What is Programmatic SEO and how does it work?

“Programmatic SEO” is the most exciting SEO trend . But what exactly does that mean and how does it work? In this blog post, we will answer these questions in detail.

Programmatic SEO is a data-driven method of creating and optimizing websites to rank higher in the organic search results of a search engine, such as Google. It takes into account a variety of factors that influence search engine optimization (SEO), including proper keyword selection and placement, user experience, and content quality.

Programmatic SEO uses algorithms and automation to efficiently scale these optimization elements. It goes beyond traditional SEO methods by automating processes that would otherwise be manual and time-consuming. The result is an efficient, scaled SEO strategy capable of optimizing thousands or even millions of pages.

Programmatic SEO is essentially the idea of creating page structures instead of individual pages. A page structure resembles a normal page, but waits for certain areas to be filled in.

For example, a glossary could be considered programmatic in some sense because it has a title structure that might look like this: “{Begriff} Explained”. What’s programmatic about it is the way you then iterate through a large list of {Begriff} values to create all the glossary pages.

Therefore, Programmatic SEO is based on the creation of page structures, which can then be filled by a variety of specific content. This approach makes it possible to efficiently create a large amount of optimized pages by simply changing the specific content within the given structure.

The idea is that creating these flexible page structures will allow for a more efficient and scalable method of creating SEO optimized pages. Instead of creating and optimizing each page individually, Programmatic SEO allows you to mass create pages based on a predefined structure and list of specific content.

However, it is important to note that despite the efficiency this method offers, there is still a strong focus on content quality and user experience. Ultimately, it is these factors that contribute to whether a page is rated positively by search engines and whether it is valuable to users.

Example for Programmatic SEO

Imagine a website that specializes in gardening and presents many different types of plants. Instead of manually creating and optimizing a separate page for each plant type, you could create a page structure or template.

This template could look like this:

• Title: “{Pflanzenart} Care Guide
• Main text: “In this article you will learn how to properly care for your {Pflanzenart}. {Pflanzenart} is known for ….”
• Meta Description: “Learn how to properly care for your {Pflanzenart} with our comprehensive care guide.”

You can see that “{Pflanzenart}” is a placeholder that is filled with specific plant species, e.g. roses, tulips, orchids, etc.

Now create a list of the different types of plants you want to feature on your website. With Programmatic SEO, you can now iterate through this list and create a specific page for each type of plant based on your template. This way you can efficiently create a large amount of SEO optimized pages.

Automation allows SEO specialists to apply their strategies to a larger number of sites while saving time and resources. It also enables more accurate and consistent application of SEO strategies, as algorithms are less prone to error than manual processes.