In short: In an online shop's SEO, categories and product pages matter most. Categories answer broad searches with a clear title, a useful introduction and filters kept under control. Product pages need unique copy, images that explain, concrete information, genuine reviews, well-handled variants and correct structured data.
Someone searching for 'women's waterproof hiking boots' doesn't want a home page. They want a category showing the right boots, or the page for the model they have in mind. Almost all of a shop's useful traffic arrives on these pages. That is why each one deserves individual care.
Categories: the most neglected work
Categories answer broad searches such as 'velvet sofas' or 'organic extra virgin olive oil'. They are the most competitive pages and also the ones that bring in the most new customers.
- A title that says what's there. Use the name customers search for, not your internal one.
- A short introduction above the products that helps people choose: what sets the variants apart and how to find your way. Avoid walls of text at the bottom of the page written for search engines.
- Sensible subcategories. A clear structure helps customers and Google understand how the catalogue is organised.
- Filters under control. Every combination of filters can create a page that is almost identical to another. Decide which ones should be indexed and block the rest.
Product pages
A unique title and description
If you copy the supplier's description, the exact same page exists on a hundred sites. Write what people need to know: materials, sizes and uses. Explain who the product suits and who it doesn't. Useful copy also cuts returns.
Images that explain
Photos from several angles, and close-ups. One showing the product in use. Give files readable names and write alt text that genuinely describes the image: it also helps people who use a screen reader.
Concrete, clearly visible information
Price, availability, delivery times and costs, returns. If customers have to hunt for them, they leave.
Genuine reviews
They help buyers and enrich the page with customers' own words. Show all of them, not just the positive ones.
Well-handled variants
Size and colour don't usually deserve separate pages: a single product page with variants avoids duplicates. If a variant has searches of its own (a much sought-after colour), consider giving it a separate page.
Structured data
Structured data (in Schema.org format) tells search engines explicitly that a page is a product and what it costs. It says whether it is available and what ratings it has. It can appear in results as a price and stars. Shopify and the main WooCommerce plugins generate it, but it needs checking with Google's 'Rich Results Test' tool. The data must match what is visible on the page.
Internal links
- From the category to the product pages, and from the product pages back to the category.
- From a product page to related products that genuinely complement it.
- From the blog to the categories and products it talks about.
Content that brings traffic
Buying guides, comparisons and answers to the questions customers put to your customer service team. The blog isn't there to fill the site: it is there to answer people who aren't ready to buy yet and guide them to the right category.
AI assistants read your site too
Assistants based on artificial intelligence draw their information from pages they find clear. Product pages with precise data and sentences that answer a question on their own are more likely to be cited. Writing for your customers is also the best way to write for the assistants.
A half-hour check
- In Search Console, look for categories with lots of impressions and few clicks: the title probably isn't convincing.
- Open five product pages at random. Are they unique? Do they answer customers' questions?
- Check the structured data on one product page of each type.
- Make sure the indexed pages are the ones you want, not filter combinations.
Further reading: SEO and content · migrating from Magento or PrestaShop · environmental claims
Frequently asked questions
How do you optimise a product page?
With a unique title and description, images with alt text, visible price and availability, delivery and returns information, genuine reviews and Product structured data consistent with the page.
Do you need structured data?
It tells search engines explicitly that a page is a product, what it costs and whether it is available. It can appear in results as a price and ratings. It needs checking with Google's tools.
What should you do with category filters?
Every combination of filters can create near-identical pages. Decide which ones should be indexed and block the rest.