8 learnings about Programmatic SEO
I've recently interviewed a founder of a B2B Marketing agency specialized in SaaS, and here are the main learnings: 1. Programmatic SEO vs Traditional SEO: - Programmatic SEO targets a larger number of long-tail keywords with lower individual volumes, using automation and data scraping. - Traditional SEO focuses on high-volume short-tail keywords and requires more manual work. - The best approach is often a combination of both strategies. 2. Tools and Techniques: - Common tools include Ahrefs, SEMrush, Screaming Frog for data analysis, and Zapier, Google Sheets for automation. - AI and machine learning are increasingly being used for data processing, gathering, and decision-making in programmatic SEO. 3. Content Quality and Strategy: - Quality remains crucial in programmatic SEO. Merely duplicating content with minor changes is ineffective. - Personalizing content to make it relevant for both users and search engines is key. - The challenge is finding the right balance between quality and quantity. 4. Suitability for Different Business Models: - Programmatic SEO works well for both B2B and B2C, but is particularly suited for product-led growth models. - It's ideal for companies with products that have many variables, templates, integrations, or serve multiple industries. - Less suitable for companies with straightforward products (e.g., some fintech companies). 5. Short-term vs Long-term Strategies: - For short-term profitability, focus on pages bringing converted customers. - For long-term growth (e.g., VC-funded startups), prioritize pages bringing the most engaged users. 6. Importance of Understanding User Intent: - Crucial to analyze and understand the true intent of customers for effective SEO strategy. 7. Recent Trends: - Post-2022, there's been a shift towards prioritizing profitability over pure usage metrics, even among VC-funded companies.