Content for SEO keywords and content for ecommerce are different as copy written to optimize for keywords normally alienates the user while content for ecommerce helps the shopper make a decision by assisting with the shopping process. When you write for the user, the SEO keywords naturally occur making the pages helpful for conversions and friendly for SEO. But it takes talent and practice to get the hang of this.
Once the skill is learned you can build ecommerce pages for long term success vs. having to worry about overoptimization and devaluations with each core update. That is why I’m sharing this post. One of the first things we do when auditing an ecommerce site that got devalued or wants to grow is to un-optimize for keywords and begin optimizing for users and the shopping process.
When we write for the user vs. the search engine, these pages can still rank for the phrases and they help the user for a double win. In some cases we see less product returns and higher conversions because we get the consumer to the right product or service page the first time vs. making them guess or have to return because their purchase was the wrong make, model, or not compatible.
This is also where entity SEO and machine learning come into play. Search engines try to understand the context of the text and how the content will make the person looking for solutions make a good decision. This concept applies to ecommerce and lead gen mostly, but similar concepts apply to publishers, niche sites, and affiliates.
There’s a few things we look for including:
- Questions that are for SEO and not the shopping process for that specific page
- Headers with “best,” “top rated,” “shop,” and other “SEO keywords”
- An overuse of questions
- Content that is not directly related to the category or product
- Copy for the sake of copy
- Topics that should be a blog post vs. existing on a conversion page
Here’s some examples of each and how we change them to help get ecommerce sites ranking or growing again.
Not Related to the Shopping Process
Questions that are not related to the shopping process and are instead a keyword focused statement get removed first. If the collection or category page is for t-shirts, you don’t need the question “what is a t-shirt?” or statement “what a t-shirt is.” The person already knows what one is as they’re looking to shop.
If they were looking to learn what one is or the history of a t-shirt, the better experience is a blog post or detailed guide.
The same goes for keyword stuffed modifiers. Maybe blue t-shirt has the largest search volume, that doesn’t mean add “should I buy a blue t-shirt?” or “the best blue t-shirts.” Instead think about the user experience. The color doesn’t matter in the header for a t-shirts collection or category page as filters and variants handle these for SEO. Instead think about what will help the user make the purchase.
A general page that encompasses all types of t-shirts may have someone that is unsure of choosing between collar types, but chances are they know the color they want.
Have a section dedicated to which situations, styles, or neck and body shapes collars like V-neck or crew-neck work for instead of “blue” or “large.” This helps the user buy the correct option for their needs and simplify the shopping process for a double win. This also creates naturally occurring internal links that guide the shopper to the correct sub page for t-shirts. That is how you build category and collection page copy for SEO, it is about helping the user and not about the keywords.
If you sell multiple blue t-shirts, then build a collection or category for those separately. Don’t try to stuff it into the main t-shirts collection. This is also where you can talk about the different shades of blue, how they contrast, if certain blue dyes or fabrics fade faster or withstand dirt better, etc…
Best, Top Rated, and Shop Headers
One of the things Panda took action on outside of programmatic SEO (which is always a bad idea) is overoptimized content meant for SEO vs. the user on the page. A header like “Best blue t-shirts” or “Top rated blue t-shirts” on an ecommerce or lead gen site is spamming to try and show up for that phrase. It might work at first if your site has a lot of trust, but it will fade and be harder for you to recover in the long run rather than doing it right the first time.
You are an ecommerce or lead gen site, you are not an unbiased third party, and every company and store owner thinks theirs are the best, unless they go for the cheapest. Then they may know it isn’t the best but they’re optimizing for “cheapest,” “under $XY,” or “on sale” phrases. Leave the “best” style headers for the comparison and review sites, focus on being the best and providing the best experience instead. I give examples of this later on.
Compromising with “SEO rumors”, the non-ideal but ok way to do it
Instead of adding these phrases in the headers, use them naturally within the content to help the user. “Wrangler t-shirts are the best t-shirts from this collection for sports as the sleeves protect elbows and we only sell options made from A and B materials that repeal dirt, wick sweat, and offer temperature control. This makes them best for all seasons as they trap warmth in early spring and ventilate for hot summers where cotton crew neck t-shirts don’t.”
I made up the above so it is pure fiction, and I would never publish something like that, but you get the idea. I incorporated best with a use case that helps the user make a decision on which t-shirt to buy. This is a natural incorporation that provides value vs. keyword stuffing with SEO modifiers.
The ideal way to do it
With that said, the above is still a bit spammy, but you have to work within the comfort levels of your brand, and the belief you have to include “best” or “top rated” and other phrases into the content is an ok compromise. In an ideal situation you wouldn’t use them at all unless they happened naturally, and instead you get other sites to call your product lines the best.
Bloggers, shopping lists, media companies, etc… are who create the best of lists as they are not retailers so they maintain “unbiased” reviews. The content is almost never actually unbiased because of affiliate commissions, pay-to-play listcicles, advertorials, etc… Not everyone can get featured, some refuse small brands even when editors want them, and big brands can likely pay their way in.
If they list you naturally (no affiliate links but based on merit) and they are topically related or have your audience, this can send strong signals your product and service lines are in fact the best or top rated. It is much harder said than done, but should in theory build long term success and stable rankings.
Bonus-tip: A lot of these list sites are used to source information for LLMs, by being featured you may find yourself appearing more in AI generated results and content.
Overuse of Questions
When people also ask and FAQ schema were new, questions as headers and bold text popped up all over ecommerce and lead gen pages. Yes, it was easy to game People Also Ask results and it allowed you to deploy FAQ schema more naturally which added space to your SERP result. But this no longer applies.
People also ask also uses machine learning to find a result from within your content, and AI overviews mix and match multiple pieces of content to come up with the best possible results for the question. Stuffing questions in to get rich results may work for a bit, but it is becoming less and less effective and will likely cause you to begin losing rankings in the future. Your content is not helpful when it is written for SEO vs. the user and the algorithms are getting better at detecting it.
Not Related to the Category
If the question or header is able to be applied to multiple categories, collections, or product pages, do not put it on the page. Instead find the highest level in your site structure where it applies to all subpages and subfolders and use it there. Only include headers and topics that are related to that specific page and cannot be applied elsewhere.
If the topic is company and sitewide, it belongs either in your company FAQs or your about page. For specific questions like “how much is shipping” you don’t need an FAQ or a header on a product page, use a design element or page feature including badges or overlays. You can show “free shipping at $XY+” with a badge or add a marker to product images that always qualify. Schema and page features do the work for you here, use your content to help the user make a purchasing decision and the code and design elements sell the modifiers and conversion points.
Copy for Word Counts or SEO
Yes, content on the page is important for SEO. Word counts and minimums are not. Adding more copy does not mean more rankings, and when you start to fall or slip, adding more content will not always fix it. Create content because it helps the user with a solution whether it is information, education, or answers shopping questions. Don’t worry how long it is, worry about how effective and easy-to-absorb it is for the person’s current stage as a customer.
Use Topics on the Correct Page
If the person is shopping for a t-shirt, they don’t need to know what a t-shirt is on the product or category page. That topic is for a blog post. A comparison between two t-shirt styles or fabrics can get a mention on the product or collection page because it helps the person with a decision, but the big and detailed version goes on a landing page or a blog post.
These are information based topics and once you answer the person’s question on the landing page or blog post, give them internal links to your shopping pages to make a purchase. This strategy is about building trust that you have the knowledge or experience, then you use that for your products and services. If your products and product pages meet the needs of the user, and your guide pre-sold them that you know what you’re talking about, you can turn blog content into conversion content.
This is how we differentiate writing content for SEO keywords vs. the user experience for ecommerce SEO. It applies to lead generation companies that offer services whether in person or online, and similar concepts apply to publishers. I hope this post helps you if you’re trying to recover rankings or just getting started in ecommerce SEO.
