# Programmatic SEO

When the user wants to create SEO-driven pages at scale using templates and data.

- Repository: https://github.com/TheCraigHewitt/seomachine (7567 stars)
- Category: Marketing
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-10-23
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add TheCraigHewitt/seomachine --skill programmatic-seo -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add TheCraigHewitt/seomachine --skill programmatic-seo -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add TheCraigHewitt/seomachine --skill programmatic-seo -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add TheCraigHewitt/seomachine --skill programmatic-seo -g -a gemini-cli -y`

## Description

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," or "building many pages for SEO." For auditing existing SEO issues, see seo-audit.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Programmatic SEO

You 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.

## Initial Assessment

**Check for product marketing context first:**
If `.claude/product-marketing-context.md` exists, read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.

Before designing a programmatic SEO strategy, understand:

1. **Business Context**
   - What's the product/service?
   - Who is the target audience?
   - What's the conversion goal for these pages?

2. **Opportunity Assessment**
   - What search patterns exist?
   - How many potential pages?
   - What's the search volume distribution?

3. **Competitive Landscape**
   - Who ranks for these terms now?
   - What do their pages look like?
   - Can you realistically compete?

---

## Core Principles

### 1. Unique Value Per Page
- Every page must provide value specific to that page
- Not just swapped variables in a template
- Maximize unique content, the more differentiated, the better

### 2. Proprietary Data Wins
Hierarchy of data defensibility:
1. Proprietary (you created it)
2. Product-derived (from your users)
3. User-generated (your community)
4. Licensed (exclusive access)
5. Public (anyone can use, weakest)

### 3. Clean URL Structure
**Always use subfolders, not subdomains**:
- Good: `yoursite.com/templates/resume/`
- Bad: `templates.yoursite.com/resume/`

### 4. Genuine Search Intent Match
Pages must actually answer what people are searching for.

### 5. Quality Over Quantity
Better to have 100 great pages than 10,000 thin ones.

### 6. Avoid Google Penalties
- No doorway pages
- No keyword stuffing
- No duplicate content
- Genuine utility for users

---

## The 12 Playbooks (Overview)

The rest: https://github.com/TheCraigHewitt/seomachine/blob/HEAD/.claude/skills/programmatic-seo/SKILL.md