How to Optimize Your Product Copy for Search Engines

No one will buy your product if they can’t find it. Making your products visible to people who need your offering is a key aspect of selling to online buyers.

An SEO-optimized product copy ensures you show up on search engine result pages for your money keywords.

High SERP ranking is the stamp of authority you need. Visitors are willing to pay more because they believe you’ve justified your price by higher quality.

But they haven’t seen, touched or used your product. How do they know it’s high quality?

We’ve become reliant on search engines to tell us what to trust and what to overlook.

If you’re searching for jungle boots through Google, you’ll probably end your search on Page 1.

You’ve assumed that the e-commerce store occupying the first position is the best. If you can afford them, that’s whom you go for.

So, how do you write a product copy that increases your SERP ranking on Google and convinces prospective customers to convert?

9 Tips for Writing SEO Product Copy:

1.     Write for Real People

Some SaaS brands miss the mark when writing product descriptions.

They assume that they have to write for bots to rank on search engine results. But Google is smarter and highly skilled at identifying “unnatural content” written to game the system.

Google wants to serve content that answers questions people are asking. Write a pain-point product description that informs, educates, and helps your buyer solve a problem.

Before writing, I like to read reviews of existing products. It’s a front-row seat to what your target audience loves or hate about current solutions.

I’m looking for specific words that come up repeatedly as well as shortcomings I can exploit in my copy.

2.     Conduct Keyword Research

What words or queries do people use when searching for your products? Keyword research eliminates guesswork from your product copy.

It ensures that you’re writing and optimizing for relevant keywords your audience uses to find your product or services.

Cut the line by spying on your competitors to identify their main keywords and those you can rank for.

Let's assume you sell baby clothes in Cleveland, and you want to attract a local audience. Your goal is not just to rank for the keyword “baby clothes” but location-specific keywords such as “buy baby clothes in Cleveland”

You also want to rank for super-specific words like “baby onesies” “baby nightgown” and “baby day wear”, all within your location.

Use Keywords Everywhere to get search volume, CPC and competition information on Google search result pages.

Key metrics to look for during keyword research include search volume, related keywords, keyword difficulty and cost per click.

3.     Set the Scene with Storytelling

Storytelling is a great way to engage your readers. Instead of writing the same drab copy like everyone else, personalize your product copy with storytelling.

It’s not just a product copy anymore. You’re selling an idea or a lifestyle to your target audience. Be the main character but write from the reader’s point of view.

Focus on their pain points as the inspiration for your creativity. Describe negative feelings that led them to your product page and the positive emotions they enjoy when they use your product.

Your story should be:

·        Entertaining

·        Concise

·        Related to a problem your audience faces

·        Memorable

This post is about using storytelling for your blog but, it also works when writing product copy.

4.     Write a Unique Copy for Each Product You Sell

I’ve seen several brands that make this mistake.

They write one product description and copy it across ALL their product pages with a similar function. Or worse, they use the manufacturer’s product copy for their listing.

It’s lazy, bad for user-experience and Google doesn’t like it one bit. Duplicate product copy hurts your search ranking.

Invest in a product description copywriter who is skilled at crafting unique content for multiple products. It may seem expensive but you'll earn direct ROI from SERP ranking, brand awareness, traffic and sales.

5.     Keep it Short and Sweet

What is the ideal length of a product description? Some experts say 300, and others suggest 1000 words.

Your product copy should be “long enough to cover the essentials, but short enough to keep it interesting.”

So, you have to do two things:

·        Cover the essentials, such as providing information about the product and the benefits.

·        Keep it short enough not to lose the interest of the reader.

Length matters in your product copy. Be ruthless with fluff and remove meaningless words that make your copy lengthy.

SEMrush is a great product to explore. Scroll to the SEO Content Template and enter the keyword you want to rank for.

They’ll generate semantic words, top resources and the ideal length based on the top SERP results.

6.     Go Against Your Human Nature – Avoid Keyword Stuffing

Your basic instinct is to over-optimize your product pages with one keyword.

You’re thinking - I’ll place it in the introduction, and the next line. Heck, the first and second subheading won’t hurt. Maybe I’ll slap it on every line of text. Yep, that will help my content rank higher than the competition.

It’s more difficult to avoid keyword stuffing if you have thin content on your product pages. If you over-optimize your product page with one keyword, Google takes note and knocks you down a couple of pages.

Place your keyword in the:

·        Meta description tag (once)

·        URL of the product page (once)

·        Product description title (once)

·        Body copy (twice)

·        Alt image tag (once)

7.     Tie Features to Benefits

No one cares about you or your product. They only care about the solution and the pain relief that your product provides.

If you sell microwaves, give details on specifications as well as the type of material. What can you heat up in a microwave? Can you cook with it?

Search engines are focused on providing value. Describe the core features and benefits alongside the practical use of the product. Discover the selling points that your competitors haven’t highlighted.

8.     Optimize Images

Large-sized images affect page load speed. Use tools like Image Compressor or Light Image Resizer to optimize the file size of your product images.

While search engines can’t read images or video like text, they use meta tags to understand what the image is about.

Use long-tail keywords in the ALT text and image title. For eCommerce stores or brands with multiple products, ensure each ALT text and image title is unique.

9.     Break Your Copy into Short Paragraphs

Readability is super important for SERP ranking. Large blocks of text make it easy for prospective buyers to bounce and leave your website. Short paragraphs appeal to both skimmers and in-depth researchers.

Each paragraph shouldn’t exceed two to three lines of text. Use bullet points to highlight key features, improve scannability and make your content digestible.

Conclusion

Search engines can generate crazy ROI for your business. But only if you follow their rules. Writing an SEO-friendly product copy is the first step to increase online visibility, drive traffic and build authority for your brand.

Originally Published on My LinkedIn as How to Write an SEO- Friendly Product Description