{"id":146297,"date":"2022-09-05T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-05T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=146297"},"modified":"2024-03-18T08:21:00","modified_gmt":"2024-03-18T13:21:00","slug":"seo-ecommerce-category-pages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-ecommerce-category-pages\/","title":{"rendered":"11 Ways to Improve E-commerce Category Pages for&nbsp;SEO"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">If you\u2019ve been doing SEO for a while, you\u2019ll understand what I mean when I say category pages are a common area SEO and UX experts disagree on.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>And this is for one key reason: SEOs tend to want to add more content and links, and UX experts want to prioritize clicks to products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, there is a middle ground where we can retain the commercial nature of categories and include content to help users make their purchase decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout this guide, I\u2019ll show how to improve your e-commerce category pages for SEO while ensuring the user remains at the core of your decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"But first, why are categories so important?\" data-section=\"why-categories-so-important\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">But first, why are categories so important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The importance of great categories cannot be understated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019re the site area where you\u2019ll often capture \u201cThe Fat Head\u201d and \u201cThe Chunky Middle\u201d of search queries\u2014the high-volume, less-specific queries that most bosses\/clients want to rank&nbsp;for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-146325\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/1-search-demand-curve.jpg\" alt=\"The search demand curve\" width=\"542\" height=\"560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/1-search-demand-curve.jpg 1548w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/1-search-demand-curve-411x425.jpg 411w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/1-search-demand-curve-768x794.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/1-search-demand-curve-1486x1536.jpg 1486w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 542px) 100vw, 542px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s not to say categories can\u2019t target <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/long-tail-keywords\/\">long-tail keywords<\/a>. But unless you have a lot of SKUs, sites often target the long-tail with product pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to categories being essential for capturing traffic from high-volume terms, they also&nbsp;help:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Users discover your products when navigating your&nbsp;site.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-pagerank\/\">effectively distribute PageRank<\/a> to important subcategories and products via your internal linking.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Users and search engines understand your information architecture (IA), i.e., how you\u2019ve organized your content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Types of category pages\" data-section=\"category-page-types\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Types of category pages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we move on with some tips, I\u2019ll introduce the two types of category pages you\u2019ll find on e-commerce stores:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Category listing pages (CLP) <\/strong>\u2013 Categories that predominantly list categories.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Product listing pages (PLP) <\/strong>\u2013 Categories that predominantly list products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll see CLPs across many popular e-commerce stores, and they\u2019re often found in categories higher up within a site\u2019s hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, here is a CLP on&nbsp;ASOS:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1078\" class=\"wp-image-146326\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/2-category-listing-page.jpg\" alt=\"Category listing page from ASOS\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/2-category-listing-page.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/2-category-listing-page-680x367.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/2-category-listing-page-768x414.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/2-category-listing-page-1536x828.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And here is ASOS\u2019&nbsp;PLP:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1182\" class=\"wp-image-146328\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/3-product-listing-page.jpg\" alt=\"Product listing page from ASOS\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/3-product-listing-page.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/3-product-listing-page-680x402.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/3-product-listing-page-768x454.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/3-product-listing-page-1536x908.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>So why is understanding the difference between CLPs and PLPs significant?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><strong>CLPs target very broad topics<\/strong>. <\/strong>A site is unlikely to service the user\u2019s requirements by displaying one product type. For example, on ASOS\u2019 men\u2019s clothing CLP, it doesn\u2019t know the specific type of men\u2019s clothing a user wants to see, so it links to a mixture of different types of products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><strong>CLPs exist to help users navigate to a more specific page.<\/strong> <\/strong>Sites do this, as they won\u2019t be sure specifically what the user wants yet\u2014so they show them a selection of all relevant product types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With PLPs, on the other hand, <strong>sites know what a user wants.<\/strong> If a user searches for \u201cmen\u2019s black boots,\u201d the intent is clear\u2014so they show them black&nbsp;boots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While we should still help users navigate to a more specific category (if possible), we know showing a list of black boots for them to purchase will fulfill their requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Key elements for categories\" data-section=\"key-elements-for-categories\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key elements for categories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Your typical category page is simple and looks like the PLPs I\u2019ve just described. They\u2019ll likely have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An H1.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A section under the H1 with some intro&nbsp;copy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A list of products, likely with pagination.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/faceted-navigation\/\">Faceted navigation<\/a> to help users filter the products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>However, there are far more elements you can include to help users and SEO on both PLPs and&nbsp;CLPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a mockup of the critical elements you should consider for both types of categories that both users and search engines will&nbsp;love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-146330\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/4-category-mockup.png\" alt=\"Critical elements of a category page (mockup)\" width=\"540\" height=\"1367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/4-category-mockup.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/4-category-mockup-168x425.png 168w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/4-category-mockup-768x1944.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/4-category-mockup-607x1536.png 607w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/4-category-mockup-809x2048.png 809w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ll now expand on the above points throughout the rest of the article to help you improve your category pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"1. Add helpful content\" data-section=\"add-helpful-content\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Add helpful content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In this scenario, helpful content will <strong>help the user make a purchasing decision.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have an \u201cengagement ring\u201d category, writing about <strong>the history of engagement rings isn\u2019t helpful.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Valuable supplementary content in this scenario will be answering questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How have you sourced your diamonds\/metals?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are your diamonds lab-grown or natural?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why did you select these? Metals available? What makes yours better?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What\u2019s the most popular style?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You can briefly answer key pain points below the H1, usually in around 30\u201360 words. But then you can also add further information lower down the page, either in a generic content block or an FAQ section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-146331\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/5-category-block-and-faqs.png\" alt=\"Where to add helpful content on a category page\" width=\"540\" height=\"572\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/5-category-block-and-faqs.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/5-category-block-and-faqs-401x425.png 401w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/5-category-block-and-faqs-768x814.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/5-category-block-and-faqs-1449x1536.png 1449w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Not only is this useful for a user, but it also helps you&nbsp;rank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mariehaynes.com\/john-mueller-podcast-transcription\/\">In an interview with Marie Haynes<\/a>, Google Search Advocate John Mueller said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"small\"><div class=\"quote-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>When the ecommerce category pages don\u2019t have any other content at all, other than links to the products, then it\u2019s really hard for us to rank those&nbsp;pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"quote-info clearfix\"><div class=\"quote-photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"John Mueller\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/john-mueller-google.png\"><\/div><div class=\"extra-box\"><span class=\"quote-author\">John Mueller,<\/span> <span class=\"quote-author-job\">Search Advocate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Google<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Google needs some content to understand the page\u2019s content, and users who don\u2019t know your brand need something to help them decide <strong>whether you\u2019re the best choice.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So we know valuable content helps. However, this is sometimes taken to the extreme, resulting in a large amount of content that nobody will read below the&nbsp;fold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the worst offenders is eBay, with many pages including over 1,000 words of text placed at the bottom of the category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1566\" class=\"wp-image-146332\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/6-long-content-on-ebay-category-pages.jpg\" alt=\"Too much &quot;helpful content&quot; from eBay\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/6-long-content-on-ebay-category-pages.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/6-long-content-on-ebay-category-pages-543x425.jpg 543w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/6-long-content-on-ebay-category-pages-768x602.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/6-long-content-on-ebay-category-pages-1536x1203.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the same interview, John said this about that practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"small\"><div class=\"quote-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m not saying all of that text at the bottom of your page is bad, but maybe 90%, 95% of that text is unnecessary. But some amount of text is useful to have on a page so that we can understand what this page is&nbsp;about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"quote-info clearfix\"><div class=\"quote-photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"John Mueller\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/john-mueller-google.png\"><\/div><div class=\"extra-box\"><span class=\"quote-author\">John Mueller,<\/span> <span class=\"quote-author-job\">Search Advocate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\" target=\"_blank\">Google<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>So it\u2019s likely not helping. But is it harming? The answer is likely\u2014yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"small\"><div class=\"quote-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>Our algorithms sometimes get confused when they have a list of products on top and essentially a giant article on the bottom when our algorithms have to figure out the intent of this&nbsp;page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"quote-info clearfix\"><div class=\"quote-photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"John Mueller\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/john-mueller-google.png\"><\/div><div class=\"extra-box\"><span class=\"quote-author\">John Mueller,<\/span> <span class=\"quote-author-job\">Search Advocate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\" target=\"_blank\">Google<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Still not convinced about removing the content?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a case&nbsp;study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of June 2021, I finished a four-week rollout of new category page content.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I updated 191 pages with 70 words of content above the fold. Previously, up to 800 words were above the fold, hidden by a \u201cread more\u201d toggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the traffic for the following weeks (\u201cA\u201d marks the point the rollout finished):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"376\" class=\"wp-image-146333\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/7-removing-content-case-1.jpg\" alt=\"Traffic weeks after removing excessive content\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/7-removing-content-case-1.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/7-removing-content-case-1-680x170.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/7-removing-content-case-1-768x193.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some snapshots of the ranking for key terms on the top traffic pages. Each of these moved from 800 words to around 70 words (they previously were instructed more content equals better, so they added more content to their top&nbsp;pages).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1266\" height=\"596\" class=\"wp-image-146335\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/8-removing-content-case-2.jpg\" alt=\"Rankings after removing content\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/8-removing-content-case-2.jpg 1266w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/8-removing-content-case-2-680x320.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/8-removing-content-case-2-768x362.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1266px) 100vw, 1266px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the fifth-largest, non-brand query:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"614\" class=\"wp-image-146336\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/9-removing-content-case-3.jpg\" alt=\"Fifth-largest, non-brand query\u2014rankings after removing content\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/9-removing-content-case-3.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/9-removing-content-case-3-680x278.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/9-removing-content-case-3-768x314.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And here\u2019s the sixth-largest, non-brand query:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1646\" height=\"610\" class=\"wp-image-146338\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/10-removing-content-case-4.jpg\" alt=\"Sixth-largest, non-brand query\u2014rankings after removing content\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/10-removing-content-case-4.jpg 1646w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/10-removing-content-case-4-680x252.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/10-removing-content-case-4-768x285.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/10-removing-content-case-4-1536x569.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1646px) 100vw, 1646px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And the long-term impact?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The site has been steadily growing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1544\" height=\"532\" class=\"wp-image-146340\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/11-removing-content-long-term-impact.jpg\" alt=\"Long-term impact of removing content\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/11-removing-content-long-term-impact.jpg 1544w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/11-removing-content-long-term-impact-680x234.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/11-removing-content-long-term-impact-768x265.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/11-removing-content-long-term-impact-1536x529.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1544px) 100vw, 1544px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>There is never one single reason for SEO growth<\/strong>\u2014but this change certainly did no&nbsp;harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As always, <strong>do your own testing.<\/strong> But my experience and comments from John have shown that filler content on categories doesn\u2019t help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To summarize category content:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Answer questions that help users make purchase decisions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Answer questions succinctly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don\u2019t stuff content<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"2. Organize categories logically\" data-section=\"organize-categories-locally\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Organize categories logically<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Most e-commerce solutions provide a way for you to set parent\/child relationships between categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an example of that functionality for a WooCommerce product category:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1666\" height=\"586\" class=\"wp-image-146342\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/12-woocommerce-parent-category.jpg\" alt=\"Parent category function in WooCommerce\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/12-woocommerce-parent-category.jpg 1666w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/12-woocommerce-parent-category-680x239.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/12-woocommerce-parent-category-768x270.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/12-woocommerce-parent-category-1536x540.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1666px) 100vw, 1666px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Organizing your categories into a logical hierarchy results in your site outputting breadcrumbs correctly; here is an example <a href=\"https:\/\/seotoolbelt.co\/tools\/auditing\/structured-data\/\">on my SEO Toolbelt resource<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1628\" height=\"648\" class=\"wp-image-146343\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/13-automatically-generated-breadcrumbs.jpg\" alt=\"Organizing your categories into a logical hierarchy results in your site outputting breadcrumbs correctly\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/13-automatically-generated-breadcrumbs.jpg 1628w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/13-automatically-generated-breadcrumbs-680x271.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/13-automatically-generated-breadcrumbs-768x306.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/13-automatically-generated-breadcrumbs-1536x611.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1628px) 100vw, 1628px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Breadcrumbs help users by indicating where they are on your site, and they aid SEO by distributing PageRank to the categories within the breadcrumbs.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We likes them. We treat them as normal links in e.g. PageRank computation<\/p>\u2014 Gary \u9be8\u7406\uff0f\uacbd\ub9ac Illyes (so official, trust me) (@methode) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/methode\/status\/877842242358185984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 22,&nbsp;2017<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>They also help Google, as it uses <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=px6UBLhWKBk&amp;t=2348s\">internal links to understand site structure<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"small\"><div class=\"quote-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>We do use the internal links to better understand the structure of a&nbsp;page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"quote-info clearfix\"><div class=\"quote-photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"John Mueller\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/john-mueller-google.png\"><\/div><div class=\"extra-box\"><span class=\"quote-author\">John Mueller,<\/span> <span class=\"quote-author-job\">Search Advocate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\" target=\"_blank\">Google<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>However, breadcrumbs are something a lot of UX professionals are reluctant to introduce, usually because they:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Take up lots of&nbsp;room.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tend to be quite&nbsp;ugly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Promote users to navigate to categories rather than products where they\u2019ll convert.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The good news is that <strong>breadcrumb placement doesn\u2019t matter for&nbsp;SEO.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-173012\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screenshot-2024-03-18-at-13.16.01.png\" alt=\"John Mueller confirms that breadcrumb placement doesn't matter for SEO\" width=\"1176\" height=\"592\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screenshot-2024-03-18-at-13.16.01.png 1176w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screenshot-2024-03-18-at-13.16.01-680x342.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screenshot-2024-03-18-at-13.16.01-768x387.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screenshot-2024-03-18-at-13.16.01-400x200.png 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1176px) 100vw, 1176px\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m always cautious about introducing breadcrumbs, as experience has shown <strong>UX experts are right.<\/strong> Whenever I\u2019ve clients run an A\/B test, breadcrumbs have negatively impacted conversion rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the workaround is simple: move breadcrumbs lower down the&nbsp;page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"3. Internally link categories\" data-section=\"internally-link-categories\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Internally link categories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>On both CLP and PLP pages, you should ensure you\u2019re linking to other relevant categories the user may find helpful. On e-commerce sites, I advocate for a mixture of automated internal linking and manually placed links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Automate links to parent\/child categories<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For large e-commerce stores, without automation, managing links will be an admin nightmare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take GetYourGuide, for example. On its \u201cthings to do\u201d on the U.S. page, it has a block of internal links lower down the page to different regions in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"468\" class=\"wp-image-146344\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/14-regions-in-us.jpg\" alt=\"Regions in the U.S.\u2014automated internal links\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/14-regions-in-us.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/14-regions-in-us-680x159.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/14-regions-in-us-768x180.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/14-regions-in-us-1536x360.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If we head to Colorado, scroll down to the same area. Now, it displays cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"394\" class=\"wp-image-146346\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/15-cities-in-colorado.jpg\" alt=\"Cities in Colorado\u2014 automated internal links\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/15-cities-in-colorado.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/15-cities-in-colorado-680x134.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/15-cities-in-colorado-768x151.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/15-cities-in-colorado-1536x303.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you go to Boulder, you\u2019ll see links to activity categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"519\" class=\"wp-image-146385\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/16-things-to-do-boulder.jpg\" alt=\"Things to do in Boulder\u2014automated internal links\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/16-things-to-do-boulder.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/16-things-to-do-boulder-680x177.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/16-things-to-do-boulder-768x199.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/16-things-to-do-boulder-1536x399.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It most undoubtedly automates these&nbsp;links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How? The site understands the parent\/child relationship between categories. That\u2019s how it can also display static breadcrumbs above the footer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1098\" height=\"72\" class=\"wp-image-146387\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/17-parent-child-reflected-in-breadcrumbs.jpg\" alt=\"Static breadcrumbs above the footer generated automatically\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/17-parent-child-reflected-in-breadcrumbs.jpg 1098w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/17-parent-child-reflected-in-breadcrumbs-680x45.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/17-parent-child-reflected-in-breadcrumbs-768x50.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1098px) 100vw, 1098px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019ll be dynamically querying a database for the child pages of the current page and then displaying those to&nbsp;users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-146388\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/18-parent-and-child.png\" alt=\"Site structure: source of automatically generated breadcrumbs\" width=\"540\" height=\"403\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/18-parent-and-child.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/18-parent-and-child-569x425.png 569w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/18-parent-and-child-768x573.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/18-parent-and-child-1536x1147.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The reason why this is so useful is&nbsp;that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You know you won\u2019t get <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/orphan-pages\/\">orphan categories<\/a> due to a human&nbsp;error.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you create a new subcategory and set the parent category, the parent category will link to the subcategory automatically.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your internal links will always indicate your site structure, e.g., Google will understand that Louisiana is a subcategory of the U.S. category, as you link to Louisiana on your U.S.&nbsp;page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Another considerable benefit is that you\u2019ll automatically create a pyramid site structure, where broader pages link to more specific ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-146390\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/19-pyramid-site-structure.png\" alt=\"Pyramid site structure\" width=\"540\" height=\"546\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/19-pyramid-site-structure.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/19-pyramid-site-structure-420x425.png 420w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/19-pyramid-site-structure-768x777.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/19-pyramid-site-structure-1519x1536.png 1519w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We know this helps Google understand site structure, <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/wsrL6l2Fxvo?t=3385\">as confirmed by John<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"small\"><div class=\"quote-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>The top-down approach or pyramid structure helps us a lot more to understand the context of individual pages within the&nbsp;site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"quote-info clearfix\"><div class=\"quote-photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"John Mueller\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/john-mueller-google.png\"><\/div><div class=\"extra-box\"><span class=\"quote-author\">John Mueller,<\/span> <span class=\"quote-author-job\">Search Advocate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\" target=\"_blank\">Google<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Automate links to similar categories<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Similar to the above, you\u2019ll also want to link similar categories. You can automate this, but it doesn\u2019t suit every&nbsp;site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back to the Boulder page on GetYourGuide, it also links to other popular cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"491\" class=\"wp-image-146391\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/20-cities-in-us.jpg\" alt=\"Automated links to similar categories\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/20-cities-in-us.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/20-cities-in-us-680x167.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/20-cities-in-us-768x189.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/20-cities-in-us-1536x377.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For these links, it will be querying a database, getting the parent category of the current page, and then listing the parents\u2019 child&nbsp;pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"602\" class=\"wp-image-146393\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/21-parent-and-child.png\" alt=\"Two-step process of querying a database for parents' child pages\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/21-parent-and-child.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/21-parent-and-child-680x227.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/21-parent-and-child-768x257.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/21-parent-and-child-1536x514.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Subcategories of the parent are likely relevant to the current page, which will help users find other pertinent categories and help SEO by sharing PageRank between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Manually link popular categories<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll now have a good baseline for internal linking. But it\u2019s also essential to take editorial control of links, especially on CLP&nbsp;pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, you can have a high search opportunity page deep within the site hierarchy, so relying on parent categories linking to child categories can result in \u201chigh opportunity\u201d categories being too&nbsp;deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, you must also ensure you manually add links to popular\/important categories to pages closer to the homepage, such as your CLP&nbsp;pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1480\" class=\"wp-image-146394\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/22-links.png\" alt=\"Manually add links to popular\/important categories to pages closer to the homepage, like your CLP pages\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/22-links.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/22-links-517x425.png 517w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/22-links-768x631.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/22-links-1536x1263.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"4. Pagination and linking to products\" data-section=\"pagination-and-linking-to-products\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Pagination and linking to products<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A fundamental purpose of categories is to link to products, but there are a few nuances on how to do this&nbsp;best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Link to popular products<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For larger stores, prioritizing linking to popular products is often better than linking to all products with pagination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take Sports Direct in the U.K., for example. On its broad CLP pages, rather than linking lots of products, it includes links to only its best sellers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"796\" class=\"wp-image-146395\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/23-links-to-popular-products.jpg\" alt=\"Links to popular products\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/23-links-to-popular-products.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/23-links-to-popular-products-680x271.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/23-links-to-popular-products-768x306.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/23-links-to-popular-products-1536x612.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is helpful for users and also consolidates PageRank into those URLs, improving how well they&nbsp;rank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-146396\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/24-pagerank-distribution.png\" alt=\"PageRank of one distributed to four pages\" width=\"540\" height=\"437\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/24-pagerank-distribution.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/24-pagerank-distribution-526x425.png 526w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/24-pagerank-distribution-768x621.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/24-pagerank-distribution-1536x1242.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Doing this is a much better option than linking to more products (but ones that are less popular), which results in the popular traffic-driving products receiving less PageRank and ranking worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-146397\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/25-pagerank-distribution.png\" alt=\"PageRank of one distributed to 10 pages\" width=\"540\" height=\"562\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/25-pagerank-distribution.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/25-pagerank-distribution-408x425.png 408w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/25-pagerank-distribution-768x799.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/25-pagerank-distribution-1476x1536.png 1476w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Consider view-all pages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While you should aim to link to popular products for pages higher up in your category hierarchy, as you get deeper into the site, users tend to want to see as many products as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Often, the best way to achieve this is by using view-all pages, which is something <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/blog\/2011\/09\/view-all-in-search-results\">Google found users prefer<\/a> (albeit back in&nbsp;2011).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"188\" class=\"wp-image-146399\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/26-google-prefers-view-all-pages.jpg\" alt=\"Google prefers view-all pages\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/26-google-prefers-view-all-pages.jpg 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/26-google-prefers-view-all-pages-680x71.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/26-google-prefers-view-all-pages-768x80.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/26-google-prefers-view-all-pages-1536x160.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The main caveat with a view-all page is that users want fast load times (as mentioned in Google\u2019s view-all article), and <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/core-web-vitals\/\">Core Web Vitals<\/a> can impact rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1776\" height=\"250\" class=\"wp-image-146400\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/27-view-all-pages-affect-speed.jpg\" alt=\"View-all pages can impact site speed\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/27-view-all-pages-affect-speed.jpg 1776w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/27-view-all-pages-affect-speed-680x96.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/27-view-all-pages-affect-speed-768x108.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/27-view-all-pages-affect-speed-1536x216.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1776px) 100vw, 1776px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re going to implement view-all pages, consider that it will cause PageRank to be diluted between all the pages you link to from that category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don\u2019t go overboard with pagination<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t need to show all your products within your pagination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, link to more specific variants of the current category, especially if you can match that to search demand (more on that shortly).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, on ASOS, its \u201cwomen\u2019s dresses\u201d category has 176 pagination component pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-146401\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/28-asos-long-pagination.png\" alt=\"Long pagination on ASOS website\" width=\"366\" height=\"141\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/28-asos-long-pagination.png 732w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/28-asos-long-pagination-680x262.png 680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 366px) 100vw, 366px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Every time it links to a \u201cwomen\u2019s dress\u201d component page, it dilutes PageRank. This effectively causes ASOS to lose some PageRank to deep component pages that are very unlikely to&nbsp;rank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than linking to 176 component URLs, it could limit the pagination and consolidate PageRank into other more specific categories by linking to them instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Generally, this will also be beneficial for&nbsp;UX.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a user reaches page #20 of your pagination, you likely need to help them refine what they\u2019re looking for\u2014maybe by linking to \u201cwomen\u2019s dress\u201d categories by type or color\u2014as suggested by&nbsp;John.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-173017\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screenshot-2024-03-18-at-13.19.37.png\" alt=\"John Mueller highlights the importance of being smart with pagination\" width=\"1202\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screenshot-2024-03-18-at-13.19.37.png 1202w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screenshot-2024-03-18-at-13.19.37-680x339.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screenshot-2024-03-18-at-13.19.37-768x383.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Screenshot-2024-03-18-at-13.19.37-400x200.png 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1202px) 100vw, 1202px\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When creating your pagination strategy, you should consider whether sequential linking like ASOS or linking to multiple component pages is the better choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sequential linking causes the first set of component pages to have stronger signals, which will result in the product pages they link to also having stronger signals, <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/MrgtKt4u8nk?t=3026\">as confirmed by John<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"small\"><div class=\"quote-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>If you link sequentially, what will generally happen is the first page of your site will have a lot stronger signals in the sense that your main content links to the first page, and then it kind of like incrementally drops and drops and drops as it goes through the pagination set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"quote-info clearfix\"><div class=\"quote-photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"John Mueller\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/john-mueller-google.png\"><\/div><div class=\"extra-box\"><span class=\"quote-author\">John Mueller,<\/span> <span class=\"quote-author-job\">Search Advocate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\" target=\"_blank\">Google<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, if you want ranking signals to be spread across all products in a category, link to more component pages. If you want to consolidate signals into products earlier within pagination, link to&nbsp;fewer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aren\u2019t sure which approach you should take? Do some testing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"5. Create long-tail categories\" data-section=\"long-tail-categories\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Create long-tail categories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A well-known tactic to improve your categories is to create long-tail, more specific variations of broader categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s my favorite way of doing that using Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, enter the query a broader category is targeting, e.g., \u201cengagement rings,\u201d and search for it in the&nbsp;tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1734\" height=\"754\" class=\"wp-image-146403\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/29-entering-keyword-in-keywords-explorer.png\" alt=\"Keyword research starting from a broad category in Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/29-entering-keyword-in-keywords-explorer.png 1734w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/29-entering-keyword-in-keywords-explorer-680x296.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/29-entering-keyword-in-keywords-explorer-768x334.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/29-entering-keyword-in-keywords-explorer-1536x668.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1734px) 100vw, 1734px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, head to the <strong>Matching terms<\/strong> report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-146404\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/30-keyword-difficulty-graph.jpg\" alt=\"KD for &quot;engagement rings&quot;\" width=\"518\" height=\"236\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/30-keyword-difficulty-graph.jpg 1294w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/30-keyword-difficulty-graph-680x310.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/30-keyword-difficulty-graph-768x350.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 518px) 100vw, 518px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the second left sidebar that now appears, click \u201cParent Topics.\u201d This will group keywords with similar search results into the highest volume keyword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-146405\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/31-long-tail-variants.png\" alt=\"Long-tail variants for &quot;engagement rings&quot;\" width=\"247\" height=\"515\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/31-long-tail-variants.png 494w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/31-long-tail-variants-204x425.png 204w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 247px) 100vw, 247px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve now discovered many long-tail variants of our \u201cengagement rings\u201d pages that we can create on our&nbsp;site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By creating pages targeting these queries and better covering the topic area of \u201cengagement rings,\u201d we\u2019ll rank better for broad queries within that&nbsp;topic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SEOs often refer to this as \u201ctopic expertise\u201d\u2014and we did not make this&nbsp;up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/cUT84ZIcLtA?t=2061\">John confirmed<\/a> it\u2019s part of Google\u2019s algorithms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"small\"><div class=\"quote-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s something where if we can recognize that this website is really good for this broader topic area, then if someone is searching for that broader topic area, we can try to show that website as well. We don\u2019t have to purely focus on individual pages, but we\u2019ll say oh, like, it looks like you\u2019re looking for a new laptop like this website has a lot of information on various facets around laptops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"quote-info clearfix\"><div class=\"quote-photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"John Mueller\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/john-mueller-google.png\"><\/div><div class=\"extra-box\"><span class=\"quote-author\">John Mueller,<\/span> <span class=\"quote-author-job\">Search Advocate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\" target=\"_blank\">Google<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to know more? Read Ahrefs CMO <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/long-tail-keywords\/\">Tim Soulo\u2019s guide on the long-tail keyword strategy<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"6. Pick a faceted navigation strategy\" data-section=\"faceted-navigation-strategy\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Pick a faceted navigation strategy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A critical element that can go wrong on category pages is how you deal with faceted navigation (often referred to as \u201cfilters\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an example of one on the Nike&nbsp;store:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-146407\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/32-faceted-navigation-example.jpg\" alt=\"Faceted navigation example\" width=\"565\" height=\"488\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/32-faceted-navigation-example.jpg 1614w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/32-faceted-navigation-example-492x425.jpg 492w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/32-faceted-navigation-example-768x663.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/32-faceted-navigation-example-1536x1327.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 565px) 100vw, 565px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I recommend reading <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/faceted-navigation\/\">my faceted navigation guide<\/a> for all the details, but the primary SEO considerations are&nbsp;to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Restrict crawling<\/strong> \u2013 Do ensure you prevent Google from crawling all facet links (as there can be millions of potential combinations, wasting your <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/crawl-budget\/\">crawl budget<\/a>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prevent indexing of low-value facets <\/strong>\u2013 If you don\u2019t, Google can index hundreds of thousands to millions of essentially duplicate pages that aren\u2019t useful for search.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re going for an ideal implementation, you\u2019re going to want&nbsp;to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Apply facets client-side with AJAX, and don\u2019t include <code>&lt;a href&gt;<\/code> links.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provide alternate crawl paths to important facets you want to be indexed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This topic is undoubtedly a technical one\u2014and one you\u2019ll want to get right. So I <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/faceted-navigation\/\">recommend you read my guide<\/a> so you don\u2019t just prevent SEO issues with facets but take advantage of the benefits.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"7. Add reviews\" data-section=\"add-reviews\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Add reviews<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.reevoo.com\/secrets-collecting-reviews\/\">Data from Reevoo<\/a> suggests positive reviews result in an 18% uplift in revenue on average\u2014so they\u2019re pretty important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many sites restrict reviews to product pages, but they\u2019re also great to include in categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fanatical.com\/en\/\">Fanatical<\/a> is a great example, an e-commerce store selling Steam Keys for PC&nbsp;games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"659\" class=\"wp-image-146408\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/33-reviews-on-category-pages.jpg\" alt=\"Reviews on a category page\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/33-reviews-on-category-pages.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/33-reviews-on-category-pages-680x224.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/33-reviews-on-category-pages-768x253.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/33-reviews-on-category-pages-1536x506.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It includes recommendations from other gamers throughout its categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This adds unique content to categories and helps users find well-reviewed games. Crucially, well-reviewed games (which are more likely to convert) get more PageRank and rank better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"8. Useful guides and tools\" data-section=\"useful-guides-and-tools\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Useful guides and&nbsp;tools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As mentioned, one element often missed in categories is that <strong>you should provide content to help users make a purchasing decision.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While adding written content to the page helps, it isn\u2019t meant to be overly detailed. This is why you should also link to in-depth guides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take Sephora, for example. Its CLPs have links to guides to help users decide on a product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-146410\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/34-guides-on-category-page.jpg\" alt=\"Guide on a category page\" width=\"540\" height=\"447\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/34-guides-on-category-page.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/34-guides-on-category-page-513x425.jpg 513w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/34-guides-on-category-page-768x636.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/34-guides-on-category-page-1536x1272.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For SEO, this also helps the blog posts rank, as they\u2019ll receive more PageRank. Also, it helps Google better understand your topic expertise, as you have lots of interlinked content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"9. Pick an optimal URL structure\" data-section=\"optimal-url-structure\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. Pick an optimal URL structure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There is plenty of <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-friendly-urls\/\">advice on URL structure<\/a> already available, but the main element to consider is to pick a format <strong>you won\u2019t need to change.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/SamUnderwoodUK\/status\/1491709579687833604<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hQvszlgm-_E&amp;t=3010s\">John stated<\/a> that URLs are identifiers for content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"small\"><div class=\"quote-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>For the most part, we treat URLs as identifiers of content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"quote-info clearfix\"><div class=\"quote-photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"John Mueller\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/john-mueller-google.png\"><\/div><div class=\"extra-box\"><span class=\"quote-author\">John Mueller,<\/span> <span class=\"quote-author-job\">Search Advocate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\" target=\"_blank\">Google<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Changing URLs (and redirecting them) is often deemed risky activity\u2014you can\u2019t be sure how long it\u2019ll take Google to consolidate signals into the new&nbsp;URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, it\u2019s best not to change URLs unless you have a good reason (like you\u2019re rebranding).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Preventing URL changes for categories comes down to keeping them simple and pre-planning.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, you may tell your developers to structure URLs based on the parent\/child relationships between categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><code>www.example.com\/mens\/<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>www.example.com\/mens\/trainers\/<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>www.example.com\/mens\/trainers\/white\/<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>But what happens if you change your site hierarchy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Say the business starts selling boots. You\u2019ll likely want to introduce a \u201cShoes\u201d category into the hierarchy as the parent of the \u201cTrainers\u201d page and the new \u201cBoots\u201d page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your URLs will now change to&nbsp;be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><code>www.example.com\/mens\/<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>www.example.com\/mens\/shoes\/<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>www.example.com\/mens\/shoes\/trainers\/<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>www.example.com\/mens\/shoes\/trainers\/white\/<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>www.example.com\/mens\/shoes\/boots\/<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve now just caused redirects for the \u201cTrainer\u201d URL and any subcategories it&nbsp;had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Herein lies the issues with hierarchical structured URLs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what\u2019s the solution?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep them as simple as possible to reduce the need for changes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an example: If for the \u201cwhite trainers\u201d URL above, we instruct developers to take the very top-level category (which is less likely to change) and then include the last category, the URL will be this: <code>www.example.com\/mens\/white-trainers\/<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, if any of the parent categories of the white trainer\u2019s category change, it won\u2019t impact the URL but will still affect the breadcrumbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But wouldn\u2019t it be better to remove the structure and have a flat URL like this: <code>www.example.com\/mens-white-trainers\/?<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My personal experience here is that structured URLs impact rankings, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seroundtable.com\/google-deep-subfolders-urls-seo-32818.html\">despite what Google said on the topic<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a recent example:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1566\" height=\"556\" class=\"wp-image-146411\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/35-structured-urls-impact-rankings.jpg\" alt=\"Structured URLs impact rankings, as shown in line graph\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/35-structured-urls-impact-rankings.jpg 1566w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/35-structured-urls-impact-rankings-680x241.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/35-structured-urls-impact-rankings-768x273.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/35-structured-urls-impact-rankings-1536x545.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1566px) 100vw, 1566px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This uplift only impacted the changed URLs. We altered nothing else but saw an immediate impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Test this yourself. But also, as I\u2019ve mentioned, <strong>changing URLs is&nbsp;risky.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thankfully, for my above example, we didn\u2019t need to change too many URLs, and the revenue risk to the business wasn\u2019t significant vs. the reward I\u2019d had doing this for other clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"10. H1s and title tags\" data-section=\"h1s-and-title-tags\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10. H1s and title&nbsp;tags<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m not writing a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/keyword-research\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-research\/\">keyword research article<\/a>, and you need to start there before you decide on H1s and title tags. But the advice here is that you should use H1s and title tags on your site that match the language users use to find your product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For both H1s and title tags, you should test and learn what works best for your site. But there are some general guides and things you can try&nbsp;out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use templates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Generally, you will want to have a templated title tag structure that closely matches your&nbsp;H1.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ahrefs data shows Google will rewrite your title tag in 33.4% of cases after changing how it created <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/blog\/2021\/08\/update-to-generating-page-titles\">page titles in August 2021<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-146412\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/36-google-more-likely-to-rewrite-titles.png\" alt=\"Google was more likely to rewrite titles in September 2021 than in June 2021\" width=\"560\" height=\"518\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/36-google-more-likely-to-rewrite-titles.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/36-google-more-likely-to-rewrite-titles-460x425.png 460w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/36-google-more-likely-to-rewrite-titles-768x710.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/36-google-more-likely-to-rewrite-titles-1536x1420.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When Google rewrites your title tag, Ahrefs data shows Google will change it to your H1 tag 50.76% of the&nbsp;time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-146413\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/37-google-uses-h1-instead-title.png\" alt=\"When Google ignores titles, it uses H1s\" width=\"590\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/37-google-uses-h1-instead-title.png 1180w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/37-google-uses-h1-instead-title-313x425.png 313w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/37-google-uses-h1-instead-title-768x1041.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/37-google-uses-h1-instead-title-1133x1536.png 1133w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The best way to ensure you have a title tag that Google won\u2019t rewrite is by templating it so it is generated based on your page\u2019s H1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an example: [Page H1] - [Brand Name].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may want to add some variety to the page title, but what works best comes down to testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Test, test,&nbsp;test<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many different tests you can run to see what works best for you; here are some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Use dashes (-) over&nbsp;pipes&nbsp;(|)<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Include a price <\/strong>\u2013 [Page H1] starting from X - [Brand name]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Add \u201cBuy\u201d at the start of your title tag <\/strong>\u2013 Buy [Page H1] - [Brand name]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Add secondary keywords <\/strong>\u2013 [Page H1] - [Secondary Keyword] - [Brand Name]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll also want to consider how templates may vary by length. Google is 57% more likely to rewrite titles over 600&nbsp;px.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-146414\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/38-google-more-likely-to-rewrite-longer-titles.png\" alt=\"Google was more likely to rewrite title tags over 600 px in September 2021 than in June 2021\" width=\"560\" height=\"557\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/38-google-more-likely-to-rewrite-longer-titles.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/38-google-more-likely-to-rewrite-longer-titles-427x425.png 427w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/38-google-more-likely-to-rewrite-longer-titles-768x764.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/38-google-more-likely-to-rewrite-longer-titles-1536x1527.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Google, long titles are also a reason why it\u2019ll rewrite the ones you add to your&nbsp;pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1840\" height=\"608\" class=\"wp-image-146415\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/39-google-explains-rewriting-titles.jpg\" alt=\"Google listing length as one of the reasons for rewriting titles\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/39-google-explains-rewriting-titles.jpg 1840w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/39-google-explains-rewriting-titles-680x225.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/39-google-explains-rewriting-titles-768x254.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/39-google-explains-rewriting-titles-1536x508.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1840px) 100vw, 1840px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve tackled this before by individually customizing a template for a long category name or using different templates\u2014depending on the length of the generated title&nbsp;tag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"11. Structured data\" data-section=\"structured-data\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">11. Structured data<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You can add multiple structured data types to your category pages to help Google better understand your content and acquire rich results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The main applicable types <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/advanced\/structured-data\/search-gallery\">Google recommends in its search gallery<\/a> are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/advanced\/structured-data\/breadcrumb\">Breadcrumb<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/advanced\/structured-data\/faqpage\">FAQ<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Adding these will directly impact your SERP snippet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For FAQs, it enhances them by displaying the FAQs on the SERPs, which is the strategy Trip Advisor takes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1370\" height=\"452\" class=\"wp-image-146416\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/40-faq-schema-example.jpg\" alt=\"FAQs coming from schema markup\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/40-faq-schema-example.jpg 1370w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/40-faq-schema-example-680x224.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/40-faq-schema-example-768x253.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1370px) 100vw, 1370px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For breadcrumb structured data, Google shows the breadcrumbs on the SERPs. Here\u2019s an example of Google doing that for Currys in the U.K.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1352\" height=\"248\" class=\"wp-image-146417\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/41-breadcrumbs-schema-example.png\" alt=\"Breadcrumbs coming from schema markup\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/41-breadcrumbs-schema-example.png 1352w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/41-breadcrumbs-schema-example-680x125.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/41-breadcrumbs-schema-example-768x141.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1352px) 100vw, 1352px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You can see the structured data it\u2019s added in <a href=\"https:\/\/validator.schema.org\/#url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.currys.co.uk%2Ftv-and-audio%2Ftelevisions%2Ftvs%2Fsamsung\">the Schema Markup validator<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1187\" class=\"wp-image-146419\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/42-schema-validator.png\" alt=\"Schema code via Schema Markup validator\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/42-schema-validator.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/42-schema-validator-680x404.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/42-schema-validator-768x456.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/42-schema-validator-1536x912.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Outside of those two types, Google has no recommendations for product category structured data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>But you don\u2019t have to stop&nbsp;there.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=i0mbhDAGGW4&amp;t\">\u201cSearch Off the Record\u201d podcast<\/a>, Ryan Levering (staff software engineer working on structured data at Google) answered whether structured data beyond what Google recommends is valuable (like what you can find on <a href=\"https:\/\/schema.org\">schema.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"small\"><div class=\"quote-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>So it\u2019s hard to convey that in some of our reporting and stuff that we actually find this [structured data] useful because it\u2019s a nuanced calculation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But when there is problems detecting it [what the page\u2019s content is about], we can use it as an extra signal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So it\u2019s usually on the edge cases where we find that stuff useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"quote-info clearfix\"><div class=\"quote-photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Ryan Levering\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/ryan-levering.jpeg\"><\/div><div class=\"extra-box\"><span class=\"quote-author\">Ryan Levering,<\/span> <span class=\"quote-author-job\">Staff Software Engineer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\" target=\"_blank\">Google<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>While adding further structured data should be a secondary focus, I tend to take the approach of leaving as little for Google to figure out as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two main additional things I\u2019d consider adding are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CollectionPage\"><strong>CollectionPage<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 This is a more specific type than the generic <a href=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/WebPage\">WebPage<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ItemList\"><strong>ItemList<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 It informs Google there is a list of items on the&nbsp;page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, you can also add <a href=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/mainEntity\">mainEntity<\/a> to CollectionPage and add the ItemList within that. By doing this, you tell Google the main part of the page is the list of products, helping it better understand that this is a category page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a simple example of what that can look&nbsp;like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><code>{<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<code>&nbsp;\"@context\": \"http:\/\/schema.org\",<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><code>&nbsp;&nbsp;\"@type\": \"CollectionPage\",<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<code>&nbsp;\"mainEntity\": {<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><code>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;\"@type\": \"ItemList\",<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>&nbsp;&nbsp;\"numberOfItems\": \"[number of products]\",<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>\"itemListElement\": [<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>&nbsp;{<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>&nbsp;\"@type\": \"ListItem\",<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>&nbsp;&nbsp;\"position\": 1,<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>\"url\": \"[Item URL]\",<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>&nbsp;&nbsp;\"name\": \"[Item Name]\"<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>&nbsp;&nbsp;},<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;{<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>\"@type\": \"ListItem\",<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>&nbsp;\"position\": 2,<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>\"url\": \"[Item URL]\",<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>\"name\": \"[Item Name]\"<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>},<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>&nbsp;{<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;\"@type\": \"ListItem\",<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;\"position\": 3,<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>&nbsp;\"url\": \"[Item URL]\",<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>\"name\": \"[Item Name]\"<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<code>&nbsp;]<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><code>&nbsp;&nbsp;}<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><code>}<\/code><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">PRO TIP<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\"> You\u2019ll notice I haven\u2019t mentioned review or product markup. E-commerce stores often add this markup to category pages\u2014and you shouldn\u2019t.\n\n\n\n<p>For reviews, Google mentions explicitly in the technical guidelines not to add review markup if the main content is a category listing items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1818\" height=\"600\" class=\"wp-image-146421\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/43-dont-add-review-schema-on-category-pages.jpg\" alt=\"Google advises not to use review markup on product category pages\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/43-dont-add-review-schema-on-category-pages.jpg 1818w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/43-dont-add-review-schema-on-category-pages-680x224.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/43-dont-add-review-schema-on-category-pages-768x253.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/43-dont-add-review-schema-on-category-pages-1536x507.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1818px) 100vw, 1818px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It provides the same instruction for <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/advanced\/structured-data\/product\">product structured data<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1786\" height=\"754\" class=\"wp-image-146422\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/44-use-markup-for-specific-products.jpg\" alt=\"Google advises to use markup for specific products rather than categories or lists\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/44-use-markup-for-specific-products.jpg 1786w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/44-use-markup-for-specific-products-680x287.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/44-use-markup-for-specific-products-768x324.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/44-use-markup-for-specific-products-1536x648.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1786px) 100vw, 1786px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a lot to consider to make excellent category pages for SEO. But hopefully, this guide has made that process more painless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Got a question about optimizing e-commerce categories? <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SamUnderwoodUK\">Tweet me<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>And this is for one key reason: SEOs tend to want to add more content and links, and UX experts want to prioritize clicks to products. However, there is a middle ground where we can retain the commercial nature of<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":162,"featured_media":146424,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[335],"tags":[],"coauthors":[423],"class_list":["post-146297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-seo","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>11 Ways to Improve E-commerce Category Pages for SEO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Category pages are a common area SEO and UX experts disagree on. 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