# Programmatic SEO: How to do it step-by-step guide (+ Free Tool)

If you've ever thought, "There's no way companies manually publish millions of landing pages," you're right; they don't.

Many of the websites dominating Google today rely on programmatic SEO to create thousands (or even millions) of pages from a single template and a structured dataset.Instead of writing every page individually, they automate the repetitive parts while keeping each page relevant to a specific search.

Think about [Programmatic SEO examples](https://thebcms.com/blog/programmatic-seo-examples.md) like Wise, Zapier, Zillow, or Tripadvisor. They aren't producing new pages from scratch every day. They're using data to scale content in a way that would be impossible manually.

That doesn't mean programmatic SEO is a shortcut.

Publishing thousands of pages with AI-generated copy or swapping out a city name in the same template won't get you very far anymore. Google's become much better at recognizing thin, repetitive content. The sites that succeed are the ones that combine automation with genuinely useful information.

This guide explains how programmatic SEO works, when it's worth using, and what you need to build a scalable system that people, and search engines, actually find valuable.

# TL;DR: What you'll learn about Programmatic SEO

Programmatic SEO in a nutshell:

- Build one page template, not hundreds of individual pages.

- Use structured data to generate pages dynamically.

- Focus on search intent, not page count.

- Every generated page should offer real value, not just different keywords.

- Programmatic SEO works best for directories, SaaS, marketplaces, ecommerce, travel, and similar data-rich websites.

- It's not a replacement for traditional SEO—it's a way to scale it.

## What is Programmatic SEO?

Programmatic SEO is an SEO strategy that uses structured data and reusable page templates to create large numbers of landing pages targeting specific search queries.

Instead of creating every page manually, you build a template that dynamically pulls information from a dataset. This allows you to publish hundreds—or even millions—of pages while keeping the structure consistent and the content relevant to each search.

The key is that every generated page should answer a unique search intent. Simply swapping out a city name or keyword isn't enough anymore. The most successful programmatic SEO projects combine automation with useful, data-driven content that genuinely helps users.

One of the best examples is Tripadvisor.

Instead of manually creating pages for every destination, Tripadvisor uses its extensive database of hotels, attractions, restaurants, and reviews to generate dedicated landing pages for cities around the world.

![Tripadvisor Madrid](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1cd8/bin2/image9.png?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

Want to see more examples? Check out our roundup of [real-world programmatic SEO examples](https://thebcms.com/blog/programmatic-seo-examples.md), where we break down how companies like Zapier, Wise, Zillow, and Canva use this strategy to scale organic traffic.

Each page serves a different search intent. Someone searching for "things to do in Madrid" expects different information than someone searching for "best hotels in Barcelona." Tripadvisor's templates pull relevant data for each destination, making every page useful while allowing the site to scale to millions of URLs.

That's the real power of programmatic SEO: using structured data to create pages that solve specific user problems without sacrificing quality or consistency.

## Why Programmatic SEO Matters More Than Ever

Programmatic SEO isn't new, but the way companies use it has changed significantly.

A few years ago, many websites relied on large numbers of thin, repetitive pages to capture long-tail traffic. Today, that approach is much less effective. Search engines have become better at identifying low-value content, while users expect pages that actually solve their problem.

The companies succeeding with programmatic SEO today aren't generating pages for the sake of scale. They're building systems powered by structured data, reusable templates, and content that delivers genuine value.

That's why you'll find programmatic SEO behind some of the largest websites on the internet—from SaaS platforms and marketplaces to travel, ecommerce, and documentation sites.

The strategy hasn't become easier. It's become smarter.

## Regular SEO vs. Programmatic SEO

Regular SEO and programmatic SEO share the same goal: helping people discover your content through search. The difference lies in how content is created and scaled.

Regular SEO focuses on creating individual pages around broader topics. Every article, landing page, or guide is researched, written, and optimized separately.

Programmatic SEO takes a different approach. Instead of creating every page manually, it uses structured data and reusable templates to generate large collections of pages that target repeatable search patterns.

That doesn't make one approach better than the other. In fact, the strongest SEO strategies combine both—using regular SEO to build topical authority while using programmatic SEO to capture long-tail search demand at scale.

Regular SEOProgrammatic SEOPages are created individuallyPages are generated from reusable templatesBest for broad topics and evergreen contentBest for repeatable search patterns and long-tail queriesContent production grows with your editorial teamContent production scales through structured data and reusable templatesIdeal for blogs, guides, and thought leadershipIdeal for marketplaces, SaaS, ecommerce, directories, documentation, and travel websites.

## When Should You Use Programmatic SEO?

Programmatic SEO isn't about generating thousands of pages just because you can. Like any SEO strategy, it works best when it's built around real user needs and a solid foundation of structured data.

For some websites, programmatic SEO can become one of the biggest sources of organic traffic. For others, it's unnecessary complexity.

### Programmatic SEO is a great fit if...

You have a large, structured dataset that can power many unique pages.

This could include:

- products

- software integrations

- locations

- documentation

- job listings

- real estate listings

- travel destinations

It's also important that users search for these topics in repeatable patterns. If your audience is looking for hundreds or thousands of similar combinations, programmatic SEO can help you meet that demand efficiently.

Finally, each generated page should offer genuine value. Templates save time, but the content still needs to answer the user's question better than competing pages.

### Programmatic SEO probably isn't the right choice if...

Your website only has a handful of pages or every page would contain nearly identical information.

For example, generating hundreds of location pages with nothing more than a different city name is unlikely to produce sustainable results.

The same applies if you don't have a reliable dataset or if your strategy relies entirely on AI-generated copy without adding original information.

In those cases, you're often better off investing in fewer, higher-quality pages that are written and optimized individually.

A simple rule of thumb: If every generated page helps a different user solve a different problem, programmatic SEO is probably worth exploring. If every page looks almost identical, it probably isn't.

## 3 golden rules to Implement Programmatic SEO

To have a successful programmatic SEO score, you need to follow these 3 golden rules:

### Programmatic SEO focusing on low-competition keywords

Search engines consider low-competition keywords to be easier to rank for. You don't have to build many links or have high website authority to rank for them and get organic traffic.Programmatic SEO projects will target those keywords with a low keyword difficulty percentage to rank on a scale.

## Cons of programmatic SEO

- Thin content riskAuto-generated pages can lack depth, which may trigger Google's quality filters or manual penalties.

- Index bloatToo many low-value pages can overwhelm your crawl budget and dilute authority across your site.

- Duplicate or near-duplicate contentWithout proper templating and logic, pages may end up too similar, hurting your rankings.

- Technical complexityRequires solid dev setup: scalable infrastructure, dynamic rendering, clean URLs, and robust error handling. It get's especially complex with outdated tools, like WordPress.

### Use Programmatic SEO Keywords: Types and categories

In programmatic SEO, keywords are strategic pillars rather than random search terms. To navigate the SEO landscape effectively, it's crucial to understand and utilize various types of keywords:

#### Head terms

These broad, single-word keywords compete for top positions in search results. They boast high search volumes and lay the foundation for your content strategy.

#### Body Keywords (Modifiers)

These keywords, typically two or three words, target specific search queries while maintaining considerable search volume. They strike a balance between broad reach and relevance.

#### Long-tail keywords

These are highly specific phrases comprising several words, drawing in a significant portion of search traffic collectively. While they may have lower individual search volumes, they are easier to rank for and often lead to higher conversion rates.

#### LSI Keywords (Latent Semantic Indexing)

With LSI keywords, search engines can better understand the context of your content, improving your chances of ranking for related searches. These keywords are words or phrases that are semantically related to a target keyword. So if you write an article about programmatic SEO LSI keywords would be:

#### Geo-targeted keywords

These keywords incorporate specific locations to attract a local audience. They are indispensable for businesses with physical establishments, service areas, or traveling.Geo-targeted keywords examples:

1. "Plumber near me"

2. "Best sushi restaurant in Los Angeles"

3. "Taxi service in Manhattan"

4. "Real estate agent in Miami Beach"

5. "Hotel deals in Orlando"

6. "Car rental at JFK Airport"

#### Question-based keywords

Phrased as inquiries, these keywords align with the rising trend of voice search and users seeking direct answers on search engines. A question keyword is a search query that contains interrogative words, such as who, what, where, when, why, or how. Most question keywords are long-tail, low-volume, and have specific search intent - whether it's to find a quick answer or an in-depth answer.Question-based keywords example:

![Question-based keywords example](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d2267/bin2/screenshot-2024-03-19-at-113702.png?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

### Programmatic content is all about search intent

Programmatic SEO typically involves aiming for keywords with transactional or commercial search intent. So, programmatic pages work best for those at the bottom of the marketing funnel—those ready to buy.For example, "buy ice cream," "ice cream flavors," and "ice cream products" users searching for these keywords are ready to eat.Meeting search intent early on your landing page tells readers they’re in the right place, which makes them more likely to stay on the page.

### Programmatic SEO needs a platform with a great User Experience:

You can't afford to focus solely on content if you want to use programmatic SEO effectively. You should also consider the design, mobile responsiveness, and overall performance of your landing pages.A good user experience will keep and convert visitors to your website. However, automation for landing page scaling can impact your user experience. This means you'll need pages that load quickly and have unique, valuable content on each. To do so, my advice is to go headless. 😉 Read more about it: [ Why is your website slow? Common causes and how to fix them](https://thebcms.com/blog/why-is-your-website-slow-and-how-to-fix.md)                                       [The quality of your CMS reflects the quality of your site](https://thebcms.com/blog/quality-of-cms-reflects-the-quality-of-your-site.md)

## Programmatic SEO Benefits

Programmatic SEO isn't just a way to publish more pages, it's a way to build scalable organic growth.

When combined with high-quality data and useful content, it helps businesses expand their search presence without creating every page manually.

Here are some of the biggest advantages of a well-executed programmatic SEO strategy.

BenefitWhat It Helps You AchieveExampleCapture Long-Tail TrafficReach highly specific searches at scaleProduct pages, location pages, integration pagesScale Content ProductionPublish thousands of pages without creating each one manuallyEcommerce catalogs, documentation, directoriesBuild Topical AuthorityCreate comprehensive coverage around a nicheSaaS integrations, travel destinations, job listingsKeep Content Easier to MaintainKeep large websites up to date more efficientlyUpdate templates or structured data instead of editing every page

The real advantage of programmatic SEO isn't publishing more pages; it's creating useful pages that can grow alongside your business.

### Programmatic SEO content helps to avoid a slow SEO process

You know how they say, "Slow and steady wins the race." Well, in this case, that is entirely inaccurate. A programmatic strategy is a perfect solution to do your job as fast as possible in an effective way. At the highest possible speed, you are getting a customized website with your user's experience. That results in a captivating engagement between the user's interests and the brand you represent. Why is that? Because for a programmatic, one of the most important things is to find out the customer's transactional intent.

### Focus on transactional intent in search results

![Transactional intent](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1cd6/bin2/image7.png?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

It is one of the four types of keyword intent. This particular one refers to keywords that indicate a searcher’s intent to buy something or take action on a website soon. So basically, you get keyword phrases that include a specific product or brand name combined with so-called buying words.

![Buying Words](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1cdb/bin2/image13.png?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

For example, if somebody searches "Buy pets online, "that shows that someone is willing to buy or take some action; this intent is crucial if you are in a pet business. What does programmatic SEO do? Join your offer with consumers' wishes.

### Reach out to a massive audience

Being present on multiple platforms, with so many offers, and craving to reach out to many people as possible is not an easy task to complete. Programmatic strategy can do this job more efficiently thanks to pure SEO optimization. This will empower your business and enable mutual growth of your success and the amount of your audience.

## Programmatic SEO workflow: How Programmatic SEO Works

Now that you know what programmatic SEO is and when it makes sense to use it, the next step is understanding how to build a strategy that actually works.

While every project is different, successful programmatic SEO websites follow a similar process. They start with structured data, validate search demand, create reusable templates, and continuously improve their pages over time.

Think of the framework below as a roadmap rather than a rigid checklist. You can adapt each step to fit your business, industry, and content goals.

![Programmatic SEO workflow](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/6a5e22b5ece2c59d724334ee/bin2/Pseo%20workflow.png?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

At first glance, programmatic SEO might seem like it's all about generating pages automatically. In reality, the process is less about automation and more about creating a repeatable system.

Every successful programmatic SEO project follows the same basic workflow:

1. Build a structured dataset.

2. Create a reusable page template.

3. Connect the template to your data.

4. Generate unique pages.

5. Optimize, monitor, and improve them over time.

The exact [programmatic SEO tools](https://thebcms.com/blog/programmatic-seo-tools.md) you use may differ, but the underlying process stays remarkably consistent.

## How to build a successful programmatic SEO strategy step by step

### Step 1: Start with Structured Data

Everything begins with data.

Unlike traditional SEO, where every page is written individually, programmatic SEO relies on structured data to populate reusable templates. The quality of your pages depends on the quality of the data behind them, so it's important to start with a reliable dataset.

Depending on your business, that dataset could include:

- products

- locations

- software integrations

- documentation

- job listings

- real estate properties

- travel destinations

Before moving to the next step, make sure your data is complete, accurate, and consistently formatted.

### Step 2: Validate Search Demand

Having a large dataset isn't enough. You also need to know whether people are actually searching for the information you're planning to publish.

Look for repeatable search patterns that can scale into hundreds or thousands of useful pages without sacrificing quality.

Keyword research for programmatic SEO is a topic of its own, so I cover it in detail in our dedicated guideRead: [Keywords for Programmatic SEO Pages](https://thebcms.com/blog/keywords-for-programmatic-seo-pages.md)

### Step 3: Create a reusable template

Once you've validated demand, build a page template that can be reused across your dataset.

The template should define the overall page structure while allowing content to change dynamically based on the available data.

Rather than creating identical pages, aim for flexible layouts with optional sections, dynamic content blocks, and contextual information that makes every page valuable.

The template stays the same, the content changes.

### Step 4: Generate Valuable Landing Pages

This is where your dataset and template come together.

Each generated page should target a specific search intent and provide information that helps users accomplish a task or answer a question.

Avoid publishing pages simply because you can generate them. If a page doesn't provide unique value, it probably shouldn't exist.

### Step 5: Optimize Technical SEO

Even great content can struggle if search engines can't crawl and understand it efficiently.

Make sure your pages have:

- Clean URL structures

- Unique titles and meta descriptions

- Proper internal linking

- XML sitemaps

- Structured data where appropriate

I'll cover these best practices later in this guide.

### Step 6: Measure, Improve, and Scale

Programmatic SEO isn't a one-time project.

Monitor your pages in Google Search Console and analytics tools, identify top performers, improve underperforming content, and keep your dataset up to date as your business evolves.

The most successful programmatic SEO websites treat optimization as an ongoing process—not a final step.

## Keywords for the Best Programmatic SEO: finding plenty of them

This was the first and most crucial step. It's all about capturing search traffic that's relevant to your business or web page. As in any SEO strategy, the right keywords are essential for content creation. Your target audience's search intent can vary based on their keyword usage.  You need to do some classification to find keywords on a larger scale. The first category must contain words that are frequently searched. Those words are going to be head terms. It's essential to notice the difference between keywords.

### How to find keywords for programmatic SEO pages?

Main terms have a massive amount of search volume, and those words are the most used when it comes to Google searches. Using the right [keywords for programmatic SEO ](https://thebcms.com/blog/keywords-for-programmatic-seo-pages.md)as leading terms can contribute to a better ranking.  But how to be sure which keywords are the best choice?  Well, handy Programmatic SEO tools can help you make the right choice. The web is full of keyword generators that can inform you about what people are searching, such as:

- [Google Trends](https://trends.google.com/trends/?geo=RS)

- [Google Ads](https://ads.google.com/)

- [Ubersuggest](https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/)

- [Ahrefs](https://ahrefs.com/)

- [SEMRush](https://www.semrush.com/analytics/keywordmagic/start)

- [SimilarWeb](https://www.similarweb.com/)

- [SpyFu](https://www.spyfu.com/?alt=10)

All these tools are helpful not just in finding keywords but also in doing competitive analysis. That means you can find out what your competitors do or use when creating their content. For example, Google Trends provides valuable information about audience interests through time. You can follow people's interests and how they are changing based on time, location, and even the way they search for something. In my case, here what's Google Trends shows:

![Google Trends](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1cd4/bin2/image5.png?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

Just looking at this example, you can see how easy it can be to find good topmost terms. Once you find a few top-ranking terms, you are ready for the next step, identify modifiers.

### How can modifiers help you in your Programmatic SEO optimization

Clearly, your head terms will have the most significant search volume in general. When searching, people don't use just one keyword. Things they write before or after head terms are modifiers that can give you a bigger picture of the topic they are interested in. But combining them with the modifiers leads to real search volume.  Modifiers are divided into  Primary modifiers: This group helps you create a brand-new category.  Secondary modifiers: Think of them as adjectives. They give descriptions and determine more closely what the audience's intent is.

![Head term and modifiers](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d22b5/bin2/f00f42b2-c743-4e71-b39f-1ea99b5da7f8.jpg?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

What to do with these words? Put them all together! With a mixture of all keywords, you’ve done an outstanding job and got well-done materials for your content.

![Keywords](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d22b4/bin2/e4806f8d-79c6-486f-af0f-f6eb61355262.jpg?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

Let me show you how this works. You can choose any word from any column, and you will get a sentence that still has sense. This is just a part of a list I used for my programmatic strategy.   What is the most popular CMS for the Company website? Or,  What is a secure Headless CMS for E-commerce?  This is pretty cool, right? Wait to see another more fantastic magic. We got an extensive list by implementing this list into our headless BCMS. After compiling desired keywords in a list, you will typically have a lot of data to use on your site. You may sometimes have over 100k search terms, but don’t worry - even if you have a lot less, you can still create more than 2000 landing pages.

![Implementing list into BCMS](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1d46/bin2/programmatic-seo-pages-preview.jpg?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

## Creating high-quality Programmatic SEO landing pages at scale

The success of a programmatic SEO strategy doesn't depend on how many pages you publish, it depends on the quality of those pages.

Search engines have become much better at identifying thin, repetitive content. Simply changing a city name, product name, or keyword is rarely enough to create pages that deserve to rank.

Instead, every landing page should provide unique value, match a specific search intent, and be built from a reusable template that can scale alongside your content.After targeting keywords and finishing all competitive analyses, it's time to create landing pages. Building landing pages is another delicate part of any programmatic strategy. Remember that you have to build many pages that need to be different and unique.

### Match Search Intent

The first question I asked myself was: Do I have to build a landing page for every keyword I found? The answer is no!   Why not? Well, it's simple; Google can help me with that. As Google is good at related topics, I figured creating a landing page per searcher intent is better than making it for every keyword.

This is the best strategy since people use search results differently, depending on their ultimate goals.   Look at this example. I typed "Best headless CMS for the website" and looked at Google-related topics.

!["Best headless CMS for the website" ](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1ce5/bin2/image23.png?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

This strategy can help you determine what Google considers as a specific keyword search intent. Another cool thing is that Google often highlights in bold words, which can also be a good indicator.

### Design Reusable Templates

After all of this, I had a clear vision and prepared sections, and the developer team was able to create the template and design of the page.  The form of a landing page is another essential factor. The focus here is on targeted keywords that can help you rank better, and the goal is to increase your share of total search traffic to get a call to action. For those reasons, the landing page needs to be designed to capture the audience’s attention. An effective way to accomplish this is to keep your page clear, informative, and direct, emerging to better user experience. Again, our headless CMS was an excellent tool for that. The core of BCMS is to keep it simple and clean but modern, so we did that for our pages.

We have a template and a design, and my next topic on the menu is the most important one: content.

### Create Valuable Content

How to transform content into programmatic?

This was one of the crucial questions for me. How to write creative and exciting content in such an SEO-optimized environment? I want to have high-quality written content, but how can I escape the trap of text full of keywords that Google likes but users not so much? How can I make Google fall in love with my content and audience?

### Let keywords guide your content

I used high-ranking terms naturally and logically because I knew that my readers are real human beings and not some robots eager to see how much I completed my SEO optimization.Modifiers helped me give context and explain further what the landing page is about. Then I wrote phrases that weren’t so important for ranking but were crucial to answering most asked questions. The final product looks something like this:

![Keywords and content](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d22b2/bin2/0d57e185-25d7-473e-904a-d27a23663012.jpg?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

### Structure Content for Search Engines

if my goal is to get the audience helpful content, I need to please my search engine. Besides being logical and creative, content needs to be structured so that Google can read, analyze and recognize it. Here are some essential things:

ElementBest PracticeTitle tagKeep titles concise and include the primary keyword naturally.Meta descriptionWrite compelling summaries that accurately describe the page.HeadingsUse one H1 and a logical H2/H3 hierarchy.ImagesAdd descriptive filenames and alt text.Internal linksConnect related pages to improve navigation and crawlability.External linksLink to trustworthy sources where appropriate.

Title tag: The page’s title should be short and include a high-quality keyword. Keywords should be close to starting, but you can use modifiers too.

![Title tag](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d22b3/bin2/dad38507-af32-4df6-8ae3-5079217d4ed5.jpg?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

Alt attribute: Add alt attributes to images. Google does not see the images. Describing images with alt attributes makes the site more accessible and relevant.

```TSX


<img src="/BCMS/image/e57f5c.png" alt="Jamstack high-performance" 
     sizes="(max-width: 650px) 800px, 1200px"
     srcset="/BCMS/image/71a4ce.png 800w, /BCMS/image/e57f5c.png 1200w"
     draggable="false"
     class="imageWidget--image" />

```

Meta description: Meta description is a direct ranking factor as an HTML element that describes and summarizes the contents of your page for the benefit of users and search engines.

![Meta description example code](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1cd7/bin2/image8.png?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

Headings: An H1 heading needs to match your page title. Use H2 and H3 headings to structure your content. These headings need to include secondary modifiers in secondary headers.   Internal links: Internal linking is imperative! Building links increase your website and help Google to comprehend the context and content of a landing page.

![Internal linking](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1ce0/bin2/image18.png?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

External links: Linking your content to external sources, even to your competition, provides more credibility.   Images and videos: Adding images or videos to your content makes your content more valuable. Be careful, don’t forget to label these files with ranking terms.

## Technical SEO Best Practices for Programmatic SEO

Even the best programmatic landing pages won't perform well if search engines can't crawl, understand, or index them properly.

A strong technical SEO foundation ensures your pages are accessible, well-structured, and easy to maintain as your website grows.

### How to make URL structure programmatic? Build Clean, Descriptive URLs

Every little detail is vital in SEO strategies, so don’t forget about your landing page URL. As an identifier, a URL gives some information about your web page and even your content. For Google, the URL provides the first impression. We all want to provide an excellent first impression when we meet a new person, so obviously, you want to do that with your URL page too. How?

Keep it simple!

URL needs to be short and clean. Try to keep your URL short, no more than 65 characters. You can use slashes to separate concepts. Place essential keywords further to the left.

![URL structure programmatic](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1cec/bin2/22da7966c264-image15.png?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

### Best practices for URL structure

### Use hyphens to separate words

When crafting URLs, prioritize hyphens to separate words instead of underscores. Search engines like Google recognize hyphens as spaces, enhancing the indexing of your web pages. For example, use "thebcms.com/blog/programmatic-seo-complete-guide-with-examples" rather than "thebcms.com/blog/programmatic_seo_complete_guide_with_examples"

### Strategic keyword placement

Integrate relevant keywords into your URLs to boost page rankings. Keep in mind, however, that overdoing keyword stuffing can harm SEO efforts and decrease user experience.

### Establish logical hierarchy

Maintain a structured hierarchy in your URLs, mirroring the navigation of your website. This assists users in navigating your site and aids search engines in understanding page relationships, starting from the homepage to specific pages.

### Use Static URLs

Static URLs provide consistency and user-friendliness compared to dynamic URLs. They are easier for search engines to crawl and index.

### Stay away from deep nesting

Keep pages in three folders deep in your site structure, rather than excessive nesting. As a result of deep nesting, URLs become longer and more complex, potentially complicating the navigation and indexing process.

### Proper implementation of redirects

When content moves and URLs change, utilize 301 redirects to maintain SEO value. This signals to search engines that the page has permanently moved, preserving link equity and ensuring a seamless user experience.

Extra tip: Do not include dates in the URL! If you use dates, your content will become irrelevant for Google after some time. If you don’t use dates, you open new possibilities for your landing page updates. Updates can prevent your content and give him relevancy for an extended period. Learn more: [Handling HTML Meta tags in BCMS](https://thebcms.com/blog/handling-html-meta-tags-in-bcms-quickly-easily.md)

### Follow technical SEO fundamentals

Below are the essential technical SEO guidelines to follow once your pages are generated:

ElementBest PracticeTitle tagKeep it concise and descriptive.H1Use a single H1 per page.HeadingsStructure content with H2s and H3s.ImagesUse descriptive filenames and alt text.Internal linksInclude links to related pages.External linksReference authoritative sources when appropriate.Core Web VitalsOptimize performance and loading speed.KeywordsUse naturally throughout the page without stuffing.

### Use Structured Data (Schema Markup)

Your website's content and context are more easily understood by search engines using schema markup. This improved understanding can lead to your pages being shown for more relevant search queries, which is crucial for any kind of SEO, especially programmatic. Here are the steps on how to implement schema markup on your website for programmatic SEO:

### Determine relevant schema markup

Identify the schema markup most suitable for your website's content. Familiarize yourself with the various types of schema markup available. You can find a comprehensive list of schema types on the [Schema.org](http://Schema.org) website. Each schema type is designed to provide structured data for specific content types. Implementing schema can elevate your website's visibility in SERPs and boost click-through rates.

### Embed schema in HTML code

Integrate schema markup into your website's HTML code. You can do this manually by inserting the necessary schema markup tags directly into the HTML of each relevant page. Alternatively, if you use CMS plugins and extensions can streamline the process of adding schema markup.

### Validate schema markup

To make sure the implemented schema markup is right, test it. For testing, use[ Markup Validator ](https://validator.schema.org/)or the [Markup Testing Tool](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data) from Google. These tools carefully examine the HTML code of your website, finding any mistakes or problems with the application of schema markup.

### Schema markup: Programmatic SEO example

In this section, I just want to show you how we implemented schema markup in this programmatic SEO project.So, this is what a search engine/ crawler sees:

```JAVASCRIPT

[
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "Article",
    "mainEntityOfPage": {
      "@type": "WebPage",
      "@id": "https://thebcms.com/blog/programmatic-seo-complete-guide-with-examples"
    },
    "author": {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "url": "https://thebcms.com/blog",
      "name": "BCMS"
    },
    "publisher": {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "name": "BCMS",
      "logo": {
        "@type": "ImageObject",
        "url": "https://thebcms.com/assets/logo.jpg"
      }
    },
    "headline": "Programmatic SEO: What is it and how to do it in 2024",
    "image": "https://media.thebcms.com/api/media/pip/627103d3ee717f001d4b15ea/bin/62fe3d6086fcda997d78a6f8/original",
    "datePublished": "2022-01-28",
    "dateModified": "2023-12-18"
  },
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
    "itemListElement": [
      {
        "@type": "ListItem",
        "position": 1,
        "name": "Home",
        "item": "https://thebcms.com"
      },
      {
        "@type": "ListItem",
        "position": 2,
        "name": "blog",
        "item": "https://thebcms.com/blog"
      },
      {
        "@type": "ListItem",
        "position": 4,
        "name": "Programmatic SEO: What is it and how to do it in 2024",
        "item": "https://thebcms.com/blog/programmatic-seo-complete-guide-with-examples"
      }
    ]
  }
]


```

## Common Programmatic SEO Mistakes

Programmatic SEO can generate thousands of landing pages, but scaling content also increases the risk of technical issues and low-quality pages.

The most successful programmatic websites focus on quality just as much as quantity. Here are some of the most common mistakes to avoid.

### Poor crawlability

When you have thousands of pages, it is critical to prioritize which pages should be discovered by Google. It’s simple if Google can’t find the page, it can’t rank it. It is also important to establish an internal linking pattern to robust information architecture.  To ensure that the search engine always finds your page, besides internal linking, make sure each is categorized. Yup, that’s right. Don’t be afraid to use an HTML sitemap.

![HTML sitemap](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1ce6/bin2/image24.png?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

Using HTML sitemaps help crawlers find new pages. Sitemaps are highly effective when working on large-scale sites with millions of pages. The best way to create a user-friendly sitemap with a logical structure is to organize pages in groups by categories or other criteria. Also, it is crucial to include the most important pages first. You can do it in alphabetical order too.

If search engines can't discover your pages efficiently, they can't rank them—regardless of how valuable the content is.

### Publishing Thin Content

A lot of SEO programmatic landing pages are based on visuality. There are images, videos, graphics, but you can’t forget the descriptive text. The descriptive text has a tremendous influence on ranking. Without enough text, Google will treat content on your page as thin content, leading to a lower scale because inadequate content for Google has low value. So, the best thing to do is to have both; text helps to interpret data better, and visual content provides a better user experience.

### Creating Duplicate Content

When creating content for a large scale, you can fall into a severe trap, creating duplicate content on programmatic SEO pages. This refers to the parts of content that are either identical to one another or very similar. Identical content is a common issue because you create content following the same pattern for every page, and the challenge is to stay unique.  If not, your content will finish as spam. So:

### Don't spam

There are two types of this content: Internal duplicate content refers to content where one domain creates copy through multiple URLs on the same page.  External duplicate content: This happens when Google considers that two or more different domains have identical page copies.  Twin content is confusing and forces Google to choose which page should rank better in search top results. To avoid this problem, you can use an online [duplicate content checker](https://www.siteliner.com/). You can quickly get how Google analyzes your web page by copying the URL to this checker.

![Siteliner](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1d47/bin2/site-linter-bcms-example.jpg?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

### Doorway pages

"Doorways are sites or pages created to rank for specific, similar search queries. They are bad for users because they can lead to multiple similar pages in user search results, where each result ends up taking the user to essentially the same destination. "  This is how Google defines doorway pages. That sounds like a definition of programmatic strategy, right? In my case, some of my titles are:

- ["Headless CMS for a Wiki website"](https://thebcms.com/cms-for-wiki-website.md)

- ["Headless CMS for a Web portal"](https://thebcms.com/cms-for-web-portal.md)

- ["Headless CMS for a Portfolio Website"](https://thebcms.com/cms-for-portfolio-website.md)

- ["Headless CMS for Music Website"](https://thebcms.com/cms-for-music-website.md)

These examples can be doorway pages by default. But why aren't they? Again, content is the strongest trump card, and Google allowed landing pages that my team and I created just because of original content.

The best way to avoid doorways is to find unique content, products, or services on all those pages, and it might be acceptable depending on how users interact. So, keep this in mind; as long as your content has a real reason to exist, Google won't kick it out.

Publishing thousands of pages isn't a competitive advantage on its own. The pages still need to be useful, technically sound, and genuinely different from one another.

If every landing page serves a distinct search intent and provides unique value, programmatic SEO becomes a scalable long-term strategy rather than a source of low-quality content.

## Landing Pages at Large Scale Strategies:

Quick recap: All the landing pages most likely will include the same structures: pictures, lists, call to action button, sitemap, reviews, etc. They’ll probably have the same design and layout. However, every page can’t have the same content.

It’s challenging to produce and give unique content for different landing pages. Besides everything I already wrote about, some landing page strategies can be excellent SEO guides.

### Two-sided marketplace

This is one of the best and most well-known ways to do programmatic SEO. Using this approach, you can fill the pages with content, including images, listings, Q&A, product descriptions, etc. On the other hand, the audience can leave reviews or become vendors. All of that creates unique content for every single page. Many companies use this strategy; some are Airbnb, eBay, Apple, Amazon, Uber, Netflix…

![Airbnb programmatic SEO](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1ce2/bin2/image20.png?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

In Airbnb's example, you can understand this strategy readily. Airbnb operates as an online marketplace for lodging, primarily homestays for vacation rentals and tourism activities. Besides creating their content, Airbnb allows their customers to leave comments, and reviews and even become hosts. This guest posting creates new original content on a page by writing all the details about his rental.

### Community-generated content

Communities like Reddit, Quora, and even Pinterest are the pages that create unique content daily. As long as they have active members, you can get new content. It is super helpful because that opens the possibility to connect their content to landing pages.

![Reddit example](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1ce1/bin2/image19.png?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

For example, If someone searches “Headless CMS,” a Reddit forum is in the top search results. You can use those questions, discussions, and debates to update your content.

### E-commerce

E-commerce websites are full of product pages that may have the same general info, but you’ll be in charge of filling out unique product details for each page, benefits, specifications, and prices.

![eBay Programmatic](https://app.thebcms.com/api/v3/instance/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23/media/670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1cde/bin2/image16.png?apiKey=670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d24e6.7e8471eb288ed672495cf4734e877b33042a4d7d63059d938576b8d45d35c166.670e90c0cedcf9e4d34d1a23)

Besides writing different characteristics about products, there are Q&A and reviews sections. That is user-generated content that makes each page more unique.

## BCMS Case Study: Building Programmatic SEO at Scale

At BCMS, we used programmatic SEO to generate and manage thousands of landing pages from a single reusable template. Instead of creating every page manually, we combined structured content, reusable components, and dynamic routing to scale content production while keeping pages easy to maintain.

### The challenge: Programmatic SEO supported by headless CMS

This chapter is dedicated to the story's more "geeky" side. Programmatic SEO requires close collaboration between SEO specialists and developers.

All keywords research, written content, and SEO strategy are not worthy if you don’t do the right job on the development side. For me, as a person who belongs to the marketing department, this developer side seems to be more tricky and complicated than anything. The truth is, it is effortless to understand.

There are a couple of things that you need to put your attention to:  Find the data you want to put on landing pages Format those data based on headless CMS, in this case, BCMS Upload those data using BCMS API. By using API, you avoid making the pages manually

### The Solution

The first thing that our back-end developers team did was to create a new CMS collection with defined items. After determining those collections, they were ready to add different content such as text fields, rich text, and images to each item.

### Generating landing pages using API

Reading through the API documentation was straightforward. The code used in our project is not very different from the example code, so what did we do? We copy-pasted the example code and only modified it wherever necessary.  That led us to create a new CMS collection item. Thanks to the multi-reference field, we made reference items to the different CMS collections and displayed all data from any group.

Generating pages based on templates would be the easy part.  The hard part is figuring out how to drive internal links to those dynamically created pages, updating site maps, setting up rules for excluding garbage pages, duplicates, spelling mistakes, plurals, etc.

### Results

After all the hard work, all members @bcms team agreed on one: this was an excellent experience that allowed us to make more than 2k landing pages using programmatic SEO strategy and our [headless CMS ](https://thebcms.com/)as a website builder.

More importantly, the project demonstrated how structured content and reusable templates can simplify long-term content maintenance as a website grows.

### Want to Build Something Similar?

This case study focuses on the SEO strategy behind the project. If you're interested in the implementation details, we've prepared a separate developer guide that explains [how to build programmatic landing pages with BCMS](https://thebcms.com/blog/programmatic-seo-tutorial.md), dynamic templates, and Nuxt.js.

If you plan to leverage landing pages, our honest advice is to choose a programmatic SEO strategy. It is straightforward and to the point. You will see first results and growth for a short amount of time.

## Recommended Programmatic SEO Tools

Successful programmatic SEO isn't powered by a single tool. Instead, it combines keyword research, structured data, content management, and performance monitoring to create and optimize landing pages at scale.

The exact stack will depend on your workflow, but these are some of the most commonly used tools across every stage of a programmatic SEO project.

### Keyword Research Tools

Keyword research is the foundation of every programmatic SEO strategy. Before generating hundreds or thousands of landing pages, you need to understand what your audience is searching for and validate that there is enough search demand.

Some of the most popular keyword research tools include:

ToolBest ForGoogle TrendsDiscovering search trends and seasonalityGoogle Keyword PlannerEstimating keyword demandAhrefsKeyword research, backlink analysis, and competitor researchSemrushKeyword research, site audits, and rank trackingUbersuggestFinding keyword ideas and content opportunitiesSimilarWebCompetitive traffic insightsSpyFuCompetitor keyword analysis

These are all keyword research tools you can use for programmatic SEO. If you're trying to decide between the two, you can review the [Ahrefs and Semrush full comparison](https://seranking.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-semrush/) breakdown to understand their differences in depth, covering pricing, features, and which use cases each tool is better suited for.

### Content & Data Management

Programmatic SEO depends on structured data. Whether you're building pages for products, locations, integrations, documentation, or directories, organizing your dataset is just as important as choosing the right keywords.

Many teams start with Google Sheets, Airtable, or CSV files before importing their data into a content management system. A clean and well-maintained dataset makes it much easier to generate landing pages, update content, and scale your strategy over time.

### Content Management Systems

A content management system (CMS) is where your templates and structured content come together.

Headless CMS platforms are particularly well suited for programmatic SEO because they separate content from presentation. Instead of manually editing hundreds of pages, you can update structured content once and publish changes across your entire website using reusable templates.

At BCMS, we used this approach to manage thousands of landing pages while keeping content consistent and easy to maintain. The same principles apply to any headless CMS that supports structured content, APIs, and dynamic page generation.

### Bonus Tool: Programmatic SEO Headline Generator

Creating consistent headline variations for hundreds of landing pages can quickly become repetitive. A programmatic headline generator helps you combine head terms, modifiers, and keyword variations to generate scalable page titles while reducing the risk of duplicate headlines.

The BCMS Programmatic SEO Generator lets you generate headline combinations from structured inputs and export them for your programmatic SEO workflow. It's a practical way to speed up the planning process before publishing landing pages at scale. This functionality was originally developed to simplify the creation of thousands of unique headline variations while maintaining a consistent naming structure.

### Analytics & Performance Monitoring

Publishing your landing pages is only the beginning. Measuring performance helps you understand which pages attract traffic, where users engage, and which pages need improvement.

Tools like Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Ahrefs, and Semrush can help you monitor:

- indexing and crawl status

- keyword rankings

- click-through rates (CTR)

- organic traffic

- technical SEO issues

Regularly reviewing this data allows you to improve existing pages, identify new content opportunities, and remove pages that no longer provide value.

Programmatic SEO works best as an ongoing process. With the right combination of keyword research, structured data, a scalable CMS, and performance monitoring, you can continue improving your website long after your landing pages are published.

## Questions about programmatic SEO

### What is Programmatic SEO, and how does it help increase search traffic?

You can use programmatic SEO to build landing pages on a large scale and get more search traffic. Doing this makes it more likely to have a better ranking and reach a targeted audience with the answers they're looking for.

### How does programmatic SEO work for companies like TripAdvisor and Airbnb?

With programmatic SEO, companies like TripAdvisor and Airbnb create dedicated pages for every city or hotel they have in their database. This is done using the massive list of hotels or locations they already have. At the same time, this strategy gets people to visit their content more because it gives them the answers they're looking for.

### What are some key components of a programmatic SEO strategy?

In a programmatic SEO strategy, you need to understand the user's intent and create hundreds of landing pages with accurate and appropriate keywords.

### What are some benefits of using a programmatic SEO approach?

You'll get valuable insight into user needs that can be incorporated into the content. In addition, you'll get a customized website experience for users, and build landing pages faster and more efficiently with programmatic SEO.

### How does programmatic SEO help avoid a slow SEO process?

Through a systematic approach to finding keywords, understanding user intent, and generating hundreds of landing pages, programmatic SEO avoids a slow SEO process. So we can build a website experience that engages the user's interests and the brand more quickly and efficiently.

### What is transactional intent in the context of programmatic SEO?

Keywords with transactional intent indicate that the searcher is planning to buy something or take action on a website soon. That means that Programmatic SEO pages with transactional intent are basically sales pages.

### How does programmatic SEO help a business reach a large audience?

Through programmatic SEO, businesses can align their offer with consumers' needs, reach out to massive audiences, and grow both their success and audience - together.

### When to avoid Programmatic SEO?

Despite being a successful strategy for many businesses, programmatic SEO won't work in some cases. It doesn't make sense for a company with just a few products or services or a specific niche to create hundreds of landing pages without a clear type of content strategy. If you've got limited time and money, programmatic SEO might not work for you either. It's always recommended to evaluate your business's needs and capabilities before deciding on a programmatic SEO strategy.

### How to create landing pages for programmatic SEO?

In order to build landing pages for programmatic SEO, imagine it as a template, separate it into sections, put questions in each section and use them as a guide for keyword research, categorize keywords, and use keyword research tools.

### What are some effective programmatic SEO tools?

Google Trends, Google Ads, Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, SEMRush, SimilarWeb, and SpyFu are all keyword research tools you can use for programmatic SEO. If you're trying to decide between the two, you can review the [Ahrefs and Semrush full comparison](https://seranking.com/blog/ahrefs-vs-semrush/) breakdown to understand their differences in depth, covering pricing, features, and which use cases each tool is better suited for.

### Is programmatic SEO still effective?

Yes. Programmatic SEO remains highly effective when each page provides unique value and satisfies a distinct search intent. Simply publishing thousands of similar pages is no longer enough—successful programmatic SEO focuses on quality, relevance, and helpful content.

### Does Google penalize programmatic SEO?

No. Google does not penalize websites simply because they use programmatic SEO. However, pages that are thin, duplicated, or created only to manipulate rankings may perform poorly or be treated as low-value content. Every landing page should provide original, useful information for users.

### Can AI be used for programmatic SEO?

AI can speed up research, content generation, and template creation, but it should support, not replace, human review. Publishing large amounts of unedited AI-generated content increases the risk of inaccuracies and low-quality pages. The best results come from combining [AI with structured data](https://thebcms.com/blog/ai-structured-content.md), editorial oversight, and subject-matter expertise.

# Programmatic SEO Recap

- Start with research and strategy. Understanding search intent, validating demand, and building a structured dataset are the foundation of every successful programmatic SEO project.

- Focus on quality over quantity. Create landing pages that provide unique value instead of generating pages for every keyword variation.

- Avoid thin and duplicate content. Use descriptive, helpful content that answers users' questions and gives every page a reason to exist.

- Build a strong internal linking structure. Connect related pages to improve navigation, crawlability, and topical authority.

- Don't overlook technical SEO. Clean URLs, structured metadata, schema markup, and fast-loading pages all contribute to long-term organic visibility.

- Use a scalable content management system. A headless CMS can simplify managing structured content, reusable templates, and large numbers of landing pages.

- Monitor and improve your content continuously. Track performance, refresh outdated pages, fix technical issues, and expand successful templates as your website grows.

- Remember that programmatic SEO is about solving search intent—not publishing the most pages. The pages that consistently rank are the ones that provide genuine value to users.

By combining the right strategy, structured data, and high-quality content, programmatic SEO can become one of the most effective ways to scale organic growth.

Need help? [Contact us](https://thebcms.com/contact/) :)