Playbook · By stage
SEO & AI search playbook for seed-stage startups
At seed, positioning is still moving. The product may change, the category name may change, the domain may change. Big content bets made now can be wasted by next quarter's pivot.
But some things are worth doing from day one because they don't depend on positioning: a clean technical base, Search Console, and a habit of redirecting every URL you change. And if you're creating a new category, remember that nobody searches for a category name they haven't heard of yet.
Updated By the LaunchRanked team3 sources checked
Searches to plan around
Query patterns and the intent behind them. We don’t quote search volumes: check your own Search Console for the ones you already appear for.
The problem, in buyers' words
Problem-awareFor a new category, people search the problem and the old workaround, not your category name.
“[old workaround] alternative”
Looking for betterSpreadsheets, manual processes, incumbents. Write for the thing you replace.
“[startup] funding”, “[startup] founders”
Brand after newsFunding news drives brand searches. Have an about page and press page ready.
“[startup] careers”
HiringCandidates search you. A careers page with real roles helps.
Page families that work
Problem pages
/problems/[problem]
Describe the problem and the old workaround. These survive pivots better than feature pages.
Alternatives to the workaround
/alternatives/spreadsheets
Honest comparison with the thing people do today.
About and press
/about, /press
For brand searches after announcements.
Risky page types
Big programmatic builds before positioning settles
Pages built around a positioning you drop next quarter become redirects or dead weight.
Changing domains without redirects
Every link you earned points to the old domain. Without 301 redirects, you start from zero.
Technical pitfalls
Rebrands and pivots
Map every old URL to a new one and 301 redirect it. Google calls redirects a strong canonical signal.
Launch spike, then nothing
Launches bring brand searches for a week. Make sure your site answers them and captures sign-ups.
Staging sites indexed
Preview deployments and staging domains get crawled. Protect them or noindex them.
How AI assistants answer questions in this category
For a new category, assistants may not know you or the category name at all. They answer problem questions from what they can find: comparison articles, launch listings and your own pages if they describe the problem clearly. Launch and directory listings also help assistants connect your name to what you do.
What tends to earn a citation
- A plain description of the problem and who has it, on your site.
- Launch and directory listings with the same one-line description.
- About and press pages that answer brand questions after news.
Check whether the AI crawlers you want can reach your site with our AI crawler checker.
Where links come from
Launches
Launch once positioning is stable enough. Launch free on LaunchRanked for a permanent listing.
Funding and hiring news
Announcements bring press links. Point them at pages that will still exist after a pivot.
Startup directories
Startup directories cover new companies and their stage.
Directory lists that fit seed-stage startups
- Startup directories
- Product launch platforms
- SaaS directories
- Where to submit: Pre-launch startups
- Where to submit: Startup databases
- All directories
Each directory is checked on its own site: price, link type and review process. We never sell links.
A 90-day plan
Days 1–30
Base that survives pivots
- Set up Search Console and analytics.
- Protect staging and preview sites.
- Write a redirect policy: every changed URL gets a 301.
Days 31–60
Problem pages
- Write three pages on the problem and the old workaround.
- Publish about, press and careers pages.
- Launch when positioning is stable enough.
Days 61–90
Measure and decide
- Check which problem queries bring impressions.
- Decide whether positioning is settled enough to invest in page families.
- Rewrite titles at positions 5–20.
What to watch in Search Console
The Performance report gives clicks, impressions, CTR and average position by query, page, country, device and date. Traffic from Google's AI features is counted there too, under the Web search type (Google).
- Brand queries after news
- Should spike with announcements. Check they land on your site.
- Problem-query impressions
- Shows whether your problem pages are found.
- 404s after changes
- The Page indexing report shows URLs lost in a pivot.
Frequently asked questions
Is SEO worth it at seed?
The technical base and problem pages are. Big content programmes can wait until positioning settles.
We're creating a new category. What do we target?
The problem and the workaround people use today. Nobody searches a category name they haven't heard.
What do we do in a rebrand?
Redirect every old URL to its new equivalent with 301s, and update links you control.
Does launch traffic help SEO?
It brings brand searches and listings. The lasting value is the links and listings, so pick launches that give you something permanent.
Sources
Checked on September 23, 2026. Search patterns and page advice are our own judgement from running this playbook; we don’t quote search volumes or third-party statistics.