Behind the Scenes: Why I Switched All My SEO Templates to JSON
JSON-based templates plug directly into dashboards and tools, cutting manual data entry by hours per week.
For years I used Excel for everything: keyword tracking, backlink audits, competitor analysis. Then I realized I was spending more time formatting columns than analyzing data. So I moved all my reusable templates to JSON.
Why JSON? Because it's the native format for Google Data Studio, Looker, and most modern analytics tools. Now I can import a JSON template directly into a dashboard and have charts, tables, and filters set up in minutes. No more copy-pasting cells or fixing broken formulas.
The downside? JSON is less human-readable than a spreadsheet. But I include a PDF guide with each template that explains the fields and how to interpret the data. And for clients who still need Excel, I provide a one-click converter. The time savings are massive — I've cut my reporting setup from 2 hours to 15 minutes.