Best Practices for SEO and Product Feed Optimization

What SEO means?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a set of best practices and actions, sometimes even "tricks," aimed at achieving the most favorable position wherever an algorithm determines the order of displaying or sharing information to customers.

The term "SEO" is most commonly associated with the Google search engine, but SEO itself is present wherever there is a search engine and algorithm. Good examples include Allegro, Amazon, or Ceneo, where customers search for specific products, and automated platform systems decide which product and store to present first.

Depending on the platform, optimization techniques may vary, although a certain set of fundamental actions remains consistent.

What is product feed optimization?

In this context, product feed optimization is also a form of SEO. In this case, the optimizer's task is to align the product feed as closely as possible with the requirements of the systems that use this feed. For example, different systems may have different names for fields with specific content. It may also happen that a field optional for one system is mandatory in another.

Feedink allows managing these often mutually exclusive requirements and, from a single tool, managing the product feed to fit everywhere. Furthermore, the use of this solution also enables optimizing the feed for the requirements of a specific service.

Best practicies

Regardless of the target service that will utilize the product feed, it is crucial to apply several key practices that will address the most important areas related to SEO.

Title optimization

The title is the largest and most crucial element of advertising - and this is precisely how the presentation of a product within a price comparison engine or marketplace platform can be described. Often, it is based on the title that customers decide whether to add a product to their cart. In this case, well-prepared title can make the difference between a product being chosen or overlooked.

Tips:

• Include as many keywords as possible - popular SEO tools such as Semrush or Ahrefs can assist in finding relevant phrases that should be incorporated into the title. People search for their desired products based on specific combinations of words and phrases, and these key terms should be present in the title.
• Avoid unnecessary information - to make the most effective use of the space allotted for the title, it is essential to eliminate all unnecessary details, such as product IDs or ISBNs in the case of publications. Numbers or designations are of little importance to the overwhelming majority of users and take up valuable space.

Work on good product description

The product description allows for the inclusion of much more information than the title alone and should provide a more detailed response to the questions and uncertainties of potential customers. Depending on the platform, the volume of space for the product description may vary, and various formatting options may be available.

Tips:

• Avoid content repetition - most search engines prefer unique content and product descriptions. This can be a significant challenge for copywriters, especially when they have to describe many products that differ only in minor details, such as color or pattern. In such cases, artificial intelligence can assist the copywriter in generating diverse descriptions.
• Tailor the description to 'long-tail keywords' - 'long-tail keywords' are combinations of words that are not used frequently but have high conversion potential. The description is the place where such phrases should appear, attracting as many potential customers interested in purchasing the specific product as possible.

Choose right pictures

Images and photos are among the simplest tools to differentiate yourself from the competition. Through the careful selection of images, it is possible to showcase a product in a way that emphasizes its benefits and encourages customers to make a purchase from a specific store.

• Not too heavy - images used in a store must strike the right balance between quality and lightweight design. They should not be too blurry or unclear, as this can discourage customers. On the other hand, the image should load quickly, and promotional platforms often impose an upper limit on the size of a particular illustration.
• Stand out - manufacturers often provide stores and sellers with product images, but these are widely available and do not allow for differentiation. Therefore, publishing distinctive images is an interesting strategy, even if it doesn't directly contribute to SEO but rather aims to catch the eye of potential customers.

Align the category architecture in your store with Google categories

Categories are one of the most critical variables influencing SEO in product feed-based systems. Matching the category structure used by the target system often determines the ease of finding a particular product or its visibility.

Therefore, in this case, there is only one piece of advice - the store owner must ensure that the category in which the product is placed aligns with the category tree of the respective platform. In case of an error or improper alignment, the product has little chance of being prominently featured.

Strive for Reviews and Recommendations.

The final elements are reviews and recommendations – they also impact SEO and the position of a particular product in search results. In many cases, a specific platform has its own review systems (such as Google or Amazon), and the store owner should take it upon themselves to encourage customers to share their experiences. Up to 95% of users read reviews before making a purchase, and for 49%, online reviews carry as much weight as recommendations from friends.

Summary

W przypadku SEO prowadzonego na potrzeby serwisów takich jak Ceneo czy Google Shopping kluczowe jest zachowanie elastyczności połączone z trzymaniem się wytycznych. Narzędzia takie jak Feedink pozwalają pogodzić te dwa pozornie sprzeczne wymagania, automatyzując wiele trudnej i wymagającej pracy.