How many pages does a product site need?

As many as there are searches worth answering, and no more. A landing page per job the product does, a comparison and an alternatives page per rival buyers know, a guide per question with demand, and the product pages. For most products that is a few dozen pages that earn, not hundreds.

Is programmatic SEO still allowed?

Yes, when each page holds data or an answer of its own. Google's spam policies act on pages made at scale without value of their own, whatever produces them. A family of city pages with the same text is spam; a family where each page carries its own figures is a library.

Should I write long pages?

Write to the question. A glossary entry is three hundred words; a migration checklist is two thousand. Length for its own sake is what a reader skims past and what a refresh cuts.

When should I delete a page?

When it has had no clicks, no impressions, no links and no purpose for a year, and nothing on the site replaces it. Then return 410. If a close equivalent exists, redirect to it with a 301; never to the home page.

Content and pages: which pages a product site should build, and when

Search traffic is a list of pages, each answering one search. These guides say which pages a product site should have, in what order, how to write the ones that rank and convert, and what to do with the ones that fade. The rule under all of them: one page per topic, with something of its own.

By Théophile Louvart, founder of Porteur · Updated 14 September 2026 · Markdown

The pages that earn for a product

A product site earns search traffic from a handful of page kinds, and they are the same for a SaaS, a store and a side project. The landing pages for the jobs the product does. The comparison pages, yours against a rival and rival against rival, for the buyer who is choosing. The alternatives pages, for the buyer leaving someone else. The guides that answer the questions your buyers type before they know your name. The category and product pages of a store. And, once there is enough of a subject, the families of pages that a rival holds and you do not.

Each kind matches an intent the results page reveals: guides and videos rank on a question, product pages on a purchase, lists and comparisons on a choice. Search intent is the first guide to read because it decides what a page must be before a word is written; a well-written page of the wrong kind ranks for nothing.

The order to build them is the order that pays: the pages that answer the searches your product's name will be typed with, the comparisons and alternatives for the rivals your buyers already know, then the guides for the questions with the most demand and the least competition, then the families.

One page per topic, and the page that has something of its own

Two pages on one topic split the links and the clicks and let neither rank; Google's word for it is cannibalisation, and the fix is a merge with a redirect. The reverse fault is a family of pages that differ by one word: Google's spam policies since March 2024 name scaled content abuse, many pages made primarily to rank rather than to help, whatever produces them, and doorway pages, many entrances to one destination. A programmatic family earns only when each page holds data or an answer a reader would want on its own.

The test for any page is the same: does it say something the other pages on the results page do not, in a form a reader can use? A worked example, a table, a figure of your own, a method, a tool. The guides on comparison pages, alternatives pages and landing pages each show the shape that passes the test for that kind.

Pages that fade, and what to do with them

A page that earned more a year ago than now has decayed: the results page moved, the facts went stale, or a rival wrote the better page. Search Console finds them in a minute by comparing periods and sorting pages by the fall in clicks; the queries under each page say whether the demand fell or the page did. A refresh is the same URL with the facts, the screenshots, the questions and the title brought up to date, and an honest modified date. A merge is two pages folded into the stronger URL with a 301 from the other. A deletion returns 410, or 301 to the nearest equivalent, never to the home page.

A content audit is the table that decides this for every page at once: clicks, impressions, links, date, purpose, one decision a row, repeated each quarter and judged on the next quarter's figures. Republishing and changing dates has its own guide because it is where honesty matters most: a date bumped without a change is noticed.

The order to read the guides

First: how to do SEO for a product site, then SEO for SaaS and SEO for startups, then search intent. They set the order of work.
Then the page kinds: landing page SEO, comparison pages, alternatives pages, People also ask for the questions, programmatic SEO for the families.
Then the maintenance: content decay, content refresh, updating old posts, when to merge pages, delete or redirect, republishing and dates, the content audit.
For a store: e-commerce SEO, product page SEO, category page SEO, product descriptions, out of stock pages, the site structure.
When the product crosses a border: international SEO, multilingual sites, when to translate.

What a page that ranks looks like

One search in the title and the h1, said the way the searcher says it. The answer in the first paragraph, then the detail. Headings that match the questions the results page shows under People also ask. A table or a list where the facts allow one. A worked example on a named page or product. Links to the pages of yours that continue the subject, and links in from them. A date, an author, sources. One call to action where the answer ends, phrased as the reader's next step. And a length set by the subject, not by a target: the page stops when the question is answered.

The guides here follow that shape themselves. Each was written for one search, answers it early, and ends at the same door.

Where the free check fits

The check reads which searches your site already appears on and which rivals hold the ones it does not, and writes three findings whole. The report reads the whole landscape and, for a new site, what your product is and which pages are worth writing first: the comparisons, the guides, the families your rivals hold, the tools people search for. For a site with history, it reads Search Console and names the pages to refresh, merge and retire, with the figures behind each.

The guides, in the order to read them

53 guides on the theme, each on one question, each ending in your own figures.

How to do SEO for a product site, in the order that paysGuide
Follow the order that pays: fix indexing, improve pages you rank on, win within-reach queries, ship comparisons, add new demand pages, then earn links.
SEO for SaaS: a strategy for a team of oneGuide
What to rank and why for a SaaS site: the page families that work, pricing and comparisons, how to avoid thin content, and how to measure signups.
SEO for startups: what to do before you have trafficGuide
You have no rankings yet. Here is the startup SEO plan: the pages to ship, the first links to get, and what to expect in the first 3 months.
Search intent: what the results page tells you to buildGuide
Learn the four intents, read intent from the results page, and fix pages that will never rank by changing their kind, not just the words.
Landing page SEO: one page, one search, one promiseGuide
Give each landing page a target query, a clear promise, proof, and one CTA. Keep it from clashing with your home page. Steps and examples inside.
Comparison pages: the “vs” page your buyers are searching forGuide
Buyers search “x vs y”. Here is how to pick rivals, write an honest comparison, structure the page and table, and measure what it earns.
How to write an alternatives page that ranks and convertsGuide
Plan the page for leavers, not lurkers. Map reasons to switch, list options by need, state your place plainly, and avoid spam that kills trust.
People also ask: turning Google’s questions into sectionsGuide
See what People also ask is, where questions come from, how to collect them, write two-sentence answers, add FAQ markup, and track results.
Programmatic SEO for a small product: page families that earnGuide
Design a page family that ranks without spam: pick the right template, prove demand per page, add unique data, and measure the folder.
Content decay: pages that earned more before, and the refreshGuide
See how to spot content decay in Search Console, why it happens, and a clear refresh method. When to merge instead, and how to measure recovery.
How to refresh a page that lost its trafficGuide
Find why a page lost clicks, refresh what searchers want now, and measure the result. Keep the same URL, update facts, sections, links and date.
Updating old blog posts: which ones, what to change, what to leaveGuide
Pick the posts worth your hour, make changes that pay, keep the URL, set dates correctly, and know when to merge or retire instead.
When to merge two pages, and how to do it without losing the rankingGuide
Two pages target the same searches. Here is when to merge, which URL to keep, how to fold content, and how to redirect without losing the ranking.
Delete or redirect an old page: 301, 404 or 410Guide
Decide per page: 301 if a clear equivalent exists, else 404 or 410. Check links and clicks first, avoid home page redirects, and monitor what Google drops.
Republishing content and changing dates: what Google reads, what is honestGuide
When to change dates, how to mark updates, and when to keep or replace a URL. A clear process that avoids penalties and wins back traffic.
A content audit for a small site: one table, one decision a rowGuide
Build a one-table content audit you can finish in a day. See what to keep, refresh, merge, redirect or remove, and what to fix first next quarter.
E-commerce SEO for a small store: the pages, the data, the structureGuide
What to ship for ecommerce SEO: where your store can appear, the three page types, product data and feeds, URLs, variants, facets, speed, and the order of work.
Product page SEO: what a buyer and a crawler need on the pageGuide
Make product pages that rank and convert: titles and descriptions, images with alt, Product structured data, variants and canonicals, links and reviews.
Category page SEO: the page that ranks for the product typeGuide
Build a category page that wins broad queries: clear H1, intro, subcategory links, top products, clean filters, solid pagination, and fast loads.
Product descriptions for SEO: unique, useful, written for the buyerGuide
Write unique, useful product descriptions that answer real questions, match schema and feeds, and help a small store rank and convert.
Out of stock product pages: keep, redirect or retireGuide
Decide fast: keep a sold out page live, redirect it, or retire it. Mark status, offer alternatives, and avoid losing rankings or confusing shoppers.
E-commerce site structure: categories, products, and the links betweenGuide
Design your ecommerce site structure so the right page ranks: pyramid, URLs, breadcrumbs, facets, pagination, and links that move buyers.
International SEO for a small product: structure, language, and when to startGuide
Pick a structure, set one language per URL, add hreflang, and know when to expand. A short plan for founders shipping their own product site.
Multilingual website SEO: one language per URL, and everything translatedGuide
Set up a multilingual website that ranks: one language per URL, fully translated content, hreflang, a real switcher, and a sitemap for each language.
When to translate your site, and which pages firstGuide
Use Search Console signals to decide when to add a language, pick the right structure, and translate only the pages that pay first.
SEO for B2B SaaS: the pages that fit a long saleGuide
Plan B2B SaaS SEO by the pages that close long deals: comparisons, alternatives, integrations, pricing, use cases, reviews, docs and changelog.
Content velocity: how many pages a small site can add without harmGuide
Where volume turns into scaled content abuse, what makes a batch of pages safe, and the signals that tell you Google judged the template.
SEO for documentation: one page per task, the task as the headingGuide
Make your docs the pages buyers and assistants cite: one task per page, clean versions with canonicals, fast HTML, llms.txt, and a dated changelog.
How long should a page be? The honest answerGuide
There is no word count that ranks. Use the pages that already rank as the brief, stop when the question is answered, and know the two failures.
How many pages does a product site need?Guide
The eight pages every product needs, what each page after those must earn, and the point where adding pages starts costing you instead of paying.
How often to publish: what actually mattersGuide
Frequency is not a ranking signal. What a thin page costs, why refreshing counts as publishing, and a rhythm one founder can hold for a year.
How to rank higher on Google: what Google has confirmed and what is folkloreGuide
Stop guessing. Use what Google confirms, fix one page first, then your site. This guide gives the steps, the checks and how long it takes.
How to structure a long guide so people finish itGuide
Build the outline from the sub-questions, make every heading a question, and end each section with a decision. The structure readers finish.
How to build a glossary that earns traffic and linksGuide
Which terms deserve an entry, the shape that makes one useful, how entries link to your guides, and the line where a glossary turns into thin pages.
How to write a post that ranks, from the results page backwardsGuide
The results page is the brief. Read it, write the outline from it, answer in the first two sentences, and write the title last. A worked example.
How to write an FAQ page people actually readGuide
Take the questions from support and the results page, answer in two to four sentences, and put each one where it is asked. What the markup earns now.
How to write for featured snippets and AI answersGuide
Three snippet shapes, the patterns that win them, and why the same patterns get a page quoted by assistants. No markup required.
Writing titles that get the click, without a teaseGuide
The title is a promise, not a tease. The words people search near the front, sixty characters, and ten before-and-after examples that show the difference.
SEO for a marketplace: two sides, category pages, and the listingsGuide
Build category and location pages for demand. Let listings win the long tail only when they help searchers. Control facets, schema, and pruning.
SEO for a newsletter: the archive is the contentGuide
Turn your newsletter into search traffic. Ship an indexable archive, clear titles, topic hubs, and the right domain setup. Works on Substack, beehiiv or Ghost.
Repurposing content without competing with yourselfGuide
One page per topic on your site, every other channel as distribution. What to never duplicate on your own domain, and the canonical rule for syndication.
SEO after a pivot: what to keep, redirect and retireGuide
The index lags a pivot by months. Audit what still ranks for the old product, decide page by page, map the redirects, and build the new pages.
SEO basics: the ten ideas that explain everything elseGuide
The ten SEO ideas you need, with examples on yourproduct.com. What to fix first, how Google finds pages, what titles to write, and when to expect results.
SEO for an AI startup: the job outlasts the labelGuide
Ship pages on the jobs, comparisons and lists that assistants cite. Get on the AI directories, measure GEO, and refresh as the category words move.
SEO for beginners: your first month, one hour a weekGuide
A four‑week SEO plan for beginners. One hour a week to set up Search Console, pick searches, publish two pages, earn first links and track results.
SEO for developer tools: docs, comparisons, and the error messageGuide
Ship docs that rank, pages for comparisons and errors, and get cited by assistants. What to publish on a dev tool site, and how to measure it.
SEO for an open source project: the docs, GitHub, and the comparisonGuide
Make your docs rank, your GitHub and package pages convert, and your comparisons win the jobs and vs searches that developers use to choose.
An SEO plan for the next quarter: pages, fixes, links, datesGuide
Build a quarterly SEO plan you can ship: four lists, dates, and a one-page report. Pages to write, refreshes, technical debts, and link moves.
An SEO strategy for a small product: three questions, one pageGuide
Build a one‑page SEO strategy you can ship: which searches, which pages, how links come, plus a plan, KPIs, a dashboard and a monthly report.
SEO tips that still work in 2026: twenty-five, with the reason for eachGuide
Twenty-five SEO tips that still work in 2026. Grouped by pages, site, links and measurement. Each tip says why it works and what mistake it avoids.
Should your startup have a blog?Guide
The three ways a startup blog fails, the test before writing anything, and the shape that works instead: a library of pages that answer searches.
Topic clusters: the hub, the spokes, and the links that make them one thingGuide
What a topic cluster is, what makes a hub worth reading rather than a list of links, and the link pattern that holds the whole thing together.
What SEO is in 2026, explained to a product founderGuide
SEO is how your public pages get discovered, indexed and chosen by Google for the searches you want, so you earn compounding, free demand over time.

The free tools

Each checks one thing on one page or one site, without an account, and says what it found in words.

SERP checkerFree tool
Type a search and see the results page as Google draws it now in six markets: the top ten sites, the People also ask questions, and who the AI Overview cites.
Keyword ideas finderFree tool
Type one term and get up to fifty longer searches that contain it, with monthly demand, difficulty and intent, and a reading of the pattern.
Keyword volume checkerFree tool
Paste up to twenty search terms and get the monthly searches for each in one of six markets, sorted, totalled, and ready to copy as CSV. No account, no card.
On-page SEO checkerFree tool
Paste a URL and get the page read as a crawler reads it: title, description, canonical, indexability, headings, alt text, links, share tags, what to fix first.
Title and meta description generatorFree tool
Paste a page URL or a search phrase and get five titles under 60 characters and five descriptions of 120 to 155, written from the page, lengths counted.
Internal link checkerFree tool
Paste your home page and get up to sixty pages fetched and their links read: the orphans, the pages sitting deepest, the least and most linked, links per page.

The words

What each term means for a small site, and what to do about it.

Search intentGlossary
Learn what search intent is, how to spot it on a results page, measure fit in Search Console, and fix pages that miss it.
Keyword cannibalizationGlossary
Keyword cannibalisation is when two of your pages compete for the same search, splitting clicks and weakening both; here is how to find and fix it.
Content decayGlossary
Content decay is when a once-performing page loses traffic over time. See the causes, how to measure it in Search Console, and how to fix it.
Thin contentGlossary
Thin content is a page with little value of its own. See why it drags a small site, how to spot it, and how to expand, merge or remove.
Scaled content abuseGlossary
What scaled content abuse means in Google’s spam policy, how to avoid it on a small site, how to check risk, and what to fix fast.
Doorway pageGlossary
Doorway pages are many near-duplicate pages funnelling to one destination. See how to spot them, fix them, and protect rankings on a small site.
Programmatic SEOGlossary
Programmatic SEO is building many pages from one template using data. Learn when it earns, what to measure, and how to avoid spam policies.
Topical authorityGlossary
What topical authority means, how to plan a topical map, link hubs, and read real signals without chasing third party scores.
Pillar pageGlossary
A pillar page is a hub that covers a whole topic and links to deeper pages. See when to use it, how to structure the cluster and what to measure.
Evergreen contentGlossary
Evergreen content is a page on a timeless subject that earns search clicks for years. See how to spot, measure and keep these pages fresh.
Content gapGlossary
A content gap is a searched topic your rivals cover and you do not. See how to find gaps, choose the pages to ship, and track results.
Duplicate contentGlossary
Learn what duplicate content is, how Google handles it, how to find it on a small site, and the exact controls to fix and prevent it.
Content pruningGlossary
What content pruning is, how to judge pages with data, the four choices per page, and how to avoid traps when you tidy your index.
ListicleGlossary
A listicle is an article built as a list. See why best-of pages matter for products, what a good one includes, how to measure it, and what to avoid.
People also askGlossary
People also ask are Google’s expandable question boxes. See where they come from, how to read them, how to answer them, and the traps to avoid.

Questions

Check my site, free

Paste your URL and the check reads which searches your site appears on and which your rivals hold, and writes three findings whole in about thirty seconds.

Free check, no card
Read-only, your own accounts
Readable by your agent