Whether you’re new to the world of business or you’re a seasoned entrepreneur, chances are you’re fast becoming aware of SEO product descriptions. But what are they? And why are they such a crucial part of your business’ future success?
In today’s blog, we’re bringing you a complete guide to SEO product descriptions. If you want to know more about SEO in general, why optimised descriptions are so important AND find out how to write them, keep reading.
What Are SEO Product Descriptions?
So, what are SEO product descriptions?
Before we get into that, it’s essential to note that an SEO product description isn’t the same as a bog-standard product description.
When you’re setting up your online presence and loading your products or services onto your website, you’ll be given an opportunity to describe them – usually in around 50-100 words, sometimes longer. Technically, any form of text (even if it’s poorly written) will function as a product description.
SEO product descriptions are different. These clever little snippets are written with great care and attention, but most importantly, they’re optimised to ensure search engines can find them.
Let’s Recap on the Basics of SEO…
If you’re completely new to the world of marketing, you might be unfamiliar with SEO. Understood to be the key to driving traffic to your website, SEO (short for Search Engine Optimisation) is the process of making your content as visible as possible.
Lots of factors contribute to search engine optimisation, including domain authority, backlinking and – arguably the most important – keyword strategy. It’s the latter that matters most when it comes to SEO product descriptions, so let’s find out why.
Why Are SEO Product Descriptions Important?
As we’ve just established, SEO is essential if you want your website to be discovered by search engines. Google and other operators do this by crawling, indexing and ranking the internet’s content, all with the view of presenting the most relevant search results to their users.
That brings us to the big question: why are SEO product descriptions so important?
SEO product descriptions have three goals:
- Effectively describe a product or service
- Convince potential customers that they need that product or service
- Attract people searching for that specific product or service
The third goal on this list is achieved by implementing researched keywords into all of your SEO product descriptions. Using a keyword research tool, you can find out the exact search terms your target customer is typing into Google and incorporate them into your writing.
Smart, right?
How to Write SEO Product Descriptions
Now we understand what SEO product descriptions are and why they’re so important, let’s find out how to write them. If you follow this simple guide, you’re bound to increase traffic and convert browsers into buyers.
Step 1: Establish Your Target Customer
How can you create a targeted keyword strategy without understanding your target audience? The answer is simple – you can’t. That’s why the first step on the SEO product descriptions checklist is to nail down your exact audience and what they’re likely to search for.
Figuring out who you should be targeting can be tricky. If you’re stuck, check out our blog to discover 7 questions you can ask when conducting audience research.
Step 2: Carry Out Keyword Research
Once you’ve got a good idea of who might be interested in your products or services, it’s time to carry out your keyword research. As we’ve already mentioned, you’ll use these keywords to make your descriptions as visible to search engines as possible, increasing the likelihood of the right people finding your site.
If you’re completely new to keyword research, we recommend checking out Hubspot’s Beginner’s Guide here.
Here’s a quick overview of carrying out keyword research for product descriptions:
- Get into the mindset of your customer – if you were searching for this product or service, what would you type into Google? More often than not, it’s this search term that will function as your primary keyword.
- Once you’ve done some brainstorming, use a keyword research tool like Ubersuggest, Semrush or Moz to figure out which ones rank the best. Ideally, you want to choose a focus keyword that has a high search volume and a low SEO difficulty.
- Once you’ve established which keyword you’ll use as your focus, you should make sure to include it plenty of times within your description. The amount will depend on how long the description is, but working towards a 1-2% density is a good rule of thumb. More on this here.
Step 3: Describe the Benefits, Not Just the Features
When it comes to crafting the perfect SEO product descriptions, it’s not as simple as whipping up some text to fill space or rewording whatever the manufacturer has on their website. In order to rank effectively, your descriptions should be original, and in order to do their job well, they should be compelling and benefit-focused.
So, what do we mean by that? Imagine you’re listing a fridge on your website.
A feature-focused description would tell you about the following:
- The fridge includes a spacious central compartment
- It also has a pair of drawers and some interior shelving
- The front of the fridge has a water dispenser
A benefit-focused description would tell you why those things matter:
- The fridge includes a spacious central compartment – ideal for storing a week’s worth of meat, vegetables and anything else you need to keep fresh.
- It also has a pair of drawers and some interior shelving – great for keeping everything separate and organising sauces, drinks and more.
- The front of the fridge has a water dispenser – perfect for pouring ice-cold drinks at the touch of a button.
Instead of just listing the great things about your product or service, tell your potential customer WHY those things are great. That way, your SEO product descriptions will build trust with your brand and hopefully secure plenty of sales in the process.
Need more tips on writing better copy? Check out our tips here.
3 Examples of Excellent SEO Product Descriptions
1. Liz Earle – Selling Skincare With Style
When it comes to writing great SEO product descriptions, Liz Earle has the art mastered. As well as including their focus keyword frequently (‘serum’, presumably), they’ve also ticked all of the boxes when it comes to highlighting the benefits of each ingredient.
2. Veloretti Bikes – Simple Yet Effective
Veloretti’s SEO product descriptions embody the entire meaning behind quality over quantity. In the first two lines of this chunk, they manage to list all of the key features and all of the benefits that come with them. Pure writing brilliance!
3. The White Company – Short But Sweet
While longer SEO product descriptions can be great for packing in plenty of keywords, shorter descriptions also work wonders when written effectively. Take this example from The White Company, designed to sell the luxury that is a pair of cashmere bed socks. As well as pointing out the key benefits in easy-to-read bullet points, they’ve also managed to convey comfort and warmth in just a few lines.
Shorter SEO product descriptions are a great option for businesses on a tighter budget, and the right copywriting agency can help to maximise their performance.
Need Help Crafting SEO Product Descriptions?
Why not get in touch and tell us a bit about yourself? Our UK-based copywriting agency has helped thousands of happy clients to level up their content, and we’d love to help you next!
Inspired Copy is a UK copywriting agency specialising in SEO-friendly content such as blogs, web copy, product descriptions, press releases, and more. We’re based in the heart of Manchester, but our client base spans over 50 countries. If you’d like to get copywriting and content that effortlessly converts visitors, readers, and scrollers to customers, we’d love to help. We’re here to make words work for you, because great copy sells.