Built 52 pages. Google indexed 2. Here's what I missed.
Six months ago I registered a domain for €1.02 and started building ratecalculator.xyz, free rate calculators for freelancers. The idea was straightforward: capture search demand from people trying to figure out what to charge, monetise with affiliate links to invoicing software.
Here's where things actually are.
What I built
52 static HTML pages covering different freelance roles: frontend developers, copywriters, video editors, bookkeepers, Shopify developers, and about 45 others. Pure HTML, Cloudflare Pages, zero frameworks. Costs nothing to run.
What's actually happening with Google
After several months, Google has indexed 2 of 52 pages. Both are just the homepage in HTTP and HTTPS variants.
I spent an embarrassing amount of time tweaking page structure, internal linking, and content before realising Google literally had no path to most of the site. The homepage didn't link to any of the inner pages. Googlebot crawled the homepage, found nothing to follow, and stopped.
Fixed that two weeks ago. Waiting.
Distribution
Zero backlinks. Been building presence on Reddit answering pricing questions without mentioning the tool. Wrote a post on dev.to about freelancer pricing and utilisation rates. That's basically the full distribution strategy right now.
The thing I'm genuinely unsure about
Whether the affiliate model makes sense for this traffic at all. Someone calculating their hourly rate is in figuring-things-out mode, not necessarily buying-software mode. There might be a mismatch between what users need and what I'm trying to sell them.
Still honestly not sure whether the traffic and monetisation line up properly here. Curious if anyone else has run into that with affiliate projects.
The indexing mistake is useful to share, but I think the bigger issue is the product may currently be framed too narrowly.
“Rate calculators for freelancers” captures search demand, but the real pain is broader: freelancers do not just need a number. They need confidence around pricing, positioning, utilization, project scope, and whether their rate makes business sense.
That matters for both SEO and monetization. If users arrive only to calculate a rate, affiliate conversion may stay weak because they are not yet in buying mode. But if the product becomes more of a pricing intelligence layer for freelancers, the path to tools, invoicing, proposals, and business setup becomes much more natural.
I’d also pressure-test the name before putting more SEO effort into 50+ pages. RateCalculator.xyz is clear, but it feels like a generic utility and the .xyz may not help trust when the topic is money and freelance income.
Exirra .com would give this a stronger shell if you want to position it as pricing intelligence rather than just calculators. The product can stay simple, but the brand should make it feel more credible before Google traffic and backlinks start locking it into the current frame.
I think you're probably right that the interesting part is broader than the calculators themselves. The more I look at the search intent, the more it feels like people aren't really searching for a formula, they're searching for confidence that their pricing makes sense.
The affiliate mismatch is what's been making me uneasy too. Someone in how much should I charge mode isn't necessarily in buy software mode yet.
Still trying to figure out whether this becomes a content business, a tooling business, or something closer to pricing intelligence over time
That is exactly the fork I’d focus on.
Right now the product has three possible paths:
content business: rank for calculator/search intent and monetize attention
tooling business: help freelancers quote, invoice, scope, and manage pricing decisions
pricing intelligence: help freelancers understand whether their rate, utilization, project scope, and positioning actually make business sense
The affiliate mismatch probably comes from the product catching people too early. They are not asking “which software should I buy?” yet. They are asking “am I charging the right amount?”
So the monetization should probably sit closer to pricing confidence first, then tools later.
If useful, I can put together a quick positioning/monetization pack for this: the stronger category frame, homepage angle, 2–3 monetization paths, and messaging that turns “rate calculator” traffic into a clearer business-intent flow.
Not a long strategy doc. Just a practical breakdown you can use before building more SEO pages around the current frame.
I’m doing a few quick ones at $49 to move fast.
Best place to discuss privately:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aryan-y-0163b0278/