Programmatic SEO, as the name suggests, is the process of programmatically creating a large number of web pages or content using automated strategies. This method of generating a large number of content pieces allows for quick, SEO-optimized page creation.
Programmatic SEO comes in handy for websites that work with certain content templates and customize data depending on the keyword requirements, for instance, travel websites or e-commerce websites. Unlike traditional SEO, this approach allows such businesses to scale their website content much faster.
The Key Components of Programmatic SEO
Structured Templates: To obtain a balance between consistency, brand voice, and SEO optimization, programmatic SEO heavily relies on predefined templates. These templates are filled with dynamic information to generate value-adding content while avoiding penalties for duplicate content issues.
Scalable Automation: Programmatic SEO is dependent on automated or near-automated technology to support the generation of mass content. This allows for scaling content needs as and when required.
Structured Data Inputs: This process quite often makes use of structured data input obtained from databases to programmatically fill in the variables in templates. For instance, a database for a travel website may have information such as the names of cities, things to do, places to see, information on how to get there, etc. This information can then be fed into the program to develop thousands of SEO-optimized pages.
Keyword Strategies: The most sought-after keyword strategy when it comes to Programmatic SEO is targeting long-tail keywords. This is because these can be more specific and oftentimes, less competitive. By targeting multiple such long-tail keywords, the chances of attracting traffic from a diverse keyword spectrum increase. Semrush and Ahrefs are highly productive tools for doing detailed keyword analysis and assessing competition on target keywords.
Challenges
Quality of Content: With the target of mass production of content, it can be hard to deliver quality and information-focused content. Quality checks often need to be in place to ensure whether the automated content generated is still able to provide some level of unique value to the user.
Google Indexing: The creation of mass content does not guarantee web page indexing or ranking by Google. The technical SEO aspects need to be taken care of, such as linking internal pages, crawlability and indexing, etc.
Content Thinning: With such content creation, there is a fine line between quantity and quality. The content poses a risk of penalties by the search engines if it fails to provide value.
Now the Question: Is Programmatic SEO Here to Stay?
While the jury may be divided here, we think programmatic SEO will continue to be adopted and accepted. Yes, programmatic SEO provides an opportunity to create huge content. But automated content can only go so far.
When used wisely with the right set of tools, the content harnessed with automation can be further refined and curated to address the issues and challenges we discussed above and achieve better SEO outcomes.
Interested in more SEO tips? Check out this interesting read on Building Backlinks – Explore the Road Less Taken.
