feat(seo): optimize homepage for search engines (#42)

TimeToBuildBob · web-flow · commit c21b0df3d7cb · 2026-03-02T09:42:25.000+01:00
* feat(seo): optimize homepage for search engines - Add H1 heading with target keywords ("Free Open-Source Time Tracker") - Optimize H2 headings to include high-traffic keywords - Improve intro text to naturally include target search terms (time tracker, productivity tracker, work hours, screen time) - Add FAQ section with 5 common questions about ActivityWatch - Add FAQ structured data (schema.org/FAQPage) for rich snippets - Add Open Graph meta tags for better social sharing - Update schema.org keywords with high-traffic terms from community research - Improve meta description with specific platform and feature keywords - Remove dead Gitcoin link from donate page (service shut down) - Add descriptive alt text to banner image Based on keyword research from issue #426 by @Ljuk67. * fix(seo): address review feedback from ErikBjare and Ljuk67 - Restore original tagline flavor in meta description; remove RescueTime mention - Broaden H2 to cover diverse use cases: 'Time, Activity & Productivity Tracking' - Add link to full FAQ docs page from homepage FAQ section * fix(seo): add 'activity tracker' to intro text (14,800 monthly searches)
diff --git a/_config.yml b/_config.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ title: ActivityWatch - Open-source time tracker
 title_short: ActivityWatch
 title_image: /img/media/banners/banner-social.png
 description: > # this means to ignore newlines until "baseurl:"
-  The best free and open-source automated time tracker. Cross-platform, extensible, local/privacy-first.
+  The best free and open-source automated time tracker. Cross-platform, extensible, local/privacy-first. Tracks app and website usage on Windows, macOS, Linux & Android. All data stays on your device.
 abstract: >
   ActivityWatch is an open-source, privacy-focused, cross-platform automated time tracker.
   It helps you keep track of what you do on your computer, and is great for developers, designers, writers, students, or anyone who spends their day on a computer.
diff --git a/_includes/head.pug b/_includes/head.pug
@@ -35,10 +35,19 @@ head
   script#mcjs
     | !function(c,h,i,m,p){m=c.createElement(h),p=c.getElementsByTagName(h)[0],m.async=1,m.src=i,p.parentNode.insertBefore(m,p)}(document,"script","https://chimpstatic.com/mcjs-connected/js/users/0c8e8132be874f0e23d3a9e74/8c84f7d9d83455b08e020d552.js");
 
+  // Open Graph
+  meta(property='og:title', content='{% if page.title %}{{ page.title | escape }}{% else %}{{ site.title | escape }}{% endif %}')
+  meta(property='og:description', content='{% if page.excerpt %}{{ page.excerpt | strip_html | strip_newlines | truncate: 200 }}{% else %}{{ site.description }}{% endif %}')
+  meta(property='og:url', content='{{ page.url | replace:"index.html","" | prepend: site.baseurl | prepend: site.url }}')
+  meta(property='og:site_name', content='{{ site.title | escape }}')
+  meta(property='og:type', content='{% if page.layout == "post" %}article{% else %}website{% endif %}')
+  meta(property='og:image', content='{% if page.image %}{{ site.url }}{{ page.image }}{% else %}{{ site.url }}{{ site.title_image }}{% endif %}')
+
   // Twitter cards
   | {% include twitter_cards.html %}
 
   // Schema.org
   | {% if page.url == "/" %}
   | {% include schema-index.html %}
+  | {% include schema-faq.html %}
   | {% endif %}
diff --git a/_includes/schema-faq.html b/_includes/schema-faq.html
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+<!-- FAQ Schema Start -->
+<script type="application/ld+json">
+{
+  "@context": "https://schema.org",
+  "@type": "FAQPage",
+  "mainEntity": [
+    {
+      "@type": "Question",
+      "name": "What is ActivityWatch?",
+      "acceptedAnswer": {
+        "@type": "Answer",
+        "text": "ActivityWatch is a free, open-source, automated time tracker that runs on your computer and monitors which applications and websites you use. It works on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. Unlike cloud-based time trackers, all data is stored locally on your device for maximum privacy."
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "@type": "Question",
+      "name": "Is ActivityWatch really free?",
+      "acceptedAnswer": {
+        "@type": "Answer",
+        "text": "Yes. ActivityWatch is completely free and open-source software, licensed under the MPL-2.0 license. There are no premium tiers, no usage limits, and no ads. It is developed and maintained by volunteers."
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "@type": "Question",
+      "name": "How does ActivityWatch compare to RescueTime?",
+      "acceptedAnswer": {
+        "@type": "Answer",
+        "text": "ActivityWatch is a privacy-first, open-source alternative to RescueTime. While RescueTime sends your data to their cloud servers, ActivityWatch keeps everything local on your device. ActivityWatch also supports more platforms (including Linux, which RescueTime dropped support for) and offers browser extensions for both Chrome and Firefox."
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "@type": "Question",
+      "name": "Does ActivityWatch track my data privately?",
+      "acceptedAnswer": {
+        "@type": "Answer",
+        "text": "Yes. ActivityWatch follows a local-first approach. All your time tracking data is stored on your own device and is never sent to any server. You have full control over your data and can export, delete, or back it up at any time."
+      }
+    },
+    {
+      "@type": "Question",
+      "name": "What platforms does ActivityWatch support?",
+      "acceptedAnswer": {
+        "@type": "Answer",
+        "text": "ActivityWatch runs on Windows (10 and later), macOS (10.15+), Linux (most distributions), and Android. Browser extensions are available for Chrome and Firefox to track your web activity."
+      }
+    }
+  ]
+}
+</script>
+<!-- FAQ Schema End -->
diff --git a/_includes/schema-index.html b/_includes/schema-index.html
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
     "url": "{{ site.url }}",
     "description": "{{ site.description }}",
     "disambiguatingDescription": "{{ site.abstract }}",
-    "keywords": ["time tracker", "time tracking", "screen time tracker", "open source screen time tracker", "free open source time tracker", "laptop screen time tracker", "automated time tracker", "screen time tracker windows free", "activity tracker PC"],
+    "keywords": ["time tracker", "time tracking", "free time tracker", "open source time tracker", "productivity tracker", "screen time tracker", "automated time tracker", "time tracker windows", "time tracker linux", "time tracker mac", "RescueTime alternative", "ManicTime alternative", "activity tracker PC", "work hours tracker"],
     "abstract": "{{ site.abstract }}",
     "about": "ActivityWatch is a bundle of software that tracks your computer activity and respects your privacy. It offers an ecosystem of software to work around it, including ways to collect more data and do different kinds of analysis. We created ActivityWatch completely free and open source so anyone can use, improve and extend it.",
     "applicationCategory": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time-tracking_software",
diff --git a/donate.md b/donate.md
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ We currently support the following donation methods (roughly in our order of pre
  - [Patreon][patreon] (5% service fee + VAT + payment processing fees)
  - [Open Collective][open-collective] (10% fee + payment processing fees)
  - Cryptocurrency
-   - [Gitcoin][gitcoin] - **matching funds available!** (**0% fee** + transaction fees)
    - Direct transfer
        - **Note:** Please send us an email with the transaction ID so we can attribute the donation to you!
        - Bitcoin: [1NSxJs1wYUrRv53ZVH2DX9fquXdSPAdyYh](bitcoin:1NSxJs1wYUrRv53ZVH2DX9fquXdSPAdyYh)  <!-- Kept by Erik Bjäreholt on Coinbase -->
@@ -35,7 +34,6 @@ We currently support the following donation methods (roughly in our order of pre
 [open-collective]: https://opencollective.com/activitywatch
 [patreon]: https://www.patreon.com/erikbjare
 [liberapay]: https://liberapay.com/ActivityWatch/
-[gitcoin]: https://gitcoin.co/grants/383/activitywatch
 [gh-sponsors]: https://github.com/sponsors/ActivityWatch
 
 
diff --git a/index.pug b/index.pug
@@ -3,13 +3,17 @@ layout: default
 ---
 
 article.wrapper.mt-4
-  img.d-block.mx-auto.mb-4(style='max-width: 100%' src='/img/banner.png')
+  img.d-block.mx-auto.mb-4(style='max-width: 100%' src='/img/banner.png' alt='ActivityWatch - free open-source time tracker for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android')
+  h1 Free Open-Source Time Tracker
   p
     | #[b ActivityWatch] is an app that automatically tracks how you spend time on your devices.
+    | It is the best #[b free and open-source time tracking software] for #[b Windows], #[b macOS], #[b Linux], and #[b Android].
   p
-    | It is #[b open source], #[b privacy-first], #[b cross-platform], and a great alternative to services like RescueTime, ManicTime, and WakaTime.
+    | It is #[b privacy-first] and #[b cross-platform], and a great alternative to services like RescueTime, ManicTime, and WakaTime.
+    | Unlike closed-source time trackers, your data stays on your device — never uploaded to the cloud.
   p
-    | It can be used to keep track of your productivity, time spent on different projects, bad screen habits, or just to understand how you spend your time.
+    | Use it as an #[b activity tracker] or #[b productivity tracker] to monitor time spent on different projects,
+    | manage screen time habits, track work hours, or just understand how you spend your day.
 
   .mb-5.mt-2
     .mb-2
@@ -33,7 +37,7 @@ article.wrapper.mt-4
 div.container
   div.row
     .col-md-8
-      h2 Features
+      h2 Time Tracking Features
       ul
         li #[b Tracking:] Tracks active application and window title out of the box, more with #[a(href="https://docs.activitywatch.net/en/latest/watchers.html") watchers].
         li #[b Categories:] Get a better overview of your usage by breaking it down into categories.
@@ -43,7 +47,7 @@ div.container
         li #[b Cross-platform:] Runs on #[a(href="/downloads/#windows") Windows], #[a(href="/downloads/#macos") macOS], #[a(href="/downloads/#linux") Linux], and #[a(href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.activitywatch.android") Android].
         li #[s #[b Synchronization:] Sync your activity between your devices.] (We're #[a(href="https://github.com/ActivityWatch/aw-server-rust/tree/master/aw-sync") working on it])
 
-      h2.mt-4 Why use it?
+      h2.mt-4 Why Use ActivityWatch? Time, Activity &amp; Productivity Tracking
       p You can use ActivityWatch to:
 
       ul
@@ -78,7 +82,7 @@ div.container
 
   div.row.mt-4
     .col-md-6
-      h2.mt-4 How to use it
+      h2.mt-4 How to Start Tracking Your Time
       p
         | To get started with ActivityWatch, you need to #[a(href="/downloads/") download] and #[a(href="https://docs.activitywatch.net/en/latest/getting-started.html") install] the application on your computer.
       p
@@ -96,7 +100,7 @@ div.container
 
 
     .col-md-6
-      h2.mt-4 How to contribute
+      h2.mt-4 How to Contribute
       p
         | ActivityWatch is built entirely by volunteers and we need help from people (like you!) to keep the project going.
         | If you're interested in contributing, check out the #[a(href="https://github.com/ActivityWatch/activitywatch/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md") contributing guide].
@@ -111,6 +115,35 @@ div.container
 
   hr
 
+  div.row.py-4
+    .col-md-12
+      h2.mt-4 Frequently Asked Questions About ActivityWatch
+
+      h3 What is ActivityWatch?
+      p
+        | ActivityWatch is a free, open-source, automated time tracker that runs on your computer and monitors which applications and websites you use. It works on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. Unlike cloud-based time trackers, all data is stored locally on your device for maximum privacy.
+
+      h3 Is ActivityWatch really free?
+      p
+        | Yes. ActivityWatch is completely free and open-source software, licensed under the MPL-2.0 license. There are no premium tiers, no usage limits, and no ads. It is developed and maintained by volunteers.
+
+      h3 How does ActivityWatch compare to RescueTime?
+      p
+        | ActivityWatch is a privacy-first, open-source alternative to RescueTime. While RescueTime sends your data to their cloud servers, ActivityWatch keeps everything local on your device. ActivityWatch also supports more platforms (including Linux, which RescueTime dropped support for) and offers browser extensions for both Chrome and Firefox.
+
+      h3 Does ActivityWatch track my data privately?
+      p
+        | Yes. ActivityWatch follows a #[a(href="https://www.inkandswitch.com/local-first.html") local-first] approach. All your time tracking data is stored on your own device and is never sent to any server. You have full control over your data and can export, delete, or back it up at any time.
+
+      h3 What platforms does ActivityWatch support?
+      p
+        | ActivityWatch runs on #[b Windows] (10 and later), #[b macOS] (10.15+), #[b Linux] (most distributions), and #[b Android]. Browser extensions are available for Chrome and Firefox to track your web activity.
+
+      p.mt-3
+        | For more answers, see the #[a(href="https://docs.activitywatch.net/en/latest/faq.html") full FAQ in the documentation].
+
+  hr
+
   div.row.py-4
     .col-md-6
       h2 Blog posts
