One of the most prolific examples of programmatic SEO (pSEO) is Zapier’s case study. The company ingeniously generated thousands of unique pages from a single template, each highlighting a specific app-to-app integration possibility on their platform. 

This approach, which we call the "NxN" pSEO strategy, has been replicated by companies like Wise, G2, Make (formerly Integremat), and IFTTT (If This Then That). It’s particularly valuable for platforms offering multiple integration options or feature combinations. By leveraging this pSEO approach, you can create a vast network of interconnected, highly targeted landing pages to improve search engine visibility and enhance conversion rates.

Who does the NxN pSEO strategy work for?

The NxN strategy tends to work best for companies that carry these traits:

1. The company is part of an industry where there is a lot of search volume for multi-part queries that combine related but distinct elements, such as:

   • Conversion searches pairing currencies or units of measurement (e.g., Wise’s currency conversion calculator pages)

   • Integration queries linking two complementary platforms or services (e.g., Zapier’s app x app integration pages)

   • Comparative searches contrasting two similar products or brands (e.g., G2’s software comparison pages) 

2. The company possesses a dataset that effectively answers the various NxN search queries.

Examples of companies using the NxN pSEO strategy

Wise is a classic example of the NxN pSEO strategy. The company offers a user-friendly platform for international money transfers and caters to consumers who often need to calculate conversion rates between currency pairs before making a transfer. For example, “USD to CAD” or “MXN to USD.” 

Recognizing this user behavior, Wise identified a significant opportunity in long-tail keywords related to currency exchange calculations. Using the NxN pSEO strategy, Wise created over 260,000 pages, each targeting specific currency pair conversions.  This strategy yields over 46 million monthly organic visits globally (per Ahrefs).

G2 is another example of the NxN strategy. The B2B software review platform created over 37,000 software comparison pages, allowing visitors to compare different software products like “Hubspot Sales Hub vs. Salesforce Sales Cloud.”  These pages now draw in more than 51,000 organic monthly visits (per Ahrefs). 

Why the NxN strategy works

1. Scalability and efficiency. Companies can create a vast number of highly-targeted landing pages using templated content. This strategy is incredibly scalable, enabling the generation of thousands of unique pages with relatively minimal effort.  

2. Comprehensive coverage and user intent matching. The NxN strategy ensures that a company covers virtually every possible user query related to the platform’s product or service combinations. By creating pages for specific combinations of features, integrations, or use cases, the NxN approach provides exact matches to user queries. This precision increases the likelihood that visitors will find the information they seek, reducing bounce rates and increasing engagement. 

3. High conversion potential. Long-tail keywords targeted by NxN pages often indicate a user's advanced stage in the decision-making process. These searchers typically have a clearer idea of what they're looking for, making them more likely to convert when presented with a solution that matches their specific needs.

Steps to build an effective NxN pSEO engine

Step one: identify product-related combinations with high search volume

To identify long-tail, product-related search opportunities  that fit the NxN strategy, start by asking yourself these questions:

1. Does my platform offer many feature combinations that help searchers achieve specific outcomes? 

2. Does my platform integrate with many other platforms to help searchers achieve specific outcomes?

3. Do my potential customers typically search for comparisons or make conversions as part of their purchase journey? 

For example, Duolingo offers language courses for more than 45 languages, designed for learners with different proficiency levels and time commitments. Using these core features, Duolingo could create pages for hundreds of different search parameter combinations:

• Proficiency Level + Language  (e.g., "Spanish for Intermediate Speakers")

• Language + Time commitment (e.g., "Learn Italian in 10 Minutes a Day")

• Proficiency level + Language Pair + Time commitment (e.g., “Learn Chinese for Beginner Speakers in 5 Minutes a Day”) 

Step two: verify the viability of the strategy 

Just because you can create endless page combinations doesn’t mean people are searching for or interested in the content of those pages. To determine the viability of your strategy, examine these four criteria:

1. Potential search volume: How much long-tail search volume is there for this strategy? 

2. Scalability: How many articles can you generate on the topic? If you can only generate a handful, it’s not a candidate for pSEO, which is all about generating hundreds or thousands of pages programmatically to capture long-tail traffic. 

3. Edge: Can you get an edge in search engine results pages (SERPs) for this set of search queries by incorporating proprietary data? It’s possible that another company could leverage a similar NxN strategy and eat up your organic traffic. If you offer data no one else can, then your NxN strategy is more ironclad. 

4. Competition: How competitive is the search pattern? If the search pattern is highly competitive, consider a different strategy unless you have a considerable edge with proprietary data. 

Step three: Leverage a dataset and build a page template to support your NxN strategy 

Your dataset will directly answer users’ search queries, so you’ll want to ensure you have the necessary data points to fulfill each NxN permutation. Let's use a hypothetical project management software called TaskMaster as an example. TaskMaster integrates with various apps, and the search pattern “TaskMaster + [app] integration” generates a sizable number of monthly searches. 

With this insight, TaskMaster wants to create page combinations for its 250+ app integrations. To do so, they would format an existing dataset containing the unique identifiers for each combination. This might look something like this:

As you format your dataset, it’s vital to maintain data quality and consistency. Keep the following in mind:

1. Standardize naming conventions: Use consistent capitalization (e.g., "TaskMaster" not "Taskmaster" or "Task Master").

2. Create data entry guidelines: Develop a style guide for writing descriptions, benefits, etc., to ensure consistency. 

3. Conduct regular audits: Review your dataset periodically to catch and correct inconsistencies. You can also implement scripts to check for common errors or inconsistencies. 

4. Version control: Maintain a change log to track updates to the dataset.

Once you've compiled a comprehensive dataset that addresses the core NxN search query, the next step is to create a dynamic page template. This template will be used to generate pages for any possible NxN combination. 

The NxN pSEO approach is particularly effective for attracting mid-to-bottom-of-funnel searchers actively seeking solutions your platform offers. To maximize the potential of your NxN strategy, concentrate on the following elements when developing your page template:

1. Align content with search intent. Use long-tail keywords in the H1 that exactly match search queries and organize content hierarchically to emphasize specific features that directly address the searcher’s needs.

2.  Drive conversions with user-centric design. Design pages with a logical flow that leads users from their initial search query to your product’s relevant features. This often includes using prominent, action-oriented CTAs throughout the page.

3. Provide immediate value. If appropriate, offer step-by-step instructions to implement the desired integration or relevant feature. The goal should be to minimize the steps the visitor must take to make a purchase/conversion decision. 

Zapier’s app x app integration pages are a great example of these three principles. At the top of the page, the H1 immediately aligns with the search intent for “connect X app to Y app.”  The content above the fold (i.e., before a scroll) also includes prominent, action-oriented CTAs that drive visitors to Zapier’s sign up pages. 

Directly below the fold, Zapier offers a step-by-step tutorial for users to implement the desired “connect X app to Y app” action. 

Step four: build and scale out the pages

Once you’ve pinpointed the search patterns to target, developed a template and confirmed you have the necessary data, the next step is scaling your pages. You can do this in two ways:

1. Programmatic SEO SaaS Platform: Platforms like daydream allow you to create your page template, pull in data from various sources (both internal and external), and generate pages at scale, which can then be directly deployed to your CMS.

2. Internal Engineering Resources: Alternatively, you can rely on your internal engineering team to handle the scaling of programmatic pages. Keep in mind, though, that this route could be slower and more expensive compared to using a specialized pSEO platform.

Step five: measure and optimize content

Like any SEO strategy, you’ll want to track content performance across relevant business objectives. For NxN content, which is typically used for mid-to-bottom-of-funnel marketing, these metrics might include:

• Conversion rate — track how many visitors click on CTAs and how many convert to users.

• Long-tail keyword rankings — ranking highly for long-tail keywords is a cornerstone of success for any pSEO strategy. You’ll also want to ensure competitors or even partners you integrate with aren’t capturing greater search traffic for the same terms.

You should also conduct regular content updates to ensure continuous growth. These updates might include:

• Refreshing articles with up-to-date product information and data  (daydream’s platform can do this instantly).

• Identifying gaps in your NxN coverage to create new pages and expanding high-performing pages with additional valuable or proprietary information.

• Updating pages based on SEO best practices (e.g., building internal links between pages).

Build a pSEO engine with daydream

We’re working with some of the fastest-growing startups like OpenArt, Descript, and Twingate to help them accelerate their organic growth through AI-driven pSEO content. 

Our team of SEO experts helps companies plan and execute high-performing pSEO strategies, while our SaaS platform provides all the tooling necessary to get a robust, high-performing pSEO engine up and running without the expensive price tag. With daydream, you can:

• Import your own proprietary datasets to support your NxN pSEO content

• Build high-performing programmatic NxN page templates and deploy them at scale from a single platform

If you’re interested in using daydream and joining our growing list of customers, email us at [email protected] to start the conversation.