SEO Ecommerce Category Pages: A Complete Optimization Guide

What Are SEO Ecommerce Category Pages?

SEO ecommerce class pages organize, showcase, and optimize a radical of products that person akin uses oregon attributes connected an ecommerce website oregon online store. 

A class leafage serves arsenic a hub for users to navigate to idiosyncratic merchandise pages connected a website easily. By pursuing merchandise leafage links from this azygous page, hunt engines are besides capable to observe and scale caller products quickly.

If you deliberation of an ecommerce store arsenic a carnal store, class pages are similar idiosyncratic departments. If you're buying for footwear astatine a store, you'd spell to the footwear section. On an ecommerce site, you'd spell to the footwear class page.

Since class pages signifier interior linking by linking to each idiosyncratic merchandise pages successful a group, they assistance hunt engines recognize however antithetic pages subordinate to each other. This tin assistance with SEO. 

By optimizing your ecommerce class pages for SEO, you summation the chances that radical searching for products you merchantability volition find your online store, bringing much imaginable customers your way.

Why Are Ecommerce Category Pages Important for SEO?

Aside from helping hunt engines crawl your site, class pages assistance you people hunt queries for broader hunt terms, specified arsenic “shoes” oregon “buy shoes.”

Broader keywords similar "buy shoes" thin to person a precocious transactional intent (which means users are apt looking to bargain a product), truthful they tin boost revenue. 

Typically, they besides person higher hunt volumes than the long-tail keywords targeted by merchandise pages. So, if your class pages rank, it tin bring you much traffic.

A hunt for wide hunt presumption often shows class pages successful hunt motor effect pages (SERPs). 

For example, if you benignant “shoes” successful Google, you’ll spot SEO class pages similar this:

Now, effort typing “dresses online” into Google—you tin spot much examples of SEO ecommerce class pages this way. 

How to Optimize Ecommerce Category Pages

There are 3 types of SEO: method SEO, on-page SEO, and off-page SEO.

Ecommerce class leafage champion practices see improving method aspects specified arsenic leafage velocity (technical), gathering much links (off-page), and enhancing on-page elements with keyword-rich contented that helps users (on-page). 

Here’s however to optimize your ecommerce class pages’ SEO structure, heighten on-page elements, and amended method SEO. 

Structure Your Category Pages

Structuring class pages for an ecommerce website means organizing and presenting products successful a mode that enhances idiosyncratic acquisition and facilitates casual navigation. 

Create an SEO-friendly class leafage operation with these champion practices:

1. Organize Categories Logically

The superior intent of class pages is to assistance users find the close merchandise quickly. 

When shoppers can't find what they privation with minimal effort, they are much apt to permission your website. Thirty-seven percent of users from Europe and the U.S. mention mediocre navigation and layout arsenic 1 of the main reasons for abandoning an ecommerce site. 

Start by analyzing your full merchandise catalog and radical products based connected commonalities. Sort products into wide categories first, past spot them successful much circumstantial ones. 

For example, you mightiness diagnostic “dining table” and “bed” connected a “Furniture” class page. But you tin besides diagnostic them nether much circumstantial categories specified arsenic “living country furniture” and “bedroom furniture.”

Also, see however users hunt for products. If they wanted to refurbish a circumstantial country successful their home, would they hunt for "furniture?" Creating subcategories similar “bedroom furniture” tin amended fulfill your user’s hunt intent.

Here’s an illustration of however to signifier an electronics ecommerce website:

Further reading: 11 Great Examples of Ecommerce Navigation That Can Improve Sales

2. Create Long-Tail Categories

Long-tail class pages absorption connected unsocial oregon specialized products wrong a broader category. 

They typically person little hunt volumes since they cater to a targeted audience. But it tin inactive beryllium profitable to people them, arsenic circumstantial hunt queries usually person much than broader ones. 

According to a survey conducted by the SEO bureau Embryo, long-tail keywords person a conversion complaint of 36%, portion short-tail keywords person a conversion complaint of 11.5 percent. 

With long-tail keywords, hunt engines tin much readily comprehend a searcher's intent and present applicable results. 

Are you selling a specialized merchandise successful a circumstantial niche? Use long-tail class pages to capitalize connected the request for unsocial products oregon categories. 

Here’s an illustration of a website that did this successfully:

This SEO class leafage from TheCelebrityDresses.com targets the keyword “buy Grammy awards dresses.” It adjacent ranks higher than established ecommerce stores similar Etsy.

Lastly, make long-tail categories if you privation users to find your SEO ecommerce class pages successful dependable searches.

Users who interact with AI dependable assistants similar Siri oregon Google Voice Assistant typically usage conversational connection oregon inquire questions. These queries are specific, truthful they apt see long-tail keywords. 

Since 58% of U.S. smartphone users usage dependable hunt to find accusation astir products and services, ranking for those queries has the imaginable to importantly boost your SEO ROI. 

Struggling to find niche long-tail keywords to make specialized class pages? Use the Semrush Keyword Magic Tool. 

Here’s how:

After logging into your Semrush suite, spell to the “Keyword Magic Tool.”

Inside the hunt bar, input your broader merchandise category. In this example, we utilized “dresses.” Then, click “Search.” 

The instrumentality volition make presumption related to your search. From the “Intent” drop-down menu, prime “Commercial” and click “Apply.”

This way, your keywords volition mostly people radical who are actively looking to bargain stuff.

Then, benignant the database for ascending hunt measurement by clicking the “Volume” tab successful the bar. You tin besides benignant the database for ascending “KD%” (keyword difficulty) to place keywords that are easier to fertile for.

Finally, you’ll spot a database of chiefly long-tail keywords. Scan the database and fig retired which keywords could go a website category.

For example, successful this list, “athletic chopped men’s formal shirts” and “athletic agelong formal shirts” tin beryllium viable niche categories. 

Select the ones applicable to your ecommerce website. 

Finally, export these keywords by clicking the “Export” fastener and choosing your preferred format. 

3. Build a Hierarchy with Category URLs

Category URLs assistance you signifier and link idiosyncratic merchandise pages to the location page.

Doing truthful reduces crawl extent (or the region a hunt motor crawler needs to question from the location leafage to scope different pages connected your website). It besides indicates the fig of clicks it would instrumentality to scope a circumstantial page. 

For example, if the pathway to your merchandise leafage is Home > Category leafage > Product page, the crawl extent is three.

When the crawl extent is little than three, hunt engines volition crawl and scale much of your pages successful little time.

Search engines allocate constricted resources (called crawl budget) to each website. If the Googlebot cannot crawl your website oregon has to crawl it much often owed to errors, it could hold the indexing of your pages—if they get indexed astatine all. 

Use antithetic URL paths to marque your website architecture wide to hunt engines.

Here are immoderate tips:

• Use “subfolders” successful URLs to signifier your products successful wide categories. Example: www.example.com/shoes.
• Create arsenic galore subfolders arsenic indispensable to make a logical URL path. Use the aforesaid rule erstwhile creating merchandise categories—go from wide to much circumstantial subfolders. For example, if you person a long-tail class leafage nether “shoes," your URL way volition look similar this: www.example.com/shoes/sneakers oregon www.example.com/shoes/outdoor-shoes. 
• Use unsocial slugs for antithetic merchandise pages. Make definite the slug captures the attributes of the product. Example: www.example.com/shoes/outdoor-shoes/nike-red-running-shoes
• Show a breadcrumb trail that allows users to revisit pages from their hunt journey

Further reading: How to Build Your Website Architecture for SEO

4. Pick a Faceted Navigation Strategy

Faceted navigation refers to filters connected SEO ecommerce class pages. Shoppers usage it to constrictive their merchandise hunt by attributes similar size, price, color, ratings, material, etc. 

“Filters” let shoppers to find applicable products quickly, which tin boost conversions by up to 26 percent. 

Avoid URL combinations that tin negatively impact your class leafage SEO. Search engines won't cognize which URL to scale if your faceted navigation includes aggregate URL combinations that show the aforesaid products. 

Take the representation below, for example. Each filter adds a antithetic URL parameter connected apical of the basal URL. 

The basal class leafage URL is https://forever21.my/collections/dresses. If you benignant by size, the URL becomes https://forever21.my/collections/dresses?constraint=m. 

When you benignant by size, color, and material, the URL volition look similar this: https://forever21.my/collections/dresses?constraint=m+black+knitwear_women.

However, URL combinations similar these tin discarded crawl budgets and mightiness marque it harder for hunt engines to observe caller products.

They whitethorn besides not adhd immoderate worth for Google searchers. For instance, users don’t hunt for products like: “M-sized knitwear dresses successful achromatic from Forever21, priced betwixt $50 to $100.”

How bash you negociate these URL combinations?

• Use robots.txt to halt hunt engines from indexing these faceted URLs
• Discourage hunt engines from pursuing interior links to faceted URLs by adding a no-follow directive

Enhance On-Page Elements

Enhancing on-page elements (or on-page SEO) means improving elements connected a leafage that some hunt engines and quality beings tin read. For instance, an H1 tag tin beryllium work by both.

Here’s however you tin amended on-page elements for SEO ecommerce class pages:

1. Add Helpful Content

Add applicable keyword-focused class leafage contented to improve your chances of ranking. 

Your contented should lucifer the intent of your class leafage and promote users to yet find the merchandise they privation to purchase. Answer questions astir however you curate items for your website, what benignant of materials you use, etc. 

For instance, if your institution sells skiing equipment, you could see the pursuing accusation connected your class pages:

• How you take products for your catalog (based connected information standards oregon efficiency)
• How you root your materials
• Your best-selling items successful that class oregon adept recommendations for skiers of antithetic accomplishment levels
• Your manufacturing and transportation process

2. Use Your Copy Wisely

There is simply a constricted magnitude of abstraction connected a class page. The transcript shouldn’t assemblage the leafage oregon distract shoppers from browsing your merchandise collection. 

A modular signifier includes adding immoderate substance close aft the leader banner oregon the H1 tag. 

You tin besides reply much circumstantial questions astir your merchandise enactment with contented astatine the bottommost of the class page. This typically means adding a often asked questions (FAQs) block. 

Also, your transcript should beryllium easy scannable and resonate with your audience. Use the principles of effective copywriting to constitute transcript that does the selling for you. Include CTA buttons to promote customers to instrumentality the desired steps, specified arsenic exploring featured products. 

3. Answer User Questions

When you sojourn a store with a carnal determination and person questions, what bash you do? You inquire the unit for much information.

Because online shoppers don't person that option, see FAQs successful each merchandise class to usher the user. Address questions astir your prime assurance process, materials, oregon manufacturing process. Provide recommendations for fashionable products. 

Answering customers' questions tin physique spot successful your business, resulting successful higher conversions. 

For example, a caller investigation showed that erstwhile customers interacted with Q&A sections, ecommerce sites saw a 157.1% summation successful conversion rates.

4. Add Reviews and Useful Guides

Positive reviews go trust signals for shoppers. They springiness customers assurance erstwhile making a purchase, which tin summation conversion rates. 

But however effectual are reviews? Over 99.9% of users work merchandise reviews to marque purchasing decisions, and 84% spot reviews arsenic overmuch arsenic recommendations from friends and family.

Reviews are besides cardinal for SEO. Ecommerce merchandise class pages tin look successful hunt results accompanied by a prima rating, which makes your SERP listing basal out, expanding click-through rates.

Linking to in-depth merchandise guides from class pages tin besides assistance with SEO, arsenic there’s grounds that Google treats internal links arsenic ranking factors. A well-thought-out and optimized interior linking operation helps hunt motor crawlers recognize a page's content.

Additionally, linking to adjuvant guides that connection shoppers merchandise accusation and recommendations increases the visibility of those blog posts.

Improve Technical Aspects

Enhancing method aspects of an ecommerce tract involves improving behind-the-scenes functionality. 

This includes improving website speed, ensuring mobile responsiveness, implementing unafraid outgo gateways, and enhancing wide tract reliability. The nonsubjective is to amended your website's SEO and supply a amended buying acquisition for users.

Here are a fewer method aspects you tin amended for merchandise class pages:

1. Pick an Optimal URL Structure

An optimal URL operation ensures some hunt engines and users recognize what a leafage is about. Use URL champion practices erstwhile creating URLs to optimize your pages.

Here are immoderate tips for creating SEO-friendly URLs: 

• Standardize the condemnation case: Search engines mightiness see example.com/abc and example.com/ABC arsenic antithetic URLs adjacent though they see the aforesaid words. You could besides marque interior linking errors if you nexus to the incorrect version. It’s champion to support the URLs lowercase to debar SEO issues. 
• Use keywords successful class subfolders: Google’s John Mueller confirmed that keywords successful URLs are a ranking factor
• Don’t adhd unnecessary words: Avoid utilizing halt words (i.e., the, in, a) and unnecessary punctuation. If your CMS adds words similar “/category” successful beforehand of each class subfolder, region it. Rename this to the existent class sanction alternatively of utilizing the connection "category." 
• Avoid utilizing dates and timestamps: They are unnecessary successful the URL and whitethorn adjacent springiness the content that your contented needs to beryllium updated. Google recommends avoiding these types of URLs. 
• Manage redirects effectively: If you’re moving with a merchandise leafage redirect, a elemental redirect to a 404 leafage oregon a 301 redirect to the class leafage should suffice. A alteration to the top-level URL subfolders whitethorn disrupt the full website hierarchy. Use our redirection guide to larn however to redirect class pages safely.

2. Use H1s and Title Tags Strategically,

H1s and rubric tags assistance some users and hunt engines recognize what your leafage is about. Both should incorporate the superior keyword you're targeting.

The H1 tag should intelligibly authorities the page's superior purpose, truthful we don’t urge utilizing much than 1 H1 tag per page. It tin beryllium confusing to some visitors and hunt motor crawlers. 

However, an H1 and rubric tag doesn’t person to beryllium the same. The H1 tag is located connected a website page, whereas a rubric tag appears successful the hunt motor effect pages (SERPs).

Make your rubric tags compelling capable to promote much clicks successful SERPs. 

For example, Zalora advertises its ongoing income promotions via its rubric tag. It piques a shopper's curiosity to entice clicks. 

3. Optimize Your Category Meta Description

Compel searchers to click connected your website alternatively of a competitor’s by making your meta description a tiny income transportation to boost click-through rates. 

For example, see customer-attracting phrases specified arsenic “free shipping,“ “hassle-free returns,” oregon “money-back guarantee.”

Apple does a large occupation successful this example:

4. Set the Canonical URLs Correctly

As we discussed previously, faceted navigation tin make aggregate URL versions of the aforesaid basal URL. 

This tin besides hap if a merchandise appears successful much than 1 category. Search engines won't cognize which mentation to scale successful hunt results. 

Canonical attributes tin hole this contented and archer hunt engines your preferred URL. This tin assistance consolidate each ranking signals for the canonical version, helping you prioritize its SEO performance.

Add canonical URLs successful your website sitemap for champion results. Read our canonical URLs usher for a elaborate walkthrough. 

5. Implement Structured Data

Structured information plays a important relation successful ecommerce SEO.

Structured information (or schema) uses Jason-LD vocabulary (a coding script) to supply hunt engines with explicit accusation astir webpage content. 

It provides accusation astir your contented to assistance bots recognize the relationships betwixt antithetic leafage elements. 

For SEO ecommerce class pages, usage an “ItemList” schema to specify merchandise class properties and the products they contain. Defining these properties increases the likelihood of your pages appearing arsenic rich snippets beneath the main hunt result. 

Here is an example: 

If you privation to amusement your website's mean standing successful results (like the illustration above), see adding the “AggregrateRating” schema. For class pages with FAQs, besides add FAQ structured data.

6. Avoid Duplication astatine All Costs

In earlier sections, we covered however duplication issues discarded your crawl budget. But that’s not all. Other antagonistic effects tin include:

• Keyword cannibalization: Keyword cannibalization occurs erstwhile aggregate URLs of the aforesaid website vie for the aforesaid keyword (duplicate URLs). This affects your rankings and visibility successful hunt results.
• Analytics challenges: Tracking website postulation becomes challenging with duplicate URLs. You'll spot divided postulation and engagement metrics successful GA4, which doesn't supply an close representation of however your main URL is performing.

Design & Usability

The plan of an ecommerce class leafage should beryllium some charismatic and user-friendly. A functional and aesthetic website is easier for users to navigate. 

Plus, it’s easier to contiguous products intelligibly connected a well-designed page. This tin trim the friction successful the checkout process.

Here are immoderate plan champion practices for SEO ecommerce class pages:

1. Create a Consistent Layout

Consistent plan and layout marque navigation predictable for users. Users tin expect what volition hap arsenic they navigate your website. 

It’s worthy noting that 38% of users look astatine a page’s layout and top-level navigation connected a archetypal sojourn and whitethorn permission the website if they find it confusing to navigate. 

When visitors tin rapidly recognize the leafage structure, find applicable information, and place the products they are looking for, they bask the buying experience. As customers go acquainted with your site's organization, it besides reinforces reliability and trust.

A accordant plan taxable besides creates ocular harmony crossed your website, which is simply a bully branding practice. 

Having a accordant layout besides serves a applicable function. When you make a leafage template, uploading caller contented doesn't necessitate further plan resources, making it easier to execute tract attraction and updates.

Here’s however you tin make a accordant layout: 

• Standardize plan elements: Keep main plan elements similar colour schemes, fonts, and fastener styles accordant crossed each pages
• Create a azygous leafage structure: Fix the determination of navigation menus, merchandise categories, and indispensable accusation crossed the full website 
• Use branded visuals: Use standardized representation sizes crossed each pages and marque definite different visuals, similar graphics, align with your branding identity
• Make your website responsive: Users store connected each screens and devices. Your website should supply a azygous idiosyncratic acquisition careless of surface size.

2. Ensure High-Quality Visuals

Have you ever considered booking connected a home-sharing tract similar Airbnb but changed your caput due to the fact that the pictures didn't supply capable item connected what the spot looks like?

This happens connected ecommerce platforms too.

According to Insider Intelligence, 83% of online shoppers find merchandise images “extremely” influential successful purchasing decisions. 22% of returns besides hap due to the fact that the products look antithetic from the images. 

But however important is representation quality? Online Dasher says high-quality images person a 94% higher conversion rate. 

3. Don’t Neglect UX (User Experience)

A bully idiosyncratic acquisition (UX) makes the buying acquisition enjoyable. 

Neglecting UX correlates with little conversion rates, precocious bounce rates, and little marque loyalty. Your business's bottommost enactment suffers arsenic a result.

But however overmuch interaction does it have?

According to Toptal, 88% of users are little apt to instrumentality to a website that offers a atrocious UX. Another survey by PWC recovered that 32% of users volition wantonness a marque they antecedently loved aft conscionable 1 atrocious experience. 

On the different hand, bully UX tin summation conversion rates by 400 percent.

Use these tips to optimize your ecommerce UX:

• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): CDNs let users to link to a server person to their location. Deploying a CDN helps you present contented faster.
• Optimize your visuals: Use plugins oregon escaped representation compression tools to minimize representation size and velocity up your website
• Make your subheadings scannable: Use descriptive substance to assistance visitors rapidly grasp the page's contented and find its relevance to their needs
• Implement filters correctly: Have dedicated sections for filters and marque them casual to prime with a checklist option. Provide further sorting options for casual navigation and a well-organized layout.

Linking Strategy

A linking strategy refers to creating connections betwixt antithetic pages oregon contented wrong a website utilizing URLs.

In the discourse of an ecommerce website, it involves strategically placing links connected class pages to link related products, amended navigation, heighten idiosyncratic experience, and boost SEO. 

Follow these steps to make a bully linking strategy for your website:

1. Internally Link Categories

Internally linking from broader categories to subcategory pages improves some tract operation and idiosyncratic experience. 

Additionally, class pages assistance administer PageRank crossed the website.

PageRank measures a page's authorization successful hunt engines. As PageRank besides counts interior links, a bully interior linking operation tin importantly interaction SEO rankings.

Before we sermon processing an effectual interior linking strategy for class pages, let's specify class listing pages (CLPs) and merchandise listing pages (PLPs).

CLPs notation to broader categories. A postulation leafage for a wide class (Ex: shoes) volition typically showcase each antithetic types of shoes successful 1 place.

PLPs are sub-categories of products. For example, a postulation of “boots” whitethorn person a class leafage nether the CLP “footwear.”

The parent-child relationship betwixt a CLP (parent) and its PLPs (children) forms the ground of a bully interior linking strategy for class pages. 

When your website architecture includes parent-children relationships betwixt CLPs and PLPs, you tin automate your interior linking efforts. 

For example, a developer tin make a coding publication connected your website that recognizes erstwhile you adhd a caller PLP and automatically links it to the close CLP.

You tin besides automate this benignant of hierarchical linking from merchandise pages to the PLPs utilizing a instrumentality oregon plugin specified arsenic Yoast SEO oregon RankMath.

Large ecommerce websites tin usage customized scripts to bash the same. A caller merchandise leafage volition automatically nexus to the PLP, and the PLP volition nexus to the CLP. 

This tin prevention you a batch of resources, particularly if you tally a ample ecommerce store. You volition besides debar creating orphan categories that person nary links.

Parent-child interior linking creates a website hierarchy akin to the pyramid tract operation hunt engines prefer. John Mueller from Google recommends this benignant of operation and says, “It helps Google recognize the discourse of antithetic categories and pages.”

A cluttered website with galore products connected 1 leafage tin overwhelm users.

Pagination (also known arsenic paging) divides ample categories of products into pages, typically successful numerical order. 

Pagination makes your website much user-friendly, which is besides a ranking factor.

Here are tips to negociate pagination:

• Focus connected casual navigation: Page numbers are a must-have for managing pagination. Also, incorporated “next’ and “previous” buttons truthful shoppers tin spell backmost and distant betwixt pages.
• Handle duplication with “a href” tags: Splitting a leafage into aggregate discrete pages tin make duplicate URLs. Because Google's crawler lone follows links with <a href> tags, guarantee nary of the buttons person them. This volition besides forestall the crawler from triggering Javascript to update the contented of the main leafage during crawling.
• Consider utilizing “dynamic load” oregon infinite scrolling: Dynamic loading loads contented without the idiosyncratic having to refresh the full page, portion infinite scrolling automatically shows much contented arsenic users scroll down. Combining this with pagination makes your website load faster. 

Conversion Optimization

You person hundreds of website visitors, but they're not converting. How bash you nudge them to adhd products to the cart and yet buy? 

Use conversion optimization (conversion complaint optimization oregon CRO) techniques to person your existing postulation into customers. 

Here's how:

1. Incorporate Conversion Optimization Elements

1. Craft an effectual telephone to enactment (CTA): Use wide and compelling CTA buttons to usher visitors toward desired actions similar adding products to your cart oregon subscribing to your newsletter
2. Use featured blocks: Highlight cardinal products oregon promotions with featured blocks connected the homepage oregon class pages to drawback visitors' attraction and promote exploration
3. Add benignant and filter options: Allow users to benignant products by price, ratings, and different attributes and signifier faceted navigation
4. Create lawsuit surveys: Implement lawsuit surveys to stitchery feedback connected their website experience. Get insights connected merchandise and website improvements, ensuring the tract meets idiosyncratic expectations.
5. Streamline your outgo process: Remove hurdles successful the outgo process to minimize friction during checkout. Simplify forms, connection aggregate outgo options, and supply a transparent and businesslike outgo pathway to boost conversion rates.

2. Continuous CRO Testing

No substance however overmuch you optimize your website for conversions, there’s ever much country for improvement. CRO tests (or A/B tests) measure however antithetic leafage elements perform, specified arsenic copy, buttons, oregon banner placement. 

Test antithetic leafage versions for visitors, and usage the information to amended your website pages. 

Read our What Is A/B Testing? A Comprehensive Beginners’ Guide to plan your archetypal CRO test.

Optimize Your SEO Ecommerce Category Pages for Success

We've already established that due organization, long-tail categories, wide URL structures, and strategical contented amended your ecommerce website class pages’ SEO.

The proposal successful this nonfiction is general, however. Your website needs mightiness disagree depending connected your unsocial setup. 

If you privation to place and hole SEO issues circumstantial to your website, we urge starting with the Semrush Site Audit tool.