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Whether you promote your e-commerce store using search engine optimization, or whether you use social media or paid advertising, poor product descriptions will hurt your sales – and even your traffic from Google.
Many online shop owners simply take the product name and description provided by the supplier, and paste that into the space for the product title and description.
You may be able to get visitors that way if you run paid ads (though not many of them might buy), but if you rely on Google for visitors, you may have a problem.
Allow me to explain…
1. The flaws in using supplier descriptions and titles:
a, First off, most of these descriptions don’t say much. Yes, they may contain some basic product information, but it is bland at best. In most cases, it isn’t much either – maybe 50 or 80 words.
That’s not enough to make Google take note.
b. Everyone selling the same product will have the same description:
Aside from the fact that the supplied product descriptions are often really poor, this leaves Google with a dilemma: If the same product title and description appears on multiple websites, who should they send the visitor to?
At that point in time it all becomes very technical, with Google looking at things like backlinks, domain age, page load speed, hosting location, other unique content (if any) on the website, and many other hidden details.
2. How to do product descriptions and titles the right way:
a. Instead of using the provided title and description, do some keyword research – the cheapest tool for the job is probably Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest tool.
Figure out what people are actually looking for. Fair enough, in some cases people may be looking for a very specific product, so you need to have the product name in there as well.
However, Google displays titles of up to 60 characters long, so if you have some space left after the original product title, see if you can add another search term in there.
For instance, if you sell a product titled “men’s black denim boot leg”, but your keyword research has shown that people also look for “durable boot leg denim”, you may want to consider a title like “men’s black boot leg denim – durable”
This will allow you to not only differentiate your product from other sellers, but also to be visible for more searches than just the product name itself.
b. the longer your product description becomes, the more Google views the text content as valuable, and likely to provide “a good user experience”. Many professionals suggest a description length of 400 to 500 words, or more if it is possible.
c. Do proper search engine optimization (SEO) on your product descriptions: Work potential search terms into the wording, and place the best one in sub-headings in the product description text (yes, you can do that). Placing those keyword phrases into headings will let Google know that those terms are deemed important for that product too.
The final step for making more sales:
Combine SEO content with content copywriting.
Instead of a dull wall of text for your product description, try to sell the outcome. Does the visitor want something cheap? Do they want something durable, or comfortable? Will their purchase address a specific need or problem?
Think of it like this: In many cases, buying the product is simply a means to an end – what is that end?
As in the case of the bootleg denims, some people want it in black because it is a striking color. Some want it in black because they find it more practical. Some want it to be durable so they don’t have to go shopping for the same item in a year from now.
The keyword phrases you include into the description are there to notify Google what your product is for and who it is for. It is there to let Google send more visitors to your online store.
Once they arrive, however, it is up to you to actually sell the product to them. Some people do a lot of research before they buy, but many people simply buy on impulse. If your copywritten product descriptions resonate with them, more of those people will buy from you.
In conclusion:
Typically, a well written product description is a far cry from the one provided by the supplier. It will also be unique, which in itself will improve your product’s placement in the search results.
Fair enough, it will take some time – or money – to implement it. However, the number of additional sales you stand to make as a result of it, will make it worthwhile.