How Forest SEO Works

Forest SEO is a self-service platform that automates your entire content marketing workflow. Here's exactly how the system works, from your first login to publishing your first article.

The Platform Workflow

Forest SEO follows a simple 4-step cycle:

Each step builds on the previous one, creating a continuous content production system.

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Step 1: Create a Project

Time: 1 minute

Projects are organizational containers for your content strategy. Typically, one project = one website.

What Happens

From your dashboard, you:

1. Click "Create Project"
2. Enter a project name (e.g., "Company Blog")
3. Select primary language
4. Click Create

What You Get

Each project contains:

• Keywords — Your target search terms
• Content — Generated articles and drafts
• Integrations — Platform connections
• Settings — Project-specific configuration
• Analytics — Performance metrics (coming soon)

Info

You can create multiple projects for different websites or content strategies. Switch between projects using the project selector in the sidebar.

Learn more about projects

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Step 2: Add Keywords

Time: 5-10 minutes

Keywords define what topics your content will cover. The platform uses these to generate relevant, SEO-optimized articles.

Import Methods

You can add keywords in several ways:

Organization

Keywords can be organized using:

• Terms — Individual keywords (e.g., "puppy training tips")
• Clusters — Grouped related keywords (e.g., all puppy training topics)
• Schedules — Automated content generation timing

Info

Pro Tip: Start with 20-50 keywords in your first cluster. This gives you enough variety without overwhelming the review process.

Learn more about keywords

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Step 3: Generate Content

Time: 2-5 minutes per article

This is where the AI magic happens. The platform generates complete, SEO-optimized articles based on your keywords.

Generation Process

1. Select Keywords — Choose which keywords to target
2. Click Generate — Submit your generation request
3. Processing — AI creates the article (2-5 minutes)
4. Review — Article appears in your content library

What Gets Generated

Each article includes:

• ✅ Title — SEO-optimized headline
• ✅ Content Body — 1,000-2,000 word article with proper structure (H1, H2, H3)
• ✅ Meta Title — Optimized for search results
• ✅ Meta Description — Compelling search snippet
• ✅ Excerpt — Article summary
• ✅ Featured Image — Relevant visual (when enabled)
• ✅ Internal Links — Connections to related content

Generation Options

Info

Content is generated in a queue system. You can track progress in the Jobs section and continue working while articles are being created.

Learn more about content generation

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Step 4: Review & Edit (Optional)

Time: 5-10 minutes per article

Before publishing, you can review and customize generated content using the built-in editor.

Editor Features

The content editor includes:

• Rich Text Editing — Full formatting controls
• SEO Panel — Meta title, description, and keyword optimization
• Preview Mode — See how your content looks
• Version History — Track changes (coming soon)

Common Edits

Most users make these quick improvements:

• Add brand-specific examples
• Insert company data or statistics
• Adjust tone to match brand voice
• Add custom images or screenshots
• Update with latest information

Info

Skip the review? If you're comfortable with AI-generated content quality, you can publish directly without manual review. Many users do this for bulk content production.

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Step 5: Connect Integrations

Time: 2-5 minutes

Integrations automatically publish your content to your website or blog platform.

Supported Platforms

Forest SEO connects with:

Integration Setup

For each platform:

1. Go to Settings → Integrations
2. Click Connect next to your platform
3. Enter connection details (URL, API credentials)
4. Test connection
5. Configure publishing settings

Warning

Keep your integration credentials secure. Forest SEO uses them to publish content directly to your website.

WordPress setup guide • Ghost setup guide • Tilda setup guide

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Step 6: Publish Content

Time: Seconds

With integrations connected, publishing is fully automated or manual depending on your preference.

Publishing Methods

Automatic Publishing

Set up auto-publish rules:

• Publish immediately after generation
• Schedule for specific dates/times
• Auto-publish on a recurring schedule

Manual Publishing

Keep full control:

1. Review content in your library
2. Select articles to publish
3. Choose target integration
4. Click Publish
5. Content appears on your website

Publishing Options

When publishing, you can configure:

• Target Site — Which integration receives the content
• Category — WordPress/Ghost category assignment
• Tags — Relevant tags for organization
• Status — Draft or Published
• Schedule — Publish now or schedule for later
• Featured Image — Include or exclude

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How It All Connects

Here's how the platform components work together:

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Typical User Journey

Here's what a typical Forest SEO workflow looks like after initial setup:

Day 1: Setup

• Create account and project
• Import 50 keywords from research
• Generate first 5 articles
• Review and approve content
• Connect WordPress integration
• Publish first articles

Week 1: Ramp Up

• Generate 10-20 articles
• Organize keywords into clusters
• Set up publishing schedule
• Review content quality
• Adjust content settings

Month 1: Scaling

• Generate 50-90 articles
• Automate generation schedules
• Reduce manual review time
• Monitor integration health
• Track which topics perform best

Month 2+: Optimization

• Content auto-generates on schedule
• Minimal manual intervention
• Focus on keyword research
• Expand into new topic clusters
• Monitor traffic growth

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Key Differences from Traditional Content Marketing

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Timeline & Expectations

Understand what to expect at each stage:

Warning

SEO takes time. Don't expect traffic on day 1. Most new websites see meaningful organic traffic after 2-3 months of consistent publishing. Established websites see results faster.

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Best Practices for Success

To maximize results with Forest SEO:

1. Maintain Consistency

• Publish regularly (daily or weekly)
• Don't stop after a few articles
• SEO rewards content volume over time

2. Target the Right Keywords

• Focus on low-competition terms initially
• Use long-tail keywords (3-5 words)
• Match search intent to content type

3. Keep Integrations Healthy

• Test integration connections monthly
• Update credentials if they change
• Monitor failed publications

4. Review Strategically

• Review first 10 articles closely
• Reduce review frequency as quality improves
• Focus reviews on high-value topics

5. Organize with Projects

• Create separate projects for different websites
• Use clear naming conventions
• Archive old projects when done

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Common Workflows

Workflow A: High Control

For brands requiring strict quality control:

1. Generate 5-10 articles
2. Review and edit each one
3. Manually publish approved content
4. Track performance closely
5. Iterate based on results

Best for: Established brands, sensitive industries, high-stakes content

Workflow B: Balanced

For teams wanting efficiency with oversight:

1. Generate 20-30 articles weekly
2. Spot-check 20% of content
3. Auto-publish to WordPress
4. Weekly performance review
5. Adjust keyword strategy monthly

Best for: Growing businesses, agencies, content marketers

Workflow C: Maximum Scale

For pure volume and speed:

1. Import 500+ keywords
2. Set up automated schedules
3. Auto-generate daily
4. Auto-publish all content
5. Monitor traffic trends

Best for: Affiliate sites, traffic arbitrage, new domains

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

Content Not Publishing

Possible causes:

• Integration credentials expired
• Website API disabled
• Network connectivity issue

Solution: Go to Integrations → Test Connection

Generation Taking Too Long

Normal: 2-5 minutes per article
Slow: 10+ minutes

Possible causes:

• High queue volume (check Jobs page)
• Server load (peak hours)

Solution: Wait for queue to clear, or contact support

Content Quality Issues

If AI content doesn't meet expectations:

• Adjust content settings (coming soon)
• Provide more specific keywords
• Use content editor to refine
• Check content policy settings

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What's Next?

Now that you understand how Forest SEO works, start your journey:

Total time to first published article: ~30 minutes