In a digital world, e-commerce businesses’ success relies heavily on online presence and searchability, and proper search engine optimised product descriptions are the key to it all.  Search engine optimisation (SEO) when executed correctly can be the defining factor that decides whether your business is successful or not. SEO is the marketers’ bread and butter. It involves increasing the quantity of online traffic directed to a website and improving the exposure of a brand through non-paid, otherwise known as “organic” search engine results. Understanding what an audience is searching for, the type of content they are consuming, and most importantly, the words they are using is instrumental in succeeding with SEO. 

Luckily, as a growth marketing agency London, we can help you to make the most out of an SEO product description. It can be as simple as using these four tips!

How can you use SEO to your advantage?

It’s all in the product descriptions. A product description tells a story, informs the customer with the key points of information about a product and is used to compel the customer to make a purchase. It is essentially a pitch. It is the perfect place to ‘pepper’ with those keywords and terms that your audience is typing into search engines; increasing your products’ discoverability and ultimately winning your sales.

The way people search for things online can differ from person to person although, when it comes to searching for products, there are terms used more commonly than others. Using these terms or keywords in a particular tone or voice can strike the right chord in an audience, build trust in the brand, and increase the likelihood of a sale. 

However, knowing your audience as well as their interests is only one side of the SEO coin, delivering on it in a way that is easy to understand is the other. Knowing these key factors is fundamental when writing SEO product descriptions. If a product description is difficult to understand and does not add any value to the consumer’s experience then there is a 20% chance of purchase failure.

Tip #1: A personal touch

The customers behind their screens are looking to resonate with what they read. Some people will be searching using specific terms and others may be searching more broadly but identifying how people search and what they want to know about a product is essential and will form the bedrock foundations for any product description you write. It is also so important to remember that you are writing for real people, people that turn to the product description for information and advice. They may read several different product descriptions for different products they are comparing, looking for the greatest value for their money. However, the one that stands out will be the one that best fulfills their needs. A perfect product description will reach out to the customer, will help the customer with their ‘intent’ driven search behaviour, and will guide them through to making a sound purchase decision. 

Tip #2: Focus on the benefits

A product description is a pitch so make it easy to understand. Again, you are writing for real people so write in a language that helps them know what they are gaining from buying the product. Although it is important to note the features of the product, opt for spotlighting its benefits as to highlight the value the customer is getting from the sale. However, it does depend on the product, for example; if you are selling a phone then you want to be more feature-focused. It is useful to find an appropriate balance as focusing too much on the features may come across impersonal and might even seem as if you are selling too hard. Remember to resonate with the reader. 

Tip #3: Word count

Ahh, the word count. To some; a friend, to others; a foe. The real tough question is knowing how long or how short your product description should be. There isn’t a definitive answer to the standardised length for a perfect description. Let your target audiences’ needs to decide the word count. An audiences’ needs will vary depending on their level of awareness about your product at the buying stage. If your audience is using specific keywords in their search, then they likely already know what they need and how they will benefit from the product. At this point, they are closest to the purchasing funnel and all it could take is a short sentence or two to provide the last push they need to hit that “add to basket” button.

Tip #4: Unique and readable 

Avoid using a standard template for writing all SEO product descriptions. Following a routine format defeats any effort you make is adding a personal touch. You want to incite interest, not bore your audience. Ensure that the content you write is concise, structured, and easy to digest. A monotonous tone could reflect poorly on your brand image. Lengthy descriptions risk confusing the customer and might not be read at all. Search engines appreciate creativity so be bold rather than plain in your writing style. Write in a way that reflects your brand image, develop your tone to suit the product you are selling, and a key point to remember is that any duplicated content is penalised by search engines so make every description unique as possible. 

SEO is a key to success in e-commerce; providing the key to unlock a product or business’ potential, boost sales and move ahead of the competition. There are other countless ways to optimise your product descriptions for search engines; from using images to optimising meta descriptions and as time progresses, changes in audiences’ search behaviour will open doors to new forms of SEO.

If you want to read up more on the latest marketing tips, be sure to check out The Do’s and Don’ts of Content Marketing During a Pandemic. You can also sign up for an SEO Course in Monumental’s Masterclasses now.

Author

  • Alicia, the digital marketing dynamo herself, is our digital marketing Manager at Monumental. We are yet to find something our Indonesian-Belgian princess can't do. Prior to discovering Monumental, Alicia finished an honours degree in Sociology at the University of Kent and began building her marketing network in the Middle East. Having graced us with her stunning social channel aesthetics and unrivalled powers of Influencer marketing and SEO for several years now, it's no wonder she's giving us that side-eye.