The SEO benefits of product pages can often be overlooked, with many just offering basic product details, photos and a brief description.
So how can you make the most of them from a search marketing perspective?
Here are some suggestions...
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Unique product descriptionsAvoid simply reproducing the manufacturer’s product description as several other sites will probably be using it already. It may be easier but will not help you move up the rankings as search engines will mark it down as duplicate content.
A unique product description should not only help your conversion rate, it should also allow you to attract more search traffic.
In addition, a slightly lengthier product page will enable you to use more of your most important keywords and phrases. This could improve your rankings for a range of terms.
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Use keywords in URLsMany online retailers, especially those with large product ranges, use dynamic databases, which can produce some ugly, lengthy URLs which bear no relation to the product.
Adding related keywords to your product page URLs will help them rank more highly in search engines, as well as making them more understandable.
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Use customer product reviews
Customer reviews can not only help persuade shoppers to make purchases, they can also be very useful for SEO.
Adding them is a good way to ensure that your product pages are filled with unique content - just what search engines are looking for.
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Make sure product pages are just a couple of clicks away
This is good practice anyway as it will allow customers to find products more quickly, but it also makes it easier for search engine crawlers to access these pages. -
Optimise your images for SEO
With the introduction of universal search, more and more images will be popping up in the search results, so every image on your product pages should be optimised.
Optimise your product photos with descriptive, keyword-rich file names and ALT tags. Also, descriptions of your images will help the visually impaired.
Related research:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Best Practice Guide
Search Engine Marketing Buyer's Guide
Search Engine Marketing Report
E-commerce Platforms Buyer's Guide
Related links:
Video: Dr Dave Chaffey's SEO tips
Related stories:
Simplifying SEO - Five laws of effective search engine optimisation
The biggest secret about SEO
Graham Charlton is Editor at Econsultancy. Follow him on Twitter or connect via Linkedin or Google+.
Recommended reports
SEO Best Practice: Index Inclusion
The SEO Best Practice: Index Inclusion Guide is part of Econsultancy's renowned SEO Best Practice Guide and is has been created with the help and frontline insight of globally-esteemed SEO practitioners, in order to give you the edge in your natural search marketing activity.
Alternatively, see our Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Best Practice Guide or UK Search Marketing Statistics.
Director of Search at Branded3
12:01PM on 18th February 2008
Another key tip is to make sure you handle expired products in a search engine friendly manner:
http://www.blogstorm.co.uk/how-to-handle-expired-product-listings-on-your-website/
Editor at Econsultancy
12:04PM on 18th February 2008
Thanks Patrick, good tip.
Internet Marketing Manager at Optimised Media
9:29AM on 19th February 2008
Make good use of the title tag on every page.
Kaya , Optimised Media
12:40PM on 19th February 2008
excellent tips... in addition to the above tips there are few other basic factors that could make the site visible in search engine...
http://www.retail-ecommerce.com/2007/11/sure-fire-strategies-of-e-commerce-seo.html
6:50AM on 28th February 2008
The biggest thing to worry about when optimizing product pages is avoid using cookie cutter or boiler plate content ANYWHERE on the page. Never in titles, descriptions of the page content itself.
4:42AM on 28th July 2009
Its not easy optimizing the products, thanks
8:22AM on 2nd August 2009
A very good tip. thanks patrick. i know it's not easy optimizing the products but i hope this tip will help..
-peter
7:32PM on 15th September 2009
Great tips.
Having product names instead of product ids in dynamic urls is a good practise and try to keep the url lengths less than 80 characters.
7:29AM on 5th January 2010
Many internet marketers will claim that their internet tips will guarantee you the "holy grail" of internet marketing which is the top spot on Google. Realistically, no one knows Google's secret algorithm and the people who "guarantee" a top spot on Google are selling you a scam. The secret to SEO is simply beating the other guys.
10:37AM on 10th February 2010
good tips...
thanks
7:47PM on 15th October 2010
I sell party plates, how can i make product descriptions about them, its hardly exciting?
Do i need to use the party plate keyword a couple of times in the description?
9:54PM on 19th April 2011
Very useful comments here about making decent descriptions, what about using your own photo's too it's amazing how many sites use the same photos of a particular product.