SEO has always involved finding a balance between search engines’ needs and user desires.
E-commerce pages must achieve this delicate equilibrium to increase both visibility and traffic while increasing conversions.
In this article, I’ll go over five areas to pay attention to when it comes to creating e-commerce product pages with tips on how to implement key tactics.
Benefits of SEO-Friendly Product Descriptions
Before we dive in, let’s explore the benefits of crafting compelling e-commerce product pages:
1. More Visibility in the Search Results
Optimizing your product pages increases the likelihood of your page having more visibility in search engine results.
This improved visibility allows potential customers to find your products more easily, driving organic traffic to your site.
Remember: The top three spots in the organic listings on the search results page consistently garner the most clicks.
Read: The Latest on Click-Through Rate by SERP Position
2. Better User Experience
Well-crafted product pages provide valuable information to visitors, enabling them to make informed purchase decisions.
By addressing their pain points, overcoming objections and delivering a clear value proposition, you enhance the overall user experience and build trust with your audience.
Not only that but the way a page performs (whether it’s fast or slow, for example) can directly impact user experience and bounce rate.
3. More Conversions
Simply put: Compelling product pages boost conversion rates.
And since conversions are the primary goal of a product page, it’s important to put as much effort into those pages as possible.
5 Areas to Focus on When Creating E-Commerce Product Pages for Search Engines and Visitors
While you could constantly tweak your product pages (and you should be based on data) the following gives a solid foundation to start:
- Target audience research
- Compelling, optimized product description
- Stellar visual resources
- On-page optimization
- Engaging extras
1. Target Audience Research
Understanding your target market is essential in marketing and SEO alike.
Acknowledging your target audience’s needs, preferences and issues will allow you to create content that resonates with them.
If you haven’t already, it’s time to conduct thorough market research on their demographics, interests, online behaviors and more.
Use this knowledge to tailor your product page content and address your audience’s objections and concerns within the product page. Also, write in a tone of voice that they can relate to.
Imagine you sell sensitive skin skincare products. Your product page would need to emphasize their gentle ingredients and showcase testimonials by customers with similar skin types. Additionally, it must address common complaints such as allergies or irritations.
Read: 3 Steps to Define Your Target Audience for Your SEO Program
2. Compelling, Optimized Product Descriptions
Product descriptions are at the core of any successful product page. Consider these aspects when writing it:
- Write unique and compelling content
- Create short and long versions
- Use heading tags
- Focus on features and benefits
- Use bullet points
- Include FAQs
- Customer reviews and star ratings
1. Write Unique and Compelling Content
Ensure that your product descriptions are original and distinct from the manufacturer’s descriptions.
This not only helps avoid duplicate content issues but also allows you to present your offerings in a more compelling way, highlighting their unique selling points.
For some e-commerce sites, this can be a monstrous task. The use of tools like ChatGPT may be able to help speed up the process and save money, too.
2. Create Short and Long Versions
Include both a summary and in-depth explanations of your product to address those looking for quick information as well as those who prefer deeper coverage.
As shown below, one way of handling it may be providing an initial description and then opening a menu when users require additional details.
3. Use Heading Tags
Use proper headings and subheadings on the page (such as H1, H2, H3, etc.) to improve readability and guide users (and search engines!) through the content.
Read: What Are Heading Tags and Why Are They Important to SEO?
4. Focus on Features and Benefits
E-commerce websites tend to focus on product features, but it’s important that they also highlight product benefits in meeting audience needs.
Demonstrate how your product can make life better for its target customer by showing how it solves their issue or makes their experience easier.
You can come to a conclusion for each feature by asking “So what?” (As in what does that feature allow them to do?).
For instance, if you’re selling a high-end camera, your product description could emphasize features such as the resolution, advanced autofocus system and image stabilization.
The benefits of those features could be capturing crystal-clear photos and smooth videos, enabling users to create professional-grade content effortlessly.
5. Use Bullet Points
Use bullet points to break down information into easily scannable and digestible sections. This format allows users to quickly grasp the key features and benefits of the product.
6. Include Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer any queries customers might have.
Incorporate FAQs in a section on the page to provide clarity and alleviate any doubts.
You can use tools like the “People also ask” section of the Google Search results and Answer the Public to help figure out questions people are asking.
Also, don’t underestimate the power of talking to your sales and marketing folks to discover FAQs you can incorporate.
(Remember to use schema to markup the FAQs if you do have them – more on that later.)
3. Stellar Visual Resources
Visual elements play a big role in capturing people’s attention and providing value. When creating an e-commerce product page, consider the following visual resources:
- Use quality product images
- Optimize your product images
- Include product videos
1. Use Quality Product Images
Invest in high-resolution product images that showcase the product from various angles.
For clothing, you might consider images featuring ****** with diverse body shapes to demonstrate how the product looks on different people.
For other products, you could show them placed in different settings, so a person could imagine and connect with different scenarios.
These images should be visually appealing, accurately represent the product and entice potential customers to make a purchase.
2. Optimize Your Product Images
Always put in place SEO best practices for image optimization.
This includes things like compressing images to ensure fast loading times without compromising quality, adding descriptive alt text and file names, structured data markup, and much more.
Read: How to Improve Google Image Search Ranking
3. Include Product Videos
Incorporate videos that showcase the product in action or provide informative reviews.
For example, a video showing how a kitchen appliance works, or if you’re a fashion brand, maybe you have internal staff reviewing the product or influencers wearing your clothes.
Your product pages offer you an ideal place to host YouTube videos that you have easily created yourself and embedded.
YouTube can also drive traffic directly to your website, not only from search results.
For example, while Nordstrom.com hosts their own videos, Zappos.com embeds their YouTube videos onto their product pages:
However, it can depend on the goal of the video, and the overall goal of the page.
4. On-Page Optimization
Optimizing your product page for search engines helps them to understand the page better and enables you to better compete in the search results.
Here are a few areas not to miss:
- Unique and compelling meta tags
- Keyword integration
- Structured data
1. Unique and Compelling Meta Tags
Just like your product description content, your meta tags need to have unique and original content.
A couple of reasons why this is important:
- Well-optimized meta tags attract users to click on your listing in the search results.
- Search engines use meta tags to understand what the page is about.
- Duplicate meta tags (that use the same content on multiple pages) can create duplicate content issues, which are bad for SEO.
Follow best practices for meta tag length, and in it, include things like relevant keywords, a concise product description and other essential details.
Read: What Are Meta Tags? Why Are They Important to SEO? How Do You Create Them?
2. Structured Data
Like meta tags, structured data helps to convey to search engines what the page is about.
Including structured data markup, such as the markup found at Schema.org, provides search engines with additional context about your product.
Plus, it enhances your search listing in the results by providing additional information to your audience. This helps you stand out and get more clicks.
One study found that users click on rich results 58% of the time versus 41% of the time for non-rich results.
You can use relevant schemas for e-commerce, such as Product, Offer, and Review to start.
Read: What Is Structured Data and Why Is It Important for SEO?
3. Keyword Integration
Incorporate relevant keywords throughout the page content, including in meta tags, headings, subheadings and body text.
Here you’ll incorporate your long-tail keywords and throw in related terms, plus capture a wider range of search queries and improve the page’s relevance for a search query.
5. Engaging Extras
There are several other factors that contribute to creating an excellent e-commerce product page.
Aside from the standard inclusions like being able to choose size, quantity, color, model, etc, here are eight extras:
- The buy button
- Upsell or cross-sell opportunities
- A sense of urgency
- Chat-based customer service
- Estimation of delivery ****
- Returns and exchange policy
- Customer reviews and star ratings
- Page performance
1. The Buy Button
Even though this may seem obvious, e-commerce websites don’t always make it simple for their users to identify these.
Place the “Add To Cart” or “Buy Now” button on each product page in an easily visible and accessible spot.
Calls-to-action that are clear encourage users to make purchases or take the desired actions.
And there’s plenty of research and debate about which color button converts best if you’re interested.
2. Upsell or Cross-Sell Opportunities
Leverage the product page to showcase related items or suggest complementary products.
For example, if a product needs batteries in order to work, suggest the right batteries. Or, if it’s a clothing item, put it together with other clothing items you sell to show how the buyer can make an outfit.
Gap has different ways it encourages upsells, for instance by completing the outfit like this:
Or suggesting other types of clothing based on related items:
This strategy can not only increase the average order value but also provides users with additional options and enhances their shopping experience.
3. A Sense of Urgency
Displaying stock levels or highlighting limited-time offers can create a sense of urgency and encourage users to make a purchase without delay.
4. Chat-Based Customer Service
Incorporate chat functionality on your product page to provide real-time assistance to potential customers.
Chatbots can handle most of the routine inquiries that people have. When they can’t, visitors can be transferred to a live agent.
This allows people to seek clarification, address concerns, and receive personalized recommendations, ultimately improving the customer experience and increasing the likelihood of a purchase.
5. Estimation of Delivery ****
Knowing when an item will arrive can be a deciding factor for some people.
Provide an estimated delivery **** or shipping timeframe to set clear expectations for your customers.
6. Returns and Exchange Policy
Highlighting hassle-free return options and customer-friendly policies instills confidence in potential buyers, reducing their purchase apprehensions.
According to one study, 49% of shoppers actively check the retailer’s return policy before completing an online transaction.
So clearly communicate your returns and exchange policies on the product page.
7. Customer Reviews and Star Ratings
Genuine reviews and ratings help potential customers gauge the quality and satisfaction level associated with your products, ultimately influencing their buying decisions.
Include customer reviews and star ratings to establish social proof and build trust among your website visitors.
And don’t forget to mark up your review with schema.
8. Page Performance
Making sure the actual webpage provides a good user experience is critical.
This includes things like dialing in your core web vitals, page speed, and mobile friendliness.
While a technical venture, this is a step you don’t want to ignore, as poor performance can lead to fewer conversions.
According to Portent research, a site that loads in 1 second has a conversion rate 3x higher than a site that loads in 5 seconds.
Read:
Put the Effort into Your Product Pages
Your product pages are the cornerstone of an e-commerce website, so track their metrics and experiment with some of the tips outlined here to see their effect on organic traffic.
Our SEO experts can help your e-commerce website drive more organic traffic and conversions. Reach out to us to schedule a FREE 1:1 consultation.
FAQ: What are the benefits of crafting SEO-friendly product descriptions for e-commerce pages?
With hundreds of online shops competing for consumer attention, your e-commerce site must stand out among them all and gain their notice. To meet this goal, make your shop memorable by making an impressionable first impression and drawing their eye.
One effective way to achieve this is by crafting SEO-friendly product descriptions. These descriptions not only cater to search engines but also engage potential customers, ultimately leading to increased sales and brand loyalty.
Improved Search Engine Visibility:
SEO-friendly product descriptions incorporate relevant keywords, allowing search engines to understand your content better. As a result, your e-commerce pages are more likely to rank higher in search engine results, leading to increased organic traffic.
Targeted Traffic Generation:
By strategically using keywords that align with your products and target audience’s search queries, you attract more qualified visitors to your website. This means that people who are genuinely interested in your offerings are more likely to find your e-commerce store.
Enhanced User Experience:
Crafting SEO-friendly product descriptions involves creating clear, concise, and informative content. This not only satisfies search engine algorithms but also provides potential customers with the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions, enhancing the overall user experience.
Higher Conversion Rates:
When your product descriptions are optimized for SEO, they attract the right audience and set the right expectations. This alignment between customer intent and product offerings increases the likelihood of converting visitors into paying customers.
Competitive Edge:
In the highly competitive e-commerce landscape, SEO-friendly product descriptions can give you a distinct advantage. If your competitors overlook this aspect of their online presence, you can capitalize on their oversight and draw more customers to your store.
By focusing on crafting SEO-friendly product descriptions, you establish your e-commerce website as a reliable and trustworthy source of information and products. Your increased online visibility and targeted traffic allow you to reach a broader audience and position your brand as an industry authority.
Consider these steps for optimizing an SEO-friendly product description:
Step-by-Step Procedure:
- Identify relevant keywords and phrases for your products using keyword research tools or professional assistance.
- Conduct competitor analysis to see how they approach product descriptions and find areas for improvement.
- Keep product descriptions concise and informative, highlighting unique selling points and benefits.
- Utilize headings, bullet points, and formatting to enhance readability and user experience.
- Incorporate long-tail keywords and variations to capture specific customer queries.
- Avoid keyword stuffing and focus on natural language and readability.
- Optimize product images with alt text and descriptive file names to improve search engine visibility.
- Write unique descriptions for each product, avoiding duplicate content issues.
- Regularly update and refresh product descriptions to stay relevant and competitive.
- Test and analyze the performance of product descriptions to make data-driven improvements.
By following these steps, you can create compelling and SEO-friendly product descriptions that drive valuable traffic, improve conversions and propel your e-commerce business to new heights of success.
