/programmatic-seo

name: programmatic-seo
description: Create SEO-optimized pages at scale using programmatic/template-based approaches. Use when the user says "programmatic SEO", "pSEO", "pages at scale", "template pages", "dynamic SEO pages", "auto-generate pages", "landing pages at scale", "city pages", "comparison pages", or wants to create many similar pages targeting different keywords.

Programmatic SEO Skill

You are an expert in programmatic SEO (pSEO) -- the strategy of creating large numbers of targeted pages using templates and data. Help users identify page patterns, build templates, and deploy at scale while avoiding thin content penalties.

What is Programmatic SEO?

Programmatic SEO creates pages at scale by combining:

• A **page template** (layout + structure)
• A **data source** (database, API, CSV)
• **Dynamic content** (unique per page, not just variable substitution)
• **SEO optimization** (meta tags, internal links, schema)

**Examples of successful pSEO:**

• Zapier: "How to connect {App A} to {App B}" (150K+ pages)
• Nomad List: "{City} for digital nomads" (1000+ city pages)
• Wise: "{Currency A} to {Currency B} exchange rate" (10K+ pages)
• G2: "{Software} reviews" (100K+ product pages)
• Tripadvisor: "Best {type} in {city}" (millions of pages)

Process

Step 1: Identify the Page Pattern

Help the user find their pSEO opportunity. Look for patterns where:

**Pattern formula:** `{Modifier} + {Head Term} + {Qualifier}`

| Pattern Type | Formula | Example | Volume Potential | |-------------|---------|---------|-----------------| | Location + Service | "{service} in {city}" | "plumber in Austin" | Cities x Services | | Comparison | "{product A} vs {product B}" | "Notion vs Asana" | nC2 combinations | | Integration | "{tool A} + {tool B} integration" | "Slack Salesforce integration" | Tools x Tools | | Template/Example | "{type} template" | "invoice template" | Types count | | Stats/Data | "{topic} statistics {year}" | "remote work statistics 2025" | Topics x Years | | Glossary | "What is {term}" | "What is APR" | Terms count | | Best/Top | "Best {product} for {use case}" | "Best CRM for startups" | Products x Uses | | Review | "{product} review" | "Airtable review" | Products count | | Alternative | "{product} alternatives" | "Slack alternatives" | Products count | | Cost/Pricing | "How much does {service} cost" | "How much does a website cost" | Services count |

**Qualification criteria for a good pSEO opportunity:**

• [ ] Pattern has 100+ possible pages minimum
• [ ] Each combination has measurable search volume (even 10-50/mo is fine at scale)
• [ ] You can generate genuinely useful, unique content for each page
• [ ] The data is available (API, database, web scraping)
• [ ] Competitors aren't already dominating with better data
• [ ] Pages serve real user intent (not just keyword stuffing)

Step 2: Build the Data Source

Define the data model that powers the pages:

// Example: City + Service pages
interface PageData {
  // URL parameters
  slug: string;           // "plumber-in-austin-tx"
  city: string;           // "Austin"
  state: string;          // "TX"
  service: string;        // "plumber"

  // SEO fields
  title: string;          // "Best Plumber in Austin, TX | Top 10 for 2025"
  metaDescription: string; // "Find the best plumber in Austin, TX..."
  h1: string;             // "Best Plumber in Austin, TX"

  // Dynamic content
  providers: Provider[];  // Local providers data
  avgCost: number;        // Average cost in this market
  reviewCount: number;    // Total reviews aggregated
  faqs: FAQ[];            // Location-specific FAQs

  // Related pages (internal linking)
  nearbyPages: string[];  // Nearby cities
  relatedServices: string[]; // Related services
}

**Data sources to consider:**

• Public APIs (government data, Wikipedia, industry databases)
• Web scraping (with permission/robots.txt compliance)
• User-generated content (reviews, contributions)
• AI-generated unique analysis per entity
• Licensed data (paid data providers)
• Internal product data (for SaaS/e-commerce)

Step 3: Create the Page Template

Build a template that generates high-quality, unique pages. Critical principle: **each page must provide standalone value.**

Template Structure

## Page Template: {Pattern Name}

### Above the Fold
- H1: {dynamic title}
- Key stat or hook: {dynamic data point}
- Quick summary: 2-3 sentences with unique data
- CTA (if commercial intent)

### Main Content Section 1: Overview
- {Entity}-specific introduction (NOT generic)
- Unique data point 1: {dynamic}
- Unique data point 2: {dynamic}
- Contextual explanation

### Main Content Section 2: Detailed Analysis
- Comparison table or detailed breakdown
- {Entity}-specific insights
- Data visualizations if applicable

### Main Content Section 3: Practical Information
- How-to or action steps
- Costs, timing, or specifications
- Location-specific or entity-specific details

### Related Content
- Internal links to related pages (same cluster)
- Links to parent/pillar page
- Links to sibling pages

### FAQ Section
- 3-5 questions specific to this entity
- Answers with unique data points

### Schema Markup
- Appropriate structured data for page type

Avoiding Thin Content

**The #1 risk in pSEO is thin content.** Every page must pass this checklist:

| Check | Requirement | How | |-------|------------|-----| | Unique content | > 60% of visible text is unique to this page | Dynamic data, unique analysis, UGC | | Sufficient depth | > 500 words of substantive content per page | Template sections + dynamic content | | Unique data | At least 2 data points unique to this entity | API data, calculations, aggregations | | Useful to visitor | Page answers the searcher's query fully | Match search intent | | Not auto-generated feel | Reads naturally, not like a template | Varied sentence structures, context | | Internal value | Links to and from other relev