Headless architectures unlock creative freedom, but without intentional planning they can erode organic visibility. This playbook shows how to align headless CMS builds with SEO requirements.
Go Headless Without Losing SEO
The freedom of headless architecture meets the discipline of technical SEO. Here's how to have both.
Traditional CMS platforms handle SEO automatically—slugs, meta tags, sitemaps, everything baked in. Go headless, and you're suddenly responsible for every technical SEO detail.
We learned this building Jordan James Media. Here's everything we wish we'd known from day one.
Headless CMS SEO Playbook
Part 3 of Site Infrastructure
Freedom without sacrificing search visibility
1. Architect Content Models
Your content model is the foundation. Get it wrong, and you'll be retrofitting SEO fields into every template for months.
Content Model Architecture
Core Content
SEO Essentials
Open Graph
Technical
Content Model
Core, SEO, and Open Graph fields structured for success
Every meta tag, canonical, and schema markup under your control
2. Design URL Governance
Hub & Spoke URL Structure
Services Hub:
/services
/services/seo
/services/seo/sydney
Locations Hub:
/locations
/locations/sydney
/locations/sydney/seo
Hybrid Rendering
SSG, ISR, and SSR for optimal performance
3. Optimise Rendering
Hybrid Rendering Strategy
Homepage, Services
Pre-built at deploy
Location Pages (790)
All static, blazing fast
Blog Posts
Static + on-demand rebuild
Dynamic Dashboards
Runtime data required
Traditional vs Headless
WordPress handles SEO automatically but limits flexibility
Headless gives control but requires intentional SEO planning
Core Web Vitals Targets
Performance built into the architecture from day one
4. Automate Everything
Manual SEO checks don't scale. Build automation into your pipeline from day one.
Automated SEO Safeguards
Sitemap Generation
Programmatic at build
Canonical Tags
Component-level enforcement
Schema Validation
CI/CD pipeline check
4XX/5XX Monitoring
Post-deploy alerts
5. Cross-Team Collaboration
Team Alignment Requirements
- Shared documentation for component usage and metadata standards
- Sprint demos showcasing SEO-related enhancements
- SEO specialists involved during schema changes
- Reusable modules for marketing (FAQs, CTAs, internal links)
Freedom + Discipline
Headless architecture gives you complete control. Use it wisely. Plan for SEO from day one, automate everything, and your organic traffic will thank you.
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Headless CMS SEO Playbook
Part 3 of Site Infrastructure
Freedom without sacrificing search visibility
Content Model
Core, SEO, and Open Graph fields structured for success
Every meta tag, canonical, and schema markup under your control
Hybrid Rendering
SSG, ISR, and SSR for optimal performance
Traditional vs Headless
WordPress handles SEO automatically but limits flexibility
Headless gives control but requires intentional SEO planning
Performance built into the architecture from day one
The freedom is intoxicating. The complexity is real. Plan for both.
— Jordan James
Read the Full Guide
Content models, routing, and automated safeguards
Building JJM: Site Infrastructure
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