# SEO and Google Search Console Setup Guide

This guide covers the complete setup process for SEO features, Google Search Console integration, and automated sitemap submission.

## Table of Contents

1. [Environment Variables](#environment-variables)
2. [Google Search Console Setup](#google-search-console-setup)
3. [Service Account Creation](#service-account-creation)
4. [API Integration](#api-integration)
5. [Testing](#testing)
6. [Deployment Checklist](#deployment-checklist)

## Environment Variables

Create a `.env.local` file in the `code/` directory with the following variables:

```bash
# Site Configuration
NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_URL=https://rockymountainvending.com
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL=https://rockymountainvending.com

# Google Search Console API Configuration
# Required for automated sitemap submission and URL indexing

# Service Account Email (from Google Cloud Console)
GOOGLE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_EMAIL=your-service-account@your-project.iam.gserviceaccount.com

# Private Key (from service account JSON key file)
# Note: Replace \n with actual newlines or use a single-line format
GOOGLE_PRIVATE_KEY="-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----\nYour-Private-Key-Here\n-----END PRIVATE KEY-----"

# Optional: Google Search Console Site URL
# Defaults to NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_URL if not set
GOOGLE_SITE_URL=https://rockymountainvending.com
```

## Google Search Console Setup

### Step 1: Verify Site Ownership

1. Go to [Google Search Console](https://search.google.com/search-console)
2. Click "Add Property"
3. Select "URL prefix" and enter: `https://rockymountainvending.com`
4. Choose a verification method:
   - **HTML tag method**: Add the verification meta tag to `code/app/layout.tsx` in the `metadata.verification.google` field
     - Uncomment the `google` line in the verification object
     - Add your verification code: `google: "your-verification-code-here"`
     - Or set `GOOGLE_SITE_VERIFICATION` environment variable
   - **HTML file method**: Upload the provided HTML file to your site root
   - **DNS method**: Add a TXT record to your domain's DNS settings

### Step 2: Submit Sitemap (Manual - Initial Setup)

1. In Google Search Console, go to "Sitemaps" in the left sidebar
2. Enter `sitemap.xml` in the "Add a new sitemap" field
3. Click "Submit"
4. Wait for Google to process the sitemap (usually within a few hours)

## Service Account Creation

### Step 1: Create Google Cloud Project

1. Go to [Google Cloud Console](https://console.cloud.google.com)
2. Create a new project or select an existing one
3. Note your project ID

### Step 2: Enable Search Console API

1. In Google Cloud Console, go to "APIs & Services" > "Library"
2. Search for "Google Search Console API"
3. Click "Enable"

### Step 3: Create Service Account

1. Go to "APIs & Services" > "Credentials"
2. Click "Create Credentials" > "Service Account"
3. Fill in:
   - **Service account name**: `search-console-api`
   - **Service account ID**: (auto-generated)
   - **Description**: `Service account for Search Console API access`
4. Click "Create and Continue"
5. Skip role assignment (click "Continue")
6. Click "Done"

### Step 4: Generate JSON Key

1. Click on the created service account
2. Go to the "Keys" tab
3. Click "Add Key" > "Create new key"
4. Select "JSON" format
5. Click "Create" - the JSON file will download automatically
6. **Important**: Store this file securely and never commit it to version control

### Step 5: Extract Credentials from JSON

Open the downloaded JSON file and extract:

- `client_email` → Use as `GOOGLE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_EMAIL`
- `private_key` → Use as `GOOGLE_PRIVATE_KEY` (keep the newlines as `\n`)

### Step 6: Grant Access in Search Console

1. Go back to [Google Search Console](https://search.google.com/search-console)
2. Select your property (`https://rockymountainvending.com`)
3. Go to "Settings" > "Users and permissions"
4. Click "Add user"
5. Enter the service account email (from Step 4)
6. Select "Full" permission
7. Click "Add"

## API Integration

### Current Implementation

The API endpoints are set up at:

- `/api/sitemap-submit` - Submit sitemap to Google Search Console
- `/api/request-indexing` - Request URL indexing

### Manual API Integration (Advanced)

To enable full automated functionality, you'll need to install the Google APIs client library:

```bash
npm install googleapis
```

Then update the API route files to use the actual Google Search Console API. See the comments in:

- `code/app/api/sitemap-submit/route.ts`
- `code/app/api/request-indexing/route.ts`

### Automated Sitemap Submission

Once the API is fully configured, you can:

1. **On Build/Deploy**: Automatically submit sitemap after successful deployment
2. **Via API Endpoint**: Call `/api/sitemap-submit` programmatically
3. **Via Cron Job**: Set up a scheduled task to submit sitemap periodically

Example API call:

```bash
curl -X POST https://rockymountainvending.com/api/sitemap-submit \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"sitemapUrl": "https://rockymountainvending.com/sitemap.xml"}'
```

## Testing

### 1. Verify Sitemap Accessibility

Visit: `https://rockymountainvending.com/sitemap.xml`

You should see a valid XML sitemap with all your pages listed.

### 2. Verify Robots.txt

Visit: `https://rockymountainvending.com/robots.txt`

You should see:

```
User-agent: *
Allow: /
Disallow: /api/
Disallow: /admin/
Disallow: /_next/

Sitemap: https://rockymountainvending.com/sitemap.xml
```

### 3. Test Structured Data

1. Go to [Google Rich Results Test](https://search.google.com/test/rich-results)
2. Enter your homepage URL: `https://rockymountainvending.com`
3. Click "Test URL"
4. Verify that LocalBusiness structured data is detected

### 4. Test NAP Consistency

1. Check that phone number `(435) 233-9668` appears consistently across:
   - Footer
   - Header
   - Contact section
   - Structured data
2. Verify email `info@rockymountainvending.com` is consistent
3. Check website URL is `https://rockymountainvending.com` everywhere

### 5. Test Google Search Console API

```bash
# Test sitemap submission endpoint
curl https://rockymountainvending.com/api/sitemap-submit

# Test indexing request endpoint
curl https://rockymountainvending.com/api/request-indexing
```

## Deployment Checklist

Before deploying to production:

- [ ] All environment variables are set in production environment
- [ ] Google Search Console property is verified
- [ ] Service account has been granted access in Search Console
- [ ] Sitemap is accessible at `/sitemap.xml`
- [ ] Robots.txt is accessible at `/robots.txt`
- [ ] Structured data validates in Google Rich Results Test
- [ ] NAP information is consistent across all pages
- [ ] Open Graph tags are working (test with [Facebook Sharing Debugger](https://developers.facebook.com/tools/debug/))
- [ ] Twitter Card tags are working (test with [Twitter Card Validator](https://cards-dev.twitter.com/validator))
- [ ] All service areas are listed correctly
- [ ] Business hours are accurate

## Post-Deployment

### Immediate Actions

1. Submit sitemap manually in Google Search Console (if not automated)
2. Request indexing for homepage: Use "URL Inspection" tool in Search Console
3. Monitor Search Console for any errors or warnings

### Ongoing Maintenance

1. **Weekly**: Check Google Search Console for:
   - Coverage issues
   - Indexing errors
   - Mobile usability issues
   - Core Web Vitals

2. **Monthly**:
   - Review search performance
   - Update sitemap if new pages are added
   - Verify NAP consistency

3. **Quarterly**:
   - Review and update structured data
   - Check service areas are still accurate
   - Update business hours if changed

## Troubleshooting

### Sitemap Not Found

- Verify `code/app/sitemap.ts` exists
- Check Next.js build output for sitemap generation
- Ensure production URL is correct

### Structured Data Errors

- Use [Google Rich Results Test](https://search.google.com/test/rich-results) to identify issues
- Check JSON-LD syntax in browser DevTools
- Verify all required fields are present

### API Authentication Errors

- Verify service account email is correct
- Check private key format (newlines must be `\n`)
- Ensure service account has Search Console access
- Verify Search Console API is enabled in Google Cloud

### NAP Inconsistencies

- Use `code/lib/seo-config.ts` as single source of truth
- Use `NAPData` component for consistent display
- Check all hardcoded instances

## Additional Resources

- [Google Search Console Help](https://support.google.com/webmasters)
- [Schema.org LocalBusiness](https://schema.org/LocalBusiness)
- [Next.js Metadata API](https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/functions/generate-metadata)
- [Google Search Console API Documentation](https://developers.google.com/webmaster-tools/search-console-api-original)

## Support

For issues or questions:

- Check the troubleshooting section above
- Review Google Search Console documentation
- Contact your development team