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SEO Best Practices For Category Page Copy

Tired of creating subpar copy on your category pages? Carefully planned and thought out category page copy can enhance search rankings, improve user engagement and ultimately drive conversions, so it’s important to get it right. In this guide, we’ll take you through some of the key SEO best practices for category page copy, including keyword usage, on-page optimisation, layout and more to ensure you’re creating valuable category copy for users.

Keywords

  • Relevance & volume: Choose keywords that are both relevant to your business and have adequate search volume. 
  • Search intent: Understand the search intent behind the keyword, ensuring that the copy aligns with the intent of the keyword. Our user intent article covers everything you need to know about search intent for more information.
  • Competition: Sometimes, it can be better to target a keyword with lower search volume if it’s more relevant to the page. For example, “gym accessories” is more relevant than simply “accessories”, even though it has much lower search volume.
keyword research example

On-Page Optimisation

SEO Title

Recommended length: 55-60 characters.

Importance: The SEO title is a crucial ranking factor. It needs to be optimised with relevant keywords that reflect how users search for the topic.

Best practices:

  • Conduct keyword research to identify the most relevant terms.
  • Include the main keyword in the SEO title.
  • Ensure the SEO title is user-friendly and not overly stuffed with keywords.
  • Include your business name in the title.

    Recommended length: About 155 characters. 

H1 Tag

Similar to SEO titles, H1’s are also a ranking factor. The main difference between the SEO title and H1 is that the H1 will be visible on the page, whereas the SEO title is only visible in the search engine results page. 

Recommended length: There’s no character limit for headings. However, you should try to keep them as concise as possible (consider how they would look on mobile devices).

Best practices:

  • The H1 should contain the main keyword and be concise.
  • It should be descriptive of the page’s content, so users immediately understand the page’s purpose.
  • The H1 needs to be unique to each page.
  • Headings should follow a logical, hierarchical order, with the H1 at the top, H2, then H3 and so on.
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Meta Descriptions 

Meta descriptions aren’t ranking factors. However, they are displayed in the search engine results page, which means that a good meta description could encourage users to click on the organic search result.

Best practices:

  • Include the focus keyword to align with search queries.
  • Incorporate a clear call-to-action (CTA) to encourage clicks.
  • Mention your business name to reinforce brand recognition.
  • Describe the page’s content effectively and concisely.
  • Each meta description should be unique to its respective page.

Crafting Category Descriptions

Category descriptions provide context to users and search engines about the content of a category landing page and its products. They should be informative, keyword-rich and tailored to search intent.

Category Description Checklist

  • Ensure the primary keyword is integrated naturally into the copy – don’t over-optimise your copy.
  • Mention your business name.
  • The description must be unique, clearly describing the page content, whilst considering user search intent.
  • Link to related categories, key products, buyers guides, blog posts or contact pages if relevant to enhance navigation and SEO.
  • Include a CTA (free delivery, contact us etc).

Copy Tone & Style

  • Authoritative & natural: The copy should be authoritative and compelling, using language that resonates with the user’s search intent.
  • Relevance: Use keywords relevant to the user’s search query and incorporate any pertinent topics or questions.
 Additional Content Tips

Consider user needs: Think about what users might want to know when searching for your products. Include links to buying guides or user guides if available.

Competitive analysis: Review your competitors content and identify any gaps in your page’s content that you can fill to provide more comprehensive information.

FAQs: If there are commonly asked questions, consider adding an FAQ section.

Category pages can be enhanced with additional content to provide more value to users and improve SEO.

Copy Length

There’s no strict word count for category descriptions. Focus on delivering valuable content that answers users’ needs without unnecessary fluff. If the copy is too long, users may skip important information.

Note: Google is regularly rolling out algorithm updates to ensure that it is providing quality content for users, further emphasising the importance of writing informative, valuable content.

Content Structure

Start by introducing the category and listing the types of products within it.

Highlight key benefits or features, such as available sizes or brands.

Conclude with a strong CTA, mentioning any unique selling propositions, such as free delivery or fast shipping.

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Ready to take your marketing to the next level?

By following these best practices, you can create category copy that not only enhances user experience, but also improves your website’s SEO performance.

If you’d like help with your category page copy, drop us a line. Our team of specialists are on hand to conduct detailed keyword research, competitor analysis and on-page analysis to ensure your category pages are both informative and effective.

Written by

  • Equipped with a Journalism degree, a love for writing and some spreadsheet skills, Henry's pursuit of a career in SEO began with an internship, a global pandemic and cutting his teeth at a digital marketing agency. Previous roles in email marketing and marketing strategy give Henry a deep understanding of the whole marketing function. You'll often find Henry walking the line between content creation and data analysis looking for the perfect recipe for SEO campaign success. Outside of work, he has keen interests in cooking, gaming, rugby and Liverpool FC.

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