Programmatic SEO 101
Or how to build programmatic SEO website from a Software Engineer
Programmatic SEO is a hot topic, no doubt it has tons of videos covering it on platforms like YouTube. Unfortunately, most of those videos don’t go deep enough into actual implementation and details. It seems too easy to find an idea and with a click of the fingers, you get a nice website at your disposal which is ready to generate traffic. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always happen in reality. If you like to move fast and break things you will end up with a spoiled domain (like I did). My goal is to show you how to not end up in such a situation.
Today, I will be talking about my experience with programmatic SEO as a software engineer and startup founder. In the past four months, I conducted multiple experiments with programmatic SEO and would like to share some tips here. By the end of this guide, I hope you’ll learn how not to go about programmatic SEO, so your website doesn’t get into Google’s spam filters—as happened to one of my experiments. This guide will cover:
How to come up with an idea?
Keyword research and tools
Why is buying a good domain name important?
Tech stack for building a programmatic SEO website
Backlink building and why it is important
Product Analytics tools to track your progress
Launch Strategy
Future of programmatic SEO
1. How to Come Up with an Idea?
Every successful programmatic SEO project starts with a solid idea. But how do you come up with one? Start by identifying a niche or industry you’re passionate about or familiar with. Your understanding of the niche can provide a competitive edge.
If you can’t come up with an idea easily, it means you need to do some research. There are tons of ways to generate ideas, and I’ll list a few effective methods here.
Find Datasets with Poor UI and Transform Them into Great Websites
One of the best platforms for discovering datasets is Kaggle, which hosts thousands of searchable datasets. As of now, Kaggle lists more than 400,000 datasets—crazy, right?
Browse through the list to find a dataset that sparks an idea. Here’s an example:
A board games dataset containing information about more than 100,000 games. You could use this to create pages with enhanced UI and useful features.
💡 Pro Tip: Transforming datasets with subpar interfaces into user-friendly and visually appealing websites can be a winning strategy.
Leverage Your Own Datasets to Gain a Competitive Advantage
If you run an existing business or side hustle, chances are you already have access to data that no one else has.
For example, consider the JobTest website. Users complete a quiz and receive career recommendations based on their answers to multiple-choice questions. This unique data could easily be utilized to create programmatic SEO pages, giving you a significant edge over competitors.
JobTest could easily use their quiz data to create skill-based pages that highlight careers suited to specific skills identified in the quiz, such as problem-solving or creativity. For instance, pages like /careers-for-problem-solvers or /careers-for-creative-thinkers could summarize job opportunities for individuals with these strengths. These pages could rank for searches like “Careers for creative people” or “Jobs for problem solvers.”
Scrape publicly available data and transform it with existing AI tools
If you don’t have proprietary data, another great option is to scrape publicly available data. The key is not just scraping but transforming this raw data into something unique, insightful, and user-friendly. For example:
• Scrape real estate listings and create a hyper-localized property directory.
• Collect restaurant menu data to build a comprehensive food discovery platform.
• Use AI tools like GPT-based models or Stable Diffusion for creative enhancements such as summarizing reviews, generating captions, or even creating visuals.
Start Backward: Understand Monetization First
Before finalizing your idea, it’s crucial to think about how you’ll monetize your website. This should be a significant factor in your decision-making process. A brilliant idea without a clear path to revenue can lead to wasted effort and frustration.
• Will you monetize through ads, affiliate marketing, or direct sales?
• Does the niche have products, services, or opportunities with sufficient earning potential?
• Are there high-value keywords or industries you can target for premium ad placements?
Watch this for more context on monetization strategies:
Great talk from John Rush on Monetization strategies for pSEO
💡 The key takeaway. A successful programmatic SEO idea solves a real user problem while leveraging unique or underutilized data to create value—and has a clear path to monetization. Once you have your idea, you’re ready to move on to the next step—keyword research!
2. Keyword Research and Tools
Everyone knows tools like Ahrefs, SEMRush, and similar SEO platforms. We also know they can be expensive as hell! If you can afford them, great—but there are effective, free alternatives to get you started.
A combination of Google Ads Keyword Planner, Google Trends, and (if possible) a short-term subscription to Ahrefs can work wonders for your keyword research workflow. Even if you subscribe to Ahrefs for just one month, it should provide enough value to kickstart your process. Let me break down how to use these tools together for maximum efficiency.
Start with Google Ads Keyword Planner: Finding Keyword Opportunities
Google Ads Keyword Planner is fantastic for discovering high-volume, low-competition keywords. Here’s how to use it effectively:
• Search for Seed Keywords: Start with a broad keyword related to your niche. For example, if you’re building a directory for board games, you might begin with “board games” as your seed keyword. From there, explore related categories like Popular board games (“best board games 2025”, “top-rated board games.”, etc)
• Analyze Metrics: Look at the search volume and competition. Prioritize keywords with:
Moderate to high search volume (e.g., >= 1K searches per month).
Low to medium competition (keep in mind this metric relates to paid ads, but it still gives a rough idea of keyword viability).
• Look for Trends: Use the “Year-over-Year Change” metric to identify keywords with growing popularity. For example, if “solo board games” or “board games for couples” shows a significant increase in search volume over the past year, it indicates rising demand.
💡 Pro Tip: Export your keyword list and organize it by search volume and competition. This will help you prioritize effectively.
Use Google Trends: Validating Growth Potential
Google Trends is a great tool for validating the potential of keywords identified in Keyword Planner. Here’s how to integrate it into your workflow:
• Check Seasonal Trends: Search for your keyword in Google Trends to see its popularity over time. For example, “board games” might spike in the winter months, indicating seasonal demand.
• Compare Related Keywords: Use the comparison feature to check multiple related keywords. For instance, compare “solo board games” and “board games for couples” to see which has the most consistent or growing interest.
• Spot Emerging Trends: Look at related queries and “rising” terms for ideas that are gaining traction but aren’t yet oversaturated.
💡 Pro Tip: Filter by location and timeframe to get insights tailored to your target audience (e.g., “United States” and “past 12 months”).
Leverage Ahrefs: Deep Dive into Keyword and Competitor Analysis
If you can afford Ahrefs, even for a month, it can add a lot of depth to your research.
• Check Keyword Difficulty (KD): Ahrefs provides a Keyword Difficulty score, helping you identify terms that are easier to rank for. Combine this with the volume data from Keyword Planner for a more informed decision.
• Analyze Competitor Pages: Enter the top-ranking URLs for your target keywords into Ahrefs’ Site Explorer. Look for:
Content gaps: Topics or subtopics that competitors missed.
Backlink profiles: Opportunities for your site to acquire similar backlinks.
• Discover Long-Tail Keywords: Use the “Questions” feature in Ahrefs to find long-tail variations of your keywords. These are often easier to rank for and attract highly targeted traffic.
• Monitor Trends with SERP Features: Ahrefs shows which SERP features (e.g., featured snippets, FAQs) dominate for a given keyword. This insight can help you optimize your content format.
How to Combine These Tools Effectively
1. Start Broad (Keyword Planner): Use Google Ads Keyword Planner to generate a list of potential keywords with volume and competition data.
2. Refine and Validate (Google Trends): Cross-check these keywords in Google Trends to identify seasonal patterns and validate their growth potential.
3. Deep Dive (Ahrefs): For your top 10-20 keywords, use Ahrefs to:
Assess competition.
Analyze top-ranking pages.
Discover long-tail variations.
4. Iterate: Repeat the process for additional keyword ideas, refining your list as you go.
💡 Final Tip: The sweet spot is identifying keywords with:
• High search volume.
• Low keyword difficulty (KD).
• Consistent or growing interest over time.
• Room for unique content (e.g., underserved niches or content gaps).
3. Why Buying a Good Domain Name Is Important
Your domain name is the cornerstone of your website’s identity. It’s the first impression potential visitors get, often before they’ve even clicked through to your site. Imagine browsing search results for information about coffee brewing. Would you trust coffeelovers.org or best-coffee-for-you123.info? The difference is stark, and it shows why your choice of domain matters. A well-chosen domain can establish trust, improve visibility, and make your site memorable, while a poorly chosen one can do the opposite.
Extensions Matter Too
While the coveted .com extension is often the first choice, it’s not the only viable option. In fact, alternatives like .org or .net can lend credibility, especially for non-commercial or informational sites. For instance, a directory for community art projects might thrive with a name like localarts.org, suggesting a resource-driven platform. Meanwhile, opting for an unusual or unfamiliar extension—think .xyz or .biz—can raise red flags for users accustomed to more traditional domains.
Good and Bad Examples Speak for Themselves
Good Examples:
1. bookfinder.org – Straightforward, professional, and clearly conveys its purpose.
2. studyresources.net – Focused and reliable, suitable for an educational platform.
3. localarts.org – Suggests a trustworthy and community-driven resource for art projects.
4. healthdirect.org – Clean and professional, ideal for a healthcare directory.
Bad Examples:
1. books-4u-online.info – Cluttered with unnecessary symbols and a weak extension.
2. studies-helper101.biz – Overly generic and unprofessional, with a questionable extension.
3. local-artz.xyz – Misspelling and unfamiliar extension reduce credibility.
4. healthfindersnow123.com – Hard to remember and untrustworthy due to random numbers.
💡 Pro Tip: When brainstorming a domain, imagine telling someone about it verbally. If you’d need to explain the spelling, symbols, or numbers, it’s not the right choice. Stick with clarity and simplicity to make your site easy to trust and revisit.
4. Tech Stack for Building a Programmatic SEO Website
Let’s talk tech stacks. Whether you’re a coding wizard or allergic to code, there’s an approach that’ll work for you. The key is keeping it simple while making sure it can handle growth. You don’t want to build something that collapses the moment traffic spikes (a good problem to have, by the way).
If You Love to Code: The Full Control Approach
For those who want maximum flexibility and control, here’s the dream team:
• Next.js + TypeScript: Handles both the frontend and backend. It’s fast, reliable, and great for SEO out of the box. Plus, you don’t need to juggle multiple frameworks—it’s all in one place.
• Skip the Database (Maybe): Instead of dealing with PostgreSQL or MongoDB, store your content in JSON files right in your app. This works wonders for static or semi-static pages. Imagine pre-generating 10,000 pages and serving them up instantly. Bonus: no database headaches. But, if your site needs frequent updates, you might want a database down the line.
• Hosting? Use Vercel: It’s free, and since it’s made for Next.js, deployment is ridiculously easy. Just write your code, connect your repo, and boom—you’re live. The only thing left is to buy a domain.
💡 Tip: Storing JSON files works great if your content doesn’t change often. If you’re running something like a job board or real estate listings, a database might save you from future migraines.
If You’re NoCode All the Way
Not a fan of staring at code all day? No problem. NoCode tools are here to save you. They’re quick, easy, and don’t require a single line of code.
WordPress: It’s the OG of website builders, and I’ll admit, it has its perks. Plugins like WP All Import let you handle large datasets easily, making it a solid choice for beginners. But here’s the catch: I’m not a huge fan of WordPress. It comes with its own baggage—slow loading times, plugin overload issues, and a tendency to feel outdated if you’re not careful. The more plugins you stack, the clunkier it gets, and managing updates can turn into a full-time job. For large-scale programmatic SEO, it’s often more trouble than it’s worth.
💡 Tip: If you’re considering WordPress, keep it lightweight. Use only essential plugins and invest in proper hosting to mitigate some of the performance issues. Or, better yet, consider alternatives like Webflow or custom development.
Webflow: Beautiful, flexible, and great for design-focused sites. However, integrating huge datasets or automating page generation can be a pain.
Specialized Directory Tools: Platforms like Brilliant Directories or Unicorn Platform are pre-built for directories. They’re like plug-and-play solutions, but you might outgrow them if you want advanced customization.
What’s the Best Option?
• For speed: Start with a NoCode tool to get your idea out there quickly.
• For growth: Move to a code-based stack like Next.js when you need more control and scalability.
💡 Pro Tip: Start small, iterate fast, and don’t over-engineer from day one. Your tech stack should grow with your project, not the other way around.
5. Backlink Building and Why It Is Important
Backlinks are the lifeblood of SEO. They signal to search engines that your website is valuable and trustworthy, helping you rank higher and attract more visitors. For new websites, backlinks are even more critical—they’re like a stamp of approval that gets you noticed. But not all backlinks are created equal. Here’s how to build them the right way.
List Your Website on Relevant Directories
Directories aren’t just for directories—they’re a solid starting point for any website. Find directories that are closely related to your niche and list your site there. Be selective. Posting your link on random, irrelevant directories will do more harm than good, spoiling your website’s profile in the eyes of search engines.
💡 Pro Tip: If your website is about sustainable fashion, list it on directories focused on eco-friendly living, fashion resources, or green business tools. Avoid directories that are generic dumping grounds for random links—they can hurt your credibility.
Engage on Reddit and Social Media
Reddit is a double-edged sword. Done wrong, it’ll backfire. Redditors hate blatant self-promotion, but if you’re smart, you can build trust and sneak your link in naturally. Here’s how:
Start by answering questions and adding value to discussions in your niche. Don’t drop your link right away—it’ll get flagged or ignored.
If someone asks a follow-up question and your website has the perfect answer, that’s your moment. Drop the link naturally as part of a helpful response.
For example, if you’re running a website on urban gardening, participate in r/Gardening. Share tips, answer questions, and when someone asks about resources, link to your site as part of a detailed, genuine reply.
Social media platforms like Facebook groups or Twitter threads can also be effective. Again, the key is to engage authentically. No one likes a spammer, but everyone appreciates a valuable resource.
Comment on Blogs and Articles
Find blogs, news articles, or discussion threads relevant to your website’s niche. Comment thoughtfully and add your link only when it adds value. Even if these links are “nofollow” (meaning they don’t pass much SEO value), they still help with visibility and may drive direct traffic.
For instance, if your website is about home fitness, look for articles about workout trends, leave insightful comments, and link to your site where it genuinely contributes to the conversation.
Work Long Enough, and Opportunities Will Find You
Building backlinks takes time, but here’s the thing: if you consistently create high-quality content and keep improving your website, opportunities will come your way. Influencers will notice your work, bloggers will link to it, and other websites will want to collaborate.
Patience is the name of the game. Focus on making your website so good that people can’t ignore it. Keep improving, keep sharing, and let your work speak for itself.
6. Product Analytics Tools to Track Your Progress
Analytics tools are your eyes and ears when it comes to understanding how your programmatic SEO website is performing. They don’t just show you what’s happening; they provide the insights needed to make better decisions, optimize your site, and grow your traffic.
Google Analytics: The Foundation
Google Analytics is the go-to tool for tracking your website’s performance. It’s free, powerful, and offers comprehensive insights into traffic sources, user behavior, and conversions. You can dive into metrics like bounce rates, average session durations, and conversion paths.
But while Google Analytics is great, it’s not perfect—it doesn’t provide real-time data in a meaningful way. If you need to see what’s happening on your site at this exact moment or watch how users interact step-by-step, you’ll need additional tools.
For Real-Time Data and Replays: PostHog or Hotjar
If you want to see user behavior unfold in real-time or replay sessions to understand how people navigate your site, tools like PostHog or Hotjar are invaluable.
Hotjar: Known for its heatmaps, session replays, and feedback tools, Hotjar helps you visualize where users click, scroll, and spend their time. This is perfect for identifying friction points and understanding why visitors drop off.
PostHog: A more robust option, especially if you need real-time analytics and user tracking. It’s open-source and great for developers who want a customizable tool.
Both tools provide insights that Google Analytics alone can’t offer—like seeing exactly how users interact with your product.
Catch Crashes with Sentry
Nothing kills user experience faster than a crash. Tools like Sentry help you catch and fix issues before they escalate. Sentry tracks errors in real-time, giving you detailed reports about what went wrong and why. It’s especially useful for code-based projects, but in most no-code setups, crash tracking isn’t a major concern since the platforms handle most of the stability.
Why Product Analytics Is Critical
Product analytics is more than just numbers and charts—it’s about stepping into your users’ shoes.
Spot Friction Points: If users are struggling to find information or dropping off mid-process, analytics tools can show you where it’s happening.
Iteratively Improve: Every improvement you make should be based on data. Analytics let you test changes, measure their impact, and refine further.
Understand User Needs: By analyzing behavior, you can better understand what users want, even if they don’t explicitly tell you.
For example, if your heatmaps show users frequently clicking a non-interactive element, it might be worth turning that into a clickable feature or link. Or, if session replays reveal that users often abandon a form halfway, you can simplify it to boost conversions.
💡 Pro Tip: The magic happens when you combine these tools. Use Google Analytics for overall trends, Hotjar or PostHog for session replays and heatmaps, and Sentry for crash reports (if applicable). Together, they’ll give you a complete picture of your website’s performance, helping you create a smoother and more engaging experience for your visitors.
7. Launch Strategy
Launching a website isn’t just about creating it; it’s about getting people to see it. And to do that, you need a solid plan to promote it effectively. Your ultimate goal is not just to get traffic but to lay the foundation for long-term growth—and backlinks (see Section 5: Backlink Building and Why It Is Important) play a huge role in this.
It’s also crucial to do everything in a way that looks natural to avoid being flagged by Google. Think about how a legitimate website grows: gradually, organically, and with a diverse set of backlinks and content. Don’t post thousands of pages at once (more on this below), don’t spam your link across irrelevant platforms, and avoid adding thousands of unrelated backlinks. Instead, aim to maintain the image of a naturally growing site—this approach not only keeps you safe from penalties but also builds trust with both users and search engines.
💡 Pro Tip: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Create a portfolio of websites and watch how each one grows. Some will naturally gain more traction than others. Focus on those that show early signs of success and double down on them. This diversification strategy not only spreads your risk but also maximizes your chances of building a standout site that thrives.
Be Careful with Bulk Publishing
If your website has a large number of pages—say 10,000 or more—avoid publishing and submitting them to Google all at once. Google’s algorithms might flag your domain as spammy if it suddenly detects a massive influx of indexed pages. Instead, take it slow. Gradually add pages to the index, perhaps 10-20 pages per day, to maintain a natural growth rate. Here’s what can happen to your website if you are not careful :)
As your website gains trust and domain authority over time, you can start increasing the number of pages you add per day. With higher domain ratings and stronger SEO signals, search engines are more likely to view your site as credible, allowing you to scale up without raising red flags. By the time your site establishes itself, adding dozens or even hundreds of pages daily can become a safe and effective strategy.
💡 Pro Tip: Monitor Google algorithm updates to ensure you’re not inadvertently violating any new guidelines. You can stay informed by checking Google’s Search Status Dashboard.
Reddit: The Smart Way to Engage
As mentioned in Section 5, Reddit is a fantastic platform to promote your website, but it needs a delicate approach. The key here is not to spam. Think of it like this: don’t fire off too many bullets at once. Instead, start small, test the waters, and learn how people react to your content. Then, iterate based on what works.
1. Find Niche Subreddits: Use Google search (e.g., site:reddit.com [your keyword]) to find subreddits where your audience hangs out. For programmers, this could be subreddits like r/Programming or r/WebDev.
2. Engage First: Before dropping a link, participate in discussions, answer questions, and add genuine value.
3. Share Naturally: When the time is right—say, someone asks a question directly related to your website’s topic—share your link as part of a helpful reply. Frame it authentically, like:
“I’ve been working on [topic] for a while, and I built this site to address [specific problem]. Would love your feedback!”
This approach not only avoids backlash but also builds credibility. Remember, a well-placed Reddit post can skyrocket your traffic, and backlinks from Reddit have high domain authority, making them SEO gold.
Quora: Answer Questions Thoughtfully
Quora is another powerhouse for building visibility. Similar to Reddit, you need to provide value first and only share your link when it truly fits. Look for questions in your niche (e.g., coding, fitness, or gardening) and write in-depth answers. Mention your website naturally, like:
“For a deeper dive into this, I’ve covered it extensively on my website: [URL].”
Over time, your answers will get indexed by search engines, driving traffic and improving your site’s discoverability.
Don’t Overload: Post Strategically
It’s tempting to go all out and post your website everywhere at once, but that’s a rookie mistake. Think of it like launching a new product—start small, gauge interest, and adjust. If you “spray and pray” (post everywhere without strategy), you risk spreading yourself too thin and not learning what works. Instead:
• Begin with one or two platforms, like Reddit or Quora.
• Observe how people react.
• Refine your pitch or content based on feedback.
Tap Into Niche Blogs and Forums
Beyond major platforms, niche blogs and forums are excellent for getting your website in front of the right audience. For example:
• Programmers: Platforms like Stack Overflow (in contextually appropriate situations), Hacker News, or niche coding forums.
• Fitness Enthusiasts: Look for blogs or forums like Bodybuilding.com.
• Gardeners: Participate in communities like r/Gardening or GardenWeb.
Why This Strategy Works
Crawlers Discover Your Page Faster: When your links appear on platforms like Reddit or Quora, search engine crawlers find your page more quickly, speeding up your indexing.
Organic Backlinks: When your content resonates with the community, users may naturally link to your site in their own blog posts or discussions, amplifying your reach and boosting your SEO.
💡 Pro Tip: Don’t rush the process. Launching is about building momentum, not just getting quick wins. Be patient, strategic, and focused on creating genuine connections. As you refine your approach, opportunities for growth will come to you.
8. Future of programmatic SEO
The rise of AI is reshaping how people interact with information online. Standard content-based websites are at risk of becoming obsolete as AI generates instant answers to questions. But directories and programmatic SEO projects built around datasets have a unique advantage—they offer functionality that AI or plain text cannot replicate effectively.
When users need to compare multiple options—whether it’s products, services, or anything else—a text-based AI response just doesn’t cut it. The best user experience for comparisons is visual and interactive. Think side-by-side comparisons, sortable tables, and detailed filters. These are features that programmatic SEO excels at, and they’re something AI simply can’t deliver in a conversational format.
For example:
• Visualization: Allow users to explore data through graphs, heatmaps, or charts.
• Interactive Comparisons: Enable users to scroll through lists, filter by specific attributes, or compare options side by side.
• Niche-Specific Insights: Build tools tailored to your dataset, like calculators, personalized recommendations, or resource aggregators.
In a future where AI dominates traditional Q&A searches, programmatic SEO websites that focus on functionality and unique datasets will thrive. They won’t just provide information—they’ll empower users to interact with it in ways that AI-generated text cannot.
Great article! Thank you for this!