SEO for E-commerce Product Pages: 12 Top Tips

Product pages play a critical role in your business, as they are where many of your visitors make their purchasing decisions. The issue here is that a lot of them aren’t doing their job. In one survey, customers said only 56 percent of e-commerce stores offer a good or decent user experience (UX) on product pages.

Your product page shouldn’t be an afterthought. Product page UX is a combination of customer satisfaction and SEO best practices.

You need to optimize your site to attract traffic, and once you get visitors, you need to give them a smooth UX that keeps them on your site. Without both, you don’t get that steady stream of converting customers to keep your business healthy.

With that in mind, I’m going to share 12 ways to get more from your e-commerce product page strategy, with examples.

Key Takeaways

• Category pages let you target high-volume, high-intent keywords that can generate a lot of traffic and revenue for your store. 
• Ensure you choose descriptive product URLs containing important keywords.
• Build hierarchical categories to make it easier for Google to crawl and index your site. Implementing breadcrumb navigation also makes it easier for shoppers to navigate your store. 
• A consistent category page layout improves the user experience and helps customers find exactly what they are looking for. 
• Content is important on category pages but use it sparingly. Make sure any copy you add helps shoppers to make a purchase decision.
• Add trust signals like product reviews, testimonials, and trust badges to improve conversion rates. 
• Use eye-catching images to grab shoppers’ attention and increase click-through rates, along with alt text for SEO and accessibility. 
• Ensure you include clear calls-to-action on your product pages to avoid confusion and drive conversions.

Table of Contents

• Key Takeaways
• 1. Choose Descriptive Product URLs
• 2. Use Breadcrumbs for Easy Navigation
• 3. Include Clear Calls to Action
• 4. Think Speed
• 5. Use Awesome Product Photos and Videos
• 6. Create Concise Copy With Conviction
• 7. Include Trust Signals
• 8. Provide “Things You Might Also Like”
• 9. Don’t Forget Structured Data
• 10. Show Off User-Generated Content (UGC)
• 11. Add FAQs
• 12. Test Your Pages Before Rolling Them Out
• FAQs
• Conclusion

1. Choose Descriptive Product URLs

Want more clicks on your product pages? Then, you need to use descriptive URLs complete with keywords as part of your product page SEO.

By researching and implementing the right keywords in your URLs, customers can have an easier time finding your content, and it gives search engines context for enhanced search rankings and better visibility. 

When optimizing your product pages, use keywords in your title tags, header tags, and meta descriptions. 

Here’s an example product listing URL from Tiffany & Co:

https://www.tiffany.com/jewelry/necklaces-pendants/tiffany-t-diamond-and-mother-of-pearl-circle-pendant-64026844

See the clear, descriptive URL that includes keywords? That’s exactly what you’re aiming for! 

2. Use Breadcrumbs for Easy Navigation

Breadcrumb navigation is a user-friendly way of showing the path your site visitors take to get to their current page and makes it easier for them to retrace their steps to previous pages without using the browser’s back button. 

Here’s an example from Walmart:

Not only does breadcrumb navigation improve the user experience, but it also enhances the structure of your SEO category pages, clearly defining your website hierarchy. This makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index your site, boosting visibility and rankings. Win, win!

3. Include Clear Calls to Action

Your customers are at the finish line and eager to complete their transactions. At this critical stage, confusion can kill.

Ensure your ‘Add to Cart’ and ‘Proceed to Checkout’ buttons are clear, consistent, and obvious. 

One practice here is using a contrasting color so your calls-to-action stand out and spur shoppers on to the next steps, like this example from Amazon:

As for your product page’s SEO, strategically placed call-to-action buttons can help generate leads and drive sales by guiding users to take desired actions.

4. Think Speed

Product pages need to be snappy and responsive. Laggy pages can kill confidence and breed impatience, both conversion killers. That means ditching the overly-designed pages for ones that load fast and respond even quicker. 

Why? 

According to Ahrefs, visitors will leave if your page takes longer than three or four seconds to load. When it comes to page speed, this is also an important component of Core Web Vitals, a set of metrics Google uses to evaluate website UX.

To boost page speed and enhance the SEO for your product pages, keep your site lightweight, free from unnecessary apps, minify files, and limit image sizes.

Keeping your descriptions brief, using a minimalist design, and using economical CSS styles for background and border elements also help with page speed. Consider using a content distribution network and upgrading your web host as well.

5. Use Awesome Product Photos and Videos

We all know a picture tells a thousand words, but they also aid the SEO for your e-commerce product pages. How? Visually appealing images increase engagement, encouraging visitors to spend more time on your page, which in turn signals to search engines that your content is valuable and relevant. 

Remember to include alt text for your images, too. Not only does it make your site more accessible, but it also provides additional opportunities for SEO optimization through the addition of keywords.

Below are some best practices for product page images:

• As Google is the largest search engine, use the image formats it supports like JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, SVG, and WebP.
• Use descriptive file names for your images.
• Minimize video and image sizes.
• Use branded videos.
• Create visually compelling video content that stands up without sound, as many mobile users watch with the sound off.

Look at this example from BOSE: 

BOSE uses sharp and clear images, displaying the headphones from various angles and allowing customers to see the quality of the materials used in the product. 

The listing also follows other best practices for product page images, like clean backgrounds, color variations, consistent branding, lifestyle context images (products shown in real-life scenarios), and interactive elements. 

6. Create Concise Copy With Conviction

You won’t get too far without strong product descriptions and using SEO optimization for your product pages, so let’s ensure that content is top-notch and work hard to help your potential customers.

The table stakes for excellent product page copy are things like:

• Pricing
• Shipping options and delivery times
• Availability
• Sizes and sizing charts
• Color options
• Features and benefits

Next, ensure you’ve got the basics in place. Keep the copy concise and highlight the high points. This helps visitors  find, read, and digest information quickly like this example from the Rocky Mountain Soap Co:

This brand doesn’t ignore opportunities to enhance its SEO for product pages. These include:

• Item descriptions that are ideal for integrating keywords to attract organic, targeted traffic. 
• Clear and concise navigation to further information that avoids overwhelming the reader.
• Usage of bullet points. 
• Adding keywords to your title tags and alt text are also valuable tips.

7. Include Trust Signals

Think about the last time you bought something online. 

Did you look at customer reviews, testimonials, trust badges, user-generated content, or secure payment icons? Did these trust signals influence your purchase decision? 

I’m guessing it did. 

Trust signals are essential for boosting credibility and driving conversions on product pages. When consumers see things like positive feedback or recognizable security, they are reassured that your site is safe and reliable. 

Here’s a good example from La Colombe:

Be sure to take a lesson from La Colombe if you want to boost your product page SEO. Here are a few reasons why:

• Its customer reviews are fresh and unique content that search engines favor, signaling that the site is active.
• Their reviews can include keywords and phrases other potential customers might search , improving the likelihood of your website showing in search results.The reviews help to build trust with potential buyers which can drive sales and improve visibility in the SERPs.

8. Provide “Things You Might Also Like”

Offering personalized product recommendations or suggesting related products your customers may not otherwise have found is a great way to personalize the shopping experience and drive sales. But did you know adding a “you may also like” section can also be a game-changer for your product page SEO?

Take a look at this example from Toms: 

Let’s break down why this section is so valuable:

• Using product recommendations as part of your internal linking strategy enhances the overall site structure, making it easier for search engines to crawl your pages, which can improve your visibility in the SERPs.
• The more engaged people are with your site, the longer they stay. Suggested products can improve engagement metrics like lower bounce rates and increased time on page. These are favorable signals to search engines about your website’s authority and value.
• Related product sections enable you to add more keyword-rich content to improve click-through rates and add opportunities for rich snippets in the SERPs.

9. Don’t Forget Structured Data

Want an easy way to improve visibility, boost rankings, and increase SEO for your e-commerce product pages? Then, help search engines understand your page contents with structured data. 

Structured data is a standardized format that classifies some or all of a page’s content. You’re probably familiar with certain types of structured data, like rich snippets, but you can also use them to improve your SEO for e-commerce product pages, too.

These include:

• FAQs: data about frequently asked questions
• Breadcrumbs: a set of hierarchical site structure links
• ItemList: a list of items like your products
• Store: a list of store information like shipping details and opening times
• Review: reviews of an item

Adding structured data can improve how your website appears in the search results by providing context to the search engines, resulting in a rich result on Google like this:

Providing additional information about the product, such as price and availability, alongside reviews enhances conversions. In addition, using structured data means Google can better match user intent and give searchers more relevant content.

10. Show Off User-Generated Content (UGC)

Along with reviews, video content, customer-submitted FAQs, and image galleries, all make ideal user-generated content.

Fresh and relevant content increases engagement and trust while helping users decide the next step. 

For example, one of the things you’ll see while browsing products on Sephora is smiling, happy customers:

Then, Sephora invites users to upload their images or videos or tag them on social media for a chance to appear in the gallery. The result? More traction on social, fresh, free content for Sephora, and some recognition for its satisfied buyers. 

Visitors can scroll down to the Pinterest-style images in the customer review gallery, click on any image, and read the full review. They can also check out the reviewer’s profile link for more posts.

It’s a great piece of marketing, right? Consider how you can do the same.

11. Add FAQs

Ever wish you had your own customer service agent ready to welcome your visitors? Well, you kinda can by including on-page FAQ sections. This is a powerful tool for boosting conversions right where they matter most—on your product pages. 

Addressing specific product-related questions directly beneath your descriptions can help customers make informed decisions quickly and easily. For example, you could address things like shipping details, delivery times, or size guides.

You can also include a separate FAQ page as a more comprehensive resource for broader inquiries.

Overall, FAQ pages also allow you to highlight your product’s features in a way that is easy for customers to understand.

However, that’s not all. An on-page FAQ section boosts your SEO for product pages because:

• It’s a fantastic method for building internal linking, thus enhancing your product page SEO.
• Enhances the UX by providing quick answers to searchers’ questions.
• Gives you space for more keywords.

Here’s an example from Popupsmart:

12. Test Your Pages Before Rolling Them Out

You’ve worked hard on your product pages, agonizing over the copy, the images, and the layout, and you’re feeling good to go. However, before you roll your site out to the world, it’s imperative to test your product pages to ensure they align with the best practices of SEO for e-commerce product pages.

Below are some tips for testing your pages:

• Use an online tool like Google PageSpeed Insights to test your pages’ speed. Slow-loading pages can frustrate visitors and drive them away from your site.
• Test any forms or other interactive elements on your pages to check they work as expected. You don’t want to lose leads or sales because of a faulty form.
• Before you hit the publish button, give each page a quick once-over. Check for typos, broken links, and missing images.
• A/B test key areas like CTAs, colors, and text to see the best fit for your users.
• Use a responsive design and look at the page in different browsers to see how it renders.

Finally, if you’re using any scripts or other code on your page, test them thoroughly to ensure they work as they should. When you test before launching, every part of your site benefits, from your product page SEO to the UX.

FAQs

How do you enhance a product page content for SEO?

To enhance product page content for SEO, focus on keyword-rich titles and descriptions, use high-quality images with alt text, incorporate user-generated content, and optimize page speed. Additionally, ensure clear calls-to-actions and add an informative FAQ section to boost engagement.

Should I use pipelines for SEO product page titles?

Pipelines (|) can be a great way to balance keywords and readability in your product page titles, but you can use hyphens or a combination of both. Titles should be around 50-60 characters to be fully visible in the search engines, so pipelines can be handy for saving space. However, placing your most important keywords at the beginning of the title is crucial.

Conclusion

Product pages can make or break your e-commerce website. And as a website owner, it’s up to you to create a UX that converts as many visitors into customers as possible.

But it’s not enough on its own.

A fantastic UX has to go hand-in-hand with a successful SEO strategy for your product pages. By experimenting and testing with these 12 tips, like adding breadcrumbs for easier navigation using descriptive, keyword-optimized URLs and including on-page FAQs, you can identify the main conversion drivers on your product pages and create a robust  SEO strategy for your e-commerce product pages.