I Built an SEO Tool That Gives You a Diagnosis Instead of a Score

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Every SEO tool I used gave me the same thing: a score out of 100 and a list of issues. “Fix this title tag. Add that alt text. Improve page speed by 0.3 seconds.”

I’d fix everything, check the score, feel productive — and then watch the traffic graph stay flat.

The problem wasn’t finding issues. It was knowing which ones mattered.

The Strategy Kernel Approach

I started applying Richard Rumelt’s Strategy Kernel framework — originally designed for business strategy — to SEO:

  1. Diagnosis — What is actually going on?
  2. Guiding Policy — What approach addresses it?
  3. Coherent Actions — What specific steps follow?

Instead of treating all 47 issues equally, I classified findings as Threats (things hurting you now), Gaps (missed optimizations), and Opportunities (untapped potential). Then I scored each one: Severity x Scale x Page Importance.

The results were immediate. Instead of fixing everything, I fixed what mattered. Traffic moved.

So I Built DadSEO

DadSEO connects to Google Search Console (read-only), imports up to 16 months of historical data, and runs a strategic diagnosis using 7 specialized AI subagents in parallel.

What it does differently:

Traditional SEO tools:

  • Numeric scores (73/100)
  • Keyword density targets
  • Critical/High/Med/Low severity
  • Generic checklists

DadSEO:

  • 6-dimension qualitative evaluation (Strong/Adequate/Weak/Missing)
  • Semantic territory coverage
  • Threats/Gaps/Opportunities with impact formula
  • Strategy Canvas aligned with business goals

20+ specialized tools:

Full audit, content intelligence, AI visibility (GEO), technical SEO, schema, sitemap, competitors, programmatic SEO, hreflang, off-page, internal links, and more.

AI Visibility (GEO)

One tool I’m particularly excited about: GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) checks how visible your site is to AI platforms — Google AIO, ChatGPT, Perplexity. As AI search grows, this becomes critical.

Developer-First Integrations

  • REST API with Bearer token auth
  • MCP server with 50+ functions (works with Claude, Cursor)
  • RSS feed at /feed.xml

Tech Stack

  • Frontend: Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
  • Database: PostgreSQL with Drizzle ORM
  • AI: Claude for analysis and chat
  • Data: Google Search Console API (up to 16 months)
  • Deployment: Docker on Coolify

Pricing

  • Free: 1 site, 5 audits/month — forever
  • Pro: $29/month — 5 sites, unlimited audits, all tools
  • Business: $49/month — unlimited sites, API access

Check it out: https://getdadseo.com

I’d love feedback from the dev community. What do you look for in an SEO tool? What’s missing from the current options?

seo

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