Winning Programmatic SEO Strategies in 2024 That Our Ecommerce Clients Love

Learn how programmatic SEO can revolutionize your ecommerce strategy! Find out how our innovative programmatic techniques (CMAX) have significantly boosted our clients’ online performance.

If you’re a business owner looking to improve your ecommerce website, then chances are you’ve asked the question:

What is programmatic SEO?

Programmatic SEO involves the use of automation to create keyword-targeted pages at scale, allowing you to cover a far broader range of topics than traditional SEO can feasibly manage. 

Taking advantage of automation allows businesses to quickly generate vast amounts of content, making it a faster and more efficient process.

Most website owners are probably already familiar with traditional SEO methods—the manual optimization techniques that help improve rankings. And, while traditional methods can form the backbone of an effective SEO strategy, the manual effort required will be unsustainable for large websites such as ecommerce businesses with hundreds of thousands of pages to handle. This is where programmatic SEO becomes the gamechanger for ecommerce SEO – to scale the site and deliver results in a cost- and time-efficient manner

What is programmatic SEO going to do for ecommerce? 

• Handle large catalogs with ease: Programmatic SEO can efficiently generate and optimize content at scale, ensuring each page gets the attention it deserves.
• Target long-tail keywords: Programmatic SEO targets a wide range of long-tail keywords—those specific phrases that traditional SEO might miss. This means your ecommerce website can reach niche markets more effectively and attract highly targeted traffic.
• Boost visibility and sales: The programmatic SEO approach brings in more targeted traffic, which usually translates to better conversion rates and more revenue.

So, if you’re looking to tackle the unique challenges of ecommerce with a powerful, scalable solution, programmatic SEO is the way to go.

4 types of programmatic SEO strategies for Ecommerce Sites

Here are 4 strategies we used to help ecommerce businesses with our programmatic SEO strategies.

Strategy #1: Long-tail keyword targeting to improve conversions

Because they were in such a competitive industry, standing out was no easy feat. 

Step 1: Targeting the right keywords

First, we kicked things off with some meticulous long-tail keyword research. Why long-tail? Because users searching for long-tail keywords are often further along in the buying process and are much more likely to convert compared to those searching for head terms.

Here’s a graph that really hammers home how important long-tail terms are for conversions:

Source: The Hoth

We were on the lookout for highly specific search queries like “Best fair trade Ethiopian coffee beans” or “Best grinders for French press coffee.” 

Step 2: Creating new landing pages and interlinking them

Our proprietary tech allowed us to rapidly create a large number of unique, quality landing pages tailored to each of those valuable long-tail keywords. Each page was packed with valuable information that potential customers would find helpful, from brewing guides and flavor profiles to equipment reviews and how-to guides. 

Not only that, but we also ensured these new landing pages were seamlessly integrated into the client’s existing website architecture. 

Afterward, we strategically interlinked these new pages with related content already on the site. This boosted SEO and guided users to additional valuable information, keeping them engaged and encouraging them to spend more time exploring the site.

The results

Thanks to our strategy, the client’s overall conversion rate from organic search traffic increased by 20.1% in 11 weeks. 

The bounce rates were also down by 18.7%, while the time on page increased by 25.5%. These numbers suggest that visitors found the new content valuable and stayed longer on the site.

Focus on those long-tail keywords, create valuable and engaging content, and watch your metrics soar. 

Strategy #2: Geotargeting to increase local visibility

Why is Geo Targeting important for SEO?

Even though ecommerce businesses primarily operate online, giving some love to location-based SEO can make a huge difference in your website’s visibility. It’s like adding a personal touch to your digital presence, making your business feel more accessible and relevant to local customers. 

What’s more, ignoring local SEO can be a huge missed opportunity for your business.

For one, 46% of all Google searches are seeking local information, so the search engine algorithms often tailor the results to prioritize businesses that excel at geotargeting. That’s a huge chunk of the market that you’re not tapping into.

Here are some more surprising numbers about local search from Google themselves:

Source: Think with Google 

Source: Think with Google

The numbers don’t lie. This isn’t just about visibility—it’s about attracting people who are very likely to become paying customers, especially if you have a brick-and-mortar store augmenting your ecommerce website. 

Now that you know why local SEO is important, let’s cover how we used programmatic methods to help out a prominent US-based online furniture retailer improve their local SEO.

This is despite their strong online presence and top-notch showrooms. They had invested heavily in their online infrastructure and inventory management systems, but they weren’t appearing when someone searched for terms like these:

Step 1: Identifying high-potential local search opportunities

Programmatic techniques and local SEO actually go hand in hand, like well-coordinated dance partners. Using advanced data analytics, we pinpointed high-potential local search opportunities by digging deep into market trends and competitor strategies. This gave us a solid foundation to build on, ensuring we targeted the right keywords and locations from the get-go.

Although we focused mostly on major areas like New York, Los Angeles, and Houston, we also made sure not to ignore locations with smaller markets like Denver and Seattle.

As for keywords, we focused on search terms like the following:

Then, we go to work on the client’s website. We optimized everything, from product pages and category pages to local landing pages. 

The goal was to ensure that when people searched for specific geographic keywords, our client’s website would be right there, front and center. This involved a thorough optimization process, making sure every page was tailored to capture local search traffic effectively.

Step 2: Create dynamic location-based content

Programmatic SEO’s ability to automatically generate thousands of localized pages is a godsend for local SEO. 

Think of it like a large team of master chefs that tailors various dishes to local tastes and preferences. Similarly, with programmatic SEO, you can rapidly produce SEO-optimized content that includes hyper-specific local references, signaling to search engines that these pages are highly relevant to users in those locations, thereby boosting local search visibility​​.

This content included everything from local deals and promotions to tips and guides relevant to the client’s target audience in different locations.

The results

Increase in local traffic

Let’s get into the exciting part—the results. The client saw a remarkable boost in local traffic to their website within just two months.

• Organic Search Traffic: We observed a 35.1% increase in organic search traffic from targeted local markets. This surge meant more customers from specific locales were finding their way to the site.
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): Another fantastic outcome was the improvement in CTR for location-based search queries. We saw a 28.3% increase in CTR, which indicates that users found the search results more relevant to what they needed.

Overall impact on ecommerce sales

At the end of the day, it’s all about how these strategies translate into sales and revenue. 

We saw improvements in the following areas:

• Online sales: First off, we saw a significant jump in online sales from customers in the targeted local markets. By the end of the first year since kicking off the programmatic SEO campaign, online sales in these areas had steadily grown by a remarkable 35.5%. 
• Conversion rates: As expected, conversion rates for local search-driven traffic increased, improving by 27.3%.
• Cost per acquisition (CPA): By shifting their marketing budget to zero in on high-value customers and using personalized strategies, they managed to slash their CPA by 22.5%. This was all about getting more bang for their buck by targeting local customers who were really ready to buy.
• Return on investment (ROI): Thanks to our strategies, the client’s ROI shot up by 18.7%. The local campaigns just got a lot more efficient, pulling in better engagement and more conversions from the local crowd.

Strategy #3: Programmatic strategy for product pages

This competitor wasn’t just playing around; they used automated content generation and optimization techniques to target thousands of long-tail keywords. This strategy allowed them to dominate the search results for a wide array of product-related queries, essentially making them the go-to source for consumers searching for electronics online.

If you manage to be the first business people see when they look up common queries like these, you know you’re getting a lot of eyes on your products.

The result? The competitor started capturing a significant portion of the market, leaving the electronics retailer in the dust. 

Step 1: Rapid creation of SEO-friendly product and category pages

We were playing catch-up with the client’s competitor here, so time was of the essence. Because of this, we advised them to create a large number of new product pages to capture as much traffic as possible, as quickly as possible. 

After that, we made use of our programmatic SEO platform to generate fully optimized content for these product pages that leveraged swarm intelligence technology to dynamically update and boost underperforming pages according to changing trends and algorithms.

Category pages matter

Next, we turned our attention to the category pages. These are important because they help organize your list of products and help shoppers find what they’re looking for faster. 

Take a look at this example from Amazon:

Source: Semrush

Everything is neatly sorted, making browsing a breeze for shoppers.

Not only that, but they also provide useful information and answer user queries. Couple this with good navigation tools like a filter system or a search bar, and you’re well on your way to getting better rankings and more revenue.

So, to improve things for our client, we optimized these pages to target broader search terms related to electronics. This strategy helped capture a wider audience looking for general product categories rather than specific items. We designed these pages to enhance the user experience by logically organizing products and incorporating rich content like buyer guides and FAQs. 

Naturally, this made the site more user-friendly and boosted its SEO performance.

Buyers could easily find what they were looking for, understand the products better through detailed guides, and get their questions answered quickly. This approach not only helped in attracting and retaining visitors but also encouraged them to make purchases.

The results

Boost in sales

Within just three months, the overall conversion rate shot up by 30.2%. Our SEO-optimized content was clearly resonating with users, making it easier for them to find exactly what they were looking for and encouraging them to complete their purchases.

Of course, the client saw big improvements in online sales as well—a whopping 38.4% increase. 

Enhanced user engagement

Better visibility and higher-quality content also led to improved user engagement. After implementing our strategy, the average bounce rate decreased from 45% to 32%. 

Additionally, the average time on site increased by 15%, with users now spending an average of 3.5 minutes per visit compared to the previous 3 minutes.

Surpassing the competition

Now comes the happy ending to this case study. 

Within a matter of months, our client was able to catch up with and even surpass their competitor in terms of search visibility and online sales. And after some more time, they were able to take the lead in the competitive electronics market. 

Strategy #4: Post-deployment optimization to stay competitive

The problem is that SEO is an ongoing process, and you’ll want to continuously monitor and tweak your strategy if you want to keep reaping the benefits.

Imagine you’ve just planted a garden. You wouldn’t just leave it alone, right? You need to water it, pull out the weeds, and maybe throw in some fertilizer to help the plants grow. Post-deployment optimization works the same way for your SEO campaign. 

Because the client was cruising by, they were a step behind in reacting to seasonal fluctuations and varying customer preferences.

Step 1: Creating new pages based on new opportunities 

Before launching immediately into programmatic SEO and content generation, we had to research seasonal trends the client could capitalize on.

For example, during the peak camping season, we noticed a significant spike in searches for specific types of tents and outdoor cooking equipment. Making use of this data, we optimized the client’s product pages to highlight these popular items, ensuring they appeared prominently in search results.

The results

Our proactive approach was key to improving both visibility AND sales. The client saw a 20.6% increase in sales during the camping season as a result of these efforts. It was all about staying on top of the data and adapting quickly to what customers were looking for.

This is how you stay afloat and thrive in an ever-changing, highly competitive market.

How our system adapted product pages to algorithmic changes with dynamic updates

Google’s algorithm changes are an SEO expert’s worst nightmare. 

Don’t believe me? Take a look at how badly this website’s visibility tanked after a core update.

https://x.com/lilyraynyc/status/1460268223262298121?t=K-irZnOrTxOYNcytLwLL1A&s=19 

It’s easy to get disheartened after seeing huge drop-offs like this, especially when the cause is something that is seemingly out of your control.  

But what if I told you that there is something you can do to bounce back? 

Ongoing improvements using swarm intelligence

Swarm intelligence is a standout feature of our programmatic SEO platform inspired by the collective behavior of social organisms, and we used it to great effect for this campaign. Our proprietary system works by feeding data and insights from one page into the overall strategy. 

Think of it like a hive of bees: each bee gathers nectar from different flowers and brings it back to the hive, where it’s shared and used to produce honey. Similarly, our system continuously analyzes the successful pages and applies those winning techniques to the ones that need a little boost, ensuring the whole site thrives as one cohesive unit.

When we noticed that one of our client’s product pages for hiking boots was performing exceptionally well, we dug into why that was happening. We discovered that it was due to a combination of targeted keyword optimization, high-resolution images showcasing the boots in action, and engaging product descriptions. 

Our platform then replicated and adapted these strategies for other product pages, like those for camping tents and climbing gear, to boost their performance as well.

The best part is that this self-optimizing process is ongoing. It’s not a one-and-done deal. 

Key differences between traditional SEO and programmatic SEO

You might be thinking: “Why should I bother with programmatic SEO over traditional SEO? Don’t traditional methods work just fine?”

The thing is, it’s not an either/or situation. It’s all about using the right tools for the job. You wouldn’t use a screwdriver to drive nails into wood, would you? You technically could, but it would be extremely inefficient, difficult, and an all-around waste of your time. 

In the same vein, trying to use traditional SEO methods to create thousands upon thousands of pages to target long-tail keywords would be a complete nightmare. Both approaches have their strengths, and ideally, you should be using both to enhance different aspects of your overall marketing strategy.  

How does programmatic SEO work vs. traditional SEO? Let’s break down the strengths of both methods in greater detail:

• Manual vs. automated: Traditional SEO involves manual optimization techniques to improve your website’s visibility. Think of it as crafting each piece of content with care and precision. On the flip side, programmatic SEO uses automation, making it so you have a supercharged content machine that can pump out optimized pages at lightning speed.
• Content creation speed: With traditional SEO, creating high-quality, unique content takes time. It’s a longer-term strategy focused on building valuable, original material that engages users. Programmatic SEO, however, speeds things up by using automation to create multiple landing pages with an identical layout. 
• Targeting: Traditional SEO shines when it comes to targeting more competitive, high-volume head terms, building authority and trust over time. Meanwhile, programmatic SEO excels at precision targeting, focusing on less competitive, highly specific queries. It’s perfect for capturing niche markets and covering a broad array of search terms efficiently.

In a nutshell, traditional SEO is your go-to for high-quality, unique content and long-term growth, while programmatic SEO is your secret weapon for rapid content scaling and precise keyword targeting.

Actionable advice for implementing programmatic SEO

If you’ve been sold on the benefits of programmatic SEO, here are some expert tips to help you on your way.

Track essential metrics

Tracking these metrics will make all the difference in measuring your success and fine-tuning your approach. 

• Organic traffic and rankings: Keep a close watch on how much organic traffic your site is pulling in and how your pages are ranking for the targeted keywords. With programmatic SEO, you’ll be targeting a massive number of long-tail keywords, so seeing which ones are driving the most traffic is crucial. 
• CTR: This metric tells you how compelling your titles and meta descriptions are. If people aren’t clicking through to your site from the search results, it’s time to revisit and spice up those titles and meta descriptions. Since programmatic SEO can generate hundreds or thousands of pages, consistently high CTRs indicate that your content automation is on point.
• Bounce rates and time on site: High bounce rates and low time on site can signal that your content isn’t hitting the mark. With programmatic SEO, it’s vital to ensure that even automatically generated content is relevant and engaging. Keep a close eye on these metrics to understand user behavior and adjust your templates accordingly.
• Conversion rates and revenue from organic search: Any business owner knows that the bottom line is everything. So, make sure to track how many visitors from organic search are converting into customers and how much revenue they’re bringing in. This ties your programmatic SEO efforts directly to business outcomes, helping you see the real impact of your strategy. 

Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console are invaluable here, as they give you a clear picture of how these performance indicators change over time.

Source: Semrush

Tailor content strategies to specific audiences

Making good, relevant content is probably the single most important thing you can do for SEO in general. 

Let’s break down how you can excel at this:

• Know your audience: This isn’t just about knowing their age or where they live. It’s about really figuring out their demographics, interests, and search intent. What are they looking for? What problems are they trying to solve? The more you know, the better you can tailor your content.
• Analyze and segment: It pays to analyze user data to identify different segments within your audience. By segmenting your audience, you can create highly personalized content that resonates with each group.
• Create relevant content: If you’re targeting young professionals, your content might focus on efficiency and convenience. If you’re targeting retirees, you might emphasize reliability and ease of use. The key is to match the tone, style, and substance of your content to what each audience segment cares about, so make sure that your chosen content automation platform can do this well.

All in all, tailored content is much more engaging because it feels personal. When users find content that speaks directly to their needs and interests, they’re more likely to stick around, explore more of your site, and eventually convert. 

Plus, when users feel that your content consistently meets their needs, they’re more likely to become loyal advocates for your brand and keep coming back for more!

Invest in the right technology

Implementing a successful programmatic SEO strategy isn’t just about having great ideas—it’s also about having the right tools to bring those ideas to life. 

The big problem is this: not all programmatic SEO platforms are created equal. 

Most automated solutions on the market, like content spinners, are riddled with various problems. For example, many of them end up producing repetitive, low-quality content that fails to match your brand voice or adhere to the regulatory guidelines of your industry.

What you need is a state-of-the-art system that works for you instead of against you.

We recognized the limitations inherent in many programmatic SEO solutions. That’s why we’ve developed CMAX™, an advanced platform that’s designed to overcome these common challenges and elevate your SEO strategy.

Here are some of its advantages over other tools:

• Fast generation of quality content: CMAX allows you to produce quality, SEO-friendly content at scale without breaking a sweat. It crafts templates with the expertise of human copywriters, ensuring that all generated content is consistent with your brand’s voice and compliance requirements.
• Real-time performance tracking: Real-time performance tracking in CMAX keeps you informed about how your content is performing, enabling you to make data-driven SEO decisions on the fly.
• Scalability: CMAX offers scalable solutions that grow with you, ensuring your site remains fast and reliable no matter how much traffic you attract. Our current ecommerce client base boasts over $1.1 billion in combined annual online revenue globally, so it’ll definitely be able to handle your business’ needs no matter how big they are.
• Automated crosslinking: CMAX automates crosslinking, ensuring that your content is interconnected in ways that improve user experience and search engine rankings.
• Dynamic content updates for product pages: To help you keep up with fluctuations in algorithms and market trends, CMAX uses data insights to automatically update and optimize your product pages over time. It’s like having someone working on your website around the clock, always making sure that everything is in tip-top shape.
• CMS compatibility: CMAX is 100% CMS-agnostic. This means that regardless of the CMS our clients use, we can integrate our solutions without any compatibility issues. 

If you’re serious about implementing a successful programmatic SEO strategy, you need to make sure you’re using a system that’s better than what’s readily available to your competitors. 

CMAX is that system. 

What You’ve Learned

To sum everything up, here are the main takeaways from this article:

• Programmatic techniques can vastly improve ecommerce SEO: Our programmatic SEO strategies are highly versatile and can make a huge difference in different aspects of your game plan, from improving conversions to refining your strategy after it has been deployed. Our clients saw big jumps in organic traffic, conversions, and sales.
• Don’t ignore long-tail keywords: Long-tail keywords may seem less important than highly competitive head terms at first glance, but they can drive highly targeted traffic and conversions. 
• Local SEO is still worth it: Focusing on location-based SEO allows ecommerce businesses to connect with local customers, improve visibility in search results, and drive more sales.
• You need programmatic SEO to stay competitive: Companies that use programmatic SEO will outpace those that don’t, and one of our previous clients learned this lesson the hard way. By adopting a good programmatic strategy of your own, you can level the playing field.
• Continuous monitoring means better performance: By tracking key metrics like organic traffic and click-through rates, you can adapt on the fly and get better results from programmatic SEO. 
• The keys to a successful programmatic SEO campaign: Keep an eye on key metrics, use data smartly, tailor your content to your audience, and invest in advanced platforms like CMAX for the best results.