Programmatic SEO: What Is It & How to Scale Your Webpages

Are you looking for a way to scale your website’s SEO content on a large level?

That’s where programmatic SEO comes in.

What You’ll Learn

• Programmatic SEO vs. Traditional SEO
• Programmatic SEO: Pros vs. Cons
• 3 Core Elements of Programmatic SEO 
• Develop a Programmatic SEO Strategy 
• Programmatic SEO Tools 
• Examples of Programmatic SEO In Action 

What is Programmatic SEO?

Also called pSEO, programmatic SEO entails creating and publishing a large volume of landing pages to maximize reach and dominate search engine results.

If you want to get the best results from your SEO strategy, implement programmatic SEO in combination with a traditional SEO approach.

Our Expert Insights on Programmatic SEO

Our Senior Director of SEO, Seth Kluver says, “I have found programmatic SEO to be an invaluable asset in this increasingly competitive digital environment. Also called pSEO, programmatic SEO entails creating and publishing a large volume of landing pages to maximize reach and dominate search engine results.”

He continues to say, “It can help streamline SEO strategies by automating and optimizing large-scale website content while working with traditional SEO to ensure your content gets in front of audiences. You will save a ton of time and energy in the process while maximizing your campaigns’ efficiency.”

In this guide, we dive into programmatic SEO and show you how you can use this type of strategy to supercharge your digital marketing.

Programmatic SEO vs. Traditional SEO

Programmatic SEO and traditional SEO both aim to improve search engine rankings and visibility. Traditional SEO focuses on crafting high-quality content for high-competition keywords, whereas programmatic SEO automates and targets a broader range of less competitive keywords, known as low-hanging fruit.

The key distinction is in their execution. Traditional SEO demands creating unique pages manually, while programmatic SEO uses templates and databases to generate numerous pages, potentially in the millions.

Employing both strategies can enhance search rankings. However, understanding programmatic SEO is crucial to avoid generating low-quality, spammy pages that could negatively impact your Google standing.

Programmatic SEO: Pros vs. Cons

When considering programmatic SEO, it’s vital to balance its advantages and drawbacks. Proper implementation can significantly enhance your website’s search engine performance. However, it’s important to be aware of potential downsides to ensure the strategy aligns with your overall SEO goals.

Pros

Some of the key benefits of programmatic SEO tools and strategies include:

• Rank well for many low-competition keywords 
• Get faster results by publishing large amounts of quality content 
• Easily publish content using templates for landing pages
• Dramatically increase the number of high-quality backlinks for your site
• Reach more people at every stage of the buyer’s journey

Cons

Now that you know about some of the advantages of pSEO, here are some potential drawbacks to consider:

• Expect higher up-front costs for certain tools
• Indexing can be a challenge for all pages
• If you’re not careful, Google could consider your pages spam and punish your site accordingly
• Like traditional SEO, this SEO tactic will require consistent monitoring and upkeep to get the results you want

Sure, programmatic SEO can come with some risks, but you’ll be able to get the most from it when you integrate it properly.

3 Core Elements of Programmatic SEO

There are three primary components of programmatic SEO campaigns, including:

1. Low-Competition Keywords

Various keyword tools such as SEMRush and ScreamingFrog can assess the competition level of keywords, aiding in identifying ideal targets. Using pSEO’s large-scale strategies, it’s generally easier to rank for these keywords. 

2. Search Intent

Search intent is crucial in programmatic SEO. It refers to the user’s goal when searching on Google and other platforms. For example, users at the top of the sales funnel, early on in the buyer’s journey, will likely search for broad information about a particular topic or problem. Moving down toward the bottom of the funnel, users will enter different keywords with the intent to make a decision or complete a purchase. 

 Understanding the different stages of the buyer’s journey helps in targeting keywords effectively. There are four main types of search intent: 

• Informational — At this stage, users want more information about a particular topic, such as a problem they’re experiencing. An example of this would be something like “What causes [problem]?” or “What solutions are there to [problem]?”
• Commercial —Users are weighing their options when they’re about to make a buying decision. For instance, a user at this stage might look for “what is the best solution to [problem]” or “top solutions to [problem].”
• Transactional —Next, the user is ready to complete a transaction, whether that means making a purchase, requesting a quote, or performing another converting action. They may enter terms like “tool for sale” or “where to buy a solution to [problem].”
• Navigational — When users are at this point, they’re simply looking for a particular web page, such as a login on an ecommerce site. To excel in programmatic SEO, focus on targeting commercial and transactional keywords with high-converting landing pages.

3. User Experience

Ensuring a positive user experience is essential to keep visitors engaged after they arrive from search engines. Key components of a good user experience include:

A good user experience consists of multiple elements that capture and engage users, including:

• An easy-to-navigate web design
• Visual appeal and readability
• Fast loading speeds
• High-quality content that informs and moves people down the funnel
• Unique content that avoids duplication that might otherwise penalize your site

Develop a Programmatic SEO Strategy

To develop a successful programmatic SEO (pSEO) strategy, follow these steps to create well-optimized landing pages: 

1. Set Clear Goals and Expectations

Begin by determining your objectives for the landing pages. What kinds of topics and keyword terms might encourage more people to convert into leads and customers? 

Consider the sales figures and other metrics you’ll use to track progress. Clear goals will guide your pSEO strategy effectively.

2. Research Your Audience, Market Trends, and Competitors

The development of a programmatic SEO strategy involves several key phases:

Understand Your Audience: Research what your audience is interested in, such as specific applications of your products or services and popular trends in your industry.

Competitor Strategies: Analyze your competitors’ programmatic SEO strategies. Look for the number of landing pages they have and the keywords they target, especially transactional and commercial ones. Learn from their successful tactics.

Identify Gaps: Spot opportunities where competitors might be lacking. For instance, targeting specific use cases they haven’t addressed could give you an edge.

3. Conduct Keyword Research and Develop a Content Plan

Keyword Research: Focus on identifying head terms (primary, broad keywords) and modifiers (contextual additions) for more specificity. For example, the head term “best programmatic SEO tools” can be combined with modifiers like “for novice coders” to target long-tail, low-competition keywords.

Content Planning: Based on your keyword research, devise a content plan for your landing pages. Determine the types of pages you need and start preparing them for templating to ensure they align with your identified keywords and audience interests.

4. Design Your Page Template

Create a Landing Page Template: Create a template that targets specific locations, potentially going after thousands of states, cities, zip codes, counties, or even multiple countries. 

Offer Value: Make sure your content offers real value, too. Simply trying to target a term across thousands of pages could be a red flag to Google and result in a penalty. Your pages should delve deep into the topics you want to cover, but they should be unique and dynamic enough to function as individual pages.

Differentiate from Competitors: Also, make your pages as informative as possible to differentiate them from competitors. They should feature unique selling points and details, answer several questions, and expand on the information you cover in your traditional SEO strategy.

5. Engage in UX Optimization  

Fast Load Times: Ensure your pages load quickly, ideally within two seconds. This is crucial for user retention and SEO performance.

Design for Readability: Create pages with clear, easy-to-read sections. Use summaries, bullet points, and broken-up text to simplify and enhance the presentation of information.

6. Launch, Test, Iterate

Once your template and database are set, launch your pages and start monitoring their performance.

A/B Split Testing: Implement A/B testing to determine the most effective strategies. This could involve experimenting with different copy, layouts, or call-to-action variations. Track which versions yield higher traffic, engagement, and conversions.

Iterative Improvements: Use the insights gained from testing to continually refine and improve your pages. This iterative process is key to optimizing the effectiveness of your programmatic SEO strategy.

Programmatic SEO Tools

As you learn more about how to do programmatic SEO, you can get started with the following tools:

• Google Trends — This solution is a great way to look for trending topics in your niche, which can give you a start on finding the right keywords and modifiers for your campaigns.

• Python — Using this coding tool, you can code your pages and keywords, but you will need to learn the programming language to get the most from it. If needed, you can always outsource coding for your campaigns.

• Google Sheets — This tool can help you organize your primary keywords and modifiers in a dynamic database.

Examples of Programmatic SEO In Action

Want to see some companies that are excelling with programmatic SEO? Here are some key examples in multiple industries:

TripAdvisor

In the travel industry, TripAdvisor dominates with Expedia and others using programmatic SEO. If people are seeking the best deals on hotel rooms across the globe, TripAdvisor is there with all the results people need.

This site comes second in search results for “best hotels in new york” alone.

Zapier

In the tech industry, Zapier is among the top programmatic SEO examples with its massive website full of lists, tutorials, and other resources. This page came out on top for “best software for video editing,” for example.

Eater

Restaurant database Eater can recommend a range of restaurants and foods based on your tastes. Whatever you’re looking for in the restaurant industry, Eater has it listed. Here’s what I first found when searching “top Italian restaurants in Chicago,” complete with a convenient map of each location on the right.

Develop a Successful Programmatic SEO Campaign With Ignite Visibility

If you’re in need of programmatic SEO for your business, Ignite Visibility is happy to help with a complete strategy tailored to your needs. We can also help with traditional SEO, along with everything from local and international search marketing to pay-per-click advertising. 

When you turn to us for programmatic campaigns, you’ll get help with:

• Keyword, audience, market trend, and competitor research
• Coding for your keywords, pages, and databases
• Page template building and designs
• UX optimization
• Publishing, indexing, and monitoring
• Continuous optimization

If this sounds like the right strategy for you, reach out to Ignite Visibility to get started with programmatic SEO and more today!