Programmatic SEO: How It Works (with an Example You Can Copy)

Programmatic SEO sounds like one of those phrases that gets thrown around on Twitter and suddenly everyone is “doing it”.

But it’s actually pretty simple.

Instead of writing 50, 100, or 500 separate blog posts by hand, you build a repeatable system that creates (and publishes) a large set of pages from a structured dataset. Each page targets a specific long tail keyword, but they’re all built from the same template and logic.

It’s the “factory” version of SEO. In a good way.

And yes, it can absolutely go wrong if you treat it like a content spam machine. We’ll get to that too.

In this post, I’ll explain how programmatic SEO works, when it makes sense, and I’ll give you a copyable example you can use to plan your first batch of pages.

What programmatic SEO actually is

Programmatic SEO (pSEO) is the process of creating lots of SEO landing pages at scale by combining:

• a page template (structure, headings, blocks, FAQ, internal links)
• a dataset (locations, products, categories, integrations, metrics, jobs, whatever)
• rules for how content is generated and displayed (what changes per page, what stays constant)

So instead of writing “Best CRM for real estate agents”, “Best CRM for lawyers”, “Best CRM for dentists”… you build a template for “Best CRM for {industry}”, and your dataset is a list of industries.

Classic examples:

• Marketplace sites: “Plumbers in Austin”, “Plumbers in Dallas”, etc
• Tool directories: “{Tool} alternatives”, “{Tool} pricing”, “{Tool} reviews”
• Travel sites: “Things to do in {city}”
• SaaS comparison pages: “{Tool A} vs {Tool B}”
• Data SEO pages: “Cost of living in {city}”, “Mortgage rates in {state}”, etc

The core idea is that the search demand repeats in a predictable pattern. The only thing that changes is the variable.

Why programmatic SEO works (when it works)

Programmatic SEO works because Google is flooded with long tail searches that are:

• specific
• intent driven
• not worth writing a bespoke article for, one by one

People search stuff like:

• “best invoice software for photographers”
• “email warmup tool for cold outreach”
• “on page seo checker for shopify”
• “seo software vs surfer seo”

These queries are often lower competition, and they convert well because the user already knows what they want. They are basically raising their hand.

pSEO lets you show up for hundreds or thousands of those queries without needing an agency-sized writing team.

But the pages still have to be useful. If the “at scale” part comes first and the “useful” part comes second, you end up with thin pages that don’t rank, or worse, a sitewide quality problem.

So the goal is scalable structure with real value.

Programmatic SEO vs “bulk AI content”

This is where people get confused.

Bulk AI content is usually: generate 1,000 generic articles, publish them, hope the domain authority fairy visits.

Programmatic SEO is: build a repeatable page type that targets a repeating keyword pattern, backed by data and internal linking, where every page has a reason to exist.

AI can help with pSEO, obviously. But AI is not the strategy. It’s just a tool.

If your “dataset” is basically empty and you’re just asking AI to make stuff up for each page, that’s not programmatic SEO. That’s roulette.

When programmatic SEO is a good idea

pSEO is a great fit if you have at least one of these:

1. A product that applies to many segments
   Like “for agencies”, “for freelancers”, “for ecommerce”, “for local businesses”, etc.
2. A directory-style dataset
   Locations, categories, integrations, templates, jobs, stats.
3. Comparison intent is part of your market
   If people frequently search “X vs Y”, “X alternative”, “X pricing”.
4. A website that can handle lots of pages cleanly
   Meaning templates, no index bloat, good internal linking, and technical basics.

And pSEO is a bad idea if:

• you can’t differentiate the pages (they will all read the same)
• you don’t have real data or real angles per page
• you’re planning to publish thousands of pages with no quality controls
• your CMS setup makes it impossible to keep things consistent

How programmatic SEO works, step by step

This is the part most tutorials skip. They jump to “here’s a template”. But the real work is the planning.

Step 1: Find a repeatable keyword pattern

You’re looking for a query format that repeats with a variable.

Examples of patterns:

• “best {tool} for {industry}”
• “{service} in {city}”
• “{tool1} vs {tool2}”
• “{tool} alternatives”
• “{topic} template”
• “how to {task} in {platform}”

A quick way to validate: pick 10 variations and check if Google returns similar types of pages. If yes, you’re probably looking at a scalable page type.

Also, sanity check the intent. A pattern can repeat and still be useless. Like “what is {random term}”. Sure it repeats, but it might not convert or might be too broad.

Step 2: Build a dataset (the “variables”)

Your dataset is the list of values that will fill the variable.

Examples:

• industries: dentists, lawyers, real estate, coaches
• cities: Austin, Miami, Chicago
• tools: Surfer SEO, Jasper, Ahrefs, Semrush
• ecommerce platforms: Shopify, Webflow, WordPress
• integrations: HubSpot, Slack, Zapier

The dataset is where pSEO lives or dies.

If it’s sloppy, your pages will be sloppy.

You want clean fields, like:

• Primary term: “Surfer SEO”
• Secondary term: “Surfer”
• Category: “on-page optimization”
• Audience: “content teams”
• Notes: “popular content editor”

Even if you don’t show all of this on the page, it helps generate better, more consistent content.

Step 3: Design the page template (the “repeatable layout”)

A pSEO page template is not just headings. It’s a sequence of blocks that makes the page genuinely useful.

A solid template usually includes:

• a clear H1 with the keyword
• a short intro that matches intent (not fluff)
• a main content block that changes per page (not just a swapped noun)
• a comparison table, feature grid, or “data” section if possible
• FAQs (real ones, based on the query)
• internal links to relevant supporting pages
• a consistent CTA

The “main content block” is the most important part. That’s where uniqueness should show up.

Step 4: Create uniqueness beyond a single variable swap

This is the hard part, and it’s also the difference between pages that rank and pages that get ignored.

You can create uniqueness by adding:

• data-driven sections: pricing, counts, specs, benchmarks
• examples: templates, snippets, step by step instructions
• context: who it’s for, who it’s not for
• comparisons: pros/cons based on the variable
• internal linking: different clusters based on page type

If every page is “X is great, it has features, here are benefits” with the noun swapped, Google sees it.

Step 5: Publish and control indexing

Not every generated page deserves to be indexed.

It’s normal to:

• publish pages, but noindex some until they’re improved
• index only the best subsets first
• avoid creating 10,000 pages day one

Programmatic SEO is not “publish everything, now”. It’s “build a machine, then turn the dial carefully”.

Step 6: Internal linking and topical clusters

pSEO pages are usually siblings. They need a parent.

So think in clusters:

• Hub page: “Programmatic SEO tools”
• Spokes: “{tool} vs {tool}”, “{tool} alternatives”, etc

Or:

• Hub: “On-page SEO”
• Spokes: “On-page SEO checker for {platform}”, “Improve page SEO for {use case}”

Internal linking is what helps Google understand the map of your site. It also helps pages get discovered faster.

If you want to tighten your on-page setup while you build these pages, tools like an on-page SEO checker can help you catch the boring stuff early (missing headings, weak title tags, thin sections, etc).

A programmatic SEO example you can copy (template + dataset)

Let’s do a copyable example that’s realistic for a SaaS site.

The pattern

“{Tool A} vs {Tool B}”

This is a classic pSEO pattern because:

• intent is high (people comparing tools are close to a decision)
• the structure is repeatable
• it naturally supports tables and consistent sections

If your product is in SEO/content marketing, comparisons are everywhere. For example, people search “SEO Software vs Surfer SEO” and “SEO Software vs Jasper”.

(Those are real pages, by the way, and you can model your own structure after them.)

• SEO Software vs Surfer SEO
• SEO Software vs Jasper

To enhance your strategy further, consider implementing a topical authority framework. This approach will help establish your site's credibility and relevance in specific subject areas, ultimately improving your overall SEO performance.

The dataset (copy this into a sheet)

Make a Google Sheet with columns like:

Now fill it with real tools in your niche. Don’t overthink it, start with 20 to 50 comparisons.

If you’re building this for your own SaaS, you usually want your tool as Tool A for every row. Keeps it clean.

The page template (structure you can reuse)

Below is a template you can copy and adapt. It’s written in plain English on purpose. Because that’s how you want these pages to feel.

1) Title tag

{Tool A} vs {Tool B}: Which One Is Better for {Audience} in 2026?

2) URL

/compare/{tool-a}-vs-{tool-b}

3) H1

{Tool A} vs {Tool B}

4) Intro (2 short paragraphs)

• Mention the intent.
• Say who this comparison is for.
• Quick framing.

Example:

If you’re trying to choose between {Tool A} and {Tool B}, you’re probably not looking for a long theory lesson. You want the differences that actually matter. Features, workflow, price, and what it feels like day to day.

This comparison is mainly for {Audience}. People who want {Primary Intent}, and don’t want to waste a week trialing five tools.

5) Quick verdict box

This is where you stop being vague.

Example:

• Choose {Tool A} if you want: {positioning_angle}
• Choose {Tool B} if you want: (one clear alternative angle)
• If you’re unsure: pick based on (one deciding factor like team size, budget, CMS)

6) Feature comparison table

A table is your best friend in pSEO. It gives the page a “data backbone” that doesn’t feel like AI filler.

Example rows:

• Best for
• Pricing model
• Content generation
• Content optimization
• Publishing integrations
• Internal linking automation
• Languages supported
• Learning curve

If your product automates content creation and publishing, call that out.

For example, SEO Software positions itself as hands-off content marketing. Scan the site, generate a strategy, create articles, schedule and publish, internal links, images, multilingual, the whole pipeline. That’s a very different angle from tools that stop at “content editor”.

(If you want to see what that looks like in product form, start at the homepage: SEO Software.)

7) Deep dive sections (repeatable blocks)

Use the same section headings on every comparison page. Consistency is good.

• Content workflow
• SEO optimization approach
• Publishing and integrations
• Who it’s best for
• Pros and cons
• Pricing notes
• Final recommendation

Within each block, you can generate the baseline text, but you should add at least one specific detail per tool, per page. Even if it’s just “Tool B is more manual, Tool A is more automated”.

Also, if you have supporting pages, link them naturally. For example:

• If you mention editing, link to an AI SEO editor.
• If you mention fixing existing pages, link to a guide on how to improve page SEO.

Those supporting links help the comparison pages feel like part of a real site, not isolated SEO bait.

8) FAQs

3 to 6 FAQs per page is usually enough.

Examples:

• Is {Tool A} cheaper than {Tool B}?
• Does {Tool A} publish directly to WordPress?
• Can {Tool B} handle multilingual SEO?
• Which tool is better for agencies?

Try to base FAQs on actual “People also ask” questions you see in Google for that query.

9) CTA at the end

One clean CTA.

Example:

If you want the more hands-off option where content planning, writing, and publishing are handled in one workflow, you can try SEO Software and see what it generates for your site.

That’s it. No need to beg.

What to avoid (because this is where most pSEO projects die)

A few common faceplants:

1) Index bloat

Publishing 10,000 pages and indexing them all is not a flex.

Start with a smaller, high-quality batch. Prove rankings. Expand.

2) Near-duplicate intros and headings

Google doesn’t care that you swapped “dentists” for “lawyers” if everything else is identical.

Your template should force some uniqueness. Even a small “use case” section that’s different per audience helps.

3) AI hallucinations in “facts”

If you’re generating pricing, features, tool limitations, be careful.

Either:

• use a dataset with verified fields, or
• keep it qualitative and honest

Nothing kills trust like “Tool B supports 247 languages” when it doesn’t.

4) No internal linking strategy

If your pSEO pages don’t link to anything and nothing links to them, they sit there like islands.

Build clusters. Create hub pages. Add contextual links. Repeat.

How to scale programmatic SEO without losing your mind

This is the part where tools matter.

You can do pSEO manually with spreadsheets + a developer + a CMS import. People do it all the time.

But if you want it to be less painful, you need a workflow that covers:

• strategy generation (what pages to create)
• content generation (at scale)
• rewriting and updates (because you will update)
• publishing and scheduling
• basic on-page checks
• internal linking automation

This is basically what an automation-first platform is built for.

For example, SEO Software is positioned as an alternative to hiring an agency because it automates the content pipeline: scan the site, generate a keyword plan, create articles, schedule and publish, internal/external links, images, multilingual, CMS integrations.

If you’re comparing approaches, it’s worth seeing how that stacks up against other popular tools. These comparisons are good starting points:

• SEO Software vs Surfer SEO
• SEO Software vs Jasper

Not because you need to pick a side instantly. Just because it shows you two different philosophies. Content editor first vs automation first.

A quick “launch plan” for your first pSEO batch

If you want a simple plan that doesn’t spiral:

1. Pick one pattern (like “{tool} vs {tool}” or “{service} in {city}”).
2. Build 30 to 50 pages first. Not 500.
3. Make the template genuinely useful: table, verdict, clear sections, real FAQs.
4. Add internal links to supporting content (and build those support pages too).
5. Publish, submit sitemap, watch indexing, improve the worst pages.
6. Expand to the next pattern once the first one proves itself.

And if you’re already sitting on pages that exist but don’t perform, start by improving them instead of publishing more. Even a basic pass with an on-page SEO checker and a rewrite workflow can lift a lot of content that’s “almost ranking”.

Wrapping it up

Programmatic SEO is not magic. It’s structured content, built from data, published with consistency.

The trick is to treat templates like products, not like shortcuts. They should earn their place in the index.

If you want an easy thing to copy from this article, copy the “vs” template. Build a dataset of comparisons in your niche. Publish 30 solid pages. Link them properly. Then scale.

And if you want a more hands-off way to do this, where the planning, writing, and publishing workflow is already stitched together, take a look at SEO Software and see what it would generate for your site.