How Late grows

Uses Ahrefs to find very high-intent, low-competition keywords with ~300-800 monthly searches, close to the product (e.g. 'social media API', 'scheduling API for Twitter'). Writes in-depth guides that answer the searcher's intent (e.g. 'how to schedule Instagram posts automatically'). Keeps clean site structure, fast load, mobile optimization and proper metadata. Builds backlinks with tools and by manually reaching out to site owners and paying them. Tracks rankings in Ahrefs and Google Search Console and keeps optimizing click-through rate. Playbook version: list core keywords in a spreadsheet with volume and difficulty, aim to rank within 3-6 months; publish 10-15 high-quality pieces (blog posts, landing pages or free tools) in the first week, each with a big CTA to the signup page and internal links; don't publish too much low-quality content.

Content that doesn't rank organically gets ads instead, so one piece of content serves both. Bids on the same high-intent commercial keywords targeted for SEO; each ad group has its own landing page tailored to the keyword and intent (e.g. an Instagram page for 'Instagram API'). Uses Google Ads automated bidding with a $120 target CPA (their average CAC threshold). Ad copy sells value, not features, e.g. 'scale 30 days of social media in 1 hour' or 'reach 100K followers fast with our API'. Continuously A/B tests headlines, descriptions and landing pages, tracked in PostHog. Playbook version: 3-5 copy variations per ad group; pause poor keywords and double down on high-ROI ones; raise budget month over month while ROAS holds; track CAC, ROAS, revenue and traffic per channel in a dashboard (Google Sheets, Data Studio).

Saw that social media automation tools were too expensive, too complicated or poorly documented. Built Late as a developer-friendly, API-first product: wraps the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn APIs, pays for the highest platform tiers, and exposes everything in one API without limits. Spends most product time on the API docs so integration is straightforward; also offers a simple UI with scheduler, inbox for DMs/comments, webhooks and logs.

Uses DataFast to see what brings revenue and what doesn't, and PostHog for test tracking. Uses data from SEO and ads to optimize landing pages and messaging, and reinvests all revenue into scaling what works. Recommends a dashboard (Google Sheets, Data Studio) for CAC, ROAS, revenue and traffic per channel, keeping CAC at 20-40% of LTV and under 30% of first-year revenue, and A/B testing new keywords, copy and landing pages monthly.

Charges per connected social media account. Three plans: Build (to start building integrations), Accelerate (more accounts) and Unlimited (connect as many accounts as you want). Prices not stated.