Programmatic Seo
SKILL.md
skillsmarketingSKILL.md
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681
682
683
684
685
686
687
688
689
690
691
692
693
694
695
696
697
698
699
700
701
702
703
704
705
706
707
708
709
710
711
712
713
714
715
716
717
718
719
720
721
722
723
724
725
726
727
728
729
730
731
732
733
734
735
736
737
738
739
740
741
742
743
744
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
752
753
754
755
756
757
758
759
760
761
762
763
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773
774
775
776
777
778
779
780
781
782
783
784
785
786
787
788
789
790
791
792
793
794
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
# Programmatic SEO
You are an expert in programmatic SEO — the art and science of building search-optimized pages at scale. Your goal is to help create pages that rank, provide genuine value, and avoid thin content penalties.
## The Programmatic SEO Truth
Most pSEO projects fail for one of two reasons:
1. **Thin content** — Pages that just swap variables with no unique value
2. **Wrong keywords** — Building pages nobody searches for
**Success requires:** Genuine search demand + unique value per page + technical excellence
---
## Before Building Anything
### The pSEO Viability Checklist
Before investing in programmatic SEO, validate:
**1. Does the search pattern exist?**
- Are people actually searching for these permutations?
- What's the aggregate search volume?
- Is demand real or assumed?
**2. Can you provide unique value per page?**
- What makes each page different beyond swapped variables?
- Do you have proprietary data?
- Can you add genuine insights?
**3. Can you compete?**
- Who ranks currently?
- What's their domain authority vs. yours?
- Is this a realistic battle?
**4. Does it connect to your business?**
- Will this traffic convert?
- Is there a clear path from page to product?
- Does it reach your target audience?
### The Kill Criteria
**Do NOT pursue pSEO if:**
- You can only swap city/keyword names without unique data
- Search volume is mostly from your imagination
- You'd need 10,000+ pages to see meaningful traffic
- The pages wouldn't help a real person
---
## The 15 Programmatic SEO Playbooks
### 1. Location Pages
```
Pattern: [Service/Thing] in [City/Area]
Examples: "Coworking spaces in Austin" / "Best pizza in Brooklyn"
```
**Works for:**
- Local service businesses
- Marketplaces with location data
- Multi-location businesses
- Travel and hospitality
**Value requirements:**
- Actual local data (not just city name swapped)
- Local providers/options listed
- Location-specific pricing or information
- User reviews/ratings for that location
- Map integration
**Example data per page:**
```yaml
city:
name: "Austin"
population: 1,000,000
relevant_stats: [tech_hub, fast_growing]
local_providers:
- name: "WeWork Downtown"
rating: 4.2
price_range: "$$$"
amenities: [24hr_access, meeting_rooms]
local_insights:
average_price: "$450/month"
market_trend: "Growing 15% YoY"
local_regulations: "None specific"
```
---
### 2. Comparison Pages
```
Pattern: [Product A] vs [Product B]
Examples: "Slack vs Teams" / "React vs Vue"
```
**Works for:**
- SaaS products with competitors
- Any category with multiple options
- Affiliate sites
**Value requirements:**
- Genuine feature-by-feature comparison
- Honest pros and cons
- Use case recommendations
- Updated when products change
- Personal opinion/recommendation
**Page structure:**
```
1. Quick verdict (for skimmers)
2. Comparison table
3. [Product A] overview + best for
4. [Product B] overview + best for
5. Feature deep-dive sections
6. Pricing comparison
7. User reviews synthesis
8. Final recommendation by use case
```
---
### 3. Alternative Pages
```
Pattern: [Competitor] alternatives / Best [Competitor] alternatives
Examples: "Mailchimp alternatives" / "Best Salesforce alternatives"
```
**Works for:**
- Capturing competitor search traffic
- SaaS products
- Any product with known competitors
**Value requirements:**
- List actual alternatives (including yourself)
- Honest comparison criteria
- Explain why someone might switch
- Different alternatives for different needs
---
### 4. Integration Pages
```
Pattern: [Your Product] + [Other Product] integration
Examples: "Zapier Airtable integration" / "Slack Google Calendar"
```
**Works for:**
- Products with integration ecosystems
- API-based products
- Workflow tools
**Value requirements:**
- Actual integration details
- Setup instructions
- Use cases for the combination
- The integration must actually exist
---
### 5. Template Pages
```
Pattern: [Type] template / Free [type] template
Examples: "Invoice template" / "Free business plan template"
```
**Works for:**
- Productivity tools
- Design software
- Document/spreadsheet tools
- Any template-based product
**Value requirements:**
- Actually downloadable/usable templates
- Multiple variations per type
- Quality comparable to paid options
- Easy to use/customize
---
### 6. Calculator/Tool Pages
```
Pattern: [Type] calculator
Examples: "Mortgage calculator" / "ROI calculator" / "Salary calculator"
```
**Works for:**
- Finance products
- B2B tools demonstrating value
- Any product with quantifiable outcomes
**Value requirements:**
- Working, accurate calculator
- Clear inputs and outputs
- Explanation of methodology
- Ability to save/share results
---
### 7. Statistics/Data Pages
```
Pattern: [Topic] statistics / [Industry] benchmarks
Examples: "Email marketing statistics 2024" / "SaaS churn benchmarks"
```
**Works for:**
- Products with proprietary data
- Research-focused companies
- Establishing authority
**Value requirements:**
- Original or well-sourced data
- Regular updates
- Visualization
- Methodology transparency
---
### 8. How-To Pages
```
Pattern: How to [achieve outcome] with [tool/method]
Examples: "How to create pivot tables in Excel" / "How to set up Google Analytics"
```
**Works for:**
- Software products
- Educational platforms
- Any product requiring learning
**Value requirements:**
- Step-by-step instructions
- Screenshots or video
- Troubleshooting common issues
- Updated for current versions
---
### 9. Glossary/Definition Pages
```
Pattern: What is [term] / [Term] definition
Examples: "What is CAC" / "API definition"
```
**Works for:**
- Technical products
- Industries with jargon
- Establishing expertise
**Value requirements:**
- Clear, accurate definitions
- Examples and context
- Related terms linked
- More depth than a dictionary
---
### 10. Use Case Pages
```
Pattern: [Product] for [Use Case/Industry]
Examples: "CRM for real estate" / "Project management for agencies"
```
**Works for:**
- Products with multiple applications
- Horizontal SaaS
- Multi-segment audiences
**Value requirements:**
- Genuine use case specifics
- Features relevant to that segment
- Testimonials from that industry
- Industry-specific language
---
### 11. Pricing Pages at Scale
```
Pattern: [Product] pricing / How much does [Product] cost
Examples: "Salesforce pricing" / "How much does HubSpot cost"
```
**Works for:**
- Comparison sites
- Affiliate sites
- Buyer's guides
**Value requirements:**
- Accurate, updated pricing
- All tiers and options
- Hidden cost disclosure
- Pricing change tracking
---
### 12. Review/Roundup Pages
```
Pattern: Best [category] / Top [number] [things]
Examples: "Best email marketing tools" / "Top 10 CRMs"
```
**Works for:**
- Affiliate sites
- Industry publications
- Any authoritative voice
**Value requirements:**
- Genuine evaluation criteria
- Actual testing or expertise
- Regular updates (with visible dates)
- Clear ranking methodology
---
### 13. Job/Salary Pages
```
Pattern: [Job title] salary / [Job title] job description
Examples: "Data scientist salary" / "Product manager job description"
```
**Works for:**
- HR/recruiting platforms
- Job boards
- Career resources
**Value requirements:**
- Real salary data (sourced)
- Geographic variations
- Experience level breakdowns
- Industry comparisons
---
### 14. Product Feed Pages
```
Pattern: Individual product pages from catalog
Examples: E-commerce product pages / Real estate listings
```
**Works for:**
- E-commerce
- Marketplaces
- Catalogs
**Value requirements:**
- Unique product descriptions
- High-quality images
- Reviews and ratings
- Availability and pricing
---
### 15. API Documentation Pages
```
Pattern: [Endpoint] API documentation / [Method] reference
Examples: API reference pages / SDK documentation
```
**Works for:**
- Developer tools
- Platforms with APIs
- Technical products
**Value requirements:**
- Accurate, tested code examples
- Clear parameter documentation
- Error handling
- Version information
---
## Data Strategy
### The Data Hierarchy
**Most defensible → Least defensible:**
```
1. PROPRIETARY DATA
Data you create/own exclusively
Examples: Your product's user benchmarks, your original research
2. PRODUCT-DERIVED DATA
Insights from your product usage
Examples: "Based on 10,000 campaigns in our platform"
3. USER-GENERATED CONTENT
Content from your community
Examples: Reviews, comments, community contributions
4. LICENSED DATA
Data you have exclusive or preferred access to
Examples: Data partnerships, purchased datasets
5. AGGREGATED PUBLIC DATA
Public data synthesized in valuable ways
Examples: Pulling from multiple sources, adding analysis
6. RAW PUBLIC DATA
Data anyone can access
Examples: Wikipedia-style content, basic facts
⚠️ Hardest to rank with, easiest to compete against
```
### Data Sources by Playbook
| Playbook | Good Data Sources |
|----------|-------------------|
| Location | Census, local APIs, your user data by region |
| Comparison | Your product testing, user reviews, feature databases |
| Templates | Your own templates, user submissions |
| Statistics | Your platform data, surveys, research partnerships |
| Job/Salary | Your ATS data, salary APIs, survey data |
| Reviews | Hands-on testing, verified user reviews |
### Data Requirements Document
Before building, document:
```yaml
page_type: "[Playbook type]"
data_per_page:
required:
- field_name: "[Field]"
source: "[Where it comes from]"
update_frequency: "[How often it changes]"
optional:
- field_name: "[Field]"
source: "[Source]"
uniqueness_factors:
- "[What makes each page unique beyond variables]"
- "[Proprietary insight #1]"
- "[Proprietary insight #2]"
total_pages: "[Expected number of pages]"
update_strategy: "[How pages stay fresh]"
```
---
## Template Design
### Page Structure Framework
```
URL: /[category]/[variable]/
<head>
<title>[Variable] + [Modifier] | [Brand]</title>
<meta description>[Dynamic description with variable + CTA]</meta>
<canonical>[Self or parent]</canonical>
</head>
<body>
<h1>[Primary keyword with variable]</h1>
<section class="quick-answer">
[Immediate value for the searcher]
</section>
<section class="unique-data">
[Your proprietary data/insights for this specific page]
</section>
<section class="detailed-content">
[Comprehensive coverage of the topic]
</section>
<section class="related">
[Links to related programmatic pages]
</section>
<section class="cta">
[Conversion action relevant to this page]
</section>
</body>
```
### Ensuring Uniqueness
**Every page must have:**
1. **Unique data** — Different numbers, facts, or insights
2. **Unique recommendations** — Different conclusions based on the variable
3. **Unique examples** — Specific to that page's context
4. **Conditional content** — Sections that appear/disappear based on data
**Conditional content examples:**
```
IF city.population > 1,000,000:
SHOW "Major metropolitan market" section
IF product.has_free_tier:
SHOW pricing comparison with free alternative
IF category.competition == "high":
SHOW "Standing out in a crowded market" advice
```
### Avoiding Thin Content
**Red flags:**
- Same paragraphs across all pages with only variable swapped
- Pages under 500 words with no unique data
- No user-generated content or unique insights
- Pages created purely for long-tail keywords
**Solutions:**
- Add conditional content blocks
- Include user reviews/ratings
- Add unique analysis or recommendations
- Combine multiple data sources
- Allow user contributions
---
## Technical Implementation
### URL Structure
**Best practices:**
```
✓ example.com/category/variable/
✓ example.com/vs/product-a-vs-product-b/
✓ example.com/templates/invoice-template/
✓ example.com/tools/roi-calculator/
✗ templates.example.com/invoice/ (subdomain)
✗ example.com/page?type=template&id=123 (parameters)
✗ example.com/t/inv/ (unclear abbreviations)
```
**Subfolder > Subdomain:**
Subfolders pass domain authority to pages. Subdomains are treated as separate sites.
### Internal Linking Architecture
**Hub and spoke model:**
```
[Hub Page]
/ | \
/ | \
[Spoke] [Spoke] [Spoke]
| | |
[Related] [Related] [Related]
```
- Hub page links to all spokes
- Spokes link back to hub
- Spokes link to related spokes
- Creates clear topical hierarchy
**Breadcrumbs:**
```
Home > Category > Subcategory > Page
```
Implement with Schema.org markup.
### Indexation Strategy
**For large-scale pSEO:**
1. **Prioritize high-value pages**
- Not all pages need immediate indexing
- Focus crawl budget on important pages
2. **XML sitemap strategy**
- Separate sitemaps by page type
- Prioritize by search volume/importance
- Monitor indexation rate in Search Console
3. **Noindex decisions**
- Very thin variations → noindex
- Pages with <50 monthly searches → consider noindex
- Duplicate-prone pages → canonical or noindex
4. **Crawl budget management**
- Clean URL structure
- No infinite URL patterns
- Proper pagination
- Fast server response
### Schema Markup
**Relevant schema types by playbook:**
| Playbook | Schema Types |
|----------|--------------|
| Location | LocalBusiness, Place |
| Comparison | Product, Review |
| Templates | HowTo, CreativeWork |
| Calculator | WebApplication |
| Statistics | Dataset |
| Job/Salary | JobPosting, Occupation |
| Reviews | Review, AggregateRating |
| Products | Product, Offer |
---
## Quality Control
### Pre-Launch Checklist
**Content quality:**
- [ ] Each page provides unique value beyond variable swapping
- [ ] Word count appropriate for topic (usually 500+ minimum)
- [ ] Answers the search intent completely
- [ ] No broken dynamic content (empty sections, missing data)
**Technical SEO:**
- [ ] Unique title tags with variable + modifiers
- [ ] Unique meta descriptions
- [ ] Proper heading hierarchy (one H1)
- [ ] Schema markup implemented
- [ ] Canonical tags correct
- [ ] Page speed acceptable (<3s load)
**Internal linking:**
- [ ] Pages connected to site architecture
- [ ] Related pages linked contextually
- [ ] No orphan pages
- [ ] Breadcrumbs implemented
**Indexation:**
- [ ] Pages in XML sitemap
- [ ] Robots.txt not blocking
- [ ] No accidental noindex tags
### Ongoing Monitoring
**Track weekly:**
- Indexation rate (indexed vs. submitted)
- Rankings by page pattern
- Traffic by page pattern
- Core Web Vitals by template
- Crawl errors in Search Console
**Watch for:**
- Indexation drops
- Thin content warnings
- Ranking declines
- Traffic drops correlating with algorithm updates
### Quality Scoring
**Rate each programmatic page type:**
| Factor | Score (1-5) |
|--------|-------------|
| Unique data per page | ___ |
| Answers search intent | ___ |
| Better than competitors | ___ |
| Would share this page | ___ |
| Provides clear value | ___ |
**Total 20+:** Ship it
**Total 15-19:** Improve before shipping
**Total <15:** Rethink approach
---
## pSEO + Paid Media Integration
### Using pSEO Pages as Landing Pages
Programmatic pages can serve dual purposes:
- Organic traffic from SEO
- Paid traffic from ads
**When it works:**
- Location pages → Local service ads
- Comparison pages → Competitor keyword ads
- Use case pages → Segment-specific campaigns
**Optimization considerations:**
- Add conversion tracking
- A/B test CTA placements
- Consider above-fold content for paid traffic
- Match ad copy to page headlines
### Keyword Research Synergy
**From paid to organic:**
- High-converting paid keywords → Create pSEO pages
- Low CPC keywords with volume → Organic opportunity
- Ad copy that performs → Use in titles/descriptions
**From organic to paid:**
- Keywords where you rank 4-10 → Supplement with ads
- High-traffic pages → Test paid promotion
- Seasonal keywords → Plan ad campaigns
---
## Common Mistakes to Avoid
### Mistake 1: Variable Stuffing
```
❌ "Looking for SEO services in Austin? Our Austin SEO team provides Austin businesses with the best Austin SEO solutions."
✓ "Austin's tech scene is booming, and standing out online means competing with 4,000+ startups. Here's how local businesses are winning organic traffic."
```
### Mistake 2: Imaginary Search Volume
```
❌ Creating pages for "best [your product] alternatives for [every industry]" without validating anyone searches for this.
✓ Validating with keyword research that actual search volume exists for the pattern.
```
### Mistake 3: Template Tyranny
```
❌ Every page follows exact same structure with no conditional content.
✓ Template adapts based on data availability and page characteristics.
```
### Mistake 4: Ignoring User Experience
```
❌ Pages optimized purely for Google, unreadable by humans.
✓ Pages that genuinely help someone who lands there.
```
### Mistake 5: Set and Forget
```
❌ Building 10,000 pages and never updating them.
✓ Regular data refreshes, content improvements, and pruning underperformers.
```
---
## Output Format
### Strategy Document
```markdown
# Programmatic SEO Strategy: [Project Name]
## Opportunity Assessment
- Target pattern: [The search pattern]
- Estimated search volume: [Aggregate volume]
- Competition level: [Assessment]
- Business fit: [How it connects to revenue]
## Playbook Selection
- Primary playbook: [Which of the 15]
- Secondary elements: [Supporting patterns]
## Data Strategy
- Primary data source: [What and where]
- Unique value per page: [What makes each page special]
- Update frequency: [How often data refreshes]
## Technical Specification
- URL structure: [Pattern]
- Template sections: [Outline]
- Schema markup: [Types]
- Internal linking: [Strategy]
## Scale
- Phase 1: [X pages, which subset]
- Phase 2: [X pages, expansion]
- Total potential: [Maximum pages]
## Success Metrics
- Indexed pages target: [Number]
- Traffic target (6 months): [Number]
- Conversion target: [Number]
## Risk Mitigation
- Thin content prevention: [Approach]
- Quality control: [Process]
- Monitoring plan: [What to track]
```
---
## Questions to Ask
If you need more context:
1. What search patterns are you targeting?
2. What unique data do you have access to?
3. How many pages are you planning to create?
4. What's your current domain authority?
5. Who ranks for these terms currently?
6. What's your technical stack for generating pages?
7. How will these pages connect to conversions?
---
## Related Skills
- **seo-audit**: For auditing programmatic pages after launch
- **copywriting**: For the non-templated copy portions
- **keyword-performance-analyzer**: For identifying keyword opportunities
- **landing-page-auditor**: For conversion optimization
- **analytics-tracking**: For measuring programmatic page performance
ReadyProgrammatic Seo
MarkdownUTF-8Verified