Template pages give readers something to copy and use: a project plan, an invoice, a contract, a dashboard, a workflow inside the product. Many people search for "X template" rather than "how to do X", so templates can attract practical, task-focused visitors. For SaaS companies whose product can host the template, the page doubles as a way to start using the product.
Why templates work for SaaS
A template is the shortest path from intent to action. Someone searching for a sprint planning template wants to plan a sprint now. If the template opens directly in your product, that searcher becomes a user in the same session. Some companies build large template libraries, sometimes generated at scale, one page per use case.
What a template page needs
Templates pages that are just a thumbnail and a download button tend to be thin. Add enough context for the page to be useful on its own.
- A preview of the template
- Who it is for and when to use it
- How to fill it in, with an example
- Formats: product template, spreadsheet, document
- Links to related templates and guides
Templates at scale
Large template libraries overlap with programmatic SEO. Each page needs real differences, such as a genuinely different template and guidance, or the library risks being treated as low-value, near-duplicate content. Community-submitted templates can add variety but need review.
Example
A product template that starts a trial
Hypothetical company Oakharrow sells a project management tool. It publishes template pages for common plans, such as a website launch plan, each with a preview, instructions and a button that opens the template in a new Oakharrow workspace. A spreadsheet version is offered for people not ready to sign up.
Common mistakes
Forcing sign-up for every template
Requiring an account before anyone can see the template can push searchers back to results that let them preview it.
Near-identical variations
Dozens of pages with the same template and a different title add little and can look like duplicate content.
Questions
Product templates naturally require an account to use. Offering a preview and an ungated file version as well helps the page serve more searchers.
