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March 1, 2006 |
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By: Louise Rijk - Bio - Blog |
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| Ecommerce Web Site Product Entry: |
|  How to Get High Search Engine Rankings and Increase Conversion Rates - Part II
In our last issue, we covered how careful crafting of your product titles and descriptions can help you sell more products and generate free search engine traffic. In this issue, we'll discuss writing long and short descriptions.
To review the previous issue, here are the rules of thumb for ecommerce product entry:
- Organize products in a structure logical to your visitors
- Name product categories and sub-categories using high-volume, multi-keyword phrases
- Include keyword-rich category and sub-category descriptions (If applicable. Some site designs do not allow for category and sub-category descriptions)
- Include the original manufacturer product name and model number in your product titles (If writing your own product names/titles, be sure to keep them short and descriptive)
- In order to write compelling product descriptions tailored to your target audience, use highly descriptive words that bring the product to life using the tone and writing style that best resonates with your audience
We stressed the importance of consistency last month - both in product structure and wording. It's helpful to use a writing template. A template will ensure that all of your product descriptions are consistent.
Maintain a Writing Convention with a Writing Template
To maintain consistency throughout all your product descriptions, you may consider using a writing template that describes the item order within your description.
Here's an example of an effective product description writing template:
Product Title: Leisure "Ridgewood" 3-Piece Luggage Set
Product Description:
Travel in style with this sleek, high quality, 3-Piece luggage set from Leisure. Shown here in magenta, your luggage will be easy to spot at the baggage claim. The locking, pop-up handle system and 360 degree rotating wheels help you transport your luggage with ease. This luggage set features a durable padded, waterproof design that will ensure your belongings arrive safely at their destination.
- Three-piece set includes 16" duffel bag, 20" expandable upright and 25" expandable upright.
- 2.5" expansion on upright bags for 30% more packing capacity
- Constructed of durable 600D polyester
- Locking, pop-up handle system
- 360 degree ball bearing wheels
- Generous, outside front pockets
- EVA foam padded
- Self-repairing nylon coil zippers
- 3-year limited warranty
The first paragraph includes the main keyword phrase (luggage set) and highlights the most important features and relates them to how they will benefit the customer. This text uses a few descriptive power words, (high quality, sleek, durable), then brings the item into customer's world so he/she can visualize how the product will benefit to him/her.
The bulleted list is a concise list of features (some repeated from the previous paragraph) that emphasizes all the key points. It is a good idea to limit this type of bulleted list to only the key features, and to list the features in order of perceived importance. This template may or may not work for your products; however it is a good place to start when thinking about what you need to write.
Description Length
It is a good idea to keep your product descriptions as concise as possible without limiting the product information. If your product has a large number of features, you may choose to list only the most important ones. If you're using descriptive text, try not to be verbose or repetitive. As a guideline, product descriptions should be kept to between 50 and 250 words (including bullet points).
Effectively Using Keyword Phrases in Descriptions
As with writing your product titles, it is important to get high rankings in the search engine results to use keyword phrases in product descriptions. In the above example, the phrase "luggage set" and the brand name "Leisure" are repeated.
Writing a Short Descriptions
The Short Description is an alternate description that may be used in different parts of your site (depending on how it is designed) and acts as a short descriptive text about each item. E.g. the meta tag description is often pulled dynamically from the short description field. You should limit this description to between 10 and 15 words, and focus on words that describe exactly what the item is.
Example: Short Description - BestBuy.com
Product Title: Canon - PowerShot 5.0MP Digital Camera SD400
Short Description: 3x optical/4x digital zoom; 2" color LCD; ultra-slim metallic body; direct-print capability; DIGIC II imaging processor
This short description lists all the key features and keyword phrases for this product. Depending on which types of products you sell, this strategy may or may not work for your site.
Example: Short Description - OutdoorPioneer.com
Product Title: Game Finder Life Finder Thermal Detector
Short Description: Life Finder Thermal Detector Black Finish
This short description repeats the product name and adds the product color/finish. This strategy can be helpful if your product catalog contains separate products for different color variations on the same product. Also, repeating the product name or category name can be helpful for the internal site search engine as well as for organic search engine optimization purposes.
Taking the time up front to carefully craft your site's product names and descriptions will pay off in the long run with higher Web site conversion rates and higher search engine ranking results and higher web site conversion rates. Using the easy to follow rules in this article will help you turn your ecommerce Web site into a selling success.
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