Optimizing product pages for SEO

10 July 2024

Reading time: 10 minutes

Senior SEO-specialist

A good product page is essential. With a good product page, SEO is properly applied and customers are attracted. This article is about how to optimizing SEO for product pages .

A word in advance: When optimizing product pages for SEO, I focus even more on delivering value to the visitor, not to Google. After all, this is the end station in the customer journey. Optimizing too much here and losing conversions for a higher position in Google would be a shame.

Table of contents show

Checklist for product page SEO

To create a good product page for SEO, the checklist below is very helpful.

Priority	Checklist item	Brief explanation
High	Page title with a keyword	Write a relevant, concise title with the main keyword.
High	Meta description	Write an attractive meta description with keywords.
High	Mobile display	Make sure the page is optimized for mobile devices.
High	Loading speed	Optimize images and scripts for fast load times.
High	Clear call-to-action (CTA).	Make the CTA eye-catching and use active language.
Medium	Optimized product descriptions	Integrate keywords and make the text customer-oriented.
Medium	Use of Schema Markup	Use structured data for better SERP display.
Medium	Internal link structure	Create links to and from relevant pages and products.
Medium	Customer reviews and ratings	Show reviews and ratings for social proof and additional content.
Low	SEO-friendly URL	Provide a clean, understandable URL with relevant keywords.
Low	Images with alt texts	Add descriptive alt text to all images.
Low	Video Content	If possible, include relevant videos.

Checklist for optimizing product pages for SEO.

Take the above checklist as a starting point for SEO optimization. The combination of the above points ensures that a product page provides a good user experience and will rank higher in search results.

SEO basics for product pages

The basic elements in the table are essential to improve SEO. Product pages look a lot like regular pages, so many of the things will be universally applicable. Below is more information about the items and what they must meet.

Page title with a keyword

The page title of a product page is very important because it is the first thing the customer sees, both in the search results and on the landing page. This title should make it clear what the website offers and why it is important. The title tag should be relevant and clear.

To attract attention, it is smart to make the customer curious. Moreover, a good title is important for SEO and helps the website rank higher in Google. The maximum length for a page title is 57 characters.

Meta description

A meta description is a kind of elevator pitch in which you can briefly entice customers to visit a Web site. Make sure the description is written concisely and strongly and include a relevant keyword. A clear call-to-action should also not be missing. A page title should be about 57 characters and a meta description about 130 characters for optimal results.

SEO and user-friendly URL

Make sure the URL describing the product is clean and clear about the content of the site. Avoid complicated characters and cluttered sentences. A good URL helps customers understand what is being offered on the website. Thus, the URL should not only be SEO-friendly, but also user-friendly.

Powerful product descriptions / product texts for SEO

When basics of a website are in order, more detail can be looked at. One of the most important parts, is the product description. This is the perfect place to share more information about the product and name its benefits.

Be careful here: the content should not be optimized too much for SEO. After all, this is really the customer’s end station (hopefully) and this is where the customer can make a purchase. Optimizing the product page too much for SEO will also potentially negatively impact conversion.

Use of keywords

Use relevant keywords, but do not lose sight of the quality and readability of a text. Write the texts naturally and make sure the keywords are incorporated organically.

By the way, keyword density is not the most important thing to me, what is important besides this number is the spread of the keyword across the text.

Emphasize the USPs

For page conversion, it is important to highlight USPs. Make it clear why this product is better than competitors’ products. This will convince a customer to choose this particular product.

Readability and scannability

Nowadays, customers have an ever-shorter attention span and, above all, content must be scanned and read quickly and easily. Use short paragraphs with clear headings and make use of bullet points. This way, the customer can quickly scan through the text and extract the information, even if the customer does not read the text in its entirety.

In addition, the content should not be too short – keep a minimum of 300-400 words. Also, the content must be unique. A common mistake with product pages is to use standard product descriptions that are repeated over and over again. When considering content length, pay particular attention to what the level of competition is and what these competitors are doing in this area.

My top tips for product copy for SEO

Below are my top tips for writing quality product copy to rank higher in Google.

Priority	Tip	Description
High	Keyword research	Use tools such as Google Keyword Planner to find relevant keywords.
High	Use keywords strategically	Integrate keywords into the product title, first paragraph, headings, and meta description.
High	Write unique and valuable content	Make sure each product description is unique and offers real value to the reader.
Medium	Optimize product images	Use relevant file names and alt text for images.
Medium	Use internal links	Link to other relevant products or pages on your website to improve the user experience and give search engines more context.
Medium	Optimize the meta description	Write an attractive and informative meta description with relevant keywords.
Low	Use user reviews and testimonials	Integrate reviews and testimonials into your product pages to build trust and add relevant content.
Low	Keep mobile users in mind	Make sure your website and product texts are mobile-friendly, given the increasing use of mobile devices for online shopping.
Low	Improve page loading speed	A fast loading speed improves the user experience and is viewed positively by search engines.

Writing product copy for SEO.

The use of image and video material

The use of images and videos also contributes to website optimization. The images and videos help in the layout of the website and give customers a good and realistic picture of the products offered.

Quality and alt texts under images

To ensure quality, the images should be clear and high resolution and show the product in a representative manner, highlighting every aspect.

Keep in mind that search engines do not see the images, for example, by adding alt texts below the images. Alt texts not only improve visibility in search engines, but also improve accessibility for users.

Visual reinforcement with videos

Videos make products more appealing to customers. Highlights the unique features and benefits of the product. Create short and informative videos that make the potential customer curious. Avoid repetition, however, but instead make sure the videos complement the text and images.

Loading speed and image size

When determining the image size, it is important to consider the loading speed. If the loading speed is too long, chances are that the images or videos will not be viewed.

User experience and conversion

A good product page provides a smoothly intuitive user experience and subtly leads visitors to conversion. This makes the product page easier to find. Use the methods below for a better user experience and increased conversion:

Call-to-Actions (CTAs).

The Call-to-Actions (CTAs) used should stand out and be clear in terms of the information provided. Moreover, the message must be attractive to customers. CTA helps guide customers to their desired outcome, whether it is buying a product or signing up for a newsletter.

Reviews and ratings

A good way to show the reliability of the website and products is to use reviews and ratings on the product page. In this way, potential customers see for themselves how the products are evaluated and doubts are dispelled.

Product variations and options

IIn case a product contains multiple variations – think different sizes or colors – it is smart to clearly display all variations to potential customers viewing a particular product. This contributes to user-friendliness for the customer.

Technical SEO components

In addition to quality content, technical SEO components are key to an effective product page. The technical SEO structure drives the page and ensures that the right information is communicated to search engines.

Schema Markup

Schema Markup is a useful tool for SEO experts to give search engines detailed product information. This provides more comprehensive search results as Rich Snippets. These improve a page’s visibility and click-through rate by displaying useful information directly in search results.

Mobile optimization

Nowadays, more and more online purchases are made on cell phones. Therefore, make sure every product page is mobile optimized. This means that load times should be fast and the customer can easily navigate through the page. Moreover, the checkout process should be as smooth as on a desktop.

The impact of loading speed

A how load speed impacts both bounce rate and conversion. All elements of the page should have a high loading speed. Moreover, a website should never sacrifice functionality or design in the process.

Find a good balance here. Again wondering if a high loading rate weighs more than a heavy image. That can vary from one situation to another.

Navigation and internal link structure

To keep visitors on the page longer, an internal link structure and intuitive navigation is key. When optimizing internal links on product pages, be especially careful not to let too many internal links from the product pages point to other pages. This is a good way to distract visitors from the highest goal: convert.

Breadcrumbs

By implementing breadcrumb navigation, it helps users find their way back more easily and better understand the structure of the website. This greatly improves the usability of a Web site and provides a better site structure for search engines.

Preferably incorporate the breadcrumbs into the banner of the product page, located in the upper left corner. Depending on the layout of the site and the specific website, customers are directed back to a relevant page via the breadcrumbs.

Related products

Another way to keep users on the Web site longer is to show related products. This makes them more likely to click on items they would otherwise have overlooked. This increases the chances of conversion.

Internal links

Link product pages with relevant content and other product pages to more easily direct customers to related content or pages. These thus remain more connected. Not only do internal links increase page value, visitors are also provided with relevant additional information.

Summary

By performing the basic steps, an SEO specialist can create a quality product page fairly easily. Combine the elements intelligently and keep optimizing the product page continuously.