How to Build a Programmatic SEO Site: Step-by-Step Tutorial

What You'll Learn

By the end of this tutorial, you'll know exactly how to:

• Find profitable keyword opportunities for programmatic SEO
• Source and structure data for your pages
• Build SEO-optimized page templates
• Automate page generation and publishing
• Monitor and optimize performance

Step 1: Keyword Research and Topic Selection

The foundation of programmatic SEO is finding scalable keyword patterns. You need:

• Head term: Broad keyword related to your niche (e.g., "marketing tools")
• Modifiers: Variables that create unique variations (e.g., "for startups," "for SaaS," "for agencies")

Finding Your Head Term

Use tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Ubersuggest to find your main topic:

1. Enter your industry/product in the keyword research tool
2. Look for keywords with 1,000+ monthly searches
3. Check if the SERP shows similar result types (indicating pattern potential)

Identifying Modifiers

Common modifier patterns that work:

• Location: "[service] in [city]" (e.g., "plumber in Austin")
• Category: "[product] for [industry]" (e.g., "CRM for real estate")
• Comparison: "[tool A] vs [tool B]"
• Use case: "[tool] for [specific task]"
• Feature: "[product] with [feature]"

Step 2: Review Search Intent

Before building anything, understand what users expect when they search your target keywords:

1. Search for 5-10 of your target keywords in Google
2. Analyze the top 10 results for each
3. Note common patterns:
   • Page structure (lists, comparisons, guides)
   • Content depth (word count, sections)
   • Media types (images, videos, maps)
   • CTAs and conversion elements

Your template must match the dominant intent to rank well.

Step 3: Gather and Structure Your Data

You need a reliable data source to populate your pages. Options include:

Data Source Options

Structuring Your Data in Airtable

Recommended Airtable structure:

Base: "Travel Site"
Table: "City Pages"

Fields:
- City Name (Single line text)
- State/Country (Single line text)
- Population (Number)
- Best Time to Visit (Single line text)
- Top Attractions (Long text)
- Average Temperature (Number)
- Page Title (Formula)
- Meta Description (Formula)
- URL Slug (Formula)
- Content Block 1 (Long text)
- Content Block 2 (Long text)

Step 4: Build Your Page Template

The template is the most important part. It determines how all generated pages will look and perform.

Template Requirements

• SEO Elements:
  • Unique H1 with head term + modifier
  • Meta title and description (use formulas)
  • Clean URL structure (/city/new-york)
  • Schema markup (JSON-LD)
• Content Blocks:
  • Introduction paragraph with keyword
  • Main content sections (3-5 sections)
  • Dynamic data points (stats, prices, features)
  • Comparison table or list (if applicable)
  • FAQ section (optional but valuable)
• User Experience:
  • Clear visual hierarchy
  • Mobile-responsive design
  • Fast load time (<2.5s LCP)
  • Strong CTAs (relevant to page content)

Step 5: Choose Your Tech Stack

There are two main approaches: no-code and developer-friendly.

Approach A: No-Code Stack (Recommended for Beginners)

Step-by-Step: Webflow + Airtable + Whalesync

1. Set up Airtable:
   • Create a new base
   • Add fields for all your data points
   • Use formulas for meta titles, descriptions, and URLs
   • Populate with your data (or import CSV)
2. Build template in Webflow:
   • Create a new CMS collection
   • Add fields matching your Airtable structure
   • Design your collection template page
   • Set up SEO settings and dynamic fields
3. Connect with Whalesync:
   • Sign up for Whalesync ($99/mo, 14-day free trial)
   • Connect both Airtable and Webflow accounts
   • Map fields from Airtable to Webflow CMS
   • Enable two-way sync (optional)
   • Turn on auto-publish

Approach B: Developer Stack

Step 6: Generate and Publish Pages

Once your template and data are ready, it's time to generate pages.

Pre-Launch Checklist

• ✅ Test template with 5-10 sample pages
• ✅ Verify all dynamic fields populate correctly
• ✅ Check meta titles and descriptions (no duplicates)
• ✅ Test on mobile devices
• ✅ Verify page speed (<2.5s LCP)
• ✅ Check internal linking structure
• ✅ Set up Google Search Console
• ✅ Submit XML sitemap

Publishing Strategy

Don't publish all pages at once. Use a gradual rollout:

1. Week 1: Publish 100-500 pages (pilot batch)
2. Week 2: Monitor indexing rate in Google Search Console
3. Week 3: If indexing >50%, publish another 1,000 pages
4. Week 4+: Continue scaling by 1,000-5,000 pages/week

Step 7: Monitor and Optimize

Track performance and continuously improve:

Key Metrics to Monitor

Optimization Tips

• Prune underperformers: Remove bottom 10% of pages monthly
• Expand winners: Create more variations of top-performing templates
• Improve CTR: A/B test meta descriptions on high-impression pages
• Add internal links: Link to new pages from existing content
• Update regularly: Refresh data quarterly to maintain freshness

Real Example: Building a Local Service Site

Let's walk through a complete example.

Use Case: Plumbing Services

Goal: Generate 1,000+ pages targeting "[service] in [city]"

1. Keyword Research:
   • Head term: "plumber"
   • Modifiers: 500 cities, 5 services
   • Pattern: "[service] in [city]" (e.g., "emergency plumber in Austin")
   • Total pages: 500 × 5 = 2,500 pages
2. Data Collection:
   • City names, population, zip codes
   • Service types (emergency, residential, commercial, etc.)
   • Average pricing data
   • Local regulations/licensing info
3. Template Design:
   • H1: "[Service] in [City] - 24/7 Licensed Plumbers"
   • Section 1: Service overview
   • Section 2: Local information
   • Section 3: Pricing guide
   • Section 4: FAQ
   • CTA: "Call Now" with local phone number
4. Implementation:
   • Airtable with city + service data
   • Webflow CMS template
   • Whalesync for automation
5. Launch:
   • Week 1: 100 pages (top 100 cities)
   • Week 2-4: Monitor and optimize
   • Month 2: Scale to 2,500 pages

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• ❌ Thin content: Pages with <300 words won't rank
• ❌ Duplicate content: Ensure 30%+ differentiation between pages
• ❌ Poor template: Ugly pages won't convert even if they rank
• ❌ Ignoring search intent: Match what users expect to see
• ❌ No internal links: Orphaned pages won't get crawled
• ❌ Pushing too fast: Gradual rollout prevents penalties

Conclusion

Building a programmatic SEO site involves:

1. Finding scalable keyword patterns
2. Understanding search intent
3. Gathering quality data
4. Building a great template
5. Choosing the right tech stack
6. Gradually publishing pages
7. Monitoring and optimizing continuously

The no-code approach (Airtable + Webflow + Whalesync) is perfect for beginners and can get you started for ~$130/month. The developer approach offers more flexibility but requires technical skills.

Start small with 100-500 pages, validate your approach, then scale to thousands. Quality always beats quantity in programmatic SEO.

Need Help Implementing These Strategies?

I'm Claudio Tota, ex-Google consultant specializing in programmatic SEO. I've helped dozens of companies scale from 0 to millions of monthly visitors using these exact strategies.

Book a FREE 30-minute consultation and I'll personally review your project, recommend the best approach, and create a custom roadmap for your success.

Schedule Free Consultation →

Claudio Tota

Ex-Google Consultant | Programmatic SEO Specialist

Published January 2025