Building a Programmatic SEO Site with MPG in WordPress

Creating a programmatic SEO site can be a game changer for anyone looking to scale their online presence. In this blog, we will explore how to build a programmatic SEO site using the MPG (Multi Page Generator) plugin in WordPress. This approach can be far more efficient than traditional methods like WP All Import, especially when dealing with large datasets.

Why Choose MPG Over WP All Import?

WP All Import has long been the go-to solution for creating programmatic SEO sites. However, it physically creates all posts in the WordPress database, which can lead to performance issues when you have tens of thousands of pages. Re-importing data can also be slow and cumbersome.

The MPG plugin addresses these issues by allowing for dynamic page creation without bloating the database. This means faster performance and easier updates to your content.

Getting Started with MPG

To begin, you'll need to install the MPG plugin from the WordPress repository. Once installed, you can create a new project. The first step is to define your project and select the entity type, which will typically be 'posts'.

Creating a Template

Using the block editor in WordPress, you can create a template for your pages. This allows you to utilize all the blocks available in WordPress, making it easier to design your layout and style your content.

For example, you can create tables, FAQs, and other structured content types directly within the template. This flexibility is a significant advantage over WP All Import, which uses a more rigid structure.

Setting Up Your Data Source

MPG allows you to use a CSV file or a Google Sheet as your data source. In this guide, we will use a Google Sheet that contains various food items and their nutritional information. Make sure your sheet has clear headings for each variable you intend to use in your posts.

Once you have your Google Sheet ready, you can provide a direct link to it in the MPG settings. MPG will fetch the data and allow you to preview it before generating your pages.

Generating URLs

After importing your data, MPG will automatically generate URLs based on the slugs you defined. You can customize these slugs to make them SEO-friendly. Once you save your changes, MPG will create a list of all the URLs that it has generated, which you can view and edit as needed.

Creating Content Dynamically

One of the standout features of MPG is its ability to dynamically insert data into your posts. For example, if you have a column for 'grams of protein', MPG will automatically pull that information into the relevant section of your post.

You can also use shortcodes to create lists or conditions within your content. For instance, if you want to display a list of foods from a specific category, you can set a shortcode that filters based on that category. This enhances your internal linking and improves user navigation.

Building a Sitemap

MPG also allows you to generate a sitemap for your site. This is crucial for SEO as it helps search engines crawl your pages more effectively. You can specify a maximum of 10,000 URLs per sitemap, which is particularly useful for large sites.

Once your sitemap is generated, you can easily save it and submit it to search engines like Google to improve your site’s visibility.

Enhancing Your Pages with Images

To make your pages more engaging, you can add images using MPG. You can specify an image column in your Google Sheet, and MPG will automatically pull these images into your posts. This feature allows you to create visually appealing content that captures user interest.

Using Default Images

For items that do not have a specific image, you can set a default image to display. This ensures that all your posts have a visual element, which can help improve user engagement and time spent on your site.

Finalizing Your Programmatic SEO Site

Once you've set up your template, data source, and content, you can publish your pages. MPG allows you to make real-time updates, so if you change any values in your Google Sheet, those changes will automatically reflect on your site without needing to re-import data.

This flexibility makes MPG an excellent choice for anyone looking to build a large-scale programmatic SEO site efficiently.

Conclusion

Building a programmatic SEO site in WordPress using the MPG plugin can significantly streamline your workflow and improve site performance. By leveraging the flexibility of the block editor and the dynamic capabilities of MPG, you can create a robust and scalable site that can adapt to your content needs.

If you have any questions or need further clarification on any of the steps mentioned, feel free to reach out. Happy building!