How to Optimize Your Products for Search Engines
May 19, 2021
Advertising can get expensive, and it can be kind of tough to get a good return with product advertising alone. But if your online store has a really good organic reach and visibility, you’ll have a great source of low-cost, high-quality leads actively searching for the products you’re offering.
This is accomplished through product SEO.
What is product page SEO?
In essence, product page SEO is really just about optimizing the content on your product page so that it’s more visible and you’re getting traffic to your site.
Your e-commerce website is your 24-hour salesperson. By doing product page SEO, you’re making an investment to make it more effective, get more traffic and sell more products.
The elements of product page optimization
Keyword research
Before you can start optimizing your product pages, you need to know which keywords you’re optimizing them for.
Start by thinking about the search terms consumers may use to find your product online, and then enter them into the Google search bar. Google will give you recommendations on similar keywords others have searched.
Think of SEO in two parts — one is for the search engines, and the other is for the user. The search engine is relying on the keywords you use in order to identify how to rank your product page.
In order to rank for relevant keywords on search engines, you should use them in your product titles, descriptions, title tags and meta descriptions, etc., but it’s also important to keep your customers in mind and only use keywords when you can do so naturally.
Product title
We see a lot of online stores with crafty titles and unique product names. And while that’s cool, it’s also not really helping when it comes to SEO.
In order to create a product title that stands out but still carries SEO value, think about the term people are actually searching for and put your own spin on it. Remember, it’s better to keep product titles generic and descriptive than it is to be creative or have unique product titles.
Describe your products as much as possible in your title. And, if you’re not quite sure, do some research on other products that are similar to what you’re selling.
You’ll likely find that a lot of your competitors have already done the heavy lifting for you. That’s not to say that you should use the exact same titles they are using, but seeing what your competitors are doing is a good place to start.
Product description
Your product description is really where you can make your products shine by highlighting its features and benefits, and reinforcing your brand’s story and voice.
Fully describe the features that make your product stand out, as well as the benefits of using it. And if you have some fun brand content or a story, put it in there. This is really your time to sell what your product is all about.
It’s important to use keywords in your description, but it’s even more important to keep it natural.
You don’t necessarily have to use exact-match keywords. Google is smart enough to understand that a floral sundress is the same as a floral summer dress for women.
Keep long tail keywords (longer, more specific search phrases, like “floral summer dress for women”) in mind, but don’t worry about trying to make them fit exactly.
Also, sprinkle in short tail keywords (broader, more general and competitive keywords, like “sundress”) wherever they fit naturally. These keywords are much harder to rank for, and it will take longer, but it doesn’t hurt to use them when you can.
Above all, focus on providing a lot of value and informing customers about the product. Talk about what it’s made out of, warranty, durability, how to care for it, etc. instead of just focusing on how to use keywords.
Product images
Product images are the first thing a customer will see when they land on your product page, and it’s important to get them right.
Here are a few basic guidelines to keep in mind when it comes to product images:
- Don’t use stock images or images from the manufacturer’s website if possible. Hire a professional to take high-quality photos of your products.
- Capture your products from lots of different angles, and be sure to get up-close images to highlight key details.
- Get pictures of people using or wearing your products to demonstrate real-life usage.
Your product images help to set your customers’ expectations and are a great way to show off the quality of your product. Invest in high-quality product photos.
Pro tip: If you can, showcase your product by including a product video. This is, without a doubt, the best way to demonstrate the real-world benefits of using your product. Best of all, you can optimize your product videos for YouTube (which is the second-largest search engine!) and start ranking there as well.
Alt image tags
Google uses alt image tags when ranking images in a Google image search. They are also used to describe the contents of an image to a visually imparied user.
When people are searching in Google Images, you have a strong possibility of showing up first if you optimize the alt image tags of your product images.
Using keywords in alt image tags is important; however, make sure your tags are descriptive and natural above all else.
Product reviews
When you’re selling products online, social proof is huge.
Consumers who shop online are making a purchasing decision without being able to touch it or see it firsthand. That’s why they rely heavily on what other people have to say about the product.
Including product reviews on your product page will harness the power of social proof and help to make the page convert at a higher rate.
Positive feedback is great, but negative feedback can also be valuable. If you’re getting a lot of negative reviews on a product, listen to it, go back to the drawing board and figure out how to improve it. Or, look for another product that will better meet your customers’ needs.
Not only are reviews a key part of the trust factor, but they’re also important from an SEO perspective.
Reviews are additional content on the page. Google favors pages with fresh content, so if you’re constantly getting more reviews, you’re constantly refreshing the page with new content. That can help immensely with the organic visibility of your products.
Make a conscious effort to get more reviews. One of the easiest ways to do this is by following up with an automated email after a purchase asking for feedback.
Product SEO is just one of the many aspects of e-commerce marketing. Marketing 360® is a singular platform that has all of the tools you need to manage and grow your online store, from social media marketing to payment processing and management. See our plans and pricing.
Get Plans and Pricing Below
Get the know-how to get ahead
Get business, marketing and sales tips written by experienced industry practitioners. 100% free. Cancel anytime.