I've worked with many eCommerce companies who want to focus on their product pages first, though sometimes it’s an unhealthy obsession. From big brands to small start-ups, execs usually consider the product page to be the obvious target. From a cursory analytics snapshot that may even appear to make complete sense. Products bring the revenue. However, for the last 6+ years, Google has increasingly moved away from ranking these pages except for the most specific of searches. Sure, the product page will occasionally rank here and there for a general query, but I would expect Google to keep heading in the direction of suppression with each algorithm tweak. Is it a move to promote their own assets? Is it their deathblow to CSEs? Is it a move to highlight more ads in the SERPs?

Personally, I think it's just the inherent design of the algorithm. And frankly, it makes sense to me.

Before we continue, I want to make a point that flows through this whole post. You've likely heard that searches have intent. Ecommerce marketers, as well as any industry focused on ROI, pay close attention to the intent of searchers (notably the transactional searches). To understand search intent is to understand consumer needs. In the end, a query is an attempt at filling a need. Thus, I believe as ecommerce-focused SEOs we’re perfectly positioned to help Google find the best results and help them with their understanding of query intent.

This is where SEO and marketing can have a long romance with Google.

(Yes, I'm sending this to Google. I expect this will help me with some reinclusion requests!)

Looking past the basics

Product pages already have a few things going against them in many eCommerce sites. This can only add to the ranking of collection (or category) pages:

• Duplicate URLs for miles
• Duplicate content from vendors who give the same content to other eCommerce sites
• Duplicate content from feeds being sent to CSEs and affiliates
• Fewer backlinks
• Pages buried deep in not-so-flat architectures
• Review platforms that aren't always crawlable (this is the case less and less)
• Default, formulaic, dynamic titles and metas
• Lots of competition from other eCommerce shops

So far, simply basic SEO.

I also believe Google prefers collection level pages due to their distance from the navigation and product variety, where another factor (like more crawling, outbound links or more keyword references) may be at play. Plus, if you're an SEO who believes SERP pogosticking is a negative factor (that's where searchers may click through, check the price for example, then quickly return to the SERPs), there's surely less of that happening on a collection page.

Maybe there’s a specifically programmed bias when it comes to eCommerce sites. That wouldn't be something I'd put past Google. And why not? When I'm searching broadly as a shopper, a collection page is usually an excellent landing page for browsing queries. These pages traditionally offer choice, suggestions and further direction. Alternatively, for more broad searches, a specific product page can actually be a nuisance. The likelihood of someone digging backwards from a product landing page to collection pages are lower when the source is Google.

When tackling SEO for an eCommerce site, I almost always begin the way the architect probably designed - from the homepage to each logical next relevant level. When looking at logs, it's been my experience spiders usually converge the same way. These collection pages are usually my first targets, not the product pages. Instead, I choose the best collections based on client goals, seasonality, margin, or existing search success.

The best eCommerce sites are not vending machines

I’ve written about tearing down the vending machine commerce page before in favor of building a more niche-specific mini store (this SEL post from 2010 is still valuable). A good collection page has real-estate to create a Q&A section, a visual tour of products, and a ton of topical expertise through written text. There's plenty of room to get creative and give your customers touch points.

Yet, most collection pages are still very vanilla.

Your shoppers deserve more. They can benefit from an experience, a human touch, and the feeling of knowing they're about to purchase from one of the most passionate retailers around. This is where every eCommerce site, despite budget, size, and existing brand recognition, have an opportunity to continually grow.

Let's look at an example from the "musical instruments" niche. If you Google “buy electric guitar strings” you’ll get the usual big online retailers. Musician’s Friend, Guitar Center, Zzounds.com, etc. At the time of this writing, these companies have their no-frill collection pages ranking.

Take a look at http://www.musiciansfriend.com/electric-guitar-strings and http://www.zzounds.com/cat--Electric-Guitar-Strings--2649. Nothing to do but filter and click. Where's the experience? Where's the love? Where's the education? It's as if these sites were minimally built on an eCommerce usability "best practices" checklist from 2008. As shoppers, I feel we're being herded like sheep - not an experience I usually want to return to if I have a choice. Frankly these pages are only useful if I already know exactly what I want (though in that case, I'd probably query a long-tail search and trigger a product page anyway). What if my need isn't so concrete? After all, it's why many people go to Google in the first place.

Now, returning to the SERPs, Google (at the time of this writing) did something they’re doing less often – they also ranked a single product for Guitar Center: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Elixir-Light-Nanoweb-Electric-Guitar-Strings-101243871-i1122724.gc. Clearly, this is not a smart result for the query. Google done screwed up! Additionally, through inadequate design, I found it difficult to even locate the collection page (virtually hidden in a overlooked breadcrumb trail). More fail! But then, Guitar Center really doesn’t have much in their collection page to influence Google anyway: http://www.guitarcenter.com/6-String-Sets-for-Electric-Guitar-Electric-Guitar-Strings.gc. This is just a bad experience from all parties.

So far very unsatisfying top five results for my query. Google needs some help.

But then like a beacon of truth from the heavens, there was this page by Sam Ash: http://www.samash.com/opncms/opencms/samash/buyers-guides/beginner-electric-guitar-strings.html. Despite not being a collection page, it still somehow ranked pretty well at position 6. It’s not necessarily relevant for “buy electric guitar strings,” instead it’s about beginner guitar strings. Why did Google serve it? Because Google wants this kind of content! But here's an even better question – why doesn’t Sam Ash incorporate this kind of expertise and sales collateral onto their collection pages for a bigger impact? This kind of content could certainly drive some sales for guitarists who are trying to understand string gauge and type.

Try building more collection pages for longer-tail terms

But don’t stop at optimizing your current collection pages. Build out more. I couldn’t recommend this any harder. It’s been my favorite play since 2007. In between general collections and the specific product page is opportunity for body keywords. Many retailers leave this area blank.

They usually fit perfect in parametric navigations. With so much juicy analytics data, even despite [not provided], there are many custom collection pages you could be build – no matter how boring your product.

99% of the time these collection pages run on templates over a database, so they’re primed for some global changes. Getting video into them is a matter of coding new spots on the template to pull from database fields. A little tweaking on the CMS or catalog manger and you’re ready. Plus, there are many vendors who built their products around quick template implementations. Popular companies like TurnTo Networks and Bazaarvoice can add that SEO friendly user-generated content pretty easily. Then there are companies that essentially focus on creating SEO categories. Bloomreach is a company I’ve had some experience with. Through their platform, they dynamically create custom categories based on popular site keywords. Through some crafty implementation, there can be new internal links pointing to any number of new collections. YourAmigo is another vendor with this functionality.

But even without a vendor, you can create these sub-category or SEO collection pages. That’s what I’ve called them for years, though admittedly, I don’t love the name - it infers the value is only for SEO when it should be equally user and ROI-centric as well. But the point should be pretty clear. Your content creation calendar could be built out for years if you focus on building a few powerful SEO collection pages at a time. Plus, I’ve yet to meet an ecommerce platform that couldn’t generate these pages. The only obstacles I’ve found are when merchandisers and UX don’t want these pages in the main navigation. Fair enough – take a cue from Bloomreach and selectively place them lower on the page away from the main navigation. Sidebar widgets work great.

As an example, let’s revisit our guitar string retailers. Previously we searched “buy electric guitar strings.” However, these wire strings have different gauges. Through years of playing, guitarists tend to become very partial to certain sizes. An updated query could be “buy 010 electric guitar strings”. In this case, the results are much different.

Musician’s Friend was back, and actually had a collection page perfect for this search - http://www.musiciansfriend.com/.010-gauge-electric-guitar-strings. Well played. The other aforementioned retailers did not. They were nowhere to be found.

But, also worth noting, some smaller retailers had jumped on this opportunity. Thomann.de, a site I have never heard of, hit top five with http://www.thomann.de/gb/010_string_sets_e-guitar.html. Digging in deeper, I found an even more impressive niche collection tree: http://www.thomann.de/gb/stringsets_for_electric_guitars.html. Does that mean that smaller brands can compete on these SEO collection pages? Absolutely.

Conclusion

Now, Google’s Keyword Planner doesn’t show any estimated searches for this longer keyword, but that doesn't mean there is no opportunity. As magical as the Keyword Planner is, it's processing only goes so far. Traffic will be lighter with these niche collection pages, but they will be higher converting pages. I do recommend you create these niche collection pages on any data you can find, especially your own analytics.

To be clear, product pages still need SEO attention as well (my next post will focus on product pages). But I've seen too often the collection page get the backseat to the dismay of the searcher. Hopefully this post inspires you to kick up your own collection pages a notch or two.