SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is essential for improving product page rankings in search engine results pages (SERP) and increasing their visibility among shoppers.
To be well ranked in the SERPs, a product page must be optimized to perfection: targeted keywords, accurate Alt tags linked to images, enriched product data, well thought out Title tag… This product page optimization has become indispensable: 75% of shoppers1 never click beyond the first page of search engine results and the first 5 results receive 68% of clicks2.
Discover 6 essential best practices for improving the SEO of your product pages.
1. Rewrite URLs
On an eCommerce website, it is essential to optimize the URLs of product pages. They must not exceed 90 characters3 and must be customized to the page content: strategic keywords, product name, integration of two or three secondary keywords with a relation to the product (color, sizes, volume…)…
A product page URL must also be correctly structured and legible. Among the major best practices to implement: use lower case letters, use hyphens, avoid special characters…
2. Perfect the Title tag
A product page must contain a perfectly optimized Title tag with 36% of SEO experts3 insisting that this is the most important element to focus on when working on the page's SEO.
Visible through the SERP, shoppers rely on the Title tag to determine whether to click or ignore the link towards a product page. If it is well written, it can appeal to potential buyers and increase the page's click rate.
To optimize the Title tag, you should put the key information in the first 70-71 characters4, in case the tag is clipped by Google. Your Title tag must also be written clearly and include the keywords most likely to enable the Google robots to correctly identify the page topic.
3. Improve the meta description
To optimize the SEO of a product page, it is essential to improve its meta description: 75% of the pages5 appearing in the first results of the Google search engine contain a meta description.
Situated in the SERP under the Title tag and the URL, the meta description is an HTML tag used to describe the page content. To remain visible in the Google search engine, it should not exceed « 140-160 characters6 ».
In an eCommerce context, the meta description is an essential means of persuading shoppers to click the link towards a product page. To gain the attention of the shopper, it should be a sort of « micro-pitch6 ». for the products sold by the company, and present their added value clearly and concisely. On reading the meta description, the shopper must immediately understand how the product can improve their daily life.
4. Enrich the product description
To optimize the SEO of product pages, a company should pay particular attention to the product description.
To rank well in the search engines, a good product description7 should comply with the Google algorithm rules and provide the information required by shoppers. This is why it is so important that it be enriched, well structured (subtitle, H2, H3, H4…) and written with the most appropriate keywords. This optimization effort is essential to allow the shopper to access relevant information in line with their search engine enquiries.
It is also essential to work the product description to adapt it to each sales channel. A business duplicating the same supplier product description on each eCommerce platform may suffer « duplicate content » problems which would have a negative impact on their product pages in SERPs.
5. Optimize images
When optimized correctly, product page images can be seen from Google Image or the image block of Google results pages. They are essential for improved visibility in SERPs.
To best optimize the images, the business should rename the image files at their source with the correct keywords. Once the files have been renamed, the alternative texts (Alt tags) need to be reworked8 to indicate the image content to the Google robots: insertion of strategic keywords, compliance with recommended text length (2 to 4 words9), precise image description relevant to the page topic…
This optimization has become essential for boosting the visibility of a product page: Google Images is the second biggest10 search engine in the world and 62% of generation Z users3 prefer to search through images rather than other search techniques.
6. Improve the ergonomic design
To rank well among SERPs, a product page must attract the attention of shoppers and provide optimal navigation comfort. This is essential as the time spent on a website and the bounce rate are among the most important ranking elements3 according to the Google search engine.
For example, a business must display the tree navigational structure at the top of the product page to allow shoppers to return, at any time, to a specific place in the previous page displayed. They must also place the “Buy now” call-to-action (CTA) above the fold to enable the shopper to access the button without having to scroll through the whole page. The shopper can therefore easily access the information they are looking for and interact correctly with the product page.
To fully optimize a product page, it is essential to have a thorough knowledge of SEO best practices, and to correctly complete and verify each field on the page: URL construction, length of Title tag, naming of Alt tags, detailed product descriptions… When a company is managing hundreds or thousands of product pages, this task can be extremely time consuming and tedious. It becomes essential to use a high-quality software solution specifically designed for these tasks.
1
Vojinovic, I. V. (2021, january 6). 70+ SEO Statistics to Help You Land on the First Page in 2021. smallbizgenius.net.
2
Shelton, K. S. (2017, october 30). The Value Of Search Results Rankings. forbes.com.
3
Henault, J. H. (2020, march 27). 50 faits incontournables pour votre stratégie SEO en 2020. semrush.com.
4
Terenteva, E. T. (2016, august 12). Étude SEMrush : les 11 problèmes de SEO on-site les plus communs. semrush.com.
5
Pecánek, M. P. (2020, october 9). How Often Does Google Rewrite Meta Descriptions ? (New Data Study).
6
Henault, J. H. (2020, may 22). Les basiques du SEO On-Page : la meta description. semrush.com.
7
Roch, D. R. (2019, may 20). L'optimisation d'une fiche produit pour le SEO. semrush.com.
8
Amici, O. A. (2020, november 9). Comment créer du contenu SEO friendly. semrush.com.
9
Amici, O. A. (2020, october 8). Comment bien référencer les images pour le SEO ? semrush.com.
10
Hardwick, J. H. (2020, may 19). Alt Text for SEO : How to Optimize Your Images. ahrefs.com.