The Complete Programmatic SEO Checklist For 2024

Just getting started with programmatic SEO? Here’s a handy checklist to work through for each new project to do…

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Programmatic SEO is a multifaceted process. It takes time and lots of planning. 

You need data, you need to organize that data, you need templates, and before all of that, you need an idea that is backed up with a rock-solid keyword strategy. 

And if all that feels like a bit too much, or you’re worried about missing vital steps in the process, here’s a programmatic SEO cheat sheet that takes you through the EXACT process we use for every single project we do.

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How To Use This Template

🎯 Preparation

📊 Define clear goals and objectives

• What to do: Decide what you want to achieve with your website.
• How to do it: Write down specific aims like increasing website traffic, boosting sales, or improving brand awareness.

You need to start with a plan, an idea of what you want to achieve, how it’ll look, and how it can scale. 

The worst mistake you can make is starting without a concrete plan, it will scupper everything. 

Use a pen and paper, or a note app on your phone / computer, and plan out everything. Keep it simple. Focus on your goals, the focus of the campaign, and what you want the user to end up doing. 

📈 Identify Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• What to do: Choose measurable metrics to track your progress.
• How to do it: Select KPIs such as website visits, conversion rates, or search engine rankings.

You should have some kind of analytics software setup, ready to measure and log everything. 

Most people use Google Analytics. GA4 is awful, tricky to use, and makes life deliberately harder for creators. But it is free and setup is simple. 

If you want an alternative – one that runs inside WordPress – use Monster Insights. It’s paid, but it is a lot simpler to use than GA4, and it runs natively inside WordPress. 

For a macro overview, get yourself up to speed with Google Search Console; it will provide you with reams of actionable data – keywords you’re ranking for but not optimised for, errors, sitemap issues, and more. 

🎯 Set realistic targets

• What to do: Establish achievable goals based on your resources.
• How to do it: Set deadlines and milestones that are attainable, like “gain 1,000 new subscribers / sales / leads in three months.”

If your project doesn’t have a definable goal, it is not a project – it’s a waste of time. 

Everything you do in programmatic SEO should have a definite purpose, a goal, a desired outcome in mind. 

It can be more traffic, more leads, more sales – whatever. But make sure you KNOW what you want before you start. 

👥 Determine target audience

• What to do: Identify who you want to reach with your website.
• How to do it: Create a profile of your ideal visitor, including age, interests, and needs.

This is a simple yet often overlooked hack that can make a serious contribution to the success of your campaign, and you can use AI to do it for you. 

Before you start, you’ll want to build out an ideal customer avatar. Use either ChatGPT or Claude to do this. 

Here’s the prompt I use to create customer avatars: 

I want you to create a customer avatar for me. My site sells [X] and we want to generate more leads and sales by targeting this type of person. The age of [X] and [insert age range] and they are predominantly based in [insert region of country]. Please list out all the things this type of person looks for and wants when searching for [topic related to your business] and the most common pain points they have. 

You can edit and tweak this as much or as little as you like. But it always works, creating a decent “ideal customer” profile that you can target your entire campaign towards. 

🔍 Keyword Research

• Brainstorm seed keywords
• What to do: Think of basic words related to your content or product.
• How to do it: List terms your audience might use to find you, like “healthy recipes” or “affordable laptops.”

The key here is to find loads of variations of similar keywords that have hundreds or thousands of potential modifiers. 

So, with the example above, you’d take “best recipes for” and then add a modifier: vegans, vegan bodybuilders, people that don’t eat diary, low carb diet, etc. 

You’ll need to tailor the keywords to your business or service. But the idea is simple: you have a head term and a modifier, whereby the head term would be best recipes for and the modifier vegan, using the example above. 

From here, you can use keyword research tools to build out thousands of potential combinations. 

🛠️ Use keyword research tools (e.g., SEMrush, Ahrefs)

• What to do: Expand your keyword list using specialized tools.
• How to do it: Enter your seed keywords into these tools to find related keywords and their statistics.

📊 Analyze search volume and competition

• What to do: Check how often keywords are searched and how hard it is to rank for them.
• How to do it: Look for keywords with high search volume but low competition to maximize visibility.

🗂️ Organize keywords into groups

• What to do: Categorize your keywords for better planning.
• How to do it: Group them by topics or themes, like “summer recipes” or “gaming laptops.”

🧠 Consider user intent behind keywords

• What to do: Understand why people search for certain terms.
• How to do it: Determine if they’re looking to buy, learn, or compare products.

📚 Data Collection and Organization

📥 Gather relevant data (product info, location details, statistics, etc.)

• What to do: Collect all the information you’ll need for your content.
• How to do it: Compile data from reliable sources like company databases, official statistics, or reputable websites.

Compiling data from reliable sources is crucial for creating content that not only engages your audience but also builds trust and authority.

To start, clearly define the specific data you need.

Whether it’s product information, demographic statistics, or market trends, knowing exactly what you’re looking for will streamline your search.

Begin by tapping into company databases. Access internal resources such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems, sales records, or previous research reports.

Collaborate with colleagues across different departments—like sales, marketing, or customer service—to gather valuable insights and data they may have collected.

Ensure the information is up-to-date by cross-referencing with recent records or confirming details with data owners.

Next, explore official statistics to add credibility to your content. Visit government websites like the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, or your country’s equivalent agencies.

These platforms offer a wealth of free, authoritative data that is regularly updated.

International organizations such as the World Health Organization, World Bank, or United Nations also provide comprehensive data on global issues and trends.

Consult reputable websites for industry-specific information. Identify trusted sources like established news outlets, academic journals, and respected industry blogs.

Use advanced search techniques to find the most relevant data quickly.

For example, using search operators like “site:.gov” or “filetype” can help you locate authoritative sources and downloadable reports.

As you gather information, always validate the data to ensure its accuracy.

Cross-reference facts and figures from multiple sources to confirm consistency.

Check publication dates to make sure the data is current, and assess the credibility of the source by considering the author’s expertise and the organization’s reputation.

✅ Verify data quality and accuracy

• What to do: Make sure your information is correct.
• How to do it: Double-check facts and figures against trusted references.

📊 Organize data in spreadsheets or databases

• What to do: Keep your data tidy and accessible.
• How to do it: Use tools like Excel or Google Sheets to sort and categorize information.

⚖️ Ensure compliance with data usage policies and laws

• What to do: Follow legal guidelines when using data.
• How to do it: Familiarize yourself with regulations like GDPR and respect copyrights.

🎨 Template Creation

🖼️ Design page layouts

• What to do: Plan how your web pages will look.
• How to do it: Sketch layouts or use design software to arrange elements like text and images.

🔧 Optimize on-page elements:

• 📝 Title tags
  • What to do: Create unique titles for each page.
  • How to do it: Include main keywords and keep them under 60 characters.
• 📄 Meta descriptions
  • What to do: Write brief summaries for search results.
  • How to do it: Use compelling language and include keywords within 160 characters.
• 🏷️ Headings (H1, H2, H3)
  • What to do: Organize content with headings.
  • How to do it: Use H1 for main titles, H2 for subheadings, and so on.

🔄 Plan for dynamic content insertion

• What to do: Decide where variable data will go in your templates.
• How to do it: Use placeholders like {{ProductName}} to insert data later.

📱 Ensure mobile responsiveness

• What to do: Make sure your site works well on phones and tablets.
• How to do it: Use responsive design techniques and test on different devices.

🔧 Dynamic Content Generation

🔗 Integrate data with templates

• What to do: Combine your data with your page designs.
• How to do it: Use programming or CMS features to automatically fill templates with data.

This is where the rubber hits the road. How you implement your programmatic SEO campaign is an important component of how the entire project works. 

Some use next.js and code, while others will use WordPress and plugins like WP All Import. 

The choice you go with will depend on your level of experience and the type of site you’re running. 

The biggest and best programmatic sites – think IMDB, MetaCritic, Rotten Tomatoes – are all built with code, and the pSEO features are also handled by code. 

This is the point where experience and knowledge pays dividends. Most SMEs and startups do not have the in-house experience to deploy programmatic campaigns. 

If that sounds like you, get in touch and speak to use about getting a free quote for your first programmatic SEO project. 

🆕 Implement measures to ensure unique content

• What to do: Avoid duplicate pages.
• How to do it: Add unique information or vary wording for each page.

🖼️ Include multimedia elements (images, videos, infographics)

• What to do: Enhance pages with visuals.
• How to do it: Add relevant images or videos and optimize them with alt text.

🧠 Use conditional logic for handling missing data

• What to do: Plan for gaps in your data.
• How to do it: Use “if-then” statements to display default text when data is missing.

🛠️ Technical SEO Setup

Creating clean, readable URLs enhances both user experience and search engine rankings.

I make sure to include relevant keywords in the URL to clearly indicate the page’s content.

I eliminate unnecessary numbers, symbols, or random strings that don’t add value.

For example, I use “www.example.com/organic-coffee-beans” instead of “www.example.com/product?id=12345”.

Helping search engines understand my content is essential for improved visibility.

I add structured data to my web pages using schema markup as per Schema.org guidelines.

This involves inserting specific code snippets that describe the page’s content, like articles, products, or events.

By doing this, I enable rich snippets in search results, which can increase click-through rates and drive more traffic to my site.

🔗 Optimize URLs

• What to do: Create clean, readable web addresses.
• How to do it: Include keywords and avoid unnecessary numbers or symbols.

📊 Implement schema markup

• What to do: Help search engines understand your content.
• How to do it: Add structured data code following Schema.org guidelines.

🗺️ Generate XML sitemaps

• What to do: Create a map of your site for search engines.
• How to do it: Use online tools or plugins to generate and submit it to Google Search Console.

🤖 Set up robots.txt file

• What to do: Guide search engine crawlers.
• How to do it: Specify which pages or folders should not be indexed.

⚡ Optimize page load times

• What to do: Make your site load faster.
• How to do it: Compress images, minify code, and leverage browser caching.

🔒 Ensure HTTPS security

• What to do: Secure your website data.
• How to do it: Install an SSL certificate to enable HTTPS.

🔗 Internal Linking Strategy

With programmatic SEO, I automate the internal linking process to enhance site navigation and boost SEO performance across thousands of pages.

By using data-driven templates, I programmatically insert links to related pages within my content.

This ensures that every page is interconnected, making it easier for users and search engines to navigate the site.

I generate descriptive anchor text dynamically by pulling in relevant keywords from my data sets.

Instead of generic phrases like “click here,” each link uses specific terms that describe the linked page, such as “learn guitar basics” or “advanced yoga techniques.”

This not only improves the user experience but also reinforces keyword relevance, helping to improve search engine rankings on a large scale.

🔗 Link related pages

• What to do: Connect your content internally.
• How to do it: Add links within your text to other relevant pages on your site.

📝 Use descriptive anchor text

• What to do: Make your links meaningful.
• How to do it: Use keywords that describe the linked page, like “learn guitar basics.”

🧭 Create organized navigation menus

• What to do: Help visitors find content easily.
• How to do it: Design clear menus and submenus based on content categories.

⚖️ Avoid excessive linking

• What to do: Don’t overload pages with too many links.
• How to do it: Limit the number of links to keep pages user-friendly.

🚀 Testing and Launch

🔍 Check for errors (broken links, missing data, template issues)

• What to do: Review your site thoroughly.
• How to do it: Use website auditing tools to find and fix issues.

This part of the process is extremely important. If you’re publishing hundreds or even thousands of pages at once, you need to make sure they’re all working properly. 

Check Google Search Console (GSC) for errors, look for redirect issues, canonical issues, and make sure Google’s bots are indexing the pages. 

GSC is great for quickly finding issues with the pages on your site. It might look a little complex at first, but you’ll get the hang of it pretty quickly. 

And when you do find errors, you can leverage AI models like ChatGPT and Claude to learn how to fix them. 

The most common issues you’ll come across when doing programmatic SEO relate to indexing issues, crawl issues, and canonical tag issues, so keep your eyes peeled for these.

📱 Preview pages across devices

• What to do: Ensure compatibility.
• How to do it: Test your site on different browsers and devices.

✅ Validate HTML and CSS

• What to do: Ensure your code is correct.
• How to do it: Use online validators like W3C to check for coding errors.

⚡ Test site speed and responsiveness

• What to do: Check how fast your site loads.
• How to do it: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify slow elements.

🧪 Use a staging environment before full deployment

• What to do: Test your site privately.
• How to do it: Set up a separate testing site to catch issues before going live.

📊 Monitoring and Optimization

📈 Set up analytics (Google Analytics, Search Console)

• What to do: Track visitor behavior and site performance.
• How to do it: Install tracking codes and verify your site with these tools.

Both Google Analytics and Google Search Console are free tools that you can use to monitor your campaign and your site in general. 

You should also set up Bing Web Master Tools as well. Bing is growing, so it makes sense to target it as well – more traffic is always a good thing. 

You can also use tools like Microsoft’s Clarity to see how users are interacting with your pages. 

Clarity is a free tool that gives you detailed feedback on how people interact with your pages. It should you where they’re clicking, how far they scroll, and how they interact with the page. 

All of this data is presented either through video playbacks of user sessions and heat maps. 

📊 Monitor keyword rankings

• What to do: Keep an eye on your search positions.
• How to do it: Use SEO tools to track how your keywords are performing.

👥 Analyze user behavior metrics

• What to do: Understand how users interact with your site.
• How to do it: Look at data like page views, time on site, and bounce rate.

🔧 Make data-driven adjustments

• What to do: Improve based on insights.
• How to do it: Update content, adjust keywords, or redesign pages as needed.

🗓️ Schedule regular performance reviews

• What to do: Periodically assess your SEO strategy.
• How to do it: Set reminders to review analytics and make necessary changes.

✨ Best Practices

🏆 Prioritize quality over quantity

• What to do: Focus on valuable content.
• How to do it: Ensure every page offers something useful to the visitor.

Bad programmatic SEO looks like spam. Google hates spam and is actively penalising sites that do it – unless you’re Forbes, of course. 

This means ALL of your programmatic pages need to be of the highest quality. 

This is the hardest part of programmatic SEO: making hundreds or thousands of pages useful. 

Most people fail at this and the campaign ends up doing more harm than good. 

This is why it is of the upmost importance to use professionals when doing programmatic SEO on already established businesses. 

You do not want to tank a site that is already making money. And, trust me, this can and does happen. 

In 2024, all bets are off when it comes to Google and volatility in the SERPs. 

👤 Focus on user experience

• What to do: Make your site easy and enjoyable to use.
• How to do it: Optimize for readability, navigation, and engagement.

🔗 Use canonical tags to avoid duplicate content

• What to do: Tell search engines which version of a page is primary.
• How to do it: Add <link rel="canonical" href="URL"> in your HTML.

📚 Stay updated with SEO trends and algorithm changes

• What to do: Keep learning about SEO.
• How to do it: Follow reputable blogs and official updates from search engines.

⚠️ Avoid Common Mistakes

📄 Prevent thin content

• What to do: Avoid pages with little information.
• How to do it: Provide detailed and comprehensive content.

Preventing thin content is crucial for building a strong, authoritative website.

Ensure every page is rich with detailed, comprehensive information that truly benefits the reader.

By offering in-depth content, you not only enhance user engagement but also signal to search engines that your site is a valuable resource.

This approach helps improve rankings and establishes trust with your audience.

Avoid keyword stuffing by crafting content that flows naturally and incorporates keywords strategically.

Instead of forcing keywords into every sentence, use them where they fit best, enhancing the readability and relevance of the content.

This balanced technique ensures that your copy remains engaging for users while still optimizing for search engines.

🚫 Avoid keyword stuffing

• What to do: Don’t overuse keywords unnaturally.
• How to do it: Write content that flows naturally and includes keywords sparingly.

📱 Ensure mobile-friendliness

• What to do: Optimize for smartphones and tablets.
• How to do it: Use mobile-responsive designs and test functionality on mobile devices.

🏷️ Complete all metadata

• What to do: Fill in all SEO-related tags.
• How to do it: Ensure title tags, meta descriptions, and image alt texts are all properly set.

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Programmatic SEO isn’t something just anyone can jump into; it requires time, finesse, and extensive expertise.

Mastering it demands a strong grasp of data analysis, coding skills, and the ability to interpret thousands of data points.

If that feels overwhelming, we’re here to assist. We’ve successfully designed and executed numerous programmatic SEO campaigns across a wide range of industries.

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