Product page SEO is where most ecommerce sites lose the most ranking potential, because manufacturer-supplied descriptions get copied across thousands of competing stores, leaving Google nothing unique to rank.
Write Unique Descriptions
Never publish the manufacturer’s stock description as-is. Rewrite it around how customers actually search and what they actually want to know – fit, use case, comparison to similar products – not just a feature list copied from the box.
Use Product Schema
Product schema markup – price, availability, review rating – enables rich results in search, including star ratings and price directly in the listing, which measurably improves click-through rate even without a ranking change.
Optimise Images Properly
- Descriptive, keyword-relevant file names, not “IMG_4521.jpg.”
- Alt text describing the product specifically, not generic terms.
- Compressed file sizes so product pages load fast, since page speed affects both ranking and conversion.
Handle Out-of-Stock and Variant Pages Correctly
Do not delete out-of-stock product pages outright if they have earned rankings and backlinks; keep them live with clear stock-status messaging and alternative product suggestions. For colour or size variants, decide deliberately between separate URLs or a single page with selectable options, and apply canonical tags consistently either way.
Frequently asked questions
Should every product variant have its own URL?
It depends on search volume for each variant. High-demand variants (a specific size or colour with its own search demand) often deserve a unique URL; minor variants are usually better handled with selectable options on one page.
Does product schema actually improve rankings?
It primarily improves click-through rate through rich results rather than directly boosting rank, but higher CTR is itself a positive engagement signal over time.
What should I do with a discontinued product page?
If it still has traffic or backlinks, keep it live with a note about discontinuation and links to similar current products, rather than deleting it or redirecting it to an unrelated page.
Serpwize runs ecommerce and product SEO as part of full-service SEO outsourcing. See our SEO outsourcing service.
