Programmatic SEO is an approach to content creation that uses templates, structured data, and automation to generate and optimize pages at scale. Rather than manually writing each article, you create systems that allow you to produce hundreds or even thousands of pages with minimal additional effort.
This differs from the traditional content creation process, where each piece is created from scratch by a writer. With programmatic SEO, the majority of the content follows a predefined template and is populated dynamically using data from sources like spreadsheets or databases.
The key problems that programmatic SEO solves are:
When implemented well, programmatic SEO allows you to drastically scale your content output and organic search footprint in a cost-effective way. Some notable examples of programmatic SEO in action include:
Zapier created over 25,000 pages targeting long-tail keywords around connecting different apps. These pages are dynamically generated based on the apps' integrations and help docs.
Copy.ai generated hundreds of tools and template pages programmatically using AI leading. These pages drove over 1M clicks per month.
At a high level, programmatic SEO systems combine three key components:
The general process for implementing programmatic SEO looks like this:
Some of the most common tools used for programmatic SEO include:
There are significant benefits to taking a programmatic approach to SEO, but it's not without its challenges. Let's look at some of the key pros and cons:
Now that you understand how programmatic SEO works and some of the key considerations, let's walk through the process of actually implementing it for your own website.
The first step is to identify the topics and keyword clusters you want to target with programmatic content. Keyword research is critical for understanding the search terms your audience is using and identifying opportunities to rank.
Look for keyword clusters where you can create content at scale. These will often be bottom-of-funnel keywords with lower individual search volumes. Tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush can help you analyze keywords and group them into clusters.
Once you've identified target keyword clusters, analyze the SERPs to understand the searcher intent behind those queries and the type of content that is currently ranking on page one.
Look at the format and structure of the top ranking pages. Identify the key elements they include and how they address the search query. This will inform how you design your content templates.
Based on your SERP analysis, create a template that will be used for your programmatic content. The template should include:
The template will define the structure for every page and what elements need to be populated with data. Tools like Webflow and WordPress make it easy to design page templates without coding.
For example, here's a simple template created in Webflow:
Next, you need to collect and structure the data that will be used to fill in your content template. This is typically done by building a database or spreadsheet with a row for each target keyword/topic and columns for the various data points you want to include.
Airtable is a user-friendly tool for creating these types of databases. You can create a table with fields for things like:
Once you have your database and template created, you need to connect them so the structured data can be pulled in to populate the content on each page.
This can be done in a few different ways:
With your template and data connected, you're ready to generate your actual pages. If you're using a CMS with dynamic page functionality, this can be as simple as clicking "Publish."
If you're using an external automation tool like Zapier, you'll set up a workflow to create a new page for each row in your database and populate the content using your template structure.
As with any SEO initiative, it's important to monitor the performance of your programmatic pages over time. Use tools like Google Search Console and Ahrefs to track metrics like:
Based on the performance data, identify opportunities to iterate and improve your page content. Update the copy, add new sections, or adjust the target keywords based on what you're seeing.
As you implement programmatic SEO for your own site, keep these best practices and tips in mind:
When implementing programmatic SEO strategies, it's essential to focus on understanding and addressing the intent behind user queries, rather than solely targeting specific keywords. While keyword research is still valuable, creating pages solely for the purpose of targeting certain keywords can lead to content that lacks substance and fails to truly resonate with your audience.
While leveraging programmatic SEO techniques allows you to scale content production efficiently, it's crucial not to compromise quality for the sake of publishing a higher volume of pages. Ensure that every page you create is of high quality, providing substantial value to your target audience. Aim to deliver a engaging and informative user experience on each page, rather than churning out thin or low-quality content solely for the purpose of increasing your page count.
To avoid issues with repetitive or duplicate content, which can negatively impact your performance, it's important to incorporate semantic variations and synonyms throughout your copy. While your programmatic page titles and H1 headings should be topically similar, avoid using identical phrasing across multiple pages. Instead, strategically vary the language and word choices to maintain topical coherence while preventing duplication and differentiate your content.
Improve the overall site architecture and user flow between your programmatically generated pages by implementing a strategic internal linking strategy. Within the body content of each page, include relevant links to other related pages on your site. This practice not only helps users navigate and discover additional content of interest but also facilitates the flow of link equity throughout your site, boosting the discoverability and ranking potential of your programmatic pages.
While it's tempting to simply aggregate or compile information from various sources when generating programmatic content, it's essential to go beyond mere aggregation and provide unique value to your audience. Include your own proprietary data, insights, or perspectives that differentiate your content from generic or widely available information. Share your expertise, industry knowledge, or original research to establish authority and credibility within your niche.
To maintain a high level of quality and consistency across your programmatically generated content, it's crucial to implement a rigorous quality assurance (QA) process before publishing. This process should involve thoroughly reviewing each page for potential errors, inconsistencies, or issues. Look for things like incorrect company names, broken links, factual inaccuracies, or instances where the tone or voice deviates from your brand's established style guidelines.
If you're investing in programmatic SEO, you want to ensure that your templated pages are as high-quality and comprehensive as possible. But how do you know what information to include or what questions your content should answer?
That's where RivalFlow AI comes in.
RivalFlow AI analyzes your existing content and compares it against the pages that are currently outranking you on the SERPs. It identifies the gaps between your pages and your competitors', then provides specific, actionable suggestions for how to improve your content.
With RivalFlow AI, you can:
Best of all, RivalFlow AI integrates seamlessly with your existing content workflow. You can easily import pages from your CMS, make the suggested changes, and re-publish.
Sign up for a free trial of RivalFlow AI and start optimizing your programmatic SEO content today.
Programmatic SEO can be a game-changer for businesses looking to drastically scale their organic search footprint without breaking the bank. By combining content templates, structured data, and automation, you can publish landing pages at a pace that would be impossible doing it manually.
However, implementing programmatic SEO is not a quick or simple process. It requires significant planning and preparation to design the right templates and data structures. And you still need quality checks in place to maintain content standards.
If you're considering programmatic SEO, use the step-by-step process laid out in this guide to start putting the pieces in place. Identify target topics, analyze SERP intent, build your templates and databases, and start publishing.
And don't forget to optimize your programmatic pages with RivalFlow AI. With AI-powered content suggestions, you can ensure your pages are as comprehensive and high-quality as possible.
To recap, here are the key takeaways from this guide:
Now it's time to put these principles into practice. Follow the steps outlined here to start implementing programmatic SEO for your own business. And sign up for a free trial of RivalFlow AI to take your content to the next level.
