The 8 Do's and Don'ts of SEO for Ecommerce Product Pages
Do you have an ecommerce site that depends on organic traffic? Then you know all too well the importance of ranking high in search engines, and what can happen if you don’t rank well.
1) Keyword research
Here are the eight things you must do when optimizing your product pages to ensure they’re ranking highly in Google: -Stay on-topic. If a page is filled with content about cat food, yet contains an ad for flashlights, Google might not rank it as highly in the SERPs. Likewise, use appropriate keywords within titles, H1 tags, and throughout the body copy. -Speak like a human being. Use words that your customers would actually type into Google when searching online or use words that make sense to you as a seller. -Don’t overuse keywords. It will only annoy both readers and search engines. Instead, sprinkle keywords in strategic locations where they're relevant to the overall topic. -Use keyword variations. For example, if dog food is one of your main keyword phrases then consider including puppy chow, kibble, and other variations so that all relevant searches will find your site. -Include keywords in title tags (H1).
-Choose descriptive meta descriptions instead of generic ones such as This item has been added to cart. A well written meta description should include any relevant information such as size, color options, etc., while also highlighting why someone should buy this specific item from you instead of elsewhere online. Make sure to include a strong call-to-action as well! Avoid using too many exclamation points or irrelevant links.
Next up, optimize your images! In order to rank higher in image searches, avoid using stock photos and blurry pictures that offer no value whatsoever. Focus on high quality photos that show off what the product is about, such as those showing the packaging of makeup products or the models wearing clothes purchased from your store. Lastly, always offer social proof! Showcase customer reviews and ratings by either displaying them prominently below product listings or linking back to another webpage with more reviews and testimonials.
2) Page titles
- Create a product title that captures the customer’s attention
- Use keywords in your product titles
- Write a compelling, clear product description
- Ensure to be up to date with Google guidelines on keyword use
- Optimize photos and videos uploaded to the page by including text in the file name or title, adding alt text, descriptions for videos & providing captions.
- Including reviews on ecommerce product pages will help convert customers into sales. Ask customers if they would like to share their review with other shoppers who might be interested in their products.
- Offer special offers on newly launched products and these discounts can help convert new customers into lifetime buyers. Encourage visitors to purchase before the deadline expires. Create urgency by highlighting how much time is left. Be careful not to let urgency overshadow trustworthiness and quality of the item, however. Customers will often wait until an item has been around for a while before purchasing it, just to ensure that it is worth their money. A countdown timer ticking down doesn’t necessarily mean you are getting better deals because there are no limits as to how long an offer will last. Products also tend to sell out faster when there is a rush due to people wanting the deal than when it isn't timed. Make sure that you don't overwhelm potential customers with too many offers at once and remember, always give them something else they want besides the one thing they came for!
3) Tags and Descriptions
Is your ecommerce product page providing visitors with the information they need to buy from you? If not, you're missing out on a significant opportunity to increase revenue. According to our research, ecommerce sites get an average of 50% of their website traffic from organic searches. Here are the do's and don'ts of optimizing your product pages: 1) Don't ignore keywords in your tags and descriptions.
2) Don't use too many keywords or keyword phrases without variation (aim for three per page).
3) Do add keyword rich links to other pages on your site that make sense to include.
4) Don't forget mobile optimization; it will impact 40% of all web traffic by 2017!
5) Check Google’s My Business Listing - have you claimed it yet? The more listings you have there, the better off you'll be in search results. And yes, this means if someone is searching for a location near them or for directions, Google will list those results first in its map search result if those are listed on My Business Listing. Make sure you update and verify these as well.
6) Do add images to your product pages; they can increase conversions up to 80%.
7) Don't miss out on voice search, which has grown 400% since 2011! Add content so people can talk about your products through social media channels like Facebook and Twitter. These channels are another place where people might find you when looking for something related to what you sell - make sure the text there matches what someone would say about what you offer.
4) Image Alt Text
1. While it is tempting to be creative with product titles, use keywords that have the highest chance of ranking highly in Google search results pages.
2. Give each product a unique title, meta description, and a succinct copywriting-style description to provide more information about the product that would not be found on the title alone.
3. Fill out all available fields for each URL’s metadata attributes with as much relevant text as possible to make these pages rank high in search engine results pages or SERPs (such as those from Google). For example, if you are selling new cell phones and want your page to rank higher than other pages selling used cell phones, enter new into the Used/Collectible field. You can also enter relevant synonyms or phrases if you don't know how to spell them exactly. For example, men's leather boots could also be spelled mens leather boots. 4. Capitalize letters at the beginning of sentences in any text content so that words will pop up when someone searches for them in Google Search Engine Results Pages. 5. Use lists sparingly; they are difficult for people to scan through without reading every line carefully because they lack paragraphs which help break up content visually 6. Bulleted points should only have one sentence per point 7. Only capitalize the first letter of words in bulleted points - or else they won't appear properly when being searched by Google. 8. When using color, select shades that contrast well with black font color to make them stand out better on white backgrounds 9. Try to keep your product descriptions less than 350 words 10. Break up longer descriptions with subheadings 11. Include video links 12. Always include a price range 13. Avoid using 'old' terms such as new & improved or better, instead try brand new 14. Include both cost and dimensions for physical products 15. Put the most important details near the top of the product description 16. If a customer is having trouble finding what they're looking for, suggest items related to their search query 17. Include images 18. Have a clear add to cart button 19. Provide coupon codes 20. Remember: It takes time to build trust and gain recognition from customers
5) Copywriting
- Be descriptive with your product descriptions. Provide a detailed description of your product, including features and benefits. Include social media tags and website links if you have them to make it easier for shoppers to find what they are looking for.
- Use keywords throughout the description such as our best-selling product or for lovers of....
- Encourage people to buy by giving them an incentive such as free shipping or special offers
- Include search terms that customers may be using in their queries. This is because many times shoppers will search on words that relate more directly to their particular needs
- Connect with your followers by sharing product releases, promotions, sales, etc through posts on your blog, Twitter feed, Facebook page, email list etc. - Allow buyers to leave reviews and ratings about products, which not only gives potential buyers an idea of how others feel about the product but also increases trust between seller and buyer.
- Post new content regularly so that visitors know there is always something new available from your store.
- Have a clear call to action so that customers know exactly what they should do next. For example: Shop Now! or Start Shopping Here!
- Have a high resolution photo gallery on each product page. It is important to include zoomable photos so that shoppers can see all the details clearly. Make sure your photos show what is included in the purchase price and that everything looks good enough to purchase.
- Offer incentives for leaving reviews of your products, such as discounts or prizes (e.g., gift cards). Reviews help build customer confidence in buying your items as well as give sellers feedback about any issues with their products or service levels.
6) Breadcrumbs
#1- Build a Better Crawler
Crawling is the essential process to understand how well your site is performing, with this you can see how long it takes a Google bot to crawl through your pages, what their average visit duration is, and if they're indexing any images. You can monitor page load time which will show you an insight into what speeds your customers are experiencing. You also get to see how many Google queries each page gets (though they're still not revealing exact figures). #2- Be Strategic with Schema Markup Your product pages should have Product Description as the most significant heading on the page to be rendered in HTML. It should list specifications such as size, weight, color variations; care instructions; brand information and more. Item specifics need to be nested under the Product Description header. Additionally, provide links that correspond with other relevant content like warranties or shipping policies or sizing charts within the description so customers know where to find them quickly. You may want to include URLs linking back to manufacturer sites or distributors’ sites for large purchases. For reviews, make sure your link includes REVIEWS in the title and then provides two-three lines of summary text before providing a hyperlink to a full review on another website. Lastly, make sure you use H1 tags throughout the page including when referring to specific products.
8) Geo Targeting
● Location targeting will allow your company to advertise their products in specific areas in order to build more awareness about your services.
● Geotargeting is not limited to geographical locations, you can also target people by the languages they speak or from a certain age group.
● Make sure you're providing information in the appropriate languages to appeal to users that are browsing websites in their own language. You might have an audience that speaks only Spanish but have your website entirely in English, this would be a wasted opportunity. If you do need to use another language on your site make sure it's translated properly so there are no misunderstandings. Also, remember that if you're targeting customers who speak one language and those who don't then provide the text in both languages. Always offer content written in native-speakers' first languages. For example, if you're selling something to the French market and all of your pages are in English, Google may not index them well because they'll look like they're only relevant to speakers of other languages. On the other hand, translating pages into many different languages will increase load times and bandwidth usage on your site while also making search engines work harder at indexing pages that were created with different algorithms. The best way to handle this situation is with targeted translations: get keywords right without changing meaning too much. For example New York City can become La Nouvelle-Orléans which has similar meaning but is spelled differently enough for Google Translate to understand what it means automatically. If you want to translate pages for other markets where translation technologies might struggle, try hiring a freelancer (like we did!) since translation costs are minimal compared to time spent developing complicated localization tools. Google Newsstand:
● Keep your headlines compelling! A headline is important because it draws attention and defines the content within. For example: 5 Fantastic Websites To Help Find Great Movies draws attention through its use of words like fantastic and great. A boring headline such as 5 Websites To Find Movies wouldn't catch anyone's eye and nobody would click on it (or worse, think that the page was actually telling them how to find movies).
Don’t forget quotes!
7) Products Categories
Product categories are also very important. For example, if you sell beauty products but your category is in the top left hand corner of the site and it’s hard to find products in this category, then most likely you will lose potential customers. On the other hand, if you have a product category called Brands at the top right, people will be able to easily find all their favorite brands in one place.
If you're having trouble deciding where to place your category boxes on your site, think about how customers interact with a brick-and-mortar store as well as what they search for online. Use that knowledge to help you make good decisions about placement on your website. Let's say you're selling women's clothing - it would be helpful to know that women are more likely to search by type (casual, formal) than by brand. The same holds true for shoes: shoppers might look for casual shoes or running shoes. Using these factors in making decisions about category placement can provide your customers with an easier shopping experience. For instance, someone who wants to buy women's clothes won't have to do much searching when they see Casual Clothing and Formal Clothing placed next to each other. They'll also be able to see all brands of jeans displayed together in the denim category box.
Another thing you want to take into consideration when designing your product pages is keyword density. You should strive for anywhere from 2% - 3% keyword density throughout your page content, including titles, headers, headings, text descriptions and tags. Some people go even higher! It helps Google figure out what your page is about so it knows which words are more relevant than others. A great way to measure this is by using Word Count Tools Online. Here's an example from Macy's
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