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marketingskills/skills/programmatic-seo/references/playbooks.md
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Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-01-26 16:39:45 -08:00

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The 12 Programmatic SEO Playbooks

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:

  • Actually usable templates (not just previews)
  • Multiple variations per type
  • Quality comparable to paid options
  • Easy download/use flow

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 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
  • Use cases for the combination
  • Working integration (not vaporware)

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:

  • Clear, accurate definitions
  • Examples and context
  • Related terms linked
  • More depth than a dictionary

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:

  • Quality translation (not just Google Translate)
  • Cultural localization
  • hreflang tags properly implemented
  • Native speaker review

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:

  • Comprehensive coverage
  • Useful filtering/sorting
  • Details per listing (not just names)
  • Regular updates

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:

  • Accurate, sourced information
  • Regularly updated
  • Unique insights or aggregation
  • Not just Wikipedia rehash

URL structure: /people/[name]/ or /companies/[name]/


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