As someone who works in SEO, I was pumped to hear about Google’s new structured data for online stores. It lets them show off all the different options they have for a product, like sizes, colors, and more. This is potentially a game-changer for stores selling products with variants.
Let’s break down this thing called “product variants structured data” and see how it can boost your ecommerce SEO. We’ll explore what it is and why it matters and give you some clear steps to put it into action.
What is Product Variants Structured Data?
Online stores can sell products in various sizes, colors, materials, or even fancy tech features (for electronics). To help search engines understand all these options, there’s a special code called “structured data.” Think of it as a language that tells search engines exactly what’s on your product pages.
Alright, let’s unpack the key things you need to know about product variants structured data:
- Lots of products can come in different sizes, colors, and so on. Product Variants structured data is a way of formatting information that tells search engines exactly what variations you have.
- The ProductGroup type lets you group all these variations together under one main product.
- By using this formatting for your data, your products might show up in fancy ways on Google searches, making them stand out and grab shoppers’ attention.
Adding structured data for your product variations helps search engines grasp all the different options you have (think sizes, colors, materials) and showcase them more effectively to potential customers.
How Will This Help My Ecommerce Store?
So, you’ve got the hang of product variants structured data. But what’s in it for your online store?
Consider the following advantages:
- Increased visibility: Enhanced search results make your products pop compared to the competition, grabbing more attention and clicks.
- Better user experience: Customers see all the variations (think sizes and colors) right away, making it easy for them to find exactly what they need.
- Complementing merchant center feeds: Structured data works seamlessly with your existing product feeds, even automated ones, for an extra SEO boost.
Put simply, using product variants structured data is a win for your store. It can boost your visibility in search results, make it easier for customers to find what they need, and improve your overall SEO performance.
Implementing Product Variants Structured Data
Don’t worry, product variants structured data might sound scary, but it’s totally doable. Here’s a quick roadmap to get you started:
- Group your product variations (think colors, sizes) under a main product, like a family tree using Schema.org’s ProductGroup.
- Each variation gets its own “Product” tag, nestled inside the main ProductGroup.
- Tell search engines what makes each variation different (size? color?) using the “variesBy” property.
- Assign a special ID (like a parent SKU) to each product family using “productGroupID.”
- Double-check everything with Google’s Rich Results Test and keep an eye on Search Console for any hiccups.
Follow these steps, and you will make it super easy for search engines to understand all your amazing variations and show them off in the best way possible.
Best Practices
Here are some pro tips to remember when you’re setting up product variants structured data:
- Keep your product data up to date. Update it whenever your offerings or stock levels change.
- Give search engines all the details for each variation, like price, availability, and even if it’s new or pre-owned.
- How you set up your data depends on whether your store uses single or multi-page product listings. Check Google’s own guide for more info.
Nail your product data with these tips. Keeping your data fresh, giving search engines all the info they crave, and following Google’s guide for your specific store setup will ensure your structured data works wonders for your ecommerce business.
Summing Up
Google’s new structured data for product variations is super useful for ecommerce stores. It lets you show off all the different options you have (sizes, colors, and more) in search results. This means more people finding your store, happier shoppers with all the info they need, and a website stands out more than the competition.
Follow Google’s guide, keep your product info fresh, and use Search Console to check for any hiccups. This way, product variant structured data can become a secret weapon for your store, helping you win more sales and grow your business.
This Google update is an opportunity to level up your online store. If you need help with your search engine optimization, book a free live ecommerce SEO audit of your site.
