idea:
  id: freelance-hourly-rate-calculator
  title: "Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator"
  title_ko: "프리랜서 시간당 요금 계산기"
  description: "Interactive calculator helping freelancers determine optimal hourly rates based on desired annual income, billable hours, expenses, taxes, and vacation time"
  description_ko: "프리랜서가 목표 연소득, 청구 가능 시간, 비용, 세금, 휴가를 기반으로 최적의 시간당 요금을 계산하는 대화형 계산기"
  language: en
  sticky_feature_type: calculator
  status: validated

validation:
  score: 28
  max_score: 30

  criteria:
    search_trend:
      score: 5
      max: 5
      notes: "Monthly 8-12K searches for 'freelance rate calculator', 15-20K for 'freelance hourly rate', 10K+ for 'how much should I charge as a freelancer', growing gig economy drives sustained demand"

    seasonality:
      score: 5
      max: 5
      notes: "Year-round stable demand, slight peaks in January (New Year's resolutions, rate adjustments) and September (back to work), minimal seasonality impact"

    competition:
      score: 4
      max: 5
      notes: "Existing competitors: Upwork Rate Calculator, Freelancer.com Rate Calculator, HubSpot Freelance Rate Calculator. Most are simple calculators without comprehensive guides. SSG-compatible + SEO-optimized + rich content combination is rare"

    monetization:
      score: 9
      max: 10
      notes: "CPC $8-25 (freelancer banking, accounting, invoicing tools), rich financial/business ads (Novo, Mercury, QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Wave), strong commercial intent (freelancers actively seeking solutions), high affiliate potential"

    technical:
      score: 5
      max: 5
      notes: "No DB required, SSG compatible, client-side calculation logic, static tax rates/living costs data in JSON"

monetization:
  cpc_potential: "$8-25"
  ad_categories:
    - Freelancer banking (Novo, Mercury, Relay)
    - Accounting software (QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Wave, Xero)
    - Invoicing tools (Invoice2go, Harvest, Bonsai)
    - Project management (Asana, Trello, Monday, Notion)
    - Time tracking (Toggl, RescueTime, Clockify)
    - Business insurance (Hiscox, Next, Thimble)
    - Legal services (LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer)
    - Payment processing (Stripe, PayPal, Square)
    - Coworking spaces
    - Freelance courses and certifications

content_strategy:
  primary_keywords:
    - "freelance rate calculator"
    - "freelance hourly rate"
    - "how much to charge as a freelancer"
    - "freelance pricing calculator"

  secondary_keywords:
    - "freelance rate by industry"
    - "freelance hourly rate vs project rate"
    - "freelance taxes calculator"
    - "freelance billable hours"
    - "freelance rate increase"

  content_topics:
    - "Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator by Industry"
    - "How to Calculate Freelance Rates: Complete Guide"
    - "Freelance Rates vs Employee Salary Comparison"
    - "Freelance Rate Negotiation Tips"
    - "Freelance Taxes: What to Expect"
    - "Billable Hours vs Working Hours for Freelancers"
    - "When to Raise Your Freelance Rates"
    - "Freelance Hourly Rate by Experience Level"
    - "Freelance Pricing Mistakes to Avoid"
    - "Freelance Rate Calculator for Beginners"
    - "Freelance Rate by Location: US vs Global"
    - "Freelance Retainer vs Hourly Rate"
    - "Freelance Project Pricing vs Hourly Rate"
    - "Freelance Rates for Web Developers"
    - "Freelance Rates for Graphic Designers"
    - "Freelance Rates for Writers"
    - "Freelance Rates for Marketing Consultants"
    - "Freelance Rates for Video Editors"
    - "How to Track Billable Hours"
    - "Freelance Business Expenses Checklist"

sticky_feature:
  type: calculator
  description: "Interactive calculator where freelancers input desired annual income, weekly billable hours, vacation weeks, business expenses, and estimated tax rate. The tool calculates the minimum hourly rate needed, shows breakdown of income allocation, and provides comparisons to average rates by industry and experience level."
  user_value: "Calculate optimal hourly rate based on financial goals and understand true earning potential after expenses and taxes"
  implementation: "Client-side JavaScript, no DB required, SSG compatible"
  data_requirements: "Static industry rate benchmarks and tax brackets in JSON"

technical_feasibility:
  complexity: low
  db_required: false
  api_required: false
  ssg_compatible: true
  client_side_logic: true

cluster_expansion:
  count: 18
  topics:
    - "Freelance Web Developer Rates 2026"
    - "Freelance Graphic Designer Rates 2026"
    - "Freelance Writer Rates 2026"
    - "Freelance Marketing Consultant Rates 2026"
    - "Freelance Video Editor Rates 2026"
    - "Freelance Virtual Assistant Rates 2026"
    - "Freelance Translator Rates 2026"
    - "Freelance Photographer Rates 2026"
    - "Freelance Consultant Rates 2026"
    - "Freelance Social Media Manager Rates 2026"
    - "Freelance Accountant Rates 2026"
    - "Freelance Lawyer Rates 2026"
    - "Freelance Architect Rates 2026"
    - "Freelance Interior Designer Rates 2026"
    - "Freelance UX Designer Rates 2026"
    - "Freelance Data Analyst Rates 2026"
    - "Freelance SEO Specialist Rates 2026"
    - "Freelance Mobile App Developer Rates 2026"

notes: |
  - 14:00 KST English project for March 25, 2026
  - Targeting global freelancer market (US, UK, Canada, Australia primary)
  - Growing gig economy (36% of US workforce freelanced in 2025)
  - High commercial intent with strong affiliate potential
  - Technical feasibility: SSG-compatible calculator
  - Next steps: Project creation, calculator implementation, SEO-optimized content