Shopify is a fantastic platform for ecommerce, but when it comes to SEO, it can be a little tricky—especially if you’re dealing with product variants. Many store owners overlook the potential SEO pitfalls and opportunities that come with having multiple variants of a single product. But don't worry, I'm here to help you navigate these waters and teach you how to make the most of your product variants to boost your store's search presence.
This guide will walk you through the ins and outs of optimizing Shopify SEO for product variants. We’ll cover everything from setting up your products correctly to leveraging keywords and metadata, ensuring each variant gets the attention it deserves. So, whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, there’s something here for you.
Understanding Product Variants in Shopify
First off, let's clarify what we mean by product variants. In Shopify, these are different versions of a single product. Think about a t-shirt that comes in various sizes and colors. Each size and color combination is a variant. While these can be great for offering customers more choice, they can also complicate your SEO efforts if not managed correctly.
Each variant can potentially have its own page in Shopify, depending on how your store is set up. This is important because it means each variant could theoretically rank on its own in search results. However, without proper optimization, you might end up with a mess of duplicate content and a confused search engine—neither of which are good for your SEO.
- Unique Content: Ensure that each product variant has a unique description where possible. This reduces the risk of duplicate content and gives each variant a better chance to rank.
- Canonical Tags: Use canonical tags to tell search engines which version of a page is the "master" version. This helps prevent duplicate content issues.
- Variant-Specific Images: Use different images for each variant if possible. This not only helps with SEO but also improves the shopping experience by showing customers exactly what they're buying.
By understanding and setting up your variants properly, you set the stage for more effective SEO efforts down the line.
Keyword Research for Variants
Now that you have a better grasp of what product variants are, let’s talk about keywords. Keywords are the foundation of SEO, guiding search engines to understand what your pages are about. But how do you choose the right keywords for each variant?
Start by brainstorming what a customer might search for when looking for your product. For example, if you sell running shoes, consider what features someone might search for—such as "breathable running shoes" or "men's size 10 running shoes in red". Each of these can be potential keywords for different variants.
- Use Keyword Tools: Tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest can help you find popular keywords related to your products.
- Long-Tail Keywords: Focus on long-tail keywords that are specific to each variant, such as "red size 10 breathable running shoes". These often have less competition and can be easier to rank for.
- Competitor Analysis: Check out your competitors to see what keywords they’re targeting for similar products.
By carefully selecting keywords for each variant, you can target specific searches and potentially rank higher in search results.
Optimizing Titles and Descriptions
Once you have your keywords sorted, it’s time to optimize your product titles and descriptions. This is where you tell both search engines and potential customers what your product variants are all about.
Your product title is one of the first things people see, and it’s also a key element that search engines use to determine what your page is about. Make sure each variant’s title is clear and includes relevant keywords.
- Be Descriptive: Clearly describe the variant in the title. For example, instead of "Running Shoe", use "Men's Red Size 10 Breathable Running Shoe".
- Include Keywords: Use your chosen keywords naturally in the title and description.
- Keep It Concise: Try to keep titles under 60 characters so they don’t get cut off in search results.
Descriptions are your chance to provide more detail about the variant. Use this space wisely to highlight features, benefits, and unique selling points, while also incorporating your keywords naturally.
Using Metadata Effectively
Metadata might sound technical, but it’s really just a term for the information that helps search engines understand what your page is about. This includes elements like meta titles and meta descriptions.
Think of your meta title as a brief headline for your product variant, and your meta description as a short summary. These appear in search results, so they’re your chance to make a good first impression.
- Craft Compelling Meta Titles: Include keywords and keep it engaging to encourage clicks.
- Write Enticing Meta Descriptions: Use this space to highlight unique features or benefits of the variant. Aim for around 150-160 characters.
- Avoid Duplication: Ensure each variant has unique metadata to prevent confusion and duplicate content issues.
Properly optimized metadata can improve your click-through rates and help each variant get noticed in search results.
The Power of Alt Text for Images
Images are a crucial part of your product pages, especially for variants. They show customers exactly what they’re getting and can also help with SEO through the use of alt text.
Alt text is a short description of an image that helps search engines understand what it depicts. It’s also used by screen readers, making your site more accessible.
- Be Descriptive: Describe the image as clearly as possible, including relevant keywords where it makes sense.
- Keep It Relevant: Make sure the alt text is relevant to the variant and accurately describes the image.
- Use Natural Language: Write alt text in a natural, readable way rather than stuffing it with keywords.
By optimizing your images with alt text, you not only improve your SEO but also enhance the overall user experience.
Structuring URLs for Variants
URLs are another important aspect of SEO. A well-structured URL can help both search engines and users understand what a page is about before they even click on it.
Shopify automatically generates URLs for your product pages, but you can customize them to better reflect each variant. Here’s how:
- Include Keywords: Use relevant keywords in the URL to improve SEO.
- Keep It Clean: Avoid unnecessary words or characters in your URLs.
- Make It Descriptive: Ensure the URL accurately reflects the product variant. For example, "/products/mens-red-size-10-breathable-running-shoe".
By taking control of your URLs, you make it easier for search engines to index your pages and for customers to find what they’re looking for.
Internal Linking Strategies
Internal linking is a simple yet powerful way to boost your SEO. By linking between different pages on your site, you help search engines crawl your site more effectively and also guide customers to other relevant products.
Consider linking between different variants of a product. If someone is looking at a red running shoe, they might also be interested in seeing it in blue. Here’s how you can make the most of internal linking:
- Link Related Variants: Include links to other colors or sizes of the same product.
- Use Descriptive Anchor Text: Use text that clearly describes the linked page to give context to both search engines and users.
- Encourage Related Purchases: Link to complementary products, like running socks or water bottles, to enhance the shopping experience.
Internal linking not only helps with SEO but can also increase the average order value by encouraging customers to explore more of your offerings.
Monitoring and Adjusting Your Strategy
SEO is not a set-it-and-forget-it kind of thing. It’s important to regularly review your strategy and make adjustments based on performance. Use tools like Google Analytics and Shopify’s built-in analytics to track how your product variants are performing in search results.
- Track Keyword Rankings: Monitor which keywords your variants are ranking for and adjust your strategy as needed.
- Analyze Traffic Patterns: Look for patterns in how customers are finding your variants and optimize accordingly.
- Make Data-Driven Decisions: Use the data you collect to make informed decisions about your SEO strategy.
By staying on top of your SEO efforts, you can ensure that your product variants continue to perform well and attract the right customers.
Final Thoughts
Optimizing Shopify SEO for product variants might seem like a lot of work, but it's definitely worth the effort. By taking the time to set up your variants correctly, conduct keyword research, and optimize titles, descriptions, and metadata, you can improve your store's visibility and attract more customers.
And if you ever need a helping hand, Pattern is here to support you. We specialize in driving more traffic from Google and turning that traffic into paying customers. Unlike other agencies, we focus on results, not just rankings. We create programmatic landing pages and craft conversion-focused content to help your brand get found by the right people. We've been in-house growth leaders ourselves, so we understand how SEO fits into a broader marketing strategy. Let us help make SEO a growth channel that drives real sales and lowers your customer acquisition costs.