The useful mental model
Skills shape behavior and checklists. MCP servers expose tools and data (search trends, browsers, tickets, databases). Mixing them is powerful; mixing them carelessly is how you grant a prompt access to production.
Audit questions for every MCP server
What credentials does it hold, and where are they stored?
Can it write, or only read?
Does traffic leave your VPC / laptop?
Is there an allowlist of tools, or a giant “do anything” surface?
Who published it, and how fast do they patch?
Combining MCP + SEO skills responsibly
A Claude SEO skill plus a trends or crawl MCP can produce sharper audits — live SERP or crawl data beats vibes. Keep enrichment optional and log which tool produced which claim.
If a skill requires paid APIs to function at all, price that into your evaluation. “Free skill, paid dependency” is still a paid workflow.