In today’s digital age, organic traffic is still one of the most powerful ways to grow a website. But when you need to scale your SEO efforts to generate thousands, or even millions of pages, traditional SEO falls short. That’s where Programmatic SEO (pSEO) comes in.
This article will give you an in-depth look at what Programmatic SEO is, how it differs from traditional SEO, real-world examples, the tools you need, where to learn it, and whether it’s worth your time.
What is Programmatic SEO?
Programmatic SEO is the process of using automation and templates to create large volumes of SEO-optimized pages, typically targeting long-tail keywords at scale. It’s ideal for websites that need to produce thousands of high-quality, keyword-rich pages without creating each one manually.
At its core, Programmatic SEO combines:
- Data (like product names, locations, reviews)
- Templates (HTML or CMS-based structures)
- Keyword research (focusing on long-tail search queries)
Instead of writing a single blog post manually, you design a template and populate it with data to automatically generate hundreds or thousands of SEO-friendly pages.
Programmatic SEO Examples
Many well-known sites rely heavily on Programmatic SEO:
1. Zapier
Zapier uses Programmatic SEO to create thousands of landing pages for app integrations like:
swiftCopyEdit/apps/slack/integrations/google-sheets
/apps/notion/integrations/gmail
Each page targets a unique, valuable long-tail keyword like “connect Notion to Gmail.”
2. Airbnb
Every listing page and city guide is dynamically created using a combination of user-generated content and templates:
sqlCopyEdit/s/new-york-city--ny--united-states
3. TripAdvisor & Yelp
These companies generate pages for every city, restaurant, and attraction automatically, such as:
CopyEdit/Restaurants-g60763-New_York_City_New_York.html
4. Indeed
Job boards are prime candidates for pSEO. Indeed builds pages for every job title + city combo:
arduinoCopyEdit/q-software-engineer-l-new-york-jobs.html
How Programmatic SEO Differs from Traditional SEO
| Aspect | Traditional SEO | Programmatic SEO |
|---|---|---|
| Content Creation | Manual, one page at a time | Automated, based on templates |
| Focus | High-value, competitive keywords | Long-tail, niche search queries |
| Scale | Limited to team capacity | Can scale to thousands or millions of pages |
| Tools | CMS, SEO plugins, keyword research tools | Data pipelines, templates, automation scripts |
| Best For | Blogs, thought leadership, brand-building | Marketplaces, SaaS, directories, aggregators |
Traditional SEO is ideal for crafting in-depth, highly researched articles, while Programmatic SEO excels in creating scale-friendly, useful pages quickly.
Programmatic SEO Tools
You’ll need a mix of tools to succeed in Programmatic SEO:
1. Data Sources
- Google Sheets / Airtable – Manage structured data
- APIs – Pull real-time data (e.g., weather, jobs, pricing)
2. Page Generators
3. SEO Tools
- Ahrefs / Semrush – Keyword research
- Screaming Frog – Auditing large websites
- Surfer SEO / Clearscope – Content optimization at scale
4. No-Code/Low-Code Tools
These tools allow even non-developers to build automated pages efficiently.
Programmatic SEO Courses
Interested in learning from experts? Here are some popular Programmatic SEO courses:
✅ Growth Machine – Programmatic SEO Course
Taught by Nat Eliason, this course walks you through the strategy, tools, and code used to build a successful pSEO site.
✅ PSEO by Demand Curve
Focuses on templates, keyword generation, and building content systems.
✅ Udemy & Coursera Courses
Search for “Programmatic SEO” or “Automation SEO.” While not always specific, some Python or Airtable automation courses can be helpful.
What is Programmatic SEO Used For?
Programmatic SEO is perfect for businesses and websites that need:
- Landing pages for cities, products, or services
- Directories or aggregator websites
- Affiliate pages for niche products
- Comparison sites
- Job boards, marketplaces, and listing sites
It’s all about creating useful content at scale that matches what people are searching for.
Does Programmatic SEO Actually Work?
Yes, but only if done right.
✅ It works when:
- The content is helpful and matches search intent
- You avoid thin or spammy content
- You properly interlink your pages and optimize for SEO
🚫 It fails when:
- You generate thousands of low-quality pages
- There’s no unique value on each page
- You duplicate content with little differentiation
Google rewards useful content, even if it’s automatically generated, as long as it’s valuable to users. In fact, with the rise of AI and structured content, Google has become more accepting of well-crafted programmatic content.
How to Learn Programmatic SEO
Here’s a practical path to get started:
- Learn SEO Fundamentals
- Study keyword research, on-page SEO, and site structure.
- Master Data Management
- Practice using Google Sheets, Airtable, or Notion as databases.
- Understand Page Templating
- Use tools like Webflow, Framer, or WordPress to build templates.
- Practice Automation
- Learn Zapier, Make.com, or even some light Python for custom workflows.
- Start Small
- Build a mini directory site (e.g., “Best Vegan Cafes in X City”) with 100 pages.
- Analyze and Improve
- Track performance with Google Search Console and iterate.
Final Thoughts
Programmatic SEO is a powerful way to scale organic traffic and reach untapped markets. While traditional SEO focuses on content quality, Programmatic SEO adds scalability and efficiency into the mix. When executed properly, it can be a game-changer, especially for businesses with lots of data or content combinations.
Whether you’re running a startup, affiliate site, SaaS product, or local directory, programmatic SEO could unlock a whole new growth channel. Invest the time to learn the strategy, tools, and mindset—and you’ll be able to build search traffic systems that grow themselves.
Discover more from Adrian Cruce's Blog
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Adrian Cruce's Blog 