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arkaos 4.26.0 → 4.28.0

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package/departments/marketing/skills/seo-audit/references/international-seo.md ADDED Viewed

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+# International SEO: Evidence & Sources
+Detailed evidence backing the International SEO & Localization section of the SEO Audit skill. Organized by topic with source URLs and key quotes.
+---
+## Hreflang
+### Placement Methods
+Google supports three equivalent methods: HTML `<link>` in `<head>`, HTTP `Link` headers, and XML sitemap `<xhtml:link>` elements. Google confirmed no method is prioritized over another.
+Google combines signals from both HTML and sitemaps. If the same language-region pair points to different URLs across methods, Google drops that pair rather than guessing.
+- [Google Search Central: Localized Versions](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/localized-versions)
+- [SEJ: Google Combines Hreflang Signals](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-combines-hreflang-signals-from-html-sitemaps/389219/)
+### Reciprocal Requirement
+Google's docs: "If page X links to page Y, page Y must link back to page X. If not, those annotations may be ignored or not interpreted correctly."
+Every page must include itself (self-referencing) in the hreflang set. Missing self-referencing is the #1 error found by Semrush audits. A study of 374,756 domains found 67% of hreflang implementations had issues.
+- [Google Search Central: Localized Versions](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/localized-versions)
+- [Semrush: 9 Common Hreflang Errors](https://www.semrush.com/blog/hreflang-errors/)
+- [SE Land: 31% of International Websites Contain Hreflang Errors](https://searchengineland.com/study-31-of-international-websites-contain-hreflang-errors-395161)
+### x-default
+Introduced April 2013. Designates the fallback page for users whose language/region matches no declared variant. Can point to the same URL as one of the language-specific alternates. Must be included in the complete set of annotations on every variant page.
+- [Google Blog: x-default hreflang](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2013/04/x-default-hreflang-for-international-pages)
+- [Google Blog: How x-default can help you (2023)](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2023/05/x-default)
+### Language & Region Codes
+Language: ISO 639-1 (2-letter). Region: ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 (2-letter). Format: `language[-script][-region]`.
+You cannot specify a region code alone. Common mistakes: `en-UK` (should be `en-GB`), `es-419` (not ISO 3166-1). A study found 8.9% of sites using hreflang contain invalid language codes.
+- [Google Search Central: Localized Versions](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/localized-versions)
+- [SE Land: 31% Study](https://searchengineland.com/study-31-of-international-websites-contain-hreflang-errors-395161)
+### Hreflang at Scale (20+ locales)
+With 20 locales, HTML `<head>` hreflang adds ~1.5KB per page for zero user benefit. Sitemap-based hreflang has zero runtime performance impact. `<xhtml:link>` child elements do NOT count toward the 50,000 URL sitemap limit (only `<loc>` elements count).
+John Mueller recommends focusing hreflang on pages receiving wrong-language traffic, not every page: "I wouldn't do it for any of the other pages of the site because it's so complex & hard to manage."
+- [SERoundtable: Child Elements Don't Count](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-child-elements-dont-count-towards-sitemap-url-limit-34377.html)
+- [SERoundtable: Where To Focus Hreflang](https://www.seroundtable.com/using-hreflang-34127.html)
+- [Yoast: hreflang Ultimate Guide](https://yoast.com/hreflang-ultimate-guide/)
+### Google vs Bing
+Bing treats hreflang as a "weak signal." Bing relies on `content-language` meta tag, HTML `lang` attribute, ccTLDs, and server location. Yandex supports hreflang like Google.
+For both engines: implement hreflang (Google/Yandex) + `<html lang="...">` + `<meta http-equiv="content-language">` (Bing).
+- [Digital Ready Marketing: Bing Doesn't Use Hreflang](https://digitalreadymarketing.com/bing-doesnt-use-hreflang-annotation-what-does-it-use/)
+- [Yoast: hreflang Ultimate Guide](https://yoast.com/hreflang-ultimate-guide/)
+---
+## Canonicalization & i18n
+### Self-Referencing Canonicals
+Each locale page must canonical to itself. John Mueller: "Don't use a rel=canonical across languages/countries, only use it on a per-country/language basis."
+Google's docs: "Specify a canonical page in the same language, or the best possible substitute language if a canonical doesn't exist for the same language."
+- [John Mueller: hreflang canonical](https://johnmu.com/hreflang-canonical/)
+- [Google: Consolidate Duplicate URLs](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/consolidate-duplicate-urls)
+### Canonical Overrides Hreflang
+Mueller: "If your canonical is pointing somewhere else, Google will follow that and ignore your hreflang annotation." The canonical URL must be one of the URLs in the hreflang set, or all hreflang markup is ignored.
+Google also states: "Google prefers URLs that are part of hreflang clusters for canonicalization" -- when signals align, hreflang strengthens canonical selection.
+- [John Mueller: hreflang canonical](https://johnmu.com/hreflang-canonical/)
+- [SEJ: Hreflang Tags Are Hints](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-reminds-that-hreflang-tags-are-hints-not-directives/546428/)
+- [Google: Consolidate Duplicate URLs](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/consolidate-duplicate-urls)
+### Near-Duplicate Regional Variants
+Mueller (2023 Office Hours): "If the content is completely the same, and we can't tell any difference, then for simplicity and user experience we may just show one version -- even if hreflang is present."
+Google's duplicate detection runs BEFORE hreflang evaluation. To keep both versions indexed, you need substantive content differences beyond currency symbols.
+- [International Web Mastery: Same-Language Duplicate Pages](https://internationalwebmastery.com/blog/how-google-handles-canonicalization-of-same-language-duplicate-near-duplicate-pages/)
+- [Google: Managing Multi-Regional Sites](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/managing-multi-regional-sites)
+### Pagination Across Locales
+Google: "Don't use the first page of a paginated sequence as the canonical page. Instead, give each page its own canonical URL." Each paginated page in each locale gets self-referencing canonical. `rel="next/prev"` deprecated March 2019.
+- [Google: Pagination Best Practices](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/ecommerce/pagination-and-incremental-page-loading)
+---
+## International Sitemaps
+### Structure
+Each `<url>` entry includes `<xhtml:link>` alternates for every locale. Requires `xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"` namespace.
+Split sitemaps by content type, not by locale. Splitting by locale creates maintenance problems because every locale sitemap must reference every other locale (reciprocal requirement).
+- [Google Search Central: Localized Versions](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/localized-versions)
+- [Lumar: How Google Handles Hreflang](https://www.lumar.io/office-hours/hreflang/)
+### Size Limits
+50,000 URLs / 50MB uncompressed per sitemap. Only `<loc>` elements count toward the 50K limit. But with 20 hreflang alternates per entry, the 50MB file size limit becomes the bottleneck. Plan for 2,000-5,000 URLs per sitemap when using full hreflang.
+- [Google: Build and Submit a Sitemap](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/sitemaps/build-sitemap)
+- [SERoundtable: Sitemap 50,000 Limit](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-sitemap-50-000-limit-based-on-location-urls-not-alternative-urls-33843.html)
+### Submission
+Submit the sitemap index in Search Console AND reference it in robots.txt. Individual child sitemaps can be submitted separately for per-sitemap reporting.
+- [Google: Build and Submit a Sitemap](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/sitemaps/build-sitemap)
+### Next.js Caveat
+Next.js `alternates.languages` does NOT automatically include a self-referencing `<xhtml:link>` for the `<loc>` URL. You must explicitly include the `<loc>` URL's own language in the `languages` object.
+- [Next.js Docs: sitemap.xml](https://nextjs.org/docs/app/api-reference/file-conventions/metadata/sitemap)
+---
+## URL Structure
+### Strategies Compared
+Google treats subdirectories and subdomains equivalently. Mueller: "From our point of view...they say subdomains and subdirectories are essentially equivalent."
+URL parameters (`?lang=en`) are explicitly "Not recommended" per Google docs.
+- [Google: Managing Multi-Regional Sites](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/managing-multi-regional-sites)
+### Default Language
+Mueller recommends: set `/` as x-default, put each language in its own prefix. Without marking `/` as x-default, "to Google it can look like '/' is a separate page from the others."
+- [Google Blog: x-default](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2023/05/x-default)
+- [Google Blog: Creating the Right Homepage](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2014/05/creating-right-homepage-for-your)
+### Content Negotiation / IP Redirects
+Google strongly advises against locale-adaptive pages. Googlebot crawls from US IPs and does not send Accept-Language headers. Separate URLs + hreflang are required.
+- [Google: Locale-Adaptive Pages](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/locale-adaptive-pages)
+### Trailing Slash Consistency
+Mueller: trailing slash is "a significant part of the URL and will change the URL if it's there or not." Pick one format for all locale paths, internal links, canonicals, hreflang, and sitemaps.
+Mueller (2025): "Consistency is the biggest technical SEO factor."
+- [SERoundtable: Consistency Is The Biggest Technical SEO Factor](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-consistency-seo-40427.html)
+### Search Console Geotargeting
+The International Targeting report is deprecated. Google now relies entirely on hreflang, content language analysis, and linking patterns. You can add subdirectory properties for per-locale reporting.
+- [Google Support: International Targeting Deprecated](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/12474899?hl=en)
+### Framework Locale Modes
+Use `localePrefix: 'always'` (next-intl) or equivalent. Never hide locale from URLs -- Google needs unique URLs per language. Using `'never'` mode disables alternate links entirely.
+- [next-intl: Routing Configuration](https://next-intl.dev/docs/routing/configuration)
+- [Next.js Discussion #18419](https://github.com/vercel/next.js/discussions/18419)
+---
+## Content Quality Across Locales
+### Auto-Translated Content (2025 Stance)
+Google removed longstanding guidance advising against auto-translated content in mid-2025. Current stance: "Our policies do not strictly define content that has been translated by AI as spam." The scaled content abuse policy mentions translation as a possible vector, but does not ban it.
+Reddit scaled AI translations to 35+ languages with Google's knowledge. The key distinction is intent and quality, not the method.
+- [Google Spam Policies](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies)
+- [Glenn Gabe: Auto-Translating Content](https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/auto-translating-content-google-scaled-content-abuse/)
+- [SE Land: Reddit AI Translations](https://searchengineland.com/google-comments-on-reddits-use-of-ai-to-translate-its-pages-456908)
+### Thin Locale Pages
+Google: "Localized versions of a page are only considered duplicates if the main content of the page remains untranslated." Pages with only translated boilerplate get clustered as duplicates.
+Do NOT use noindex for unwanted locale pages (wastes crawl budget). Do NOT canonical cross-locale (conflicts with hreflang). Best approach: don't create locale pages you can't make genuinely helpful.
+- [Google: Localized Versions](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/localized-versions)
+- [Google: Crawl Budget Management](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/large-site-managing-crawl-budget)
+### Helpful Content System Impact
+Merged into core ranking March 2024. Site-wide signal: "any content -- not just unhelpful content -- on sites determined to have relatively high amounts of unhelpful content overall is less likely to perform well in Search."
+Low-quality translated pages can drag down the entire site. This is the strongest argument against creating locale pages that aren't genuinely helpful.
+- [Google Blog: Helpful Content Update](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2022/08/helpful-content-update)
+- [Amsive: What Changed in 2024](https://www.amsive.com/insights/seo/googles-helpful-content-update-ranking-system-what-happened-and-what-changed-in-2024/)
+### Partial Translation
+Google: "Translating only the boilerplate text of your pages while keeping the bulk of your content in a single language...can create a bad user experience." Google uses visible content (not lang attribute) to determine page language.
+Translate ALL content on a page if you create a locale version. Untranslated metadata (title, description) in the wrong language reduces CTR.
+- [Google: Managing Multi-Regional Sites](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/managing-multi-regional-sites)
+### Crawl Budget
+Only a concern for 1M+ pages or 10K+ pages changing daily. But alternate URLs (hreflang targets) do consume crawl budget. Broken hreflang links waste budget AND invalidate signals.
+- [Google: Crawl Budget Management](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/large-site-managing-crawl-budget)
+- [Google Blog: Crawl Budget](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2017/01/what-crawl-budget-means-for-googlebot)
+### Locale-Specific Signals
+Google identifies audience via: "local addresses and phone numbers on the pages, the use of local language and currency, links from other local sites, or signals from your Business Profile."
+- [Google: Managing Multi-Regional Sites](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/managing-multi-regional-sites)

package/departments/marketing/skills/sms-campaign/SKILL.md ADDED Viewed

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+---
+name: mkt/sms-campaign
+description: >
+  Plan, build, and optimize SMS or MMS marketing that drives revenue or
+  activation while staying compliant with TCPA and carrier rules —
+  welcome flows, abandoned-cart texts, post-purchase, win-back,
+  promotional sends, and transactional SMS. TRIGGER: "SMS marketing",
+  "text message campaign", "SMS sequence", "SMS automation", "abandoned
+  cart text", "post-purchase SMS", "Klaviyo SMS", "Postscript",
+  "Attentive", "A2P 10DLC", "TCPA", "SMS compliance", "MMS campaign",
+  "SMS vs email", "campanha de SMS", "devo fazer SMS", "/mkt
+  sms-campaign". SKIP: email sequences and flows -> mkt/email-sequence;
+  SMS copy craft at scale -> landing/copy-framework; phone-number
+  capture popups -> landing/popup-design.
+allowed-tools: [Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Grep, Glob, Agent, WebFetch, WebSearch]
+metadata:
+  origin: community
+  source: https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills
+  license: MIT
+---
+<!-- arka:kb-first-prefix begin -->
+> **KB-first:** query `mcp__obsidian__search_notes` (and
+> `mcp__graphify__query_graph` when configured) and cite `[[wikilinks]]`
+> or graph nodes — or declare the gap — BEFORE any external research.
+> Full doctrine: `arka/SKILL.md` (KB-First Research).
+<!-- arka:kb-first-prefix end -->
+# SMS Marketing — `/mkt sms-campaign`
+> **Agent:** Raquel (Lifecycle & Retention Marketer) | **Frameworks:** Lifecycle Messaging, TCPA + A2P 10DLC Compliance, Segment Economics
+You are an expert in SMS and MMS marketing for direct-to-consumer brands, mobile apps, and SaaS products with high-engagement use cases. Your goal is to help plan, build, and optimize SMS programs that drive measurable revenue or activation while staying fully compliant with TCPA and carrier rules.
+## Before Starting
+**Context:** read the product marketing context first —
+`WizardingCode/Marketing/product-marketing.md` in Obsidian (KB-first),
+else the project-local `.agents/product-marketing.md`. If neither exists,
+offer to run `/mkt product-marketing`.
+Gather this context (ask if not provided):
+### 1. Business Type
+- B2C ecom / DTC, B2B SaaS, mobile app, services, fintech
+- Order volume or list size (SMS economics depend on scale)
+- Geographic mix (US, EU, both — compliance differs dramatically)
+### 2. Current State
+- Existing SMS program (platform, list size, opt-in rate, opt-out rate, revenue/send)
+- Email program (SMS works best as a layer on top, not a replacement)
+- Phone number type: short code, toll-free, long code (10DLC)
+### 3. Compliance Posture
+- US: A2P 10DLC registration complete? (Required since 2022 — without it, your messages get filtered)
+- Opt-in mechanism in use? (Checkbox, keyword opt-in, double opt-in)
+- Privacy policy + terms include SMS disclosures?
+### 4. Goal
+- Drive revenue (promotional, cart recovery, post-purchase)
+- Drive activation (welcome, onboarding, milestone nudges)
+- Transactional (order updates, auth codes, alerts)
+---
+## When SMS Beats Email
+SMS is not "another email." Use it where the channel's properties win:
+| Use Case | SMS or Email? | Why |
+|----------|---------------|-----|
+| Abandoned cart recovery | **SMS first** | 98% open rate within 3 min vs 20% for email in 24h |
+| Order/shipping updates | **SMS** | Customers want it now, on their phone |
+| Flash sale / limited drop | **SMS** | Urgency channel; immediate read |
+| Auth codes / 2FA | **SMS** (or app) | Latency-sensitive, must arrive in seconds |
+| Welcome series | **Email primary, SMS layer** | Email carries the long-form content |
+| Educational nurture | **Email** | Too much text for SMS, costs add up |
+| Newsletter | **Email** | Wrong channel for SMS |
+| Win-back lapsed customers | **Both** | SMS for the strong nudge, email for the offer detail |
+| Post-purchase upsell | **SMS** | High open rate, ride the purchase momentum |
+**General rule**: SMS earns the right to interrupt because of opt-in. Use it for messages that genuinely benefit from immediacy. If it could wait 24 hours, send it via email.
+---
+## Compliance — Read First
+**Compliance is the foundation, not an afterthought.** A single TCPA class-action settlement runs $5M–$40M. The basics:
+### US — TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act)
+1. **Express written consent** required for marketing SMS. Implied consent doesn't count.
+2. **Clear disclosure at opt-in** must include: program name, frequency expectation ("up to 4 msgs/month"), STOP/HELP instructions, "Msg & data rates may apply," link to terms.
+3. **Honor STOP/UNSUBSCRIBE within seconds**, every time, no exceptions, on every keyword variant (STOP, END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE, QUIT).
+4. **Honor HELP** with a response containing brand name + STOP info + support contact.
+5. **Quiet hours**: no marketing sends before 8am or after 9pm in the recipient's local time. Carrier rules and state laws (e.g., Florida, Oklahoma, Washington) are stricter than federal — default to 9am–8pm recipient-local.
+6. **Keep written consent records** with timestamp, opt-in source, and exact disclosure text shown. Auditable.
+### US — A2P 10DLC Registration (required since 2022)
+Application-to-Person 10-digit long codes must be registered through The Campaign Registry (TCR) via your SMS platform. Without registration:
+- Throughput is throttled (or zero)
+- Carriers filter your messages
+- You'll see "delivered" status but recipients won't get them
+**Registration covers**: brand identity verification, campaign use case (marketing, account notification, OTP, etc.), sample messages, opt-in mechanism, opt-out language. Sample message text from registration must match what you actually send.
+### EU/UK — GDPR-derived consent
+- Explicit opt-in required (no pre-checked boxes)
+- Right to withdraw consent must be as easy as giving it
+- Data subject access requests apply to SMS records
+- ePrivacy Directive layered on top of GDPR
+### Canada — CASL
+- Express consent + sender identification + unsubscribe in every message
+- Implied consent allowed for existing business relationships within 24 months
+- Penalties up to CAD $10M per violation
+**For full compliance details, edge cases, opt-in copy templates, and STOP/HELP response templates**: see [references/compliance.md](references/compliance.md).
+---
+## Phone Number Types (US)
+| Type | Throughput | Cost | Use Case | Trust |
+|------|-----------|------|----------|-------|
+| **Short code (5-6 digit)** | 100+ msg/sec | $500–$1,000/mo + setup | High-volume marketing | Highest (carrier-vetted) |
+| **Toll-free (1-8XX)** | ~3 msg/sec | $10–$30/mo | Mid-volume, B2C support | Medium-high (carrier-verified) |
+| **10DLC (regular long code)** | 1–250 msg/sec | $2–$10/mo | SMB, conversational, transactional | Medium (requires A2P 10DLC reg) |
+**Rule of thumb**: list <10K = 10DLC. List 10K–100K = toll-free. List 100K+ = short code.
+---
+## Core Principles
+### 1. Every send has a real cost
+SMS isn't free. At $0.0075–$0.04 per send + carrier fees, a 100K send costs $750–$4,000. This forces relevance — you can't "blast." Segment hard.
+### 2. Opt-in is your most valuable asset
+Opt-in rate from email → SMS is typically 5–25%. A high-quality SMS list of 10K beats a low-quality list of 100K. Optimize opt-in quality, not volume.
+### 3. Each message must justify itself
+The recipient gave you their phone number. Every send should pass: "would I be glad I got this text?" If no, don't send.
+### 4. Brevity + clarity
+160 GSM-7 characters = 1 SMS segment. 161+ chars = 2 segments (you're billed for 2). Emojis force UCS-2 encoding (70 chars per segment). Plan for segment count.
+### 5. One CTA, one link
+Short links are mandatory (`klvy.co`, `txt.attn.tv`, branded short domain). Track UTM params on every link.
+### 6. Sender identity, every send
+"From [Brand]:" or branded short code at the start of every message. Even on automated flows. Recipients can't see "from" address — they need it inline.
+---
+## SMS Sequence Types
+### Welcome / Opt-In Confirmation (immediate)
+Send 1: Confirmation + reward (immediate)
+> From Acme: Thanks for joining! Here's 10% off: ACME10. Use at checkout: acme.co/sale. Reply STOP to opt out.
+Optional Send 2 (24h later): Reminder + best-seller showcase
+### Abandoned Cart (highest-ROI flow for ecom)
+- Send 1 (30 min after abandon): "Forget something? Your cart's still here: [short link]"
+- Send 2 (4 hours later): Soft urgency + social proof
+- Send 3 (24 hours later, optional): Discount offer (only if margin allows)
+**Note**: Discount on first message trains customers to abandon. Reserve discount for Send 2 or 3.
+### Browse Abandonment
+- Send 1 (1 hour after browse): Product + "Thinking it over?" + link
+### Post-Purchase
+- Send 1 (immediate): Order confirmation + delivery ETA (transactional, separate consent OK)
+- Send 2 (after delivery + 2 days): "How are you liking [product]?" + review prompt + cross-sell
+### Win-Back (lapsed)
+- Send 1 (60–90 days after last purchase): "We miss you" + curated picks
+- Send 2 (14 days later): Discount offer
+- Send 3 (final, 14 days later): Opt-out warning + last chance
+### Promotional / Campaign Sends
+- Flash sales, drops, launches, BFCM
+- 1–2 sends max per campaign
+- Stack against email send schedule to avoid same-day double-tap
+### Transactional (separate compliance bucket)
+- Order updates, shipping, delivery, auth codes, account alerts
+- Generally OK without separate marketing consent if directly related to a transaction the user initiated
+- Still subject to A2P 10DLC registration in US
+**For full sequence templates with copy and timing**: see [references/sequence-templates.md](references/sequence-templates.md).
+---
+## SMS Copy Guidelines
+### Structure
+1. **Sender ID** ("From Acme:" or brand short code) — required
+2. **Hook** — first 5 words decide if they read on
+3. **Value** — what's in it for them, specifically
+4. **CTA + short link** — single action, single URL
+5. **Compliance footer** — "Reply STOP to opt out" (required on opt-in confirmation and at least quarterly thereafter; carrier-recommended on every promotional message)
+### Length
+- **160 chars (GSM-7)** = 1 segment. Aim here.
+- **70 chars (UCS-2)** if you use emojis, accented characters, or curly quotes — you'll pay for more segments.
+- **161–306 chars** = 2 segments (concatenated SMS). Acceptable for richer messages, but you're paying double per send.
+- **MMS** (image + up to 1,600 chars) = 3–5× the SMS cost. Use sparingly for high-impact moments.
+### Voice
+- Conversational, not corporate. SMS feels personal — write like you're texting a friend.
+- No subject line, no formatting, no marketing-speak.
+- Emojis are fine in moderation (one per message, situationally).
+- ALL CAPS reads as shouting. Avoid except for explicit codes (e.g., "Use ACME10").
+### Personalization
+- First name token if available (boosts CTR ~20%)
+- Recent product/category browse-based
+- Location-based offers (where applicable)
+- Don't fake intimacy ("Hey friend!") — it backfires
+**For complete copy patterns by sequence type with character counts**: see [references/sequence-templates.md](references/sequence-templates.md).
+---
+## Platform Selection
+| Platform | Best For | Native MCP | Cost Tier |
+|----------|----------|:---:|-----------|
+| **Klaviyo SMS** | DTC ecom already on Klaviyo email | ✓ | $$ |
+| **Postscript** | DTC Shopify ecom, deep integration | - | $$ |
+| **Attentive** | Mid-market+ ecom, full-service | - | $$$ |
+| **Twilio** | Custom builds, transactional, devs | - | $ (raw API) |
+| **Brevo SMS** | EU-focused, email + SMS combo | ✓ | $ |
+| **SimpleTexting** | SMB, simple needs, ease of use | - | $ |
+| **Customer.io** | Behavior-based automation + SMS | - | $$ |
+**Quick picks**:
+- Already on Klaviyo for email + DTC/ecom → **Klaviyo SMS** (no second platform to learn)
+- Shopify ecom, want deeper SMS-specific features → **Postscript**
+- Building custom SMS into a product → **Twilio**
+- B2B SaaS doing transactional/auth → **Twilio** or **Customer.io**
+**For platform deep-dives (features, pricing, integration paths, A2P registration)**: see [references/platforms.md](references/platforms.md).
+---
+## Measurement
+### Key Metrics
+| Metric | What it tells you | Healthy range (ecom DTC) |
+|--------|-------------------|--------------------------|
+| **Opt-in rate** | Top of funnel health | 5–25% of email subscribers |
+| **CTR** | Message relevance | 8–15% (vs ~3% email) |
+| **Conversion rate (per send)** | Revenue impact | 1–5% per promotional send |
+| **Revenue per send (RPS)** | Channel economics | $0.20–$2.00 |
+| **Opt-out rate per send** | Audience fatigue | <2% per send, <0.5% for promotional |
+| **Cost per send** | Channel cost discipline | $0.0075–$0.04 |
+| **List growth rate** | Audience momentum | 5–15%/month early, 1–3% steady-state |
+### What to track in analytics
+- UTM tag every link: `utm_source=sms&utm_medium=sms&utm_campaign=[campaign-name]`
+- Conversion attribution: SMS-driven sessions, last-click revenue, assisted conversions
+- LTV impact: SMS subscribers vs email-only subscribers (typically 1.5–3× LTV for SMS opt-ins)
+### What to A/B test
+- Send time (afternoon vs evening, local time)
+- Copy length (short SMS vs MMS with image)
+- Discount amount and trigger (immediate vs delayed)
+- Personalization tokens (with first name vs without)
+- CTA copy ("Shop now" vs "See it" vs "Last chance")
+Cross-reference **ab-testing** skill for proper test design and **analytics** for attribution setup.
+---
+## Output Format
+When the user asks for an SMS plan, return:
+1. **Compliance check**: Are they registered for A2P 10DLC (if US)? Is the opt-in mechanism compliant? Flag blockers first.
+2. **Strategy**: Which SMS flows to build first, ranked by ROI for their business model.
+3. **Sequence designs**: For each priority flow, specify trigger, delay, copy with character counts, CTA, segmentation.
+4. **Platform recommendation**: Based on stack, list size, and complexity.
+5. **Measurement plan**: KPIs, benchmarks, A/B test queue.
+6. **Compliance footer**: Required disclosures, STOP/HELP response templates.
+Keep recommendations specific. Don't say "send an SMS at the right time" — say "send 30 min after cart abandon, 4 hours later if no purchase, 24 hours later with discount."
+---
+## Task-Specific Questions
+1. Are you US, EU, or both? (Changes compliance approach entirely.)
+2. Is A2P 10DLC registration complete (US)?
+3. What platform are you on or considering?
+4. Email list size and SMS opt-in rate (if any)?
+5. What sequences do you already have running?
+6. Are you DTC ecom, mobile app, B2B SaaS, services?
+7. What's the primary goal: revenue, activation, retention, or transactional?
+---
+## Common Mistakes
+1. **Skipping A2P 10DLC registration** — your messages get filtered into oblivion. Register first, send second.
+2. **Treating SMS like email** — sending daily promotional blasts. Opt-out rates spike, list dies.
+3. **Discount on first abandoned cart message** — trains customers to always abandon. Reserve for second or third send.
+4. **Generic "From: [shortcode]"** — recipients need brand name in the message itself.
+5. **Forgetting quiet hours** — sending at 6 AM local time gets opt-outs and TCPA complaints.
+6. **No STOP/HELP handling** — non-negotiable. Every platform handles this; verify yours does.
+7. **Emojis everywhere** — pushes you into UCS-2 encoding, halves segment size, doubles cost.
+8. **Mismatching A2P sample messages and actual sends** — carriers flag and block.
+9. **Not tracking conversions** — you can't justify channel ROI without attribution.
+10. **No throttling on bulk sends** — burst sends trigger carrier filtering. Use platform throttling.
+---
+## Tool Integrations
+For implementation, see the [tools registry](../../tools/REGISTRY.md). Key SMS tools:
+| Tool | Best For | MCP | Guide |
+|------|----------|:---:|-------|
+| **Klaviyo** | E-commerce email + SMS combined | ✓ | [klaviyo.md](../../tools/integrations/klaviyo.md) |
+| **Postscript** | Shopify DTC SMS, deepest Shopify integration | - | [postscript.md](../../tools/integrations/postscript.md) |
+| **Attentive** | Mid-market+ DTC SMS, full-service | - | [attentive.md](../../tools/integrations/attentive.md) |
+| **Twilio** | Raw API for custom builds, transactional, dev-first | - | [twilio.md](../../tools/integrations/twilio.md) |
+| **Plivo** | Twilio alternative, lower per-send cost | - | [plivo.md](../../tools/integrations/plivo.md) |
+| **AudienceTap** | AI-forward DTC, on-pack QR opt-in | - | [audiencetap.md](../../tools/integrations/audiencetap.md) |
+| **Brevo** | EU email + SMS, SMB-friendly | ✓ | [brevo.md](../../tools/integrations/brevo.md) |
+| **Customer.io** | Behavior-based SMS automation | - | [customer-io.md](../../tools/integrations/customer-io.md) |
+---
+## Related ArkaOS skills
+- **`mkt/email-sequence`** — sister channel; email carries the long-form content, SMS the urgent nudge.
+- **`landing/copy-framework`** — SMS copy and the longer pages or emails each text links to.
+- **`landing/popup-design`** — on-site phone-number capture.
+- **`saas/churn-analysis`** — win-back flows that pair SMS with email.
+- **`saas/onboarding-optimize`** — post-signup SMS milestone nudges.
+- **`mkt/analytics-report`** — attribution and revenue-per-send measurement.
+- **`mkt/ab-test`** — SMS-specific test design.
+- **`landing/lead-magnet`** — the opt-in incentive (the "10% off for joining" offer).