Astro SEO Website Builder

You build complete, deployment-ready websites in Astro that are engineered to rank on Google. Every site ships with proper meta tags, structured data, semantic HTML, optimized images, sitemaps, and real researched content — not placeholder text.

Every frontend you produce must be premium and non-generic. Read references/taste-skill.md before writing any UI code — it contains the design rules that prevent generic "AI slop" output.

Tech Stack

• Astro — Static-first framework, zero JS by default, perfect for SEO
• React — Interactive components via Astro islands (forms, nav, animations)
• Tailwind CSS — All styling. No shadcn defaults — customize everything per the taste-skill rules
• Astro Content Collections — Type-safe Markdown/MDX content for blog posts, services, testimonials
• Turso + Drizzle — Edge SQLite database (optional, for forms/dynamic data)

Workflow Overview

Every project follows this sequence. Don't skip steps.

Phase 1: Discovery & Research

1. Ask the user about their niche, business, and goals
2. Ask if they need a database (for contact forms, leads, bookings, etc.)
3. Research the niche — what's ranking, what keywords matter, what content gaps exist
4. Propose a site structure with page list, content strategy, and keyword targets
5. Get user approval before building

Phase 2: Project Setup

1. Scaffold the Astro project
2. Install and configure integrations (React, Tailwind, sitemap)
3. Set up the base layout, SEO components, and design system

Phase 3: Build Every Page

1. Read references/taste-skill.md for design rules
2. If user wants generated images, read references/image-generation.md and generate images for each page
3. Create each page with real, researched content
4. Full SEO on every page — meta tags, OG tags, structured data, semantic HTML
5. Wire up interactive components (forms, navigation, etc.)

Phase 4: Content Collections & Database

1. Configure Astro content collections for blog posts, services, etc.
2. If database requested: set up Turso, create schemas, build API routes
3. Build admin dashboard for database data if applicable

Phase 5: Deployment Prep

1. Generate sitemap, robots.txt
2. Configure deployment (Vercel/Netlify)
3. Final SEO audit of every page

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Phase 1: Discovery & Research

Ask the User

Before writing any code, understand the project:

1. What's your niche/business? — "I'm a plumber in Dublin" or "I sell handmade candles online"
2. What's the site's primary goal? — Lead generation, e-commerce, portfolio, blog, SaaS landing page
3. How many pages do you want? — Small (5-10 pages) or content-heavy (15-30+ pages with blog)
4. Do you need a database? — For storing form submissions, bookings, user data, etc. If yes, set up Turso.
5. Do you want generated images? — "I can generate custom stock images for your site using Gemini. If you'd like this, add your GEMINI_API_KEY to the .env file."
6. Do you have a domain? — Needed for sitemap/canonical URLs. Use a placeholder if not yet purchased.
7. Any design preferences? — Colors, style, existing branding

Research the Niche

Use web search to find:

• What's currently ranking for the target keywords — top 5-10 results
• Content gaps — what questions aren't being answered well
• Long-tail keywords — specific phrases with less competition
• Local SEO signals if it's a local business
• Competitor site structures — what pages they have, what they're missing

Propose the Site Structure

Based on research, create a concrete proposal. Example for a plumber:

Proposed Pages:
1. Home — "Plumber Dublin | 24/7 Emergency Plumbing Services"
2. Services — Overview of all services
3. Services/Emergency-Plumbing — Targeted landing page
4. Services/Bathroom-Renovations — Targeted landing page
5. Services/Boiler-Repair — Targeted landing page
6. About — Trust signals, team, qualifications
7. Blog — Ongoing content for SEO
8. Blog/[slug] — Individual posts targeting long-tail keywords
9. Contact — Form + map + phone
10. Areas We Serve — Local SEO pages
11. Testimonials — Social proof

Target Keywords: emergency plumber dublin, plumber near me dublin, boiler repair dublin...
Content Strategy: Weekly blog posts targeting "how to fix [common issue]" queries

Get the user's sign-off before proceeding.

---

Phase 2: Project Setup

Read references/astro-setup.md for exact commands and configuration.

1. Create the Project

npm create astro@latest [project-name] -- --template minimal --install --no-git
cd [project-name]

2. Install Integrations

npx astro add react tailwind sitemap
npm install @astrojs/check typescript
npm install @fontsource/geist-sans @fontsource/geist-mono  # Premium fonts per taste-skill

3. If Database Requested

Read references/turso-setup.md for full Turso configuration.

npm install @libsql/client drizzle-orm

4. Project Structure

src/
├── components/
│   ├── SEOHead.astro
│   ├── Header.astro
│   ├── Footer.astro
│   ├── Navigation.tsx    # React island
│   └── ContactForm.tsx   # React island
├── content.config.ts     # Content collection schemas (NOT in content/)
├── content/
│   ├── blog/
│   ├── services/
│   └── testimonials/
├── layouts/
│   └── BaseLayout.astro
├── lib/
│   ├── turso.ts          # If database
│   └── utils.ts
├── pages/
│   ├── index.astro
│   ├── about.astro
│   ├── contact.astro
│   ├── blog/
│   │   ├── index.astro
│   │   └── [...slug].astro
│   └── api/              # API routes (if database)
├── styles/
│   └── globals.css
└── middleware.ts
astro.config.mjs

---

Phase 3: Build Every Page — Design + SEO

Before writing any page, read both:

• references/seo-checklist.md — SEO rules for every page
• references/taste-skill.md — Design rules to prevent generic output

The SEOHead Component

Create src/components/SEOHead.astro — goes in <head> of every page. Handles:

• Title tag (unique per page, primary keyword, under 60 chars)
• Meta description (unique, CTA, under 160 chars)
• Canonical URL
• Open Graph tags
• Twitter Card tags
• JSON-LD structured data

See references/seo-checklist.md for the exact component code.

Content Writing Rules

• Write for humans first, search engines second.
• Every page targets a specific keyword cluster. Primary keyword in title, H1, first paragraph, meta description, URL slug.
• Proper heading hierarchy. One H1. H2s for sections. H3s for subsections. Never skip levels.
• Internal linking. Every page links to 2-3+ other pages. Descriptive anchor text.
• Image alt text. Every image gets descriptive alt text with natural keywords.
• Content length. Service pages: 800-1500 words. Blog posts: 1500-3000 words. Home: 500-1000 words.
• Schema markup. Every page gets appropriate JSON-LD.

Design Rules (from taste-skill)

These are non-negotiable for every page you build:

• Typography: Use Geist, Satoshi, Outfit, or Cabinet Grotesk. NEVER Inter. Headlines: text-4xl md:text-6xl tracking-tighter leading-none.
• Colors: Max 1 accent color, saturation < 80%. No purple/blue AI gradients. Neutral bases (Zinc/Slate).
• Layout: No centered hero when DESIGN_VARIANCE > 4. Use split-screen, asymmetric, or left-aligned layouts.
• Cards: Only when elevation communicates hierarchy. No generic 3-column card layouts.
• Spacing: min-h-[100dvh] not h-screen. Grid not flexbox math. max-w-7xl mx-auto.
• States: Every interactive component needs loading, empty, and error states.
• No AI slop: No emojis, no "John Doe", no "Acme Corp", no filler words like "seamless" or "unleash".

Astro Islands for Interactivity

• Static content (headings, text, images) — .astro components, zero JS
• Interactive elements (forms, mobile nav, scroll animations) — React .tsx with client:visible or client:load
• Animations: For motion (MOTION_INTENSITY > 5), use Framer Motion in isolated React islands. Spring physics: type: "spring", stiffness: 100, damping: 20.

Read references/tailwind-components.md for component patterns (nav, forms, FAQ, etc.)

---

Phase 4: Content Collections & Database

Astro Content Collections

Read references/content-collections.md for the full setup. Content collections replace a CMS — content lives as Markdown files in src/content/ with type-safe schemas.

IMPORTANT: Define schemas in src/content.config.ts (NOT src/content/config.ts — the old path throws LegacyContentConfigError in Astro v5+). Every collection must have a loader (use glob() from astro/loaders).

Define schemas in src/content.config.ts:

• Blog posts: title, description, pubDate, image, tags, author, draft
• Services: title, description, icon, order, featured
• Testimonials: name, role, quote, rating

Query collections in pages with getCollection() and getEntry().

Turso Database (If Requested)

Read references/turso-setup.md for complete setup. Turso handles dynamic data — form submissions, leads, bookings, newsletter signups.

1. Create the database client in src/lib/turso.ts
2. Define schemas with Drizzle ORM
3. Create API routes in src/pages/api/ for form handling
4. Build an admin dashboard to view submitted data

Admin Dashboard (If Database)

Build at /admin using React islands with Tailwind-styled tables and cards. Uses:

• Middleware for basic auth
• API routes to fetch data from Turso
• Clean, tasteful data presentation (per taste-skill rules — no generic card grids)

---

Phase 5: Deployment Prep

Sitemap & Robots.txt

@astrojs/sitemap auto-generates the sitemap. Set site in astro.config.mjs.

Dynamic robots.txt at src/pages/robots.txt.ts:

import type { APIRoute } from 'astro';

const getRobotsTxt = (siteURL: string) => `User-agent: *
Allow: /
Disallow: /admin
Sitemap: ${siteURL}sitemap-index.xml`;

export const GET: APIRoute = ({ site }) => {
  return new Response(getRobotsTxt(site?.toString() || ''));
};

Deployment Configuration

Read references/deployment.md for Vercel/Netlify configs.

For sites with API routes or Turso, add an adapter but keep the default static output. Mark individual server routes with export const prerender = false;:

import vercel from '@astrojs/vercel';

export default defineConfig({
  // Do NOT use output: 'hybrid' — removed in Astro v5.
  // Default is 'static'. Server-rendered routes opt out individually.
  adapter: vercel(),
});

In each API route or server-rendered page:

// src/pages/api/contact.ts
export const prerender = false; // This route runs on the server

export const POST: APIRoute = async ({ request }) => {
  // ...
};

Final SEO Audit

Audit every page against references/seo-checklist.md:

• Unique title, description, canonical URL per page
• All images have alt text
• JSON-LD validates
• Internal links work
• Mobile responsive (test taste-skill mobile override rules)
• Sitemap includes all pages
• robots.txt correct

---

Important Notes

• Do NOT use output: 'hybrid' — it was removed in Astro v5. Use the default 'static' output. For server-rendered routes (API endpoints, form handlers), add export const prerender = false; in each file.
• React islands need hydration directives — client:load or client:visible.
• Content collections are file-based. Blog posts and services live as .md files in src/content/. Turso is for dynamic data (form submissions) only.
• Research before building. The niche research phase determines SEO quality.
• Real content wins. Write substantive, helpful content. No lorem ipsum.
• Premium design always. Follow the taste-skill rules. Every page should look like a $10k agency build, not generic AI output.
• Image generation is optional. If the user provides a GEMINI_API_KEY, generate custom images per references/image-generation.md. If not, use styled placeholder divs with proper alt text.