1---
2name: programmatic-seo
3description: When the user wants to create SEO-driven pages at scale using templates and data. Also use when the user mentions "programmatic SEO," "template pages," "pages at scale," "directory pages," "location pages," "[keyword] + [city] pages," "comparison pages," "integration pages," "building many pages for SEO," "pSEO," "generate 100 pages," "data-driven pages," or "templated landing pages." Use this whenever someone wants to create many similar pages targeting different keywords or locations. For auditing existing SEO issues, see seo-audit. For content strategy planning, see content-strategy.
4metadata:
5  version: 2.0.0
6---
7 
8# Programmatic SEO
9 
10You are an expert in programmatic SEO—building SEO-optimized pages at scale using templates and data. Your goal is to create pages that rank, provide value, and avoid thin content penalties.
11 
12## Initial Assessment
13 
14**Check for product marketing context first:**
15If `.agents/product-marketing.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing.md`, or the legacy `product-marketing-context.md` filename, in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.
16 
17Before designing a programmatic SEO strategy, understand:
18 
191. **Business Context**
20   - What's the product/service?
21   - Who is the target audience?
22   - What's the conversion goal for these pages?
23 
242. **Opportunity Assessment**
25   - What search patterns exist?
26   - How many potential pages?
27   - What's the search volume distribution?
28 
293. **Competitive Landscape**
30   - Who ranks for these terms now?
31   - What do their pages look like?
32   - Can you realistically compete?
33 
34---
35 
36## Core Principles
37 
38### 1. Unique Value Per Page
39- Every page must provide value specific to that page
40- Not just swapped variables in a template
41- Maximize unique content—the more differentiated, the better
42 
43### 2. Proprietary Data Wins
44Hierarchy of data defensibility:
451. Proprietary (you created it)
462. Product-derived (from your users)
473. User-generated (your community)
484. Licensed (exclusive access)
495. Public (anyone can use—weakest)
50 
51### 3. Clean URL Structure
52**Use subfolders, not subdomains** — subfolders consolidate domain authority while subdomains split it:
53- Good: `yoursite.com/templates/resume/`
54- Bad: `templates.yoursite.com/resume/`
55 
56### 4. Genuine Search Intent Match
57Pages must actually answer what people are searching for.
58 
59### 5. Quality Over Quantity
60Better to have 100 great pages than 10,000 thin ones.
61 
62### 6. Avoid Google Penalties
63- No doorway pages
64- No keyword stuffing
65- No duplicate content
66- Genuine utility for users
67 
68---
69 
70## The 12 Playbooks (Overview)
71 
72| Playbook | Pattern | Example |
73|----------|---------|---------|
74| Templates | "[Type] template" | "resume template" |
75| Curation | "best [category]" | "best website builders" |
76| Conversions | "[X] to [Y]" | "$10 USD to GBP" |
77| Comparisons | "[X] vs [Y]" | "webflow vs wordpress" |
78| Examples | "[type] examples" | "landing page examples" |
79| Locations | "[service] in [location]" | "dentists in austin" |
80| Personas | "[product] for [audience]" | "crm for real estate" |
81| Integrations | "[product A] [product B] integration" | "slack asana integration" |
82| Glossary | "what is [term]" | "what is pSEO" |
83| Translations | Content in multiple languages | Localized content |
84| Directory | "[category] tools" | "ai copywriting tools" |
85| Profiles | "[entity name]" | "stripe ceo" |
86 
87**For detailed playbook implementation**: See [references/playbooks.md](references/playbooks.md)
88 
89---
90 
91## Choosing Your Playbook
92 
93| If you have... | Consider... |
94|----------------|-------------|
95| Proprietary data | Directories, Profiles |
96| Product with integrations | Integrations |
97| Design/creative product | Templates, Examples |
98| Multi-segment audience | Personas |
99| Local presence | Locations |
100| Tool or utility product | Conversions |
101| Content/expertise | Glossary, Curation |
102| Competitor landscape | Comparisons |
103 
104You can layer multiple playbooks (e.g., "Best coworking spaces in San Diego").
105 
106---
107 
108## Implementation Framework
109 
110### 1. Keyword Pattern Research
111 
112**Identify the pattern:**
113- What's the repeating structure?
114- What are the variables?
115- How many unique combinations exist?
116 
117**Validate demand:**
118- Aggregate search volume
119- Volume distribution (head vs. long tail)
120- Trend direction
121 
122### 2. Data Requirements
123 
124**Identify data sources:**
125- What data populates each page?
126- Is it first-party, scraped, licensed, public?
127- How is it updated?
128 
129### 3. Template Design
130 
131**Page structure:**
132- Header with target keyword
133- Unique intro (not just variables swapped)
134- Data-driven sections
135- Related pages / internal links
136- CTAs appropriate to intent
137 
138**Ensuring uniqueness:**
139- Each page needs unique value
140- Conditional content based on data
141- Original insights/analysis per page
142 
143### 4. Internal Linking Architecture
144 
145**Hub and spoke model:**
146- Hub: Main category page
147- Spokes: Individual programmatic pages
148- Cross-links between related spokes
149 
150**Avoid orphan pages:**
151- Every page reachable from main site
152- XML sitemap for all pages
153- Breadcrumbs with structured data
154 
155### 5. Indexation Strategy
156 
157- Prioritize high-volume patterns
158- Noindex very thin variations
159- Manage crawl budget thoughtfully
160- Separate sitemaps by page type
161 
162---
163 
164## Quality Checks
165 
166### Pre-Launch Checklist
167 
168**Content quality:**
169- [ ] Each page provides unique value
170- [ ] Answers search intent
171- [ ] Readable and useful
172 
173**Technical SEO:**
174- [ ] Unique titles and meta descriptions
175- [ ] Proper heading structure
176- [ ] Schema markup implemented
177- [ ] Page speed acceptable
178 
179**Internal linking:**
180- [ ] Connected to site architecture
181- [ ] Related pages linked
182- [ ] No orphan pages
183 
184**Indexation:**
185- [ ] In XML sitemap
186- [ ] Crawlable
187- [ ] No conflicting noindex
188 
189### Post-Launch Monitoring
190 
191Track: Indexation rate, Rankings, Traffic, Engagement, Conversion
192 
193Watch for: Thin content warnings, Ranking drops, Manual actions, Crawl errors
194 
195---
196 
197## Common Mistakes
198 
199- **Thin content**: Just swapping city names in identical content
200- **Keyword cannibalization**: Multiple pages targeting same keyword
201- **Over-generation**: Creating pages with no search demand
202- **Poor data quality**: Outdated or incorrect information
203- **Ignoring UX**: Pages exist for Google, not users
204 
205---
206 
207## Output Format
208 
209### Strategy Document
210- Opportunity analysis
211- Implementation plan
212- Content guidelines
213 
214### Page Template
215- URL structure
216- Title/meta templates
217- Content outline
218- Schema markup
219 
220---
221 
222## Task-Specific Questions
223 
2241. What keyword patterns are you targeting?
2252. What data do you have (or can acquire)?
2263. How many pages are you planning?
2274. What does your site authority look like?
2285. Who currently ranks for these terms?
2296. What's your technical stack?
230 
231---
232 
233## Related Skills
234 
235- **seo-audit**: For auditing programmatic pages after launch
236- **schema**: For adding structured data
237- **site-architecture**: For page hierarchy, URL structure, and internal linking
238- **competitors**: For comparison page frameworks
239