Google’s useful content system has put pressure on e-commerce websites to improve the value of their content to users.
This article explores practical ways to make e-commerce content more useful without reinventing the wheel.
Dynamic content on category pages
Historically, eCommerce category page content hasn’t been great.
Most websites include paragraphs with keyword-rich headers to target and show “authority” on the topic, such as “history of,” “best,” or “cheapest” modifiers that are embedded (depending on the value proposition of the product).
Google has mentioned several times that if an online shopping category page only has links to products and no other content, it becomes difficult for Google to rank higher in search results. This is because not all users will be familiar with your brand.
Google needs additional information to help decide if you are a good “challenger” brand option to serve. Otherwise, the SERPs would be the top household brands and pay-to-play listing websites.
A great way to add useful content at scale is through dynamic merchandising components.
You can create additional value for users with a marketable blog by:
Using product information management (PIM) and sales data. Creating a new text field that you can edit using the CMS.
This also helps create additional value for “ambiguous intent” queries.
The example I used in my mockup is “gifts for men”. If you’re looking for this, you have a commercial intent to buy, but you’re also asking for inspiration and to be told what’s good.
Adding a dynamic product block to the top of the category page, or one you can add to it, acts as useful content for those who need guidance.
Let’s say you allow Google to render this section. In this case, this also provides some temporary links to the products.
If you choose a static implementation, you can link to buying guides and seasonal blogs relevant to the category (such as a “sweaters” category that links to a Winter 2023 sweater style guide).
Dig Deeper: Ecommerce Content: How to Demonstrate Useful Purpose and Experience
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Using user reviews and UGC for useful content
Embedding user reviews and user-generated content (UGC) on product and category pages has been an age-old method of building trust with users.
However, this type of content can be made to work much more and better for the business.
The first step to using UGC and reviews for your products and categories is to actively collect the right information from them.
There are two ways to do this:
By including several static questions and quantitative variables. Through suggestive questions.
Static questions and quantitative variables
Static questions with quantitative variables work well for fashion products or other multi-use products (eg sleeping bags).
If I go to a leading UK camping gear retailer and look at any sleeping bag product, the information is relatively uniform and includes standard information:
But then the bullet list also includes two very clear catch-alls and attempts to provide objective input:
The product page now has 136 comments. But as a regular user, I won’t go through all of them to determine if the temperature rating is “accurate” or if the size provided will be “right” for my height.
As data is being collected, either at source or using AI or internal resources to categorize reviews, a better experience can be provided according to product specifications and summarized at the end of each statement :
This may be a dynamic text element, but it makes product specifications more useful than before, and they’re validated by real user reviews.
Suggestive questions
Leading questions are formulated to influence the respondent towards a specific answer.
They can subtly prompt or guide a user to answer or include elements in their answer that they might not have otherwise thought to do.
These can be effective across all product pages and product experiences online, not just e-commerce.
Assuming a positive experience
How much did you like our product? What aspects of our product made you happiest? How did our product exceed your expectations?
This question assumes that the customer had a positive experience, which may influence them to provide a more favorable review than they might otherwise have.
Highlighting the specific characteristics of the product
Don’t you think the quietness of our blender was its best feature? Have you found the user-friendly interface of our software to be the standout feature? How useful was the advanced battery life of our portable charger for your daily needs?
This question directs the respondent to focus on a specific characteristic, potentially overlooking other aspects that he might have found more or less satisfactory.
By asking users to agree to these questions, which are almost statements in themselves, you can reuse them for other marketing purposes. For example, “With 1,300 reviews, customers love how quiet our blenders are.”
Comparing with competitors
How much better have you found our product compared to alternatives on the market? How is our software solution easier to use than what is currently on the market? How does the durability of our product exceed that of similar items you have used before?
By assuming that the product is better, this question leads the respondent to consider only aspects in which the product can outperform competitors rather than providing an unbiased comparison.
You don’t necessarily have to name competing products in the question. However, reviewers will likely mention other brands asking them to compare their experiences of your products with others.
Go deeper: Ecommerce SEO and UX: 4 simple tips to increase traffic and sales
Creating useful content for e-commerce
E-commerce sites can create useful content at scale without completely reinventing their processes.
By incorporating dynamic elements into category pages and leveraging user-generated content through targeted review questions, you can produce useful e-commerce content without a complete overhaul of existing processes.
These practical methods can improve search engine rankings and elevate the user experience by providing valuable information and building trust with potential customers.
The views expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.
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