Build log / Run 2
Run 2: 1,797 keywords, 791 pages, $13.10.
In October 2026 we ran SerpDad on serpdad.com. This build log entry has every number from that run: what went in, what the estimate said, what we paid, how long it took, which decisions the SERP settled and which ones a person did.
This plan is ours and is still being built. No ranking claims here: the pages are being written now.
What went in. The inputs.
We gave SerpDad 1,797 keywords about our own market. serpdad.com was a young site with very few pages, so almost every keyword needed a new page. The homepage was the one page we already owned that mattered: it targets "topical authority tool".
We kept the default grouping rule: two keywords go on one page when they share 3 or more of the same top 10 URLs. The threshold is adjustable. We did not touch it, so this run shows the defaults.
The keys were our own: DataForSEO for search data and one AI provider for classification and briefs. Both billed us directly, as they would bill you.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Site | serpdad.com |
| Keywords | 1,797 |
| Grouping rule | 3+ shared top 10 URLs |
| Search data | Our DataForSEO key |
| AI | Our AI provider key |
What it cost. Estimate first, then the bill.
Before anything ran, SerpDad showed an estimate of $4.32 to $14.77 in provider fees. Nothing was fetched until we approved it.
The real bill was $13.10, inside the range and near the top. Keyword data was most of it: $10.42, about 80% of the total. 408 SERPs were reused from the cache, so we did not pay to fetch those again.
On top of provider fees is the SerpDad plan itself, from $15 a month. See pricing.
| Step | Cost |
|---|---|
| SERP fetch | $0.83 |
| Keyword data | $10.42 |
| Classification | $1.67 |
| Briefs | $0.18 |
| Total | $13.10 |
| Estimate shown before the run | $4.32 to $14.77 |
How long it took. 1 hour 22 minutes, start to plan.
1h22m
From approving the estimate to a finished page plan for all 1,797 keywords.
408 SERPs reused
Results fetched in the last 30 days are reused at no provider cost.
0 pages compete
Checked at the end of the run: no two planned pages chase the same queries.
Who decided what. 295 decisions went to a person.
SerpDad settles everything the SERP can settle. The rest goes to the review queue as one of three questions, each with its evidence.
| Question | What it asks | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Own page? | Should this keyword be its own page? | 146 |
| Page shape? | What shape should this page take? | 85 |
| Which page? | Which page should this contested keyword join? | 64 |
| Total | 295 |
One hub, up close. The topical authority hub: 62 pages.
The biggest hub in the plan is about topical authority: 62 pages, 224 keywords and 19 H2 sections. Across the whole plan there are 94 H2 sections: keywords that belong inside a page as a section, not on a page of their own.
The homepage keeps "topical authority tool". Every other keyword in the hub got its own owner page or joined one, decided by how many top 10 URLs the keywords share.
The receipts. Why some keywords share a page and others don't.
Each decision links to the evidence: the URLs two keywords share in their top 10. Three examples from the hub, all compared with the homepage keyword.
| Compared with topical authority tool | Shared top 10 URLs | Result |
|---|---|---|
| build topical authority tool | 6 of 10 | Same page: joins the homepage |
| topical authority | 2 of 10 | Separate page |
| topical authority checker | 1 of 10 | Separate page |
"Topical authority" and "topical authority tool" look like the same keyword. Google shows mostly different pages for them, so they get different pages. A spreadsheet would have merged them.
What went to review. 64 contested keywords, 41 parked.
64 keywords were real ties: they shared the same number of results with two pages. SerpDad did not pick one at random. Each went to the review queue as "Which page?", with the evidence for both sides.
41 keywords were parked. A parked keyword stays in the plan without a page, because it has no search volume or nothing to join. We can turn any of them into a page later.
What we'd change. Our notes for the next run.
Clean the list before the run
Keyword data was $10.42 of $13.10. Junk keywords cost money to look up, so next time we trim the list first.
Expect the top of the estimate on a new site
A young site has little cached data, so the bill landed near the top of the range. Budget for the high end.
Answer the review queue hub by hub
295 decisions in one sitting is a lot. Working one hub at a time keeps the calls consistent.
Report results without the credit
When planned pages earn impressions, we will publish the numbers here, and say we cannot prove SerpDad caused them.
Questions and answers.
Can't find the answer? Email us.
Is this a case study?
No. It is our own site, planned with our own tool. Nobody paid for it and we chose the keywords. Read it as a worked example of what a run produces and costs.
Did the plan make serpdad.com rank?
We make no ranking claims. The pages are still being written. When planned pages have Search Console data, we will publish the numbers here and say plainly that we cannot prove SerpDad caused them.
Why did the run cost $13.10 when the estimate started at $4.32?
The estimate is a range because SerpDad cannot know in advance how many keywords need fresh keyword data. Keyword data was $10.42 of the bill, which pushed the total toward the top of the range. It stayed inside it.
Who answered the 295 decisions?
A person on our team. SerpDad decides everything the SERP can settle on its own and sends real ties and judgement calls to the review queue, each with its evidence.
Can I see the plan itself?
This page shows the numbers and real examples from the plan. If you want to look at a specific hub or keyword, email us and we will send the receipt.
That was our site.
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