 owner access (C4), hours, history, team and ASE certifications, prices, and the two unknown admins.
- Not started: Reddit, YouTube, Yelp claim, digital PR, competitor entity-gap analysis, AI citation tracking, GA4 AI channel group (needs C4).
2026-10-03Baseline
- Checklist created from the October 3 audit. 7 Done, 17 Blocked, 33 Not started.
- Checked live today: Google Maps listing, Bing and Brave brand searches, GSC access (none), Semrush, robots.txt, sitemaps, schema, and Lighthouse.
- No playbook items were changed on the live site today.
Update this page every session this engagement is resumed. Change statuses only after verifying them live, move items from Blocked to Not started as soon as their blocker clears, and add a dated card here listing what changed.