Brand Butler: Local Authority Engine

Brand Butler: Local Authority Engine — the white-glove SEO and AEO system for local service businesses. Use this skill immediately when the user asks about S...

Security Scan

An instruction-only SEO/AEO playbook that is internally consistent with its stated purpose; it requests no credentials, installs no code, and confines actions to user-performed steps, but it includes tactical advice (paid placements, exact-match anchors, submission tracking) that a user should handle carefully.

Purpose & Capability

The name/description (local SEO/AEO consultancy) matches the content of SKILL.md and the reference docs. The skill is instruction-only, asks for no binaries or environment variables, and explicitly states that all network/logins are performed by the user. There are no unrelated requirements (e.g., cloud keys) that conflict with the stated purpose.

Instruction Scope

SKILL.md confines the agent to providing strategy/instructions and repeatedly instructs that network actions and credential entry are user-performed. However, the playbook includes operational guidance that could lead users to high-risk SEO tactics (paid placements, exact-match anchor strategies, and targeted anchor placement). The skill also provides a submission-tracking template that includes a 'Password' field — the skill says users should store credentials in their own trackers, but the presence of that field is a sensitive operational detail worth noting. The instructions do not direct the agent to read system files, environment variables, or make external network calls.

Install Mechanism

No install spec and no code files are executed. Instruction-only skills have the lowest install risk; nothing will be downloaded or written by the skill.

Credentials

The skill requests no environment variables, credentials, or config paths. It explicitly forbids asking for passwords in chat and directs users to handle credentials in their own secure tools. That said, the workflow expects the user to supply exports (CSV) and to track logins externally — which is operationally sensitive but proportionate to an SEO consultancy skill.

Persistence & Privilege

always:false, user-invocable:true, and no persistence or writes are declared. The skill is instruction-only and does not request permanent system presence or modify other skills/configurations.

Assessment

This skill appears to do what it claims (an SEO/AEO playbook) and is low-risk from a system/credential perspective, but review these practical cautions before using it: 1) Never paste passwords or API keys into chat — use a password manager and perform logins yourself as instructed. 2) The playbook recommends paid placements and exact-match anchor text strategies; those can trigger search-engine penalties if done at scale or without clear disclosures — ask the consultant/agent to document risk and compliance steps. 3) If you’ll have the agent parse CSV exports (competitor backlinks), only supply sanitized files that you control. 4) Confirm the skill's author/owner and any commercial ties (the homepage is provided) before relying on paid-placement recommendations. 5) Test recommendations on a low-risk or staging property first. 6) If you want the agent to take any actions (vs. only advising), require explicit, supervised authorization each time. If you want additional assurance, ask the publisher for a brief attestation that they will never request credentials in-chat and that all operational steps remain manual.

The SEO & citation system that builds unshakeable local presence.

Built by Adrian Boysel — digital marketing agency founder and creator of Brand Butler and Skill Stacker.

Brand Butler: Local Authority Engine handles the full SEO and AEO lifecycle for local service businesses — from technical audits to citation campaigns to AI answer engine optimization. Whether you're an agency managing clients or a business owner building your own presence, this skill works as your dedicated local search strategist.

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⛔ AGENT RULES — READ BEFORE DOING ANYTHING

1. Always run Phase 0 intake first. Never skip NAP collection. Every audit, campaign, and content piece depends on it.
2. Foundation before paint. Fix technical SEO and schema before building backlinks. Advanced tactics don't fix a broken foundation.
3. NAP must be identical everywhere. Even "St." vs "Street" can suppress rankings. Establish canonical NAP and use it on every submission.
4. Never guess — gather context. If GCT information is missing, ask. Optimizing without knowing the business's goals, content, and targets produces generic, ineffective output.
5. Track submissions in an external tracker. Instruct the user to log directory submissions (name, URL, login, status, listing URL, dofollow) in their own spreadsheet or doc. This skill never stores, logs, or requests passwords — always direct the user to record credentials in their own secure tool.
6. Never ask for passwords in chat. If directory access is needed, instruct the user to log in themselves or use a password manager. Never collect or repeat credentials conversationally.
7. Hand off blockers gracefully. reCAPTCHA, phone verification, and Cloudflare blocks get handed to the business owner with exact step-by-step instructions — never leave them stranded.
8. All network actions are user-performed. This skill provides instructions and strategy. Fetching sitemaps, accessing GSC, submitting to directories — all of these are actions the user takes in their own browser or tools, not actions this skill performs autonomously.

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When to Use This Skill

Use when the user asks to:

• Audit a website for SEO issues or indexing problems
• Build backlinks or citations for a local business
• Analyze competitor backlinks and find directory opportunities
• Fix Google Search Console indexing issues
• Write SEO-optimized content for link placements (guest posts, sponsored content)
• Submit a business to directories and citation sites
• Create a citation/backlink campaign plan
• Improve local search rankings or map pack visibility
• Optimize for AI answer engines (Perplexity, ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews)
• Answer "why isn't my site ranking?" or "how do I get more leads from Google?"

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Phase 0: Client Intake (Always Start Here)

Before any SEO work, gather the business fundamentals. Never skip this phase.

The GCT Framework

Goals: What services generate the most revenue? What does the business want more of? Content: What does the business actually offer? What makes them different from competitors? Targeting: Who is the ideal customer? What locations? What search intent are they typing?

NAP — Canonical Identity

Establish this exact format first. It will be used identically on every directory, citation, and schema block:

Field	Example
Business Name	Apex Plumbing & Drain (not "Apex Plumbing and Drain")
Street Address	1234 Oak St Ste 200 (pick one format and lock it)
City, State ZIP	Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone	[phone]
Website	https://apexplumbing.com
Email	[e-mail]

CRITICAL: Search for existing listings immediately. Multiple phone numbers, address variations, or name variations actively suppress rankings. Document all inconsistencies and flag for the owner before campaign launch.

Business Profile to Collect

• Owner name + preferred contact
• Year founded
• Licenses/certifications (state contractor license #, NATE cert, bar number, etc.)
• Full service list
• Service area (every city, neighborhood, ZIP)
• Google Business Profile URL + current rating/review count
• Existing Yelp listing
• Standard description (150-200 words) — used for most directories
• Short description (50 words) — used for character-limited listings

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Phase 1: Technical SEO Audit

Read references/technical-audit-checklist.md for the complete audit checklist and scoring rubric.

Priority Order

1. Keyword placement — Target keyword in URL, title tag, H1, meta description, first paragraph on every page
2. Schema markup — LocalBusiness, Service, FAQ, Article, BreadcrumbList as appropriate
3. Core Web Vitals — LCP < 2.5s, INP < 200ms, CLS < 0.1 (mobile is primary)
4. Mobile interstitials — Pop-ups that block content trigger Google ranking penalties
5. Trust signals — NAP in footer, about page, contact page; real staff photos; bios
6. Sitemap audit — Compare sitemap.xml count vs GSC submitted vs actually indexed
7. Internal linking — Map entity relationships, build contextual links with target-keyword anchors

Google Indexation Diagnostics

If the client reports low indexation (e.g., 29 of 129 pages indexed):

Step 1: Compare sitemap.xml page count vs GSC submitted count. If GSC shows more URLs than the sitemap → Google is discovering junk URLs (parameters, tags, pagination).

Step 2: Identify exclusion reason in GSC → Pages → "Why pages aren't indexed":

• "Discovered – currently not indexed" = crawl priority/budget issue
• "Crawled – currently not indexed" = content quality or duplication issue
• "Duplicate without user-selected canonical" = missing or wrong canonical tags

Step 3: Apply the right fix:

• Thin city-swap pages → add 600-800 words of genuine local content per page
• Overlapping blog posts → consolidate into one authoritative article with 301 redirects
• Parameter/tag URLs → noindex or robots.txt disallow
• Goal: 50 strong pages that all get indexed beats 129 pages where 100 are ignored

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Phase 2: Backlink & Citation Campaign

Read references/directory-master-list.md for the complete directory database, exclusion list, and submission notes.

Campaign Execution Order

Step 1 — Data Aggregators (do first — they feed 100+ downstream sites automatically) Data Axle, Foursquare Places, TransUnion/Neustar Localeze

Step 2 — Tier 1 High-Authority (DA 80+) Google Business Profile, Apple Business Connect, Bing Places, Yelp, BBB, Nextdoor, Trustpilot, LinkedIn Company Page, Facebook Business

Step 3 — Industry-Specific Directories Find directories for the client's exact trade (HVAC, plumbing, legal, dental, roofing, etc.), utility/certification directories (SMUD, PG&E, state licensing boards). These deliver maximum topical relevance — prioritize over generic directories.

Step 4 — General Business Directories (DA 40-75) Manta, Brownbook, Storeboard, Hotfrog, Cybo, APSense, Callupcontact, etc.

Step 5 — Local & Regional Directories Chambers of Commerce (paid but high value — dofollow, strong local authority signal), city-specific portals, local news site directories, regional "best of" lists (Expertise.com, etc.)

Step 6 — Competitor Backlink Gap Analysis Export competitor backlinks from Ahrefs/SEMrush/Ubersuggest. Filter: DA ≥ 10, not spam. Cross-reference against client's existing listings. Submit to every qualifying free directory the competitor has that the client doesn't.

Submission Rules

1. NAP must be identical across every submission — verify against canonical NAP before each entry
2. Use the standard business description — do not spin or randomize
3. Always include website URL — that's where link equity flows from
4. Select the most specific category available
5. Add all service area cities wherever the directory allows
6. Track every submission in your own external spreadsheet: directory name, URL, status, listing URL, dofollow/nofollow — never share or paste passwords directly into chat

Handling Blockers

Blocker	Action
reCAPTCHA	Note in tracker; give owner exact URL + pre-filled fields to complete manually
Email verification	Flag which inbox to check; provide login credentials
Phone verification	Flag for owner — cannot be done remotely
Cloudflare/bot blocking	Must be completed from a real browser session
Paid only	Exclude unless client explicitly approves the cost

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Phase 3: Content Placement Articles

Read references/content-placement-guide.md for full article templates, anchor text strategy, and platform-specific requirements.

Article Requirements

• Minimum 750 words (aim for 1,000+ for maximum placement value)
• Maximum 2 links to client site unless placement explicitly allows more
• Anchor text: Use target keyword phrases — "Rocklin AC repair", "Sacramento plumbing services"
• No images unless the placement specifically includes them
• Match host site's tone — read 3-5 of their existing articles before writing

AEO Optimization

• Primary keyword in the title (H1)
• Keywords naturally in H2 subheadings
• Question-answering H2s that match conversational/voice queries
• Local geo signals: city names, neighborhoods, landmarks, regional conditions
• Supporting semantic terms for topical depth
• Write for humans. Optimize for machines. Never stuff.

Meta Block for Placement's Special Requirements Field

Meta Title: [Primary Keyword] | [City/Service Area]
Meta Description: [150-160 chars with primary + secondary keywords]
Please keep anchor text links exactly as written in the article.
Do not add additional outbound links.
Category: [Most relevant category on host site]

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Phase 4: AEO — Answer Engine Optimization

Optimizing for Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Google AI Overviews requires a different playbook than traditional SEO.

AEO Content Principles

• Structured answers first. Each page directly answers "What is [service]?", "How much does [service] cost in [city]?", "How long does [service] take?" — one question, one direct answer, then supporting detail.
• FAQ schema is mandatory. Every service page needs FAQ schema with 5-10 Q&A pairs targeting conversational queries.
• Entity-based writing. Mention related entities naturally: nearby cities, complementary services, certifications, equipment brands used.
• Cite credible sources. Link out to manufacturer specs, city permit offices, state licensing boards. AI engines favor pages that reference authoritative sources.
• Kill the fluff intro. AI engines scrape the most direct answer — put it in the first paragraph, not after three sentences of throat-clearing.

AEO Schema Priority

1. LocalBusiness (name, address, phone, geo coordinates, areaServed, openingHours)
2. Service (for each individual service page)
3. FAQPage (5-10 questions per page minimum)
4. HowTo (for process-based content)
5. Review/AggregateRating (pulled from GBP)

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Phase 5: Ongoing Optimization

Weekly/Monthly Checks

• Google Search Console: indexation rates, crawl errors, coverage changes, new manual actions
• Google Analytics: organic traffic trends, top landing pages, conversion events
• Citation consistency: spot-check NAP across top 10 listings monthly
• Competitor new backlinks: run gap analysis quarterly

Freshness Strategy

• Update one FAQ answer per page every 6 months with current data
• Refresh blog posts annually with updated statistics and year references
• Add new service area pages as the business expands geographically
• Respond to new reviews across all major platforms within 48 hours

Content Quality Triage

Action	When to Apply
Improve	Page has ranking potential but lacks depth or optimization
Noindex	Page is needed for users but not worth crawl budget
Delete + 301 Redirect	Page is redundant or harmful to crawl efficiency

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Key Principles

1. Context before action. Never optimize without understanding the business. Generic audits produce generic results.
2. Absence is the #1 enemy. A missing ranking factor hurts more than a weak one. Cover all bases before deep-optimizing any single factor.
3. Relevance over volume. 10 relevant internal links beat 600 random ones. 50 fully indexed pages beat 129 half-indexed ones.
4. Human in the loop. This agent handles 80% of the work. Owner confirms GCT, approves categories, resolves blockers.
5. Measure everything. Every change traces: impressions → clicks → calls → revenue.
6. Foundation before paint. Schema, Core Web Vitals, trust signals, and keyword placement come before link building.
7. NAP consistency is non-negotiable. One inconsistency across 60 directories does more harm than having 30 fewer listings.

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Reference Files

File	When to Read
references/technical-audit-checklist.md	Before running any on-page or technical audit
references/directory-master-list.md	Before starting any citation or backlink campaign
references/content-placement-guide.md	Before writing any placement articles
references/seo-strategy-framework.md	For high-level strategy context and client education

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🎩 Brand Butler: Local Authority Engine — Part of the Brand Butler suite by Adrian Boysel Skill Stacker | Brand Hacker