How to write product descriptions for SEO and conversions
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Writing product descriptions properly are a key part of any eCommerce SEO strategy. And we’re going to give you access to our own tips and tricks in this blog. If you want to learn how to optimise your product descriptions for SEO and improve conversion rates, keep reading.
If you’re interested in our content writing and SEO services to help give your website an extra boost, give us a shout!
How should product descriptions be written?
The most effective product descriptions are concise and scannable, this approach can improve usability by 124%. Unlike category content, the purpose of this content is to describe the product honestly, without exaggerating benefits.
- Consistent tone of voice: Bold, helpful, professional?
- Write with buyer persona in mind: Commercial or domestic?
- Bullet point format to describe key features and benefits
- Create unique product descriptions for each PDP
- Short sentences (under 20 words)
- Don’t directly replicate descriptions from the manufacturer’s site
- Think about mobile optimisation as well as desktop
Top tip: Research the product you’re writing about and make sure you’ve included all the best benefits and features there is to know. If another site selling the same product provides more information than your PDP, this could cause users to choose a different site.
Formatting product copy
- Write like your reader is in a rush. You’ve got about 20 seconds to convince your reader to buy/hire the product.
- Highlight specific text with bolding and use headers to direct your reader’s attention to key points.
- Use bullets effectively to organise product specifications for clarity.
- Break information into smaller, icon-accented sections to enhance understanding and memory retention.
Integrating keywords
Steer clear of excessive keyword usage, especially in concise descriptions (300 words or fewer). To prevent this, limit your use of the focus keyword to the following:
- Once within the page’s URL
- Once in the title of the product description
- Once or twice within the body text
- Once in the alt image tag
Understand what other keywords the target audience might be using to describe your product. Weave secondary keywords and variations throughout, too.
Content length
There are no set rules on content length. Google recommends a minimum of 300, depending on the complexity of the product (and how many features need shouting about).
- Be mindful of mobile users. Nobody wants to read a novel. Think snappy and impactful!
Best practices demand that you focus on buyer awareness to determine the longevity of content. Here’s how that works:
Low awareness buyers: Not well-informed about your product or realise they need it. More persuasion about the brand and features = a comprehensive product description to enhance their awareness to a point where they are ready to make a purchase.
High awareness buyers: Already well-informed about the product and its relevance to them. Less persuasion = a shorter amount of content to trigger their willingness to buy.
Complexity: The more complex the product, the more need you have for a detailed product description that adequately addresses fears, concerns, and buyer barriers.
What to include in a product description (copy and SEO basics)
The product description should be detailed and informative, highlighting the key features and benefits of the product.
Benefits: Tap into pain points and requirements and provide the solution. Rather than listing features, focus on what the product does to enhance the user’s experience. This makes the product more relatable and desirable.
Example:
“This vacuum has an ergonomic handle.”
Vs.
“Enjoy a comfortable grip with the ergonomic handle for easy vacuuming”
“Vacuum in comfort with the specially designed ergonomic handle”
Persuasive writing is a must in any product description!
FAQs: It’s a list of frequently asked questions that potential customers may have about the product. This can help address any concerns and provide customers with the information they need to make an informed decision.
Product page title
- The product title should be clear, concise and descriptive.
- Use the same language as your customers (technical vs laymans)
- ‘Borrow’ similar terms that are working from competitors on page 1
- It should include the brand name, model, and any other important information.
- This is more important to search engines than users and will serve to aid them in understanding the context of the page from very few characters.
- The Product Page Title should ideally be under 60 characters.
You should try to organise the keywords in the page title to attain as much value as possible through the various terms that users may search for to find this product.
(Read more about effective page titles here!)
Product specifications
Include a list of technical specifications, such as product dimensions, weight, material used, and any other relevant details that are important to the customer.
This is especially important for business-to-business sales. Often, a purchaser will search for the exact dimensions of their desired product. If bulky, this information too, should be kept on page and accessible, but not hinder the visibility of the product above the fold.
Call-to-Action
Make sure to include a clear call-to-action button that stands out and is easy to find. This button should be prominently displayed and encourage customers to take action, such as adding the product to their cart or completing the purchase.
(Need help writing good CTAs? We’ve got more tips on our blog!).
Related products and guides
Include related products or upsells to encourage customers to explore additional options and increase the chances of making a sale. Related products are one of the best ways to keep customers on site, and increase chances of conversion.
You can also provide additional insightful information or user manuals. Link them within the anchor text.
Product comparisons
If you offer similar products, provide a comparison chart to help customers choose the best product for their needs. Charts can really assist the conversion of users who were ambivalent about what they desired, and as above, increases the chance of customer retention on-site.
Social proof
- Starred ratings
- Reviews
- Testimonials
- Client logos
- Case studies
- Certification badges
- Press/publicity
Additional product page SEO basics
So we’ve got the copy nailed, here’s a few other elements you should consider to give your product pages the best shot of ranking well.
User reviews
Highlighting user reviews is a massive trust factor, both for users and search engines. Most purchases will at some point have the purchaser check the reviews for the product.
Display these reviews on the product page, and mark this up with Review Schema to bolster the chances of Google recognising the value in the page.
Make sure to encourage customers to leave honest feedback, and respond to any questions or concerns.
URL structure
Technical SEO is equally as important as your copy. URL Structure is also very important for crawl bots, and also users in the form of breadcrumbs (again, these breadcrumbs need to be accurately marked up with the relevant schema). Ideally, all product pages should sit off of domain/category/product so that the expected flow of authority is followed for the crawl bot, and breadcrumbs can be applied so that a customer may easily refer back if they did not find the product they were looking for.
Internal + external linking best practices for eCom
Often the most overlooked element of any product page is the linking structure. Google connects pages on a website through internal linking. Not only can you improve visibility by linking to your related products, you also make the user journey smoother.
Internal Linking:
Link to related products: Include links to related products or product categories to encourage customers to explore additional options and increase the chances of making a sale.
Use descriptive anchor text: Use descriptive and contextual anchor text that accurately describes the destination page. Avoid generic text such as “click here” or “read more.” where possible.
Link from high-authority pages: Link from high-authority pages on your site, such as the homepage or category pages, to help boost the visibility and ranking of the product page.
Use a reasonable number of links: Don’t go overboard with internal links. Use a reasonable number of links to relevant pages that add value to the user experience. Google has given no perfect ratio or amount of links to be/that should be added, but instead say that you should use common sense. It looks very poor if over 30% of a paragraph is anchor text, for example.
By doing this, You’re displaying both authority and expertise which is E and A of EEAT, which is massive for assisting ranking factors. Also, internal links have a huge impact for users and need to be treated as such.
You want to build a strong network of pages by utilising internal linking to pass authority down to relevant pages that a user would want to see, and create pathways back up from relevant pages to the category pages we’d ideally want to see ranking for conversions.
External Linking:
External linking can help improve the credibility and authority of your product pages. However, these links should be sprinkled in when most appropriate – internal links are best used on product pages. We don’t want to direct Google and users away from the site!
Link to credible sources: Link to credible sources that provide additional information about the product or related topics. This can help build trust with users and improve the credibility of the site. Linking to sources should feel natural, we want the user to trust we got this information from a valid source and would be willing to share that.
Avoid excessive external links: Avoid excessive external links, as this can be seen as a spammy practice and negatively impact your site’s ranking.
Are you looking for a strong eCommerce SEO Strategy? Let us help
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