Have you ever wondered why sites like Tripadvisor or Yelp consistently dominate top-ranking search results? One secret you may need to learn is programmatic SEO, the strategy of publishing large-scale landing pages.
In this piece, ROI Digitally experts help you understand this term, how to execute it effectively, and the top strategies for creating large-scale landing pages.
Let’s dive in!
What Is Programmatic SEO?
Programmatic SEO, also known as pSEO, is a strategy of publishing landing pages on a large scale to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERP).
Here’s how we build programmatic SEO:
- Each landing page begins with a standardized template featuring consistent elements such as images, pricing details, reviews, and more.
- Web admins then multiply these pages into various versions using automated tools.
- Each page version targets a different low-competition keyword.
Tripadvisor is a notable example of using programmatic SEO to connect with its target audience. When users search for topics like “best places to visit in (city),” Tripadvisor consistently appears at the top of the results.
Tripadvisor consistently positions on top of SERPs
To achieve this, the web admins have created thousands of pages tailored to such searches, while each sharing the same design and content structure.
These programmatic pages are typically generated from data stored in a database, including product prices, weather conditions, or geographical information. Annually, companies like Zapier, Zillow, and G2 use this approach to amass millions of pageviews.
Programmatic SEO vs. Regular SEO?
Regular SEO and programmatic SEO both aim to boost a website’s visibility in search engines. Yet, they take different approaches to achieve this mutual goal.
The main difference is that programmatic SEO automates publishing bulk pages based on templates and databases, while traditional SEO involves manually optimizing each page.
Let’s quickly recap the differences between programmatic SEO and regular SEO:
| Aspect | Regular SEO | Programmatic SEO |
| Approach | Focus on long-term, high-quality content creation. | Use automation and templates to generate landing pages quickly. |
| Target | Target competitive keywords. | Target specific, low-competition keywords. |
| Scale | Typically produce a limited number of pages. | Rapidly generate numerous landing pages. |
| Timeline | Take time to see results after implementation. | Achieve quicker results by leveraging automation. |
| Keyword Optimization | Emphasize keyword optimization for content relevance. | Rely heavily on keyword optimization for targeting specific searches. |
| Skill Required | Require less technical skills | Require more technical skills |
Nevertheless, a strong understanding of core SEO principles is crucial to conducting programmatic SEO effectively. You can use strategies and tools to generate hundreds of pages, but they will only rank well when optimizing for search engines. Ultimately, though, both require expertise in essential SEO strategy.
Pros And Cons Of Programmatic SEO – Is It Spammy?
Programmatic SEO is a legitimate way to increase website traffic and conversions alongside regular SEO strategies. But they also have downsides:
| Pros | Cons |
| Scaling up web pages effortlessly by establishing your landing page template. | Demanding coding skills to develope a programmatic SEO template. |
| Targeting entire categories of keywords and maximizing your presence easily. | Investing in suitable no-code tools may incur higher initial costs. |
| Targeting low-competition keywords enables better ranking on Google. | Having low-quality or duplicate content can violate Google’s Spam Policies. |
| Leading to more backlink opportunities due to increased visibility. | Ensuring the proper indexing of all web pages can be challenging. |
| Driving conversions and sales by targeting audiences in the purchase-ready stage. | Requiring ongoing monitoring and maintenance efforts. |
An emerging question about the pros and cons of programmatic SEO is: Is it spammy?
Google ‘s Senior Advisor John Mueller warned in his X post, “Programmatic SEO is often a fancy banner for spam.”
John Mueller’s response to programmatic SEO
Mass-producing pages – especially near-duplicate, low-value pages – risk violating search engine guidelines and frustrating users. To avoid “thin content,” ensure each page offers unique value tailored to fulfilling user intent.
While innovative technology enables effortless mass production of web pages, quality remains essential. Using ChatGPT, Google Sheets, and scripts to auto-generate content cannot guarantee meaningful traffic or rankings.
Relevance and actionable data are the key factors distinguishing high-quality programmatic content from low-quality content. Sites like Wise and Zapier can generate millions of pageviews using automated content mainly because they provide valuable, product-related information in a reader-friendly format.
Attributes Of Programmatic SEO
A programmatic SEO strategy centers on finding low-competition keywords and crafting high-quality landing pages:
1. Low-Competition Keywords
Programmatic SEO targets keywords with minimal competition to enhance the likelihood of a page ranking well.
For example, “best places to stay in Nevada” is a low-competition keyword used by platforms like Expedia, TripAdvisor, and Airbnb. These keywords are chosen by analyzing their competitiveness using keyword difficulty (KD). Lower KD values mean easier targets.
Consider KD when creating programmatic content.
You can use tools like SEMrush’s Keyword Overview or Google Keyword Planner to check this metric and choose suitable keywords.
2. Search Intent
Search intent refers to the primary goal users have when visiting your site. There are four major types of search intent:
| Search Intent | Description | Example |
| Navigational | Users seek a specific page. | “Gmail login””Facebook login” |
| Informational | Users aim to learn more about a topic. | “What is Search Console””What is programmatic SEO” |
| Commercial | Users research before making a purchase decision. | “best SEO tools””paperwhite review” |
| Transactional | Users aim to complete a specific action or purchase. | “buy ecommerce domain””buy dog food” |
Programmatic SEO typically targets keywords aligned with transactional or commercial search intent. Therefore, programmatic pages are most effective for users at the bottom of the marketing funnel—those ready to purchase.
3. User Experience (UX)
While programmatic SEO enables the scaling of landing pages, it can impact user experience. To maintain a positive UX:
- Ensure fast-loading pages with unique, valuable programmatic content.
- Utilize engaging yet consistent designs throughout the pages.
- Use automation tools to create landing pages, but add carefully edited or human-written content to maintain quality.
A notable example of having thousands of pages sharing a uniform layout is G2.
Unified layout of G2 review pages
Despite the abundance of information on these pages, they load swiftly and operate seamlessly, ensuring a smooth and pleasant user experience.
4 Programmatic SEO Case Studies
Once you understand the basics, analyze outstanding programmatic SEO examples to understand this method better.
1. TripAdvisor
Tripadvisor has over 700 million indexed pages on Google, targeting a diverse range of keywords related to hotels, travel, and destinations. Their programmatic approach to generating pages ensures remarkable optimization, making TripAdvisor ubiquitous in search results.
Here is the systematic template for TripAdvisor web pages:
TripAdvisor’s systematic template
The website dynamically populates data from an extensive database of:
- Reviews
- Best pubs
- Best hotels
- Things to do in [place]
This automated process streamlines the creation of pages for cities worldwide.
2. Zapier
Zapier has programmatically created thousands of landing pages. These pages are about the various software tools Zapier connects and the automated workflows between them.
Zapier’s landing pages
With an estimated 800,632 pages and 306,000 monthly organic visitors, this content strategy has helped drive substantial traffic.
3. Wise
Wise provides international banking services, including currency conversion. By algorithmically generating millions of landing pages for converting between currency pairs, they attract over 4 million organic pageviews per month across nearly 15,000 pages.
A currency conversion page of Wise
4. Webflow
Webflow‘s no-code website builder enables users to create unique landing pages for thousands of website templates quickly. This website gains substantial monthly organic traffic to these pages by implementing programmatic SEO.
Webflow’s numerous website templates
While beneficial for driving traffic, their strategy also conveniently allows visitors to clone the templates and become Webflow users.
5 Steps To Implement Your Programmatic SEO
Once you understand “what is programmatic SEO?”, another question arises: “How do I set up programmatic SEO?” Follow this step-by-step guideline to implement this strategy effectively.
Step #1: Conduct Relevant Keywords Research
Programmatic content leverages a single-page template to target thousands of similar keywords. The formula is Seed keyword + Modifier.
Let’s say you want to build a personal finance website and employ location-based modifiers in your strategy. Some seed keywords you can use are “debt management,” “cost of living,” and “expense tracking.”
Then, combine them with a modifier indicating the location, such as “in [location].”
For instance, “cost of living in Puerto Rico” or “cost of living in South Carolina.”
Long-tail keywords you can use.
As the search term becomes more specific, secondary landing pages may require slight variations in layout compared to primary modifiers. You could refine the search by adding a secondary modifier, such as “cost of living in Puerto Rico for single people.”
To start, find relevant seed keywords with hundreds or thousands of variations. To expand your list, input these into tools like Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer or SEMrush’s Keyword Overview.
Pro tip: If aiming for less competitive keywords, filter results by Keyword Difficulty <20 and top-ranking Domain Rating <30. It showcases keywords your sites can rank for without extensive backlinks.
While the data must differ per page, the framework and core concepts could remain consistent across targeted keywords.
Step #2: Find Out Search Intent
Once combining your seed keywords with modifiers, you will get an extensive list of long-tail keywords.
Next, consider search intent and identify keywords suitable for landing pages.
- Return to the Keyword Magic Tool and input your head term.
- Select “Transactional” from the drop-down menu beside KD to filter keywords indicating purchase intent.
- You’ll receive a refined list of long-tail keywords with low KD and transactional search intent.
- Repeat this process for keywords with “Commercial” intent to explore more opportunities.
- Once you have a group of long-tail keywords aligned with the right intent, add them to your spreadsheet.
To further refine your list, ask yourself:
- Can I generate many variations around these keywords?
- Does my content fulfill search intent?
- Will my content meet the quality standards required to rank for these terms?
- Will these landing pages attract traffic?
- Will these landing pages drive conversions?
If the answer is affirmative to all these questions, you have chosen suitable keywords for your programmatic SEO strategy.
Discard any keywords that do not meet these criteria, as they may not align with your pSEO objectives.
Step #3: Source Relevant Data
Now, it’s time to gather the necessary data to put in your programmatic content. There are three main types of data sources available:
| Data source | Description |
| Proprietary data | Unique information specific to your company, product, or research. It offers insights that no one else has access to. |
| Public data | Publicly available and licensed data for commercial use. It is readily accessible and also used by other companies. |
| Scraped data | Information extracted from websites using web scraping tools. While helpful, it may raise copyright concerns. |
Let’s go back to our example of your personal finance website.
When analyzing the search results for targeted keywords “cost of living in Puerto Rico,” you will see that many top-ranking articles rely on data from a common public source: the Cost of Living Index shared by the Council for Community and Economic Research. Leveraging this data in your programmatic content is a feasible option.
How to source relevant data
If you desire to enhance your content further, utilize uncommon data sources (but ensure its authenticity and quality. You can even utilize the datasets from AI models like Kaggle, Bing, or ChatGPT, which provide supplementary data points for your content.
For instance, a quick search for “cost of living” on Kaggle yields several relevant datasets. Sorting by age can help identify newer datasets that competitors are less likely to have utilized.
Kaggle as a data source
Armed with your chosen data sources, you can consolidate all relevant data points into a comprehensive dataset for your programmatic content.
Step #4: Build Your Landing Page Template
The next step is to set up the database collected from step 3 in Google Sheets. From this, generate page titles, URLs, and body copy for landing pages.
Set up the database in Google Sheets.
Based on the intent analysis, we want each page to include three types of information:
- Cost of living scores
- State comparisons
- Cost breakdowns across categories
Then, follow this procedure:
- Decide Content Components: Determine the essential elements for your landing pages, such as graphics, reviews, lists, etc.
- Choose Layout Based on Keywords: Decide on your pages’ layout based on keywords. For instance, if the focus is on graphics, focus on visual elements.
- Design and Build: Create a base landing page template incorporating the chosen layout and content components.
- Optimize SEO: Follow SEO best practices to enhance the page’s visibility and ranking on search engines.
It’s essential to note that the generated content might be considered “thin” since it primarily consists of duplicated text and non-original data.
To enhance the pages’ SEO potential, use unique data, create visualizations, and provide original written context. This approach would improve the pages’ value to readers and increase their chances of ranking well for target keywords.
Step #5: Publish Content To Your Landing Pages
Finally, you need to publish your newly generated content to your website. We recommend using no-code tools to streamline the process:
- If you are a WordPress user, consider using WP All Import.
- If you use Webflow CMS, set up a Zapier integration.
- If you prefer to build a website directly from your spreadsheet, choose Softr.
These tools will automatically publish a new webpage whenever a new row of data appears in your spreadsheet. They save you time and effort in managing your content.
Conclusion
Programmatic SEO isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. It involves managing data and pages on a massive scale. To ensure your content not only ranks well but also provides value, you must present data in a suitable yet engaging way.
Don’t worry if you can’t implement this strategy effectively—ROI experts are here to help. With our expertise, you will have a page template with thousands or millions of page views. Contact us today!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is programmatic the same as Google ads?
No, programmatic advertising is not the same as Google Ads:
- Google Ads includes advertising on the Google Display Network (GDN).
- Programmatic advertising contains a broader range of ad placements, including the GDN.
Additionally, programmatic ads involve automated buying and selling of ad space, which includes native ads and placements beyond Google’s ecosystem.
