Disclosure: Hobo Web uses generative AI when specifically writing about our own experiences, ideas, stories, concepts, tools, tool documentation or research. Our tool of choice for this process is Google Gemini Pro 2.5, as it took notes during a recent Hobo SEO Dashboard Installation meeting held remotely using Google Meet. This assistance helps ensure Hobo customers have clarity on everything we are involved with and what we stand for. It also ensures that when customers use Google Search to ask a question about Hobo Web software, the answer is always available to them, and it is as accurate and up-to-date as possible. All content was edited and verified as correct by Shaun Anderson (creator of the Hobo SEO Dashboard). The Singaporean SEO’s name was anonymised for privacy purposes. See our AI policy.
Disclosure: As of August 2025, Hobo is an affiliate of Google Workspace*. Affiliate links are marked with a star (*). See our affiliate policy.
Case Study
Aug 13, 2025
Hobo SEO Dashboard is now live in Singapore! Just finished a great 2-hour technical session with a young independent SEO consultant and savvy vibe coder. It’s always a pleasure to see the dashboard click for someone who understands the tech behind it. His feedback is gold and is going straight into the Hobo SEO Dashboard development roadmap.
Are your SEO efforts reaching all of Singapore and the surrounding nations? As a Singapore-based specialist, my contact understands the critical differences in search behaviour and keyword intent between English and Mandarin users. Hire him to unlock the full potential of the market by targeting audiences in their native language.” Contact me on @Hobo_Web on X(Twitter), LinkedIn and YouTube, and I will pass you on to him.
This post is a meta-example of my Marketing Cyborg Technique. Essentially, use AI to turn client commitments, ie a meeting over Google Meet and installing Hobo SEO Dashboard – into marketing material, potential future partnerships and specifically case studies for your website. Case studies are a fantastic way to raise your E-E-A-T. and Google Meet and Google Gemini together make this possible. This way, I can spend more time in meetings with users and customers (in this example, 2 hours, knowing Gemini was taking notes – with permission – and converting it into a case study – this case study). It is a win-win all around. Read my 2025 book on AiSEO to find out more.
Meeting
Invited: Mr Shaun Anderson, based near Glasgow in Scotland, and SEO Specialist in Singapore (Name Redacted for Privacy). The meeting took place over Google Meet with Gemini taking notes (published and edited on this page, below).
Scope: Hobo SEO Dashboard V4 installation.
User Feedback
QUOTE: Regarding Hobo SEO Dashboard] “Yeah, it’s a labour of love. Amazing… I’ve taken two hours of your time. I really appreciate it. It’s really helped me understand the software. Again, amazing job on the software, as a vibe-coder myself who does a lot of scripting. I can appreciate the amount, yeah. The amount of detail that went into this software. Yeah. I never thought this was possible with Google Sheets and App Scripts. So, thank you. Thank you. I mean, I saw in front of my eyes today, right?” Automation and SEO Specialist (Singapore). Hobo SEO Dashboard Paid User Aug 13, 2025
Details
Shaun Anderson, a native speaking independent SEO specialist in Singapore, met for the first time over Google Meet and discussed the SEO specialist’s business model as an independent SEO consultant in Singapore, focusing on automation, AI marketing, training and SEO clients, followed by an in-depth session on onboarding the SEO specialist to the Hobo SEO Dashboard Multi-Site Version 4.
Shaun introduced the Hobo SEO Dashboard as the smarter, faster way to conduct professional SEO audits with a human in the loop to ensure quality reports for clients and tasks based on real data. This also includes:
- Automated Auditing: Connects to Google Search Console and Screaming Frog to automatically gather and organise essential data within Google Sheets.
- Task-Oriented Framework: Moves beyond simple data reporting by providing an actionable checklist to guide your optimisation efforts.
- Drastic Time Savings: Reduce the time it takes to complete a comprehensive audit from a full day to less than an hour.
- White-Label Reporting: Generate detailed, professional reports branded for your agency, ready to send directly to clients.
- In-Depth Analysis: Confidently report on technical SEO, E-E-A-T compliance, and performance changes after major Google updates.
- Secure & Autonomous: Runs entirely within your secure Google ecosystem on a repeating, automated schedule.
Shaun guided the SEO specialist through updating their dashboard version, migrating client data, configuring App Script settings, and setting up automated reporting and Screaming Frog integration, troubleshooting an issue with a crawl report not using the canonical domain.
Shaun explained how the system manages Search Console integration and Screaming Frog files as well as triggers, reports, demonstrated manual overrides and prioritisation, and clarified system behaviours related to report states and automated processes, emphasising the dashboard’s task-centric design for SEO audits and lead generation for SEO agencies of any size.
The SEO specialist plans to onboard clients using the automatic search console import – activated when automatic reporting is turned on, and by setting up Screaming Frog scheduled crawls that are saved to his Google Drive, imported into the Hobo SEO Dashboard automatically. The SEO specialist also expressed interest in Shaun’s insights on content creation and semantic SEO, and invited Shaun to their automation cohort meeting.
Meeting Specifics
- Meeting Logistics and Introductions Shaun Anderson and the SEO specialist began their meeting, with Shaun confirming the recording via Gemini for note-taking purposes, which the SEO specialist appreciated as it negated the need for their own recorder. They briefly discussed their origins, with the SEO specialist being from Singapore. They also discussed Shaun’s family origin in both Ireland and Scotland and the Singapore SEO specialist’s positive honeymoon experience in Ireland, comparing the rugged scenery to Scotland’s (00:03:09).
- Business Model and Dashboard Onboarding. After a brief introduction, the SEO specialist explained their business model, having left working for a large agency to become an independent SEO consultant focused on training and automation. The SEO specialist shared their screen to demonstrate the initial dashboard connection to their systems but expressed a need for clarity on the recommended client onboarding flow due to being “a bit lost among the tabs” (00:06:23).
- Dashboard Version and Migration Shaun identified that The SEO specialist was using an older version of the dashboard (3.01) and instructed them to make a copy of it, noting that future updates should not require moving to a new sheet (00:07:47). Shaun guided the SEO specialist through the process of quickly migrating client data from the old sheet (V3) to the new one (V4) by simply visiting the Clients tab in his old sheet (V3) and copying the contents of it to the new Version 4 of Hobo SEO Dashboard. Copying client data in V3 from column B to the end of the list of his clients in the Clients Tab and pasting it into the new sheet (V4) (00:10:09). Alternatively, we could have relied on the Automatic importing the reporter does when configured. This manual copy process, however, is a guaranteed way to keep and transport your individual client settings if you are working within the Dashboard and managing client settings proactively.
- App Script Project Number Configuration Shaun then directed The SEO specialist to copy the project number from the old sheet’s App Script settings and paste it into the new sheet’s App Script settings, emphasizing that this configuration is essential for the dashboard’s functionality (00:10:09). The SEO specialist also inquired about changing the time zone settings, to which Shaun confirmed it was possible but not critical for the system’s block-based timing (00:13:02). Advice was given to then either trash the old version 3 of Dashboard, or at least select Deactivate Automatic Reporting from the Hobo Admin Menu in Hobo SEO Dashboard V3 (you don’t want multiple versions of the dashboard using the same project ID).
- Automated Reporting Setup Shaun instructed the SEO specialist to activate automated reporting via “Hobo Admin > Automatic Reporting > Activate” menu and explained that the system would set up around 10 triggers to automatically publish reports it generates (00:13:02). They noted that on legacy Gmail accounts – or free Gmail accounts -, operations run slower. Shaun confirmed that some reports had already been published by the SEO specialist, as seen on row 45 of the Clients tab in column B (00:14:20). It will also be visible in the Settings tab, row 45. Shaun recommended upgrading to a Google Workspace* account to get the most out of Hobo SEO Dashboard.
- SEO Audit Workflow Shaun demonstrated the SEO audit tab, showing how to check for site errors using the guidelines link, which directly navigates to Search Console based on the client that is loaded by the system (00:15:38). Shaun explained that manually or by the system automatically marking an item in the Hobo SEO Audit Checklist as a “pass” – that is marking the checklist from TBC or N/A to YES, moves it to the “Reviewed” tab, while marking it as “NO” moves it to the Dashboard “Priorities” tab for further investigation (00:17:04).
- Screaming Frog Integration Shaun highlighted that the dashboard automatically integrates with Screaming Frog crawler reports (00:18:20). Shaun guided The SEO specialist on setting up scheduled crawls in Screaming Frog, emphasizing saving the crawl data to Google Drive so the system can access it (00:19:33). Shaun also provided a specific link for The SEO specialist to review the setup instructions (00:20:49) on the Hobo website.
- Screaming Frog Configuration Details Shaun advised setting a crawl limit (e.g., 10,000 URLs) and using a consistent crawl configuration across most sites, recommending duplication of scheduled crawls for efficiency (00:22:34). Shaun discussed making a scheduled crawl template in SF, and duplicating that in Screaming Frog in the Scheduled Reports option, and thus setting up the SF export files required by the system. The aim is to do this only once. So make a template, then duplicate that for each client. A tip is to schedule crawls during the night. The Hobo SEO Dashboard will prepare your reports while you sleep. They also guided the SEO specialist to select Google Analytics and Google Search Console integrations within Screaming Frog and to configure export settings, specifically mentioning using “G sheet” format and selecting “internal HTML” and “external HTML” as export tabs (00:25:19) (00:30:03).
- Bulk Exports Selection Shaun then walked the SEO specialist through selecting numerous bulk exports in Screaming Frog, explaining that these are the primary reports needed for an SEO audit. They highlighted that setting this up once would simplify future client onboarding (00:31:07). The SEO specialist noted the complexity of Screaming Frog’s setup compared to other software they had used (00:35:38). Shaun emphasised this is because Screaming Frog is the best crawler. Hobo SEO Dashboard only uses a portion of SF reports in the default setup. A future version of Hobo SF will probably feature more reports (although that is a few months away).
- Screaming Frog Scheduling and Troubleshooting The SEO specialist configured a monthly scheduled crawl to run in one minute, which successfully triggered and began processing (00:38:41). Shaun then guided The SEO specialist through troubleshooting an issue where a crawl report was not found, checking for background processes in App Script and confirming the presence of Screaming Frog files in Google Drive via the “Crawl Schedule” tab (00:47:58) (00:52:55). A common problem is that sometimes the user uses a non-canonical domain for the crawl. If the URL you are crawling with Screaming Frog, does matches the URL the dashboard is using, it will not process it, and the Dashboard removes non-canonical domains from the reporting system automatically.
- Client Loading and Canonical Domain Issue Shaun explained that loading the next client cleans the spreadsheet and takes some time, noting that paid Google Workspace* accounts run faster (00:43:37) on all processes and are only getting faster. They guided the SEO specialist to load a specific client using the client selector drop-down (00:46:36) from the Hobo top menu. Finally, Shaun identified that the crawl report issue was a user error due to the Screaming Frog crawl not using the website’s canonical domain (e.g., `www.example.com` instead of `example.com`), which needed to be corrected (00:56:28).
- Using the Dashboard and File Management Whilst they ran a new crawl of the site Shaun Anderson took time-out and clarified how the system manages Screaming Frog files, explaining that after processing, files are moved to trash for 30 days before deletion to prevent reuse (01:01:29). On a test run, the files where moved to his trash folder in Google drive. The SEO specialist located their old crawl files in Google Drive. They also untrashed the recent files the Hobo SEO Dashboard processed in the test run, therefore making them available to the Hobo SEO Dashboard again – expressing gratitude for the Dashboard in helping them organize their data (01:00:33). Shaun Anderson demonstrated how to untrash files from Google Drive if needed (01:05:03) (01:35:14) to make them available to the Dashboard once again.
- Triggering Reports and Automatic Processes Shaun Anderson explained that setting specific cells (B232 and B233) in the Settings tab to “TBC” will force a report rerun of data (although this is all handled automatically). This is for if the dashboard sticks or glitches, it can normally be reset in these two cells. He also mentioned that the system automatically cleans domains and performs background tasks for about an hour during initial sheet setup (01:02:37). Shaun Anderson also noted that the reporter resets for about ten minutes when a new client is loaded, which cleans out all data (01:11:50) (01:18:03).
- Manual Override and Prioritisation Shaun Anderson demonstrated how to manually hack or make a client report run next by dragging it to column C in the Clients tab, the priority position (01:14:42). The SEO Dashboard will run the report in the Clients tab column C, next. They also showed how to override the report’s date settings for a client (01:13:15) when re-running a client report. The SEO specialist inquired about how to prevent certain clients from running reports, to which Shaun Anderson advised setting the “archive” status to “Yes” for the desired client in the Clients tab in SEO Dashboard and selecting the “Archive Clients” function in the Hobo Admin menu (01:15:54).
- Understanding Report States and System Behaviors Shaun Anderson clarified that when the “Domain Stats” tab is empty, it signifies that the system has loaded a client and is resetting the report (01:19:22). He confirmed that the crawl files disappear during the reporter’s reset (01:20:48). Shaun Anderson also explained that, when Automatic Reporting is switched on from the top menu, the Hobo SEO Dashboard rd system is designed to prioritize report generation, so manual interruptions might be ignored as the reporter pushes forward (01:36:43). Turn the reporter off for 15-30 minutes using the Stop Reporter function in the Hobo Controls menu. Note – this will restart the reporter functions, and the Dashboard will run an audit report every hour or so.
- Dashboard Features and SEO Audit Shaun Anderson explained that the dashboard pulls in top-level information about redirects and initiates Google PageSpeed tests for top URLs, so you can quickly get a real-time test of important SEO metrics like proper redirects at the domain level. He also highlighted the rank tracker’s ability to pull in rankings for the top 10 keywords, which can be overridden in the Clients tab (01:21:46). The SEO specialist asked about the date range for impressions and clicks in the keyword bank, which Shaun Anderson noted they would need to double-check these default settings (01:32:32).
- Task-Centric Software Design Shaun Anderson emphasised that the Hobo SEO dashboard is designed to be autonomous, continuous, frugal with API usage and task-centric, aiming to provide actionable tasks based on data rather than just analysis (01:41:35). He contrasted this with other tools that provide nice graphs but lack clear tasks (01:40:21) for developers to action. The SEO specialist expressed interest in combining the visual aspects of other reports with the dashboard’s task-oriented features (01:41:35).
- Report Publication and Data Synchronization Shaun Anderson demonstrated after successfully generating a search console report, and a screaming frog file import from the top menu Hobo Controls > Dashboard, then how to publish a client report and explained the process of also syncing the dashboard report form the Hobo Controls > Dashboard to ensure the most recent crawl data is reflected in the client report (noting again this is all done automatically, but this is when we are pushing an audit through manually). He elaborated that the system handles creating and updating reports, but for manual operations, it’s best to run the three reports in the Hobo Controls menu (01:44:20) (01:48:08). He also mentioned that the system removes the API key from the Settings tab (not from the Clients tab) after running these reports to stay within free API limits (01:49:59).
- Handling Failures and Automated Processes Shaun Anderson explained that the system handles failures through a chain of “robots” or scripts that check if previous scripts have run, ensuring tasks are completed (01:45:33). He also described a “lock and load” system that prevents report publication or movement within an hour if the system isn’t ready (01:26:13). Shaun Anderson also highlighted the “cleaner robot” that configures the dashboard to work with the user’s version of Screaming Frog (01:27:47).
- Using the Dead Pages Report and Future Plans Shaun Anderson explained that the dead pages report identifies pages with no clicks, which is useful for on-page audits (01:51:05). He also mentioned an upcoming guide on using winners and losers reports, which are slower on personal Gmail accounts (01:52:21). Shaun Anderson advised The SEO specialist to duplicate the scheduled Screaming Frog default template for other clients (01:54:01).
- Screaming Frog Setup and SEO Audit Reports Shaun Anderson instructed the SEO specialist to configure their Screaming Frog schedules, explaining that the reporter would then manage the creation of basic SEO audit reports. They also mentioned sending further details about new functionalities via email and directed the SEO specialist to the SEO audit tab on the main dashboard for white-labeled client reports (01:55:20). Hobo SEO Dashboard users can access the Hobo E-E-AT tool from this section, too. Shaun Anderson noted that the current Hobo E-E-A-T tool uses European and American laws, recommending the SEO specialist to use Gemini to double-check compliance with Singaporean laws for privacy policies before publishing to their site (01:56:33).
- Hobo SEO Guides and AI SEO Guide. The SEO specialist confirmed having generated the Hobo EEAT tool report, which Shaun Anderson noted them using previously. Shaun Anderson briefly explained that by filling column C with client data, the tool creates default documentation and suggested using Gemini to verify privacy policies against Singaporean laws as their current tool is based on European and American laws (01:56:33). The SEO specialist expressed understanding of the dashboard’s flow and looked forward to exploring the AI SEO guide and SEO book available in the Hobo SEO Audit tab (01:57:52).
- Lead Generation and Contact Button for Hobo SEO Dashboard Users Shaun Anderson proposed a system where a contact button on specific pages could send leads to local SEO agencies, such as the one in Porto, for non-English speaking leads (01:59:25). Shaun Anderson offered to set up a similar lead generation link for The SEO specialist in Singapore, as The SEO specialist is amonst the first users in their region, to which The SEO specialist expressed enthusiasm (02:00:59). Shaun Anderson is testing these arrangements as case studies that highlight the software and also help users acquire leads in their respective areas (02:02:16). Case studies also demonstrate experience, and can be implemented using Hobo’s Marketing Cyborg Technique.
- Follow-up Meeting and Client Onboarding: Shaun Anderson suggested scheduling another meeting in a week or two to check on progress. The SEO specialist agreed, planning to onboard clients using Screaming Frog dashboards and noting any issues for discussion at their next meeting (02:03:23). Shaun Anderson offered to provide The SEO specialist access to Hobo Robot beta tools and inquired about The SEO specialist’s current focus in live coding, to which The SEO specialist responded that they are focused on “marketing with AI” (02:05:13).
- Google Sheets and Google Cloud Capabilities Shaun Anderson and The SEO specialist discussed the power of Google Sheets and Google Cloud for building applications, highlighting Google’s handling of privacy and security (02:06:20). Shaun Anderson expressed their preference for building “robots” and automation within Google Cloud, believing these systems will remain relevant even with AI advancements, as AI struggles with accurate data analysis more suitable for spreadsheets (02:07:26). The SEO specialist agreed that spreadsheets remain foundational for many businesses and noted that Google’s built-in AI for data cleaning is still inadequate itself with large data sets, even in Google, requiring human discernment (02:08:29). If Google is struggling to handle such data sets, you can bet the other AI companies are too.
- Collaboration and Automation Cohort The SEO specialist expressed interest in Shaun Anderson’s insights on content creation and semantic SEO, proposing a separate discussion or inviting Shaun Anderson to their automation cohort meeting (02:11:42). Shaun Anderson confirmed their willingness to join the weekly meeting, which focuses on automating processes using core methodology and software like Gemini (02:12:57). The SEO specialist offered to curate the agenda for Shaun Anderson’s participation, particularly for tool demos, and suggested Shaun Anderson join as an observer for their first meeting (02:13:55) (02:16:23).
Suggested next steps
- The SEO specialist will set up a scheduled crawl and set a limit for the crawl if it is a larger site.
- The SEO specialist will duplicate the scheduled crawl and save it as a hobo default crawl as a backup.
- Shaun Anderson will make new videos.
- Shaun Anderson will publish anonymised notes after the meeting.
- Shaun Anderson will share the sister tool to the rank tracker with dashboard users shortly.
- Shaun Anderson will get a list of things to do after this call.
- Shaun Anderson will double-check the default settings for the date range on impressions and clicks.
- Shaun Anderson will send out a new note about how to use the winners and losers reports.
- Shaun Anderson will join the automation cohort meeting next week.
- The SEO specialist will set up the Screaming Frog schedules for each client, ensuring to make a duplicate from the template he set up previously.
- The SEO specialist will look at the AI SEO guide.
- The SEO specialist will accept having the lead for Singapore sent to him and his contact details shared on the page.
- The SEO specialist will send quick messages on X instead of email.
- The SEO specialist will message Shaun Anderson if he encounters any hiccups.
- Shaun Anderson will send the SEO specialist a note about access to beta tools and how to access them.
- The SEO specialist will send the meeting details and rough agenda for the next meeting to Shaun Anderson.
- The SEO specialist will take the created privacy policies into Gemini to double-check compliance with Singaporean laws.
- The SEO specialist and Shaun Anderson will set up another meeting in a week or two to check on progress.