How to create Collection Pages with Airtable Linked Records in Engyne

Create collection pages with Airtable's Linked Records field in Luanchman

Table of Contents

    There’s a ton of information about everything on the internet. Users are constantly looking for the signal in the noise. You can turn visitors into customers by collecting and curating data in collection pages like:

    • Top 10 books to read for {{Job Type}}
    • Hire the 5 best private chefs in {{Location}}
    • Top VC Funds that invest in {{Industry}} startups

    Creating these kinds of pages in Engyne is now easier than ever.

    Instead of creating each row by hand, we can make use of Airtable's Linked Records to split up information across multiple tables, create dynamic relationships between them, and then bring it into Engyne.

    In this guide, we will create category pages like "Top 10 books to read for {{Job Type}}" for a fake SaaS business Bookify. Bookify lets you listen to key insights of business books as a short audio clip - very similar to blinkify.com.

    Final Result

    By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to create Programmatic SEO pages that have collections of items per page categorized in an Airtable.

    Final Demo screenshot in Engyne

    Step 1: Prep data

    Log in to Airtable and create a new base with two tables: All Books and Collections.

    1. All Books: This table will contain relevant information about a particular book per row - title, author, summary, image, link to buy.
    2. Collections: This table will have the job type we are curating the books for and the information on 5 books that we think are relevant. The books will come from the Books table.

    Create the All Books table

    To make this easier, I've already prepped the data for you to import into Airtable.

    For the All Books table:

    1. Click on Add or Import > More Sources > Paste table data
    2. Paste the entire block of data below:
    Book Title,Summary,Why read this,Why to not read this,Buy Link,Category,Book Cover
$100M Offers: How To Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No,"This book is a must-read for anyone looking to make offers that are too good to refuse. Written by experienced entrepreneur and investor, David Finkel, $100M Offers: How To Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No provides readers with the tools and strategies to craft offers that are irresistible. Finkel shares his own experiences and insights to help readers understand the psychology of making offers, as well as how to craft offers that are too good to pass up. He also provides practical advice on how to negotiate and close deals, as well as how to handle objections. With this book, readers will be able to make offers that are so good, people will feel stupid saying no.","- Understand the psychology behind why people accept or reject offers.
 - Learn how to craft offers that are too good to refuse.
 - Discover the strategies to make offers that are irresistible.","- May not apply to small startup
 - Too focused on high-value deals
 - May not be relevant to SaaS",<https://www.amazon.ca/100M-Offers-People-Stupid-Saying/dp/1737475731,B2B> Sales,<http://books.google.com/books/content?id=DfaNzgEACAAJ&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&source=gbs_api>
The Brain Audit: Why Customers Buy (and Why They Don't) by Sean D’Souza,"The Brain Audit: Why Customers Buy (and Why They Don't) by Sean D’Souza is a must-read for any business owner or marketer. It provides a comprehensive look at the psychology of why customers buy, and why they don't. It covers topics such as the seven triggers of buying, the three questions customers ask before buying, and the four steps to creating a successful marketing message. It also provides practical advice on how to use these principles to increase sales and build customer loyalty. The book is written in an easy-to-understand style, making it accessible to readers of all levels. It is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to understand the psychology of customer buying behavior and increase their sales.","- Understand the psychology behind why customers buy and why they don't.
 - Learn how to create a customer-centric marketing strategy.
 - Discover how to create a memorable customer experience.","- May not be relevant to SaaS
 - Focuses on offline businesses
 - Limited case studies on SaaS",<https://www.amazon.ca/Brain-Audit-Customers-They-Dont/dp/0473175045,B2B> Sales,<http://books.google.com/books/content?id=YdOVkgAACAAJ&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&source=gbs_api>
Behind the Cloud by Marc Benioff & Carlye Adler,"Behind the Cloud is an inspiring story of how Marc Benioff and Carlye Adler built Salesforce, one of the world’s most successful cloud computing companies. The book chronicles their journey from the early days of the company to its current success. It provides an inside look at the strategies and tactics they used to build a successful business. It also offers valuable lessons on how to create a culture of innovation and how to stay ahead of the competition. The book is filled with inspiring stories of how Benioff and Adler overcame obstacles and achieved success. It is an inspiring read for anyone looking to build a successful business.","- Provides insight into the strategies and tactics used to build a successful SaaS business.
 - Explains the importance of customer service and how to create a culture of innovation.
 - Highlights the importance of staying ahead of the competition and how to use technology to drive growth.","- Limited focus on sales and marketing
 - More focused on the story of Salesforce
 - may not be relatable to other SaaS companies",<https://www.amazon.ca/Behind-Cloud-Salesforce-com-Billion-Dollar-Company/dp/0470521163,B2B> Sales,<http://books.google.com/books/content?id=XX5QJ7hfDW8C&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&edge=curl&source=gbs_api>
Challenger Sale by Brent Adamson and Mathew Dixon,"Challenger Sale is a book written by Brent Adamson and Mathew Dixon that provides an in-depth look into the sales process. It explains how salespeople can use the Challenger Sale approach to create value for their customers and build strong relationships. The book outlines the five steps of the Challenger Sale process, which include teaching, tailoring, taking control, challenging, and demonstrating. It also provides strategies for salespeople to use to effectively engage customers and close deals. Additionally, the book provides insights into how salespeople can use data to better understand their customers and create tailored solutions. Overall, Challenger Sale is an invaluable resource for salespeople looking to improve their sales process and close more deals.","- Understand the importance of challenging customers to think differently about their business.
 - Learn how to create a successful sales process that is tailored to the customer's needs.
 - Develop the skills to build relationships with customers and create a lasting impact.","- May not be relevant to all SaaS sales strategies
 - Focuses on enterprise level sales
 - May not be relatable to other SaaS companies",<https://www.amazon.ca/Challenger-Sale-Control-Customer-Conversation/dp/1591844355,B2B> Sales,<http://books.google.com/books/content?id=pioPC9OiMdMC&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&edge=curl&source=gbs_api>
How to Win Friends and Influence People,"How to Win Friends and Influence People is a timeless classic written by Dale Carnegie. It is a book that has been helping people to build relationships and improve their communication skills since it was first published in 1936. The book provides practical advice on how to make friends, how to influence people, and how to handle difficult conversations. It also offers tips on how to be a better listener, how to be more persuasive, and how to be more confident. The book is filled with stories and anecdotes that illustrate the principles of effective communication. It is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to improve their relationships and communication skills.","- Learn how to build relationships with customers and colleagues to increase trust and loyalty.
 - Understand how to effectively communicate with others to create positive outcomes.
 - Develop the skills to influence people and create a successful business.","- Focuses on personal relationships rather than business
 - May not be relevant to SaaS
 - Limited focus on sales and marketing",<https://www.amazon.ca/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034,B2B> Sales,<http://books.google.com/books/content?id=uyjhwwEACAAJ&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&source=gbs_api>
Hacking Growth,"Hacking Growth is a book that provides readers with a comprehensive guide to growth hacking. It covers the fundamentals of growth hacking, from understanding the customer journey to developing a growth hacking strategy. It also provides practical advice on how to use data to drive growth, how to use A/B testing to optimize user experience, and how to use automation to scale growth. Additionally, the book provides case studies of successful growth hacking campaigns, as well as tips and tricks for getting the most out of growth hacking. Hacking Growth is an essential resource for anyone looking to take their business to the next level.","- Understand how to use data to drive growth and optimize customer acquisition.
 - Learn how to use experimentation to test and validate growth strategies.
 - Discover how to use viral loops and referral programs to increase user engagement.","- Not focused on SaaS businesses
 - No advice on pricing strategies
 - No guidance on customer acquisition",<https://www.amazon.ca/Hacking-Growth-Fastest-Growing-Companies-Breakout/dp/045149721X,Marketing,http://books.google.com/books/content?id=WMl8DgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&edge=curl&source=gbs_api>

    Create the Collections table

    Let's now create the Collections table:

    1. Create a new table.
    2. Delete all columns, expect for the first one.
    3. Name the first one - Job Title.
    4. Add a new column. Call it "Books". Make it Link to another record. Select All Books table to link from. Make sure the "Allow linking to multiple records" option is enabled. Click Save. If it prompts you to Add lookup fields?, click Skip.

    We can use this column to link to book items in the "All Books" table.

    Populate the Collections table

    I'll add a few rows for 3 job types (Sales, Marketing, Leadership) in the Collections table like below. Feel free to switch it up.

    Set up Airtable Collection table

    Step 3: Format each Book item

    If we look back at our demo page, we want each book item on our page to have the book title, summary and the buy link.

    Highlighted Book Item

    Airtable Formulas are perfect for this.

    In the All Books table:

    1. Create a new column called Book Formatted of type: Formula.
    2. Add this formula and click Save.
    CONCATENATE({Book Title}, {Summary}, {Buy Link})

    This formula brings the three values we need into a single column which we can import into the Collections table.

    Creating a formula field in Airtable

    Switch to the Collections table:

    1. Create a new Rollup field called Books Formatted. Configure the settings as shown in the screenshot below. Choose Books Formatted and add this Aggregation formula:
    ARRAYJOIN(values, "\\n\\n")

    Rollup field in the Collections table

    Create the Engyne Project

    1. Sign up and log in to Engyne.
    2. Create a new Collection. Name it: Book Collections for Job Type.
    3. Connect your Airtable by copy/pasting the API key and the base URL for the Collections table.

    Correct Base URL to copy to Engyne

    1. Click on Sync Items. All the records from the Collections table should now be synced over.

    Create a Page Template

    1. Open up the Page Designer by clicking the Design your Page button on the top right of the Engyne dashboard.
    2. Create a new Text. Paste this in:
    # 3 books to read if you're in {{Job Title}} [2023]

{{Books Formatted}}

    Engyne will automatically populate the pages with the Airtable data. This is what my Sales page looks like:

    Synced items in Engyne dashboard

    If you look closely, each book item is coming through (the book title, summary and link are all there) but they aren’t styled correctly. We will fix in the next step with Markdown.

    Add Markdown to style each Book item

    Engyne uses Markdown to format text. You can find a cheat sheet on this here.

    Update the Book Formatted formula in the All Books collection with this formula below. There might be a warning "Changing this field’s configuration will impact 1 dependency." that might show but you can safely ignore that.

    CONCATENATE("## ", {Book Title},"\\n\\n", {Summary}, "\\n\\n[Buy this book ->](", {Buy Link}, ")")

    Head over to your Engyne collection and click Sync Items to import newly made changes.

    Open up the Page Designer and you should see the page look a lot better.

    Publish pages

    The last thing to do before we push these Programmatic SEO pages into production is customize the SEO tags - title, description and most importantly the URL.

    In the SEO tab:

    1. Update Slug URL to be: /summary/{{Book Title}}
    2. Update Meta Title to be: {{Book Title}}
    3. Update Description to be:
    {{Book Title}} is a great book to read for any budding new founder out there. Sign up for Bookify for more book summaries.

    Set up SEO in Engyne

    There we have it! Our amazing collection of Programmatic SEO pages put together in Airtable.