Pillar 3 of 8 · The UltimateSEO Framework
Intent and page strategy
Establish with evidence who is searching, what page format they need and which topics matter to the business before anything is written. This pillar covers the reason each page exists, the site's main purpose, research packets for strategic pages, intent and page-type decisions, topic architecture built around user journeys, query fan-out maps, the ban on duplicate URLs for keyword variations, honest local service-area pages, buyer-intent prioritisation and the use of existing topical strength. A crawler can flag near-duplicates and location-page patterns, but most intent decisions need Search Console data and business knowledge, so they are reviewed with the customer.
- Controls
- 12
- P0 gate controls
- 4
- Hard gates
- 1
Branches and controls
Every control in this pillar, with priority, evidence base and how it is checked
Automated the scan can produce pass or fail evidence on its own. Partly automated the crawl gives a signal, a person decides. Needs your evidence Search Console, logs, business facts or reviews are required; the state stays UNKNOWN until you supply them.
I.A Site and user purpose 2
| ID | Control | Priority | Evidence base | Checked by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I-01 | Every page must exist to serve a user need | P0 | Official | Needs your evidence |
| I-02 | The site's main purpose and topic focus must be clear | P1 | Official | Partly automated |
I.B Research and intent validation 3
| ID | Control | Priority | Evidence base | Checked by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I-03 | A research packet must be prepared before writing strategic pages | P1 | Strong practice | Needs your evidence |
| I-04 | Primary intent and page type must be set using evidence | P0 | Strong practice | Needs your evidence |
| I-12 | The strategy problem must be solved before the writing problem | P1 | Strong practice | Needs your evidence |
I.C Topic architecture and journey 4
| ID | Control | Priority | Evidence base | Checked by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I-05 | Topic architecture must follow user tasks and journeys | P1 | Strong practice | Needs your evidence |
| I-06 | A query fan-out map of sub-needs must be created | P1 | OfficialStrong practice | Needs your evidence |
| I-07 | Do not create duplicate URLs for near keyword or prompt variations | P0 | OfficialRisk | Partly automated |
| I-08 | Local service-area pages must rest on a real operational difference Hard gate | P0 | OfficialRiskStrong practice | Partly automated |
I.D Business-value prioritisation 3
| ID | Control | Priority | Evidence base | Checked by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I-09 | The commercial backlog must be prioritised by buyer intent and business value | P1 | Strong practice | Needs your evidence |
| I-10 | Problem, implementation and after-purchase questions must be covered | P1 | Strong practice | Needs your evidence |
| I-11 | Existing topical strength must be used before opening new topics | P1 | Strong practice | Needs your evidence |
Back to the framework hub · How the publish gate uses these controls