Directory and tool sites fail SEO when every page looks identical to Google — same boilerplate, no hierarchy, thin descriptions. AIWedia is structured as category hubs plus detail pages; this checklist explains the on-page elements that help those pages earn impressions and clicks.
Site architecture: hubs before orphans
- Hub pages — AI directory, free tools index.
- Category pages — e.g. AI image generators, PDF tools hub.
- Detail pages — individual tools or one-intent utility URLs.
- Support content — blog guides that link down into hubs.
Every new URL should have a parent category and at least two internal links pointing to it within a week of launch.
Title and meta formula that scales
For a free tool page: [Primary intent] + Free + [Year optional] | Brand. Example: “YouTube Thumbnail Downloader Free | AIWedia.” For categories: Best [topic] Tools & Sites (curated). Meta descriptions should state who it is for and what they get in one sentence — not a keyword list.
Content blocks that prevent “thin” classifications
- Unique intro — 2–3 sentences on use case, not filler.
- Curated links — real tools with short, human blurbs.
- About section — when people search this, what problem they have.
- FAQ — 2–4 questions from real support or People Also Ask.
Our thumbnail downloader page follows this pattern; compare it to a page that only lists blue links.
Technical basics that still move rankings
- Mobile-friendly layout and readable font sizes.
- Fast LCP — compress hero images, lazy-load below the fold.
- Valid
robots.txtand sitemap listing important URLs. - Canonical tags on duplicate parameter URLs.
- Stable slugs — avoid changing URLs after indexing without redirects.
Internal linking rules of thumb
From each blog post, link to 3–6 relevant money pages. From each category, link to sibling categories and back to the hub. Use descriptive anchor text (“AI voice generators”) instead of “click here.”
What to avoid on tool sites
- Thousands of auto-generated city pages with no unique value.
- Duplicate PDF tool copy pasted across 50 URLs.
- Blocking Google with accidental
noindexon category templates.
FAQ
Should every tool have its own blog post?
Only when you can add a genuine guide. Otherwise strengthen the tool or category page.
Do I need schema markup?
FAQ and Organization schema can help rich results; implement when your templates support it consistently.
Pair this checklist with AI SEO tools for execution and our AI SEO category.