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Ecommerce SEO: categories first, then everything else

Last reviewed and updated

Online stores fail at SEO in predictable places: duplicated supplier copy, empty category pages and thousands of filter URLs competing with each other. This guide fixes them in order, from keyword mapping to catalogue lifecycle.

Every step links to a free tool you can run against your own store right now.

1Map keywords to categories, not products

Most commercial volume sits on category terms — "running shoes", "waterproof jackets" — while product pages capture brand and model queries. Map the head term to the category, the modifiers to subcategories, and the exact model names to products.

If two categories target the same phrase, merge them. Split intent across near-duplicate listings is the most expensive mistake in ecommerce SEO.

Tools for this step

These checks need a data provider connected. For a live measurement right now, run the SEO dashboard audit against the same URL.

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2Give category pages real content

A grid of products with no copy has nothing to rank. Add a short, genuinely useful introduction above the grid — what is in the range, how to choose — plus buying guidance below the fold.

Keep the title pattern predictable and unique per page, and make sure pagination does not swap the H1 or the description.

Tools for this step

Word CounterCount words, characters, sentences and paragraphs, estimate reading time and see the keyword frequency of any passage.Live
Meta Tag GeneratorGenerate title, description, robots, canonical and viewport tags with live length guidance.Live
Keyword Density CheckerMeasure one, two and three word phrase density in pasted copy and spot over-optimisation.Live

Tools marked Live open a working workspace that runs entirely in your browser — start with Word Counter and Meta Tag Generator.

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3Rewrite manufacturer product copy

Supplier descriptions are shared across every retailer selling the item, so they add nothing unique. Write your own summary, list the specifications that decide purchases, and answer the objections your support inbox already knows.

Reviews and Q&A on the page add original text that competitors selling the same SKU do not have.

Tools for this step

Text SummarizerExtractive summariser that scores sentences by keyword weight and position, then returns the strongest ones verbatim.Live

Tools marked Live open a working workspace that runs entirely in your browser — start with Text Summarizer.

4Control faceted URLs and canonicals

Filters multiply URLs fast: colour, size, price and sort combinations can generate thousands of near-identical pages that eat crawl budget. Decide which facet combinations deserve an indexable page and canonicalise or block the rest.

Keep internal links pointing at the indexable versions, and never let a sort parameter be the version you link to.

Tools for this step

Robots.txt GeneratorCompose crawl directives per user-agent, add sitemap references and download a valid robots.txt.Live
XML Sitemap GeneratorTurn a pasted list of URLs into a valid sitemap.xml with changefreq, priority and lastmod.Live
Canonical Tag GeneratorEmit a normalised canonical link element and catch common self-reference mistakes.API

Tools marked Live open a working workspace that runs entirely in your browser — start with Robots.txt Generator and XML Sitemap Generator.

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5Fix images and speed on listing pages

Category grids load dozens of images, so compression and correct dimensions move Largest Contentful Paint more than any code change. Serve appropriately sized files and lazy-load everything below the fold.

Check the mobile rendering of a full grid: that is the experience most shoppers and the index actually get.

Tools for this step

Image CompressorRe-encode JPG, PNG or WebP files at a quality you choose and compare before/after file size.Live
Image ResizerResize images to exact pixel dimensions with optional aspect-ratio lock and instant preview.API
PNG to JPGFlatten PNG transparency onto a background colour and export a JPEG at your chosen quality.API

Tools marked Live open a working workspace that runs entirely in your browser — start with Image Compressor.

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6Handle out-of-stock and discontinued products

Deleting a ranking product page throws away its links. Keep the page live when the item returns, offer alternatives when it does not, and 301 to the closest replacement or parent category only when it is genuinely gone.

Sweep for broken links and redirect chains after every catalogue change, and keep the sitemap in step with what is actually purchasable.

Tools for this step

These checks need a data provider connected. For a live measurement right now, run the SEO dashboard audit against the same URL.

Go deeper

  • SEO dashboard — Track category rankings and verify links after changes.

Related tools

The checks a catalogue needs after every update.

Image CompressorRe-encode JPG, PNG or WebP files at a quality you choose and compare before/after file size.Live
Word CounterCount words, characters, sentences and paragraphs, estimate reading time and see the keyword frequency of any passage.Live
Canonical Tag GeneratorEmit a normalised canonical link element and catch common self-reference mistakes.API

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SEO auditThe full six-pass audit for any site.Technical SEO guideCrawling, indexation and speed.On-page SEO guideTitles, headings and internal links.SEO dashboardRank tracking and live page scores.