You built something amazing. Now you need people to find it. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) sounds intimidating, but for indie apps, it's surprisingly simple: help search engines understand what your app does, make it easy to share, and create content people actually want to link to.
This isn't about gaming Google's algorithm or keyword stuffing. It's about making your app discoverable when someone searches for exactly what you built. Let's focus on the 20% of SEO that drives 80% of results.
LLM Conversation Starter
Get personalized SEO strategy for your app:
My app: [describe what your app does in one sentence] Target users: [who would search for this?] Main features: [list 3-5 key features] Help me with SEO: 1. Suggest 5 search terms people might use to find my app 2. Write a compelling meta description (under 155 characters) 3. Identify 3 pages/features that should rank well 4. Suggest content I could create to attract organic traffic 5. Review my current page titles and suggest improvements Current URL structure: [paste your main URLs]
Pro Tip:
Save this conversation. It becomes your SEO checklist for every new page you add.
The SEO Essentials (Do These First)
Page Titles & Descriptions
Every page needs a unique title and description. This is what shows up in search results.
Good Example:
Title: "Free Invoice Generator - Create Professional Invoices Online"
Description: "Generate beautiful invoices in seconds. No signup required. Download as PDF. Perfect for freelancers and small businesses."Bad Example:
Title: "Home - My App"
Description: "Welcome to my app"Clean URL Structure
URLs should describe what's on the page. Use hyphens, not underscores.
/create-invoice/pricing/blog/how-to-invoice-clients/page?id=12345/create_new_invoice_formMobile-Friendly Design
Google prioritizes mobile-friendly sites. If you used Tailwind with responsive classes, you're probably fine. Test it:
- Open your app on your phone
- Can you read text without zooming?
- Are buttons easy to tap?
- Does everything load quickly?
PM Insight: The First Impression Matters
What amateurs do: Write meta descriptions after launch, as an afterthought.
What PMs know: Your meta description is your elevator pitch. Spend 10 minutes crafting it - it's the first thing potential users read in search results.
Test: Text your description to a friend. If they don't get what your app does in 5 seconds, rewrite it.
Social Sharing Setup
When someone shares your app on Twitter, LinkedIn, or in Slack, you want it to look professional. This is called Open Graph (OG) tags.
The Must-Have Tags
// In your page metadata (Next.js example)
export const metadata = {
title: 'Your App Name',
description: 'What your app does in one sentence',
openGraph: {
title: 'Your App Name',
description: 'What your app does in one sentence',
url: 'https://yourapp.com',
images: [{
url: '/og-image.png', // 1200x630px
width: 1200,
height: 630,
}],
},
twitter: {
card: 'summary_large_image',
title: 'Your App Name',
description: 'What your app does',
images: ['/og-image.png'],
},
};Creating Your OG Image
Your Open Graph image (1200x630px) is what shows up when people share your link.
Quick win: Use Canva (free) with their "Twitter Post" template
- • Include your app name in large text
- • Add a one-line description
- • Use your brand colors
- • Keep it simple - people see this for 2 seconds
Common Mistake: Forgetting to Test
The trap: You add OG tags, assume they work, and shares look broken for weeks.
The fix: Test before you share!
- • Twitter: Use Twitter Card Validator
- • Facebook: Use Sharing Debugger
- • LinkedIn: Just paste URL and preview
Technical SEO (The Boring But Important Stuff)
1. Create a Sitemap
A sitemap tells search engines which pages exist on your site. Next.js can generate this automatically.
Ask your LLM:
"Help me add a sitemap to my Next.js app. I have these main pages: [list pages]"
2. Add robots.txt
This file tells search engines which pages to index and which to ignore (like admin pages).
# public/robots.txt User-agent: * Allow: / Disallow: /admin Disallow: /api Sitemap: https://yourapp.com/sitemap.xml
3. Page Speed Matters
Google ranks faster sites higher. Use Vercel's built-in optimizations:
- Use Next.js Image component for images (auto-optimization)
- Lazy load images below the fold
- Minimize heavy JavaScript libraries
Content Strategy (The Long Game)
Here's the truth: The best SEO is helpful content. But you don't need a blog empire - just strategic pages that answer questions your target users are searching for.
The 3-Page Content Strategy
Instead of writing 50 blog posts, create 3 exceptional pages:
1. The "How To" Guide
Solve the exact problem your app solves. Example: "How to Create Professional Invoices (Free Template Included)"
2. The Comparison Page
Compare solutions to the problem (including yours). Example: "5 Ways to Track Time: Spreadsheets vs Apps"
3. The Resource Page
Comprehensive list related to your niche. Example: "50 Free Invoice Templates for Every Industry"
PM Insight: Content That Compounds
What works: One great guide that ranks #1 for a specific search term.
What doesn't: 20 mediocre blog posts nobody reads.
Strategy: Write for humans first, search engines second. If your mom can't understand it, rewrite it. Google rewards clarity.
Timing: SEO takes 3-6 months to show results. Start now, measure later.
SEO Launch Checklist
Complete these before promoting your app: