Quick Start Guide

This guide walks you through the complete setup process—from account creation to publishing your first AI-generated article. The entire process takes approximately 10 minutes.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

Info

No website yet? You can complete most of this guide without a connected website. Content can be generated and stored, then published once you connect an integration.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Estimated time: 2 minutes

1. Navigate to /auth/register
2. Choose your registration method:
   • Email/Password — Enter your email and create a secure password
   • Google OAuth — Click "Continue with Google" for streamlined signup
3. Verify your email by clicking the confirmation link
4. Complete the onboarding wizard

Your account is now active and ready for configuration.

Step 2: Create Your First Project

Estimated time: 1 minute

Projects are the organizational foundation of Forest SEO. Each project typically represents one website or content strategy.

1. From the dashboard, click "Create Project"
2. Enter a descriptive project name (e.g., "Company Blog", "Product Documentation")
3. Select your primary content language
4. Click Create

Your project structure includes:

• Keywords — Target search terms for content generation
• Content — Generated articles and drafts
• Integrations — Publishing platform connections
• Settings — Project-specific configuration

Step 3: Connect Your Publishing Platform

Estimated time: 3 minutes

Forest SEO integrates with major content management systems for automated publishing.

Supported Platforms

Connection Process

1. Navigate to Settings → Integrations
2. Click "Add Integration"
3. Select your platform
4. Enter the required credentials:
   • Site URL
   • API key or application password
   • Additional platform-specific settings
5. Click "Test Connection" to verify
6. Save the integration

Warning

Integration is optional. You can skip this step initially. Content generation works without a connected platform—articles are saved as drafts until you configure publishing.

For detailed platform-specific instructions, see our Integration Guides.

Step 4: Add Target Keywords

Estimated time: 2 minutes

Keywords define what content Forest SEO generates. The platform creates articles optimized for these search terms.

Adding Keywords

1. Navigate to Keywords → Terms
2. Click "Add Keywords"
3. Enter keywords (one per line):

   how to improve website SEO
   content marketing strategies for small business
   best practices for blog optimization

4. Click Save

Keyword Best Practices

Tip

Start small. Begin with 5-10 well-researched keywords. You can expand your keyword list as you learn which topics perform best for your audience.

Step 5: Generate Your First Article

Estimated time: 2 minutes

Content generation is where Forest SEO delivers its core value—transforming keywords into publish-ready articles.

Generation Process

1. Navigate to Content
2. Click "Generate Content"
3. Configure generation settings:

4. Click Generate
5. Wait 30-60 seconds for processing

The AI generates comprehensive articles including:

• SEO-optimized title and meta description
• Structured heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3)
• Internal linking opportunities
• Keyword-optimized body content

Step 6: Review and Publish

Estimated time: 2 minutes

Before publishing, review the generated content for accuracy and brand alignment.

Review Checklist

• Title — Compelling and keyword-relevant
• Structure — Logical heading hierarchy
• Content — Accurate information, appropriate tone
• Links — Relevant internal and external references
• Meta description — Engaging search snippet

Publishing Options

Click "Publish" to send the article to your connected platform. The content appears on your website within minutes.

What's Next?

You've completed the essential setup. Here's how to scale your content production:

Immediate Next Steps

• Add 10-20 additional target keywords
• Generate 3-5 more articles to build initial content base
• Complete Account Setup for security and billing configuration

Within Your First Week

• Organize keywords into Topic Clusters
• Configure Automated Scheduling for consistent publishing
• Review published content performance

First Month Goals

• Reach 30+ published articles
• Analyze traffic data to identify high-performing topics
• Expand to additional keywords or languages

Info

Visit our Troubleshooting Guide for common setup issues, or Contact Support for personalized help.

Next: Account Setup →