E-commerce SEO Checklist: How to Get More Product Pages Found

1. Make Sure Product Pages Can Be Crawled and Indexed

Before improving the content of a product page, make sure search engines can access it.

Check whether important product pages are blocked by robots.txt, contain accidental noindex directives or have incorrect canonical tags. Your XML sitemap should also include the important URLs you want search engines to discover.

Ahrefs recommends checking crawlability and indexability before focusing on other product-page optimisation elements.

If search engines cannot properly access a product page, even excellent content and keyword optimisation may not deliver the expected results.

2. Conduct E-commerce Keyword Research

E-commerce keyword research helps you understand how customers search for the products you sell.

Start with your product names, categories, brands and product types. Then explore related searches, descriptive phrases and longer search queries.

For branded products, customers may search directly for the brand and product name. For less-known or unbranded products, descriptive searches can be more important. Ahrefs recommends considering search intent when deciding whether a keyword is better suited to a product page, category page or another type of page.

Do not select keywords based only on search volume. Relevance and search intent should also influence your decisions.

3. Create Clear and Descriptive Product Titles

Your product title should clearly tell visitors what the product is.

Include important information naturally, such as the product name, brand, model or key characteristic when relevant. Avoid creating titles that are unnecessarily long or packed with repeated keywords.

A clear product title can also help users understand the page before they click through from search results.

4. Optimise Product URLs

Simple URLs make it easier for users and search engines to understand the structure of your website.

Avoid unnecessarily complicated URL structures containing multiple parameters or layers of categories. Ahrefs recommends creating logical, consistent URLs and notes that product URLs can become complicated when the same product belongs to multiple categories.

For example, a consistent product URL structure can help prevent the same product from appearing under multiple category-based URLs.

5. Write Unique Product Descriptions

A product description should do more than repeat information supplied by a manufacturer.

Create original, useful descriptions that explain what the product is, its key features and how it can benefit the customer. Include relevant terms naturally rather than forcing keywords into every sentence.

Ahrefs recommends using unique product descriptions and keeping them descriptive and helpful, while naturally incorporating relevant long-tail terms where appropriate.

Unique descriptions can also help differentiate your pages from other online stores selling the same products.

6. Add Detailed Product Specifications

Product specifications provide useful information for both shoppers and search engines.

Depending on the product, specifications could include size, material, dimensions, compatibility, colour, weight, technical features or other relevant details.

Present important information clearly so customers can quickly compare the product with alternatives. Detailed specifications can also provide additional context for longer and more specific search queries.

7. Improve Product Page Images

High-quality product images are essential for an online store. Customers need to see what they are considering before making a purchase.

Use clear, relevant images that accurately represent the product. Add descriptive alternative text where appropriate and ensure image files are optimised so they do not unnecessarily slow down the page.

Consider showing different views, product details and useful visual information when it helps customers make a decision.

8. Strengthen Internal Linking

Internal links help customers navigate between related products and categories while helping search engines discover important pages.

Your homepage can link to important categories, category pages can link to relevant subcategories and product pages can connect users with related products or categories.

Ahrefs highlights site structure and internal linking as important elements of e-commerce SEO because they help users navigate the store and help search engines discover pages.

Breadcrumbs can also provide useful navigation and show visitors where a product sits within the wider website structure.

9. Add Reviews, FAQs and Useful Customer Information

Product pages should answer the questions customers are likely to have before purchasing.

Customer reviews can provide real-world information and social proof. FAQs can address common questions about delivery, sizing, compatibility, returns, usage or product features.

Ahrefs notes that product-page FAQs can help answer customer questions and may also create opportunities to appear for related searches.

The key is to include information that genuinely helps customers rather than adding sections simply for SEO.

10. Use Structured Data Where Appropriate

Structured data can help search engines understand important information about your products.

Depending on the page and implementation, product structured data can communicate information such as product details, price, availability and reviews. Accurate structured data can also make product information eligible for certain search features, although eligibility does not guarantee that Google will display a particular result enhancement.

Make sure structured data accurately reflects the visible information on the page and follows Google’s guidelines.