SEO: 6 Ways to Optimize Category Pages

Category pages and read grids are critical to optimizing because they target the keywords that customers search for. By including functions that increase engagement and conversion, optimizing the accompanying textual content, and, yes, including a few properly-positioned body reproductions, your class pages will higher talk their relevance to serps to draw greater shoppers. But the optimization method may be tough for the reason that pages tend to have the least content. In this post, I’ll describe six approaches to optimize eCommerce category pages. I’ll use, as an example, the high-rating women’s boots category page of DSW, the shoe store.

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Make Headings Relevant

Starting at the top, optimize the heading tags. Make sure that the default headings out of your e-commerce platform areas are most fulfilling as feasible. This will probably require operating with developers for changes. Alternatively, you will be capable of changing them yourself, overriding those defaults to your platform or content management machine with the most beneficial variations. In the instance above, DSW has two headings. One (“Boots & Booties”) is floated over the header image with the use of JavaScript, and the opposite (“Women’s Boots & Booties”) is in the plain textual content. Both are marked up as H1 headings. The satisfactory practice could be to pick out one because of the H1 and go away the other as everyday text. The decrease heading, “Women’s Boots & Booties,” is extra strongly relevant as it consists of the gender for the products on the web page, so that would be the only to make an H1 heading.

Include Textual Content

This is the one that designers and emblem advocate, just like the least — the feared body reproduction. Notice how DSW has worked in two sections of frame replica: a shorter one at the top and a longer one that caters extra to see at the lowest. This is fantastic. It avoids the arrival of the textual content being unsolicited mail copy just for search engines like google and yahoo utilizing putting a small amount at the top in plain sight. But it also leaves open the possibility of getting longer textual content at the bottom where it doesn’t push down the trade phase of the page.
Body content material doesn’t need to be paragraphs long. In truth, longer blocks of reproduction that don’t add value detract from a web page’s capability to rank. For instance, observe the duration and occasional quality of the reproduction on Shoes.Com’s women’s boots page below. This block is determined on the lowest of the web page, simply above the footer. The period and location aren’t the issues. The problem is the lack of significant content other than keywords.

Use Featured Content

Features within your class pages constantly incorporate text. They promote its income gadgets, loyalty programs, or other messaging that you want shoppers to absorb. Use each characteristic in your search engine marketing advantage through optimizing that text. First, make certain that its plain textual content floated over a historical past image rather than embedded in the picture itself. While visible search has come a protracted way, it’s now not yet blanketed internet search algorithms. Once your content material is crawlable textual content, use descriptive language. For example, the outline on DSW’s page reads, ”Sperry Syren Gulf, I love this boot! So secure and extraordinary in wet, muddy, or bloodless weather.” The product call and the phrase “boot” appear within that textual content — each is a key phrase. Also, there are contextually beneficial phrases describing the situations wherein the boots might be worn.

Make Link Text Relevant

“Click right here.” “More information.” These are poor anchor texts — meaningless to search engines like google and yahoo. DSW uses “Shop This Style” as the anchor text for the link. Using vague language as link text misses a remarkable possibility to increase the relevance in this page and on the web page that the hyperlink factors too.

Cross-Promote

Links to different associated products — “boot socks” in DSW’s case — are some other correct opportunities to boost the keyword theme. In this situation, the product type (“boot socks’) on the girls’ boots page additionally includes the word “boots,” which earns relevance factors for containing the keyword for the page in addition to for “socks” being contextually relevant to boots. Look for golden keyword possibilities like this. If they’re now not to be had, contextual relevance on my own will assist.

Put Navigation to Work

Navigation and filters play a thrilling position in content material optimization. On the only hand, their primary reason is too useful resource shoppers in locating and buying products. But in addition, they play a crucial position inside the indexation, authority, and relevance of every web page. Including specifically applicable phrases within the navigation and filters will gain your herbal seek. DSW hasn’t used words for specific keyword relevance in its filters, sticking with “rain” in place of the extra specific “rain boots.” In many instances, there isn’t room within the design for a further phrase, inclusive of “boots,” making its inclusion impractical. But in cases wherein the word is shorter, together with “rain” or “duck” or “mule,” DSW should have blanketed “boots” as well. Even without “boots,” but the filters upload contextual relevance, that’s critical in nowadays’s algorithms.

Wendy Mckinney
I am a seo blogger at seoreka.com.also, a content marketer and a search engine expert. I have been writing for blogs, newspapers, and magazines since 2015 and have worked as a freelance writer. I have a BA degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.