When we speak to eCommerce store owners using our platform, one question comes up again and again: “Should I focus on product pages, category pages, or both?” The simple answer is both, but in the right way. With limited time and resources, knowing where to prioritise your SEO can make a big difference in the traffic and sales your store gets.
A common mistake we see is trying to optimise everything at once. This often leads to rushed content, duplicated descriptions, or pages that do not fully match search intent. Instead, it helps to understand the role each page type plays in the customer journey and how search engines evaluate them.
Product Pages – Focus Your SEO on Individual Products
Your product pages are where shoppers decide whether to buy. These pages usually target more specific search terms, often used by people who already know what they want. Optimising titles, descriptions, and images helps your products appear when customers search for exactly what you sell. For example, a page titled “Red Leather Handbag – Genuine Italian Leather” is far more effective than simply “Handbag.”
Product pages should answer every question a buyer might have. This includes size, materials, usage, delivery details, and returns. The clearer and more complete the information, the easier it is for customers to make a decision and for search engines to trust the page.
Tips for product pages:
- Include keywords naturally: This helps Google understand your page and match it to what customers are searching for, without forcing awkward phrasing.
- Use high-quality images with alt text: This improves search visibility, can appear in image search, and makes pages more engaging and trustworthy.
- Highlight unique features and benefits: This creates original content that stands out in search results and gives users a reason to click your listing.
- Add reviews and FAQs: User-generated content keeps pages fresh and answers common questions, which can improve rankings and conversions.
- Early optimisation matters: Giving pages time to rank before peak sales periods helps you capture more traffic when demand increases.
Category Pages – Focus Your SEO on Collections and Ranges
Focusing your SEO on category pages helps attract shoppers who aren’t searching for a specific product but are exploring a type or collection. These users are often earlier in the buying journey and open to comparison. Well-optimised categories encourage browsing, increase page views, and give more of your products a chance to be discovered.
Example: A category like “Men’s Winter Boots” could include an introductory paragraph: “Explore our range of warm, waterproof men’s winter boots, designed for comfort and durability in cold or wet conditions.”
Pro Tip: Add short, useful content at the top of category pages. This helps search engines understand what the page is about while guiding users without overwhelming them.
SEO Benefits:
- Target broader search queries: Category pages can rank for general terms like “winter boots” or “men’s boots,” bringing in shoppers who are still researching options.
- Increase organic traffic: Strong category pages often become some of the highest traffic pages on an eCommerce site.
- Spread link authority: Internal links from category pages help individual products gain visibility and ranking strength.
- Encourage engagement: Clear filters, navigation, and helpful copy keep shoppers browsing longer, which signals quality to search engines.
So do I focus on product pages or category pages?
The answer is both! Product pages help you capture shoppers who are ready to buy, while category pages attract those who are still browsing your collections. When used together, they strengthen your overall SEO performance and support the entire customer journey.
One of the biggest SEO advantages in eCommerce comes from how these two page types work together. Category pages act as hubs, helping search engines understand your site structure and how products are grouped. Product pages then add depth and detail, targeting more specific searches and converting interested visitors into customers.
When product and category pages are connected through clear internal linking, they create an easy path for both users and search engines to follow. A shopper might land on a category page through a broader search, click into a product, and then continue exploring through links to related items or back to the main category. This improves usability, increases time on site, and sends strong engagement signals that support better search visibility.
SEO Is Totally Worth It – Build Long-Term Traffic
Unlike paid ads, SEO traffic doesn’t stop when you stop paying. The work you put into optimising your pages continues to deliver value over time. Small improvements made consistently can lead to steady growth in traffic and sales.
Next Steps:
- Audit product and category pages for clear titles, strong descriptions, and helpful content.
- Add internal links that make sense for users, not just search engines.
- Keep content up to date, especially for seasonal or high-demand products.
Remember: SEO is a long-term game. The sooner you start focusing on improving your product pages, category structure, and internal linking, the sooner you build momentum that keeps working for your store.
Need a hand?
Our team can help optimise your site, product pages, and category pages – so your store ranks better and attracts more customers. Get in touch today.
