sempers.com Website Strategy — Final Synthesis

Date: February 18, 2026 Synthesized from: Claude (Opus 4.6) + Perplexity analysis

Where We Agree (High Confidence)

Both analyses converge on these points:

1. Full indexing alone won’t transform the business. It’s necessary but not sufficient. Expect ~50-100% more organic traffic over 4-8 months. The real multiplier is ranking position, not indexing.

2. The personal story is the #1 differentiator. “20+ jobs before law, experienced unpaid wages, only represents employees” — no competitor has anything close. This must be front-and-center, not buried.

3. The site structure is excellent — don’t touch it. 47 practice area pages with strong internal linking is a genuine SEO asset. The information architecture stays.

4. Content production is the long-term traffic engine. 14 blog posts isn’t enough. 2-4/month targeting current California employment law questions is the path from 500 visits to 5,000+.

5. The site looks like a template. Bootstrap Sailor is recognizable. Professional but not premium. It doesn’t match the $5M settlement track record.

Where Perplexity Corrected Me (Claude)

Perplexity made several strong points I missed or under-weighted:

I over-indexed on visual improvements relative to technical SEO

Photography and color changes improve conversion (visitors who call), not traffic (visitors who arrive). I ranked them #1 and #2. They should be important but secondary to the traffic-generating work. Fair criticism — accepted.

I missed schema markup entirely

This is a genuine oversight. The site already has FAQ-style content on practice area pages but without proper schema, Google can’t display rich snippets. Implementing Attorney, LegalService, LocalBusiness, FAQ, and Review schema across 47+ pages is one of the highest-ROI technical changes available. 15-25% CTR improvement for near-zero cost.

I missed Spanish-language content

This is arguably the biggest strategic miss. LA’s Spanish-speaking population is massive, Spanish legal search terms have dramatically less competition, and the site already says “California laws protect all workers regardless of immigration status.” Even 5-10 translated practice area pages could open an entirely new client pipeline. Critical addition.

I under-ranked Google Business Profile

I put it at #7. It should be top 3. For “employment lawyer near me” searches, the Maps 3-pack gets ~42% of clicks. GBP + legal directory citations (Avvo, Justia, FindLaw, etc.) is foundational for a solo local practitioner. Corrected.

I missed Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)

In 2026, Google AI Overviews synthesize content before traditional results. Structuring content for AI extraction — concise lead answers, bolded definitions, Q&A format — is a new but real competitive advantage. The existing content is well-positioned for this; it just needs formatting. Valid addition.

My “5-10x in 12 months” claim was overstated

Photography + color + blog alone won’t 5-10x traffic. A more honest estimate: with ALL improvements (mine + Perplexity’s additions), 3-5x organic traffic in 12 months is achievable. Corrected.

Where I (Claude) Push Back on Perplexity

Photography is still top 3, even if it doesn’t generate traffic

Perplexity argues photography should be deprioritized because it doesn’t generate traffic. True — but a site getting 500 visits/month with a 2% conversion rate produces 10 leads. Doubling conversion to 4% with professional photography produces 20 leads from the same traffic. That’s equivalent to doubling your traffic. And it takes 1 day, not 12 months. It stays in the top tier.

The color refresh matters more than “MEDIUM”

Perplexity downgrades it. But the template feel isn’t just about color — it’s about perceived credibility. When a prospective client is comparing your site to King & Siegel in adjacent browser tabs, the template look costs you. It’s not about vanity; it’s about whether someone trusts you with their wrongful termination case. Combine it with the photography as a single “visual credibility” workstream.

Page speed probably does matter here

Perplexity assumes Eleventy + Cloudflare = fast. Probably true, but the site loads jQuery + Bootstrap + Owl Carousel + 3 Google Font families + 2 icon fonts. Worth running a Lighthouse audit before dismissing. Quick check, not a major project.

Synthesized Color Recommendation

Both analyses favor the Navy + Gold direction. Combined recommendation:

Alternative worth mocking up: Perplexity’s “Steel Blue + Warm Amber” (#3D6B8E / #D4963E) — warmer, more approachable, aligns with “I’ve been where you are” positioning. Worth seeing both side-by-side before deciding.

The Final 90-Day Plan

Merging both analyses, re-ranked by true ROI:

Phase 1: Technical Foundation (Weeks 1-3) — FREE, highest ROI

Phase 2: Visual Credibility (Weeks 2-5) — $500-2,000

Phase 3: Content Engine (Weeks 2-12, ongoing) — $0-500/mo

Phase 4: Expansion (Months 3-6)

Expected Outcomes (12-month horizon)

These are estimates, not guarantees. The ranges assume consistent execution of the content strategy and that the technical SEO foundations are implemented in the first 3 weeks.

What NOT to Do (Both Analyses Agree)

• Don’t add chatbots or AI widgets
• Don’t add parallax/animation effects
• Don’t restructure the site architecture
• Don’t change the core messaging
• Don’t try to look like a multi-attorney firm — lean into the solo advantage
• Don’t invest in paid ads before the organic foundation is solid
• Don’t outsource content to writers who don’t understand California employment law

This document synthesizes the Claude (Opus 4.6) analysis from business-files/WEBSITE_ANALYSIS_REPORT.md with Perplexity’s independent critique. Both source documents are available for reference.