What Open SEO MCP Skills Does
Open SEO MCP Skills is an MIT-licensed collection of SEO and GEO skills for Claude. It lets Claude perform keyword research, rank tracking, site audits, backlink analysis, competitor gap research, content planning, paid-versus-organic comparisons, and AI visibility analysis.
Instead of relying only on estimated traffic and ranking data, the project works through the Ryze MCP connector to use your connected accounts. Rankings and clicks come from Google Search Console, traffic comes from GA4, and keyword planning data comes from Google Ads. DataForSEO supplies information that these first-party platforms do not provide, including competitor keywords, backlinks, and SERPs.
The skills themselves are free and open source. There is no tool subscription or markup on API calls, and you can inspect, modify, or redistribute the skills under the MIT license. Data access runs through your Ryze workspace and the accounts connected to it.
Key Features and Data Sources
First-party SEO and analytics data
- Google Search Console: Uses your real positions, impressions, clicks, and query data for audits, rank tracking, and organic analysis.
- Google Analytics 4: Uses your actual traffic data, including referrals from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini.
- Google Ads: Supplies keyword planner data and supports comparisons between paid queries and organic rankings.
Integrated external SEO data
DataForSEO is wired into the Ryze connector for competitor keywords, SERPs, backlinks, and other information unavailable from Google’s first-party tools. You do not need to manage a separate DataForSEO key or create your own markup layer. Existing Ahrefs and Semrush accounts can also be connected if you already use those services.
Included skills
seo-audit: Reviews indexation, CTR anomalies, decaying pages, and quick-win opportunities using GSC and GA4.keyword-research: Turns seed terms into ideas, volume and CPC data, intent analysis, clusters, and a keyword plan using Google Ads and DataForSEO.rank-tracking: Finds position changes between any two periods using Google Search Console.competitor-gap: Identifies keywords for which a competitor ranks but your site does not, using DataForSEO and GSC.backlink-check: Examines backlinks and referring domains and compares them with a competitor’s profile.ai-visibility: Reports which AI engines refer traffic to your site and which pages receive that traffic.content-brief: Produces a SERP-driven brief covering headings, entities, questions, and internal links.seo-vs-ads: Finds paid queries for which your site already has organic rankings by combining GSC and Google Ads data.
Prerequisites
Before installing the skills, make sure you can use Claude connectors and have a Ryze workspace. You will also need access to the Google Search Console, GA4, or Google Ads accounts that you want Claude to analyze. The exact results available to each skill depend on the providers and accounts connected to your workspace.
To use the plugin installation method, you also need Claude Code. If you prefer not to install the marketplace plugin, you can clone the repository and copy the skill files into Claude’s local skills directory.
Step 1: Connect Ryze MCP to Claude
In Claude, open Settings, select Connectors, choose Customize, and add a custom connector with the following values:
Name: Ryze AI
URL: https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcpSign in when prompted, select your Ryze workspace, and connect the relevant Google Search Console, GA4, and Google Ads accounts. You only need to establish these account connections once.
For detailed connector instructions, see the Ryze Claude connection guide.
Step 2: Install the Skills
Option A: Install the Claude Code plugin
Add the project’s plugin marketplace and then install the skills package:
claude plugin marketplace add Ryze-AI-Adgent/open-seo-mcp-skills
/plugin install open-seo-mcp-skills@ryzeThe first command registers the repository as a plugin marketplace. The second installs the open-seo-mcp-skills package from the Ryze marketplace.
Option B: Clone and copy the skills
If you want to inspect or customize the files directly, clone the repository and copy its skills into your Claude skills directory:
git clone https://github.com/Ryze-AI-Adgent/open-seo-mcp-skills && cp -r open-seo-mcp-skills/skills/* ~/.claude/skills/This approach is useful when you intend to edit the skill instructions or maintain your own version.
Run Your First SEO Audit
After connecting the MCP server and installing the skills, you can describe the task in ordinary language. Start with a direct request:
Run an SEO audit on my site.
The seo-audit skill can combine Google Search Console and GA4 information to examine indexation, unusual CTR patterns, pages losing performance, and potential quick wins. If your workspace contains multiple properties, identify the site or property you want analyzed.
You can make the request more specific by including a comparison period and desired output:
Run an SEO audit for my site. Compare the most recent 28 days with the previous 28 days, identify decaying pages and CTR anomalies, and prioritize the most important opportunities.
The README confirms support for period comparisons in rank tracking, but available fields and exact outputs still depend on the connected data and tools.
Perform Keyword Research
Use the keyword-research skill when you want to turn a seed topic into a structured plan. It can combine Google Ads keyword planning information with DataForSEO data to evaluate volume, CPC, intent, and clusters.
Research keywords related to technical SEO audits. Include volume, CPC, intent, and a clustered keyword plan.
For a more useful result, provide your market, audience, or seed terms in the prompt. Do not assume a geography or language if those choices materially affect your campaign.
Track Ranking Changes with Search Console
The rank-tracking skill compares Google Search Console positions across two periods. Because the data comes from your own GSC property, it reflects your recorded queries, clicks, and positions rather than third-party estimates.
Compare my Google Search Console rankings for the last 30 days with the previous 30 days. Show the biggest position gains and losses.
You can ask Claude to focus on particular query groups, landing pages, or changes that also affected clicks, provided the connected Search Console data supports the requested analysis.
Find Competitor Keyword Gaps
The competitor-gap skill compares DataForSEO competitor information with your Google Search Console data. Its purpose is to find terms for which a competitor ranks but your site does not.
What keywords does competitor.com rank for that I do not?
Replace competitor.com with the domain you want to investigate. You can also ask for prioritization based on the metrics returned by the connected providers, but avoid prescribing unavailable fields before checking the tool response.
Analyze Backlinks
Use backlink-check to inspect a backlink profile, review referring domains, and compare the results with a competitor through DataForSEO.
Compare my backlink profile and referring domains with competitor.com.
This can help you explore differences in link profiles without treating the project as a substitute for your first-party analytics. Backlink results come from the external provider rather than Search Console or GA4.
Measure AI Referral Visibility
The ai-visibility skill uses GA4 AI-referral reports to show which supported AI engines send visitors to your site and which pages receive that traffic. The README specifically names ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini.
Show which AI engines are sending traffic to my site and which landing pages receive that traffic.
This approach measures actual referral traffic recorded in your analytics rather than estimating visibility through prompt sampling. Results depend on what GA4 can observe and attribute in your connected property.
Create a SERP-Driven Content Brief
The content-brief skill uses DataForSEO and GSC to build a brief based on SERP information and your existing search data. It can cover headings, entities, questions, and internal link opportunities.
Create a content brief for “enterprise SEO audit.” Include suggested headings, entities, common questions, and internal link opportunities.
Supplying a clear target query gives the skill a defined SERP to analyze. If internal linking is important, ensure the connected data gives the skill enough information about relevant pages on your site.
Compare Paid and Organic Search
The seo-vs-ads skill combines Google Search Console and Google Ads data to locate queries for which you are paying for clicks even though your site already ranks organically.
How much am I paying for clicks I might already get organically?
This workflow can surface overlap between paid and organic search. Interpret the results carefully: an organic ranking does not automatically mean that pausing an ad will preserve the same total clicks or conversions. The skill identifies data overlap; campaign decisions still require business judgment.
Advanced Tips
Use explicit sites and date ranges
If your workspace contains several properties or ad accounts, state the intended site, account, and reporting periods. Explicit prompts reduce ambiguity and make comparisons easier to interpret.
Ask for prioritized output
Turn broad analyses into actionable reports by asking Claude to sort findings according to returned metrics. For example, request a short list of decaying pages, rank losses, or keyword gaps and ask for the supporting data beside each item.
Combine related skills
The skills can support a connected workflow. Begin with competitor-gap to discover missing topics, use keyword-research to expand and cluster them, and then run content-brief for a selected query. This sequence stays within the capabilities described by the repository while turning separate analyses into a practical content process.
Understand MCP tool namespaces
For authors modifying or creating skills, Ryze MCP tools use the <provider>__<tool> naming pattern. Examples from the project include:
google_search_console__runRawSearchAnalytics
google_ads__generateKeywordIdeasUsing provider-specific names helps a skill call the correct connected service.
Retrieve provider documentation when needed
If a request shape is unclear, skill authors can call native__get_provider_docs with a provider such as dataforseo or google_search_console. This returns the official API documentation needed to construct the request accurately.
Plan for workspace differences
Tool availability can vary by Ryze workspace. Each included skill states its fallback, so review the skill file before modifying its behavior. Do not assume that every provider or tool is available in every installation.
Customize the open-source skills
Because the repository is MIT-licensed, you can copy and change the skills for your own workflows. When customizing them, preserve clear provider requirements, document fallbacks, and avoid assuming access to accounts that a workspace has not connected.
Conclusion
Open SEO MCP Skills brings first-party Search Console, GA4, and Google Ads data into Claude while using DataForSEO for competitor, SERP, and backlink information. Once the Ryze MCP connector and skills are installed, you can run audits, research keywords, compare rankings, investigate competitors, measure AI referrals, and build content briefs through natural-language requests. Start with one clearly scoped task, verify the connected data sources, and expand into multi-skill workflows as needed.