How To Find Datasets For Programmatic SEO 2023:...

Hey there! Are you struggling to find high-quality datasets for your programmatic SEO projects? Trust me, I've been there too.

As an SEO enthusiast, I understand the importance of having a top-notch dataset to achieve success in content optimization.

It's like the foundation of your SEO strategy. But let's face it, finding the right dataset can be a real challenge. There's no one-size-fits-all approach, and it often feels like searching for a needle in a haystack.

But don't worry, because I've got some insights to share with you. In this post, I'll reveal my personal method for How To Find Datasets For Programmatic SEO. Let's get right started, shall we?

What Is The Purpose Of Programmatic SEO Datasets?

When it comes to programmatic SEO projects, datasets are like gold mines for me. They contain all the necessary data points that I can map to my page templates, allowing me to create hundreds or even thousands of pages in one go.

It's a game-changer!

Let me walk you through my approach. I usually start with a clear understanding of the keywords I want to target.

Armed with this knowledge, I dive into the world of datasets, searching for the perfect ones that align with my SEO goals. It's like embarking on a treasure hunt!

As I navigate through various sources and platforms, I keep my keywords in mind, looking for datasets that provide the relevant data points I need.

It's like connecting the dots between my keywords and the datasets that hold the key to unlocking their potential.

With each dataset I discover, I analyze its quality, relevance, and accuracy. I want to ensure that I'm working with the best possible data to fuel my programmatic SEO projects.

It's like selecting the finest ingredients for a recipe that guarantees success.

Finding Datasets For pSEO

Once I've finalized the keywords I'll be targeting for my programmatic SEO project, I embark on a mission to find the required dataset. There are two main ways I go about it:

• Data available on one webpage: Sometimes, I strike gold when I discover that all the data I need is conveniently available on a single webpage. It could be a government website or an individual's page where they have compiled and organized the data. I can simply download it for free or by paying a small fee. It's like stumbling upon a treasure trove of information in one place.
• Data present on multiple web pages: In other cases, the data and data points I require are scattered across multiple web pages on the internet. This calls for employing data scraping techniques to gather data from various sources. I utilize specialized tools and scripts to extract the desired information from each website, ensuring I collect all the relevant data points. It's like embarking on a quest to gather puzzle pieces from different locations and piecing them together to reveal the complete picture.

Both approaches have their unique challenges and rewards. When I find a single webpage with all the data, it's like stumbling upon a well-organized library.

On the other hand, data scraping requires technical expertise and careful navigation through different websites, but the end result is a comprehensive dataset tailored to my specific needs.

As we move forward, let's examine each of these scenarios:

Data Is Available On One Webpage

1. Take the help of Google

Google is a powerful tool for finding the datasets you need. Here are some ways I leverage Google to discover relevant datasets:

• Search directly for the dataset: I add the "download data" prefix or suffix to my keyword when searching on Google. This helps Google automatically display datasets from multiple websites that match my search query.
• You can use the filetype: search operator: The Google search engine indexes Microsoft Excel files (.xls). You can specifically search for datasets in Excel format by adding "filetype:xls" to your search query.
• Use the site: search operator: This operator allows me to search within a specific website. I can utilize it to find public Google Sheets by adding "site:docs.google.com/spreadsheets" at the end of my search. This narrows down the results to only show Google Sheets from that specific website.
• Search Kaggle or other sites: I can use the site: operator with specific websites like Kaggle. By adding "site:kaggle.com" to my search query, I can focus the results on datasets available on Kaggle.
• Use Google's Dataset Search: Google's Dataset Search is a dedicated tool that displays datasets from various websites as search results. It's a convenient way to explore and find datasets that are relevant to my programmatic SEO projects.

By utilizing these techniques and leveraging Google's search capabilities, you can significantly improve your chances of finding the datasets you need for your programmatic SEO projects.

It's like tapping into a vast pool of information to access the data that will fuel your SEO strategies.

2. Search government sites and repositories

You can find public data on almost all governments' websites for your projects. The data can usually be downloaded for free most of the time.

There are more than 300k datasets available on data.gov, for example, from the US government. Data.gov.in, another government website, provides over 800k datasets and APIs.

Reddit hosts active communities where you can discover datasets on a wide range of topics.

A. Raid Reddit

Here are some notable Reddit communities:

• r/datasets: This community offers a collection of diverse datasets that users have made available. You can explore and download existing datasets, or even request specific datasets for your projects.
• r/OpenData: This subreddit focuses on open data initiatives, where users share and discuss datasets that are freely accessible. It's a great place to find publicly available datasets that can be utilized for programmatic SEO projects.
• r/DataHoarder: While primarily focused on data storage and archiving, this community often shares large datasets and provides valuable insights for data enthusiasts. You may come across unique datasets that are not easily found elsewhere.
• r/data: This subreddit is dedicated to discussing data-related topics, including datasets. You can find discussions, recommendations, and even dataset requests within this community.

The advantage of these Reddit communities is that they not only provide access to existing datasets but also offer an opportunity to interact with fellow data enthusiasts who may be willing to assist you with specific dataset requests.

GitHub is a treasure trove of data in various formats.

B. Raid GitHub

Here's how you can leverage it:

• Search directly on GitHub: Visit GitHub.com and search for specific datasets by using relevant keywords. For instance, if you're looking for car-selling data, search for "car-selling data" on GitHub.
• Use site:github.com on Google: To narrow down your search to GitHub, include "site:github.com" in your Google search query. This will ensure that the search results only display relevant datasets hosted on GitHub.
• Use site:github.com along with inurl:csv: If you specifically need datasets in CSV format, combine "site:github.com" with "inurl:csv" in your Google search query. This will help you find datasets in the desired format on GitHub.

Data is not limited to CSV, XLS, or MySQL formats; it can also be available in API format. If you are familiar with working with APIs, you can utilize API data to create programmatic SEO sites.

RapidAPI is a prominent platform offering numerous APIs for various projects, both free and paid.

Explore RapidAPI and other API listing sites like ProgrammableWeb, PublicAPIs, AnyAPI, and API List to discover APIs relevant to your programmatic SEO needs.

C. Public APIs

Several dataset repositories and search engines can provide you with access to a vast collection of datasets. Consider the following platforms:

Awesome Public Datasets: This curated collection features hundreds of datasets across various categories. It is regularly updated by the community, ensuring a wide range of valuable data resources.

These dataset repositories and search engines offer a wealth of freely available datasets, making them valuable resources for finding the data you need for your programmatic SEO projects.

D. Search on dataset repositories/search engines

Data Is Present On Multiple Web Pages

If the data you need is scattered across multiple web pages from various sites, data scraping becomes essential to collect and consolidate that information automatically. Let's dive into the details:

1. By using no-code tools: For simpler data extraction tasks, several no-code tools are available that make scraping more accessible. Popular options include OctoParse, ScrapingBee, Zyte, and ParseHub. Personally, I have found OctoParse to be quite effective. These tools usually offer features like automatic detection of repeated elements and pagination on web pages, making it convenient to start scraping. OctoParse's desktop version, for instance, allows scraping up to 10,000 rows of data under the free plan. You can export the extracted data in formats like CSV, XLS, JSON, and MySQL.
2. By using custom scripts: For more complex scraping requirements, writing custom scraper scripts is necessary. Python libraries like Selenium, Scrapy, BeautifulSoup, Requests, and lxml offer extensive documentation and functionalities to get started with web scraping. However, it's important to note that data scraping can be a time-consuming and intricate process. It involves scraping the data and then cleaning it up to make it usable. If you're not proficient in coding or don't have the time to invest in learning, I recommend hiring an experienced freelance data scraper. Platforms like Upwork provide access to skilled web scrapers who can handle your scraping needs efficiently, allowing you to focus on other crucial aspects of programmatic SEO.

Keep in mind that while scraping publicly available data is generally not illegal, it's essential to review and adhere to the terms and conditions of the websites you are scraping.

Additionally, working with a freelance web scraper can alleviate the burden of scraping and data cleaning, providing you with more time and energy to concentrate on other vital aspects of your programmatic SEO projects.

Conclusion: How To Find Datasets For Programmatic SEO 2023

Before we wrap up, let me share a bonus tip with you. Don't limit yourself to using just one dataset for your programmatic SEO projects; you can actually combine multiple datasets to create something truly unique.

Let me give you an example: imagine you have one dataset with car names and specifications, and another dataset with yearly sales data for those cars.

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By merging these datasets, you can create a powerful dataset that includes both the details and sales figures of each car.

Now, once you have your high-quality dataset in hand, the next step is to create an equally high-quality page template that incorporates the data seamlessly.

Remember, it's not just about having the data; it's also about presenting it in an engaging and user-friendly manner.

And hey, if you have any questions or need further assistance, don't hesitate to drop a comment below. I'm here to help you on your programmatic SEO journey. Happy dataset hunting!

Andy Thompson

This author is verified on BloggersIdeas.com

Andy Thompson has been a freelance writer for a long while. She is a senior SEO and content marketing analyst at Digiexe, a digital marketing agency specializing in content and data-driven SEO. She has more than seven years of experience in digital marketing & affiliate marketing too. She likes sharing her knowledge in a wide range of domains ranging from e-commerce, startups, social media marketing, making money online, affiliate marketing to human capital management, and much more. She has been writing for several authoritative SEO, Make Money Online & digital marketing blogs like ImageStation.