From 24ff3b34566d4c421306193bdb3753051e1890fe Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Corey Haines <34802794+coreyhaines31@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2026 00:19:47 -0800 Subject: [PATCH] Add 12 programmatic SEO playbooks framework Restructures programmatic-seo skill with: - 12 proven playbooks: Templates, Curation, Conversions, Comparisons, Examples, Locations, Personas, Integrations, Glossary, Translations, Directory, and Profiles - Each playbook includes pattern, examples, why it works, value requirements, and recommended URL structure - New core principles: proprietary data hierarchy, subfolder vs subdomain URL structure, maximizing unique content - Playbook selection guide matching assets to strategies - Guidance on combining multiple playbooks Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 --- skills/programmatic-seo.md | 370 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-------- 1 file changed, 293 insertions(+), 77 deletions(-) diff --git a/skills/programmatic-seo.md b/skills/programmatic-seo.md index 74284ec..0e18c31 100644 --- a/skills/programmatic-seo.md +++ b/skills/programmatic-seo.md @@ -32,23 +32,50 @@ Before designing a programmatic SEO strategy, understand: ### 1. Unique Value Per Page Every page must provide value specific to that page: -- Unique data -- Unique insights -- Unique combinations +- Unique data, insights, or combinations - Not just swapped variables in a template +- Maximize unique content—the more differentiated, the better +- Avoid "thin content" penalties by adding real depth -### 2. Genuine Search Intent Match +### 2. Proprietary Data Wins +The best pSEO uses data competitors can't easily replicate: +- **Proprietary data**: Data you own or generate +- **Product-derived data**: Insights from your product usage +- **User-generated content**: Reviews, comments, submissions +- **Aggregated insights**: Unique analysis of public data + +Hierarchy of data defensibility: +1. Proprietary (you created it) +2. Product-derived (from your users) +3. User-generated (your community) +4. Licensed (exclusive access) +5. Public (anyone can use—weakest) + +### 3. Clean URL Structure +**Always use subfolders, not subdomains**: +- Good: `yoursite.com/templates/resume/` +- Bad: `templates.yoursite.com/resume/` + +Subfolders pass authority to your main domain. Subdomains are treated as separate sites by Google. + +**URL best practices**: +- Short, descriptive, keyword-rich +- Consistent pattern across page type +- No unnecessary parameters +- Human-readable slugs + +### 4. Genuine Search Intent Match Pages must actually answer what people are searching for: - Understand the intent behind each pattern - Provide the complete answer - Don't over-optimize for keywords at expense of usefulness -### 3. Scalable Quality, Not Just Quantity +### 5. Scalable Quality, Not Just Quantity - Quality standards must be maintained at scale - Better to have 100 great pages than 10,000 thin ones - Build quality checks into the process -### 4. Avoid Google Penalties +### 6. Avoid Google Penalties - No doorway pages (thin pages that just funnel to main site) - No keyword stuffing - No duplicate content across pages @@ -56,98 +83,287 @@ Pages must actually answer what people are searching for: --- -## Common Programmatic SEO Patterns +## The 12 Programmatic SEO Playbooks -### Location-Based Pages -**Pattern**: "[Service] in [Location]" -**Examples**: -- "Plumbers in Austin" -- "Coworking spaces in Brooklyn" -- "Real estate agents in Miami" +Beyond mixing and matching data point permutations, these are the proven playbooks for programmatic SEO: + +### 1. Templates +**Pattern**: "[Type] template" or "free [type] template" +**Example searches**: "resume template", "invoice template", "pitch deck template" + +**What it is**: Downloadable or interactive templates users can use directly. + +**Why it works**: +- High intent—people need it now +- Shareable/linkable assets +- Natural for product-led companies **Value requirements**: -- Location-specific information -- Local data (stats, regulations, etc.) -- Local testimonials/case studies -- Not just [City] swapped in template +- Actually usable templates (not just previews) +- Multiple variations per type +- Quality comparable to paid options +- Easy download/use flow -### Integration/Compatibility Pages -**Pattern**: "[Tool] + [Tool]" or "[Product] for [Platform]" -**Examples**: -- "Slack + Asana integration" -- "CRM for Shopify" -- "Zapier alternatives for X" +**URL structure**: `/templates/[type]/` or `/templates/[category]/[type]/` + +--- + +### 2. Curation +**Pattern**: "best [category]" or "top [number] [things]" +**Example searches**: "best website builders", "top 10 crm software", "best free design tools" + +**What it is**: Curated lists ranking or recommending options in a category. + +**Why it works**: +- Comparison shoppers searching for guidance +- High commercial intent +- Evergreen with updates **Value requirements**: -- Genuine integration details -- Use cases for the combination +- Genuine evaluation criteria +- Real testing or expertise +- Regular updates (date visible) +- Not just affiliate-driven rankings + +**URL structure**: `/best/[category]/` or `/[category]/best/` + +--- + +### 3. Conversions +**Pattern**: "[X] to [Y]" or "[amount] [unit] in [unit]" +**Example searches**: "$10 USD to GBP", "100 kg to lbs", "pdf to word" + +**What it is**: Tools or pages that convert between formats, units, or currencies. + +**Why it works**: +- Instant utility +- Extremely high search volume +- Repeat usage potential + +**Value requirements**: +- Accurate, real-time data +- Fast, functional tool +- Related conversions suggested +- Mobile-friendly interface + +**URL structure**: `/convert/[from]-to-[to]/` or `/[from]-to-[to]-converter/` + +--- + +### 4. Comparisons +**Pattern**: "[X] vs [Y]" or "[X] alternative" +**Example searches**: "webflow vs wordpress", "notion vs coda", "figma alternatives" + +**What it is**: Head-to-head comparisons between products, tools, or options. + +**Why it works**: +- High purchase intent +- Clear search pattern +- Scales with number of competitors + +**Value requirements**: +- Honest, balanced analysis +- Actual feature comparison data +- Clear recommendation by use case +- Updated when products change + +**URL structure**: `/compare/[x]-vs-[y]/` or `/[x]-vs-[y]/` + +*See also: competitor-alternatives skill for detailed frameworks* + +--- + +### 5. Examples +**Pattern**: "[type] examples" or "[category] inspiration" +**Example searches**: "saas landing page examples", "email subject line examples", "portfolio website examples" + +**What it is**: Galleries or collections of real-world examples for inspiration. + +**Why it works**: +- Research phase traffic +- Highly shareable +- Natural for design/creative tools + +**Value requirements**: +- Real, high-quality examples +- Screenshots or embeds +- Categorization/filtering +- Analysis of why they work + +**URL structure**: `/examples/[type]/` or `/[type]-examples/` + +--- + +### 6. Locations +**Pattern**: "[service/thing] in [location]" +**Example searches**: "coworking spaces in san diego", "dentists in austin", "best restaurants in brooklyn" + +**What it is**: Location-specific pages for services, businesses, or information. + +**Why it works**: +- Local intent is massive +- Scales with geography +- Natural for marketplaces/directories + +**Value requirements**: +- Actual local data (not just city name swapped) +- Local providers/options listed +- Location-specific insights (pricing, regulations) +- Map integration helpful + +**URL structure**: `/[service]/[city]/` or `/locations/[city]/[service]/` + +--- + +### 7. Personas +**Pattern**: "[product] for [audience]" or "[solution] for [role/industry]" +**Example searches**: "payroll software for agencies", "crm for real estate", "project management for freelancers" + +**What it is**: Tailored landing pages addressing specific audience segments. + +**Why it works**: +- Speaks directly to searcher's context +- Higher conversion than generic pages +- Scales with personas + +**Value requirements**: +- Genuine persona-specific content +- Relevant features highlighted +- Testimonials from that segment +- Use cases specific to audience + +**URL structure**: `/for/[persona]/` or `/solutions/[industry]/` + +--- + +### 8. Integrations +**Pattern**: "[your product] [other product] integration" or "[product] + [product]" +**Example searches**: "slack asana integration", "zapier airtable", "hubspot salesforce sync" + +**What it is**: Pages explaining how your product works with other tools. + +**Why it works**: +- Captures users of other products +- High intent (they want the solution) +- Scales with integration ecosystem + +**Value requirements**: +- Real integration details - Setup instructions -- Comparison if relevant +- Use cases for the combination +- Working integration (not vaporware) -### Comparison Pages -**Pattern**: "[X] vs [Y]" or "[X] alternatives" -**Examples**: -- "Notion vs Coda" -- "Airtable alternatives" -- "Best CRMs for small business" +**URL structure**: `/integrations/[product]/` or `/connect/[product]/` + +--- + +### 9. Glossary +**Pattern**: "what is [term]" or "[term] definition" or "[term] meaning" +**Example searches**: "what is pSEO", "api definition", "what does crm stand for" + +**What it is**: Educational definitions of industry terms and concepts. + +**Why it works**: +- Top-of-funnel awareness +- Establishes expertise +- Natural internal linking opportunities **Value requirements**: -- Actual comparison data -- Honest pros/cons -- Use case recommendations -- Updated regularly +- Clear, accurate definitions +- Examples and context +- Related terms linked +- More depth than a dictionary -### Directory/Aggregator Pages -**Pattern**: "[Category] + [Qualifier]" -**Examples**: -- "Top marketing agencies in [city]" -- "Best restaurants for [cuisine] in [area]" -- "[Software] companies in [industry]" +**URL structure**: `/glossary/[term]/` or `/learn/[term]/` + +--- + +### 10. Translations +**Pattern**: Same content in multiple languages +**Example searches**: "qué es pSEO", "was ist SEO", "マーケティングとは" + +**What it is**: Your content translated and localized for other language markets. + +**Why it works**: +- Opens entirely new markets +- Lower competition in many languages +- Multiplies your content reach **Value requirements**: -- Curated, not just scraped -- Useful details per listing -- Filters/sorting for utility -- Fresh data +- Quality translation (not just Google Translate) +- Cultural localization +- hreflang tags properly implemented +- Native speaker review -### Stats/Data Pages -**Pattern**: "[Topic] statistics [year]" -**Examples**: -- "Email marketing statistics 2024" -- "Remote work trends by industry" -- "Average [metric] by [segment]" +**URL structure**: `/[lang]/[page]/` or `yoursite.com/es/`, `/de/`, etc. + +--- + +### 11. Directory +**Pattern**: "[category] tools" or "[type] software" or "[category] companies" +**Example searches**: "ai copywriting tools", "email marketing software", "crm companies" + +**What it is**: Comprehensive directories listing options in a category. + +**Why it works**: +- Research phase capture +- Link building magnet +- Natural for aggregators/reviewers **Value requirements**: -- Original or well-sourced data -- Visualization -- Updated regularly -- Unique analysis +- Comprehensive coverage +- Useful filtering/sorting +- Details per listing (not just names) +- Regular updates -### Use Case Pages -**Pattern**: "[Product] for [Use Case]" -**Examples**: -- "Notion for project management" -- "Airtable for inventory tracking" -- "Figma for presentations" +**URL structure**: `/directory/[category]/` or `/[category]-directory/` + +--- + +### 12. Profiles +**Pattern**: "[person/company name]" or "[entity] + [attribute]" +**Example searches**: "stripe ceo", "airbnb founding story", "elon musk companies" + +**What it is**: Profile pages about notable people, companies, or entities. + +**Why it works**: +- Informational intent traffic +- Builds topical authority +- Natural for B2B, news, research **Value requirements**: -- Specific setup/workflow -- Templates if applicable -- Real examples -- Unique to use case +- Accurate, sourced information +- Regularly updated +- Unique insights or aggregation +- Not just Wikipedia rehash -### Glossary/Definition Pages -**Pattern**: "What is [term]" -**Examples**: -- "What is product-led growth" -- "API meaning in software" -- "CRM definition" +**URL structure**: `/people/[name]/` or `/companies/[name]/` -**Value requirements**: -- Clear, comprehensive definition -- Related terms -- Examples -- Further reading +--- + +## Choosing Your Playbook + +### Match to Your Assets + +| If you have... | Consider... | +|----------------|-------------| +| Proprietary data | Stats, Directories, Profiles | +| Product with integrations | Integrations | +| Design/creative product | Templates, Examples | +| Multi-segment audience | Personas | +| Local presence | Locations | +| Tool or utility product | Conversions | +| Content/expertise | Glossary, Curation | +| International potential | Translations | +| Competitor landscape | Comparisons | + +### Combine Playbooks + +You can layer multiple playbooks: +- **Locations + Personas**: "Marketing agencies for startups in Austin" +- **Curation + Locations**: "Best coworking spaces in San Diego" +- **Integrations + Personas**: "Slack for sales teams" +- **Glossary + Translations**: Multi-language educational content ---