Writing SEO Product Descriptions: How To Write Them To Drive Traffic & Sales

Want to drive more traffic to your website without increasing ad spend? Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the practice of optimising your website and its content to improve its visibility in search engine results pages, also known as SERPs. The goal of SEO is to increase organic traffic to your website - that is, non-paid traffic that doesn’t come through paid advertisements or sponsorships.

There are many factors that create a winning SEO strategy, one of which is your product descriptions. Writing with SEO in mind helps your products become more visible to potential customers when they search online. In this blog, we’ll deep dive into the world of SEO, why it’s so important for online retail, and how to write keyword-rich, SEO-friendly product descriptions to boost organic traffic to your ecommerce site.

The importance of SEO for product descriptions

SEO is a key strategy when it comes to getting your website seen by your target market. Strategically placing keywords into product descriptions not only boosts search engine rankings but also enhances user experience and conversion rates. You do this by creating content that is helpful, reliable, and focused on people first, not search engines. Here are some of the key benefits of writing compelling product descriptions using SEO principles.

Enhances the user experience

SEO-optimised content is informative and well-written, making it incredibly valuable to online shoppers. This quality content can enhance the user experience in a variety of ways. In-depth product knowledge increases consumer confidence, empowering them to make a purchase. This information can also reduce return rates, as customers get a clear picture of what their purchase entails, setting realistic expectations. 

Increases visibility in search engines

By incorporating relevant keywords, your product descriptions can rank higher in SERPs. When a customer searches for a product using those keywords, your product is more likely to appear at the top of the search engine results page, which can drive organic traffic to your website. The right SEO strategy can even push you above your competitors.

Builds credibility and trust

Accurate descriptions that include detailed specifications, features, and benefits establish trust with customers. Clear, detailed descriptions ensure shoppers precisely understand what they’re purchasing, reducing the likelihood of returns or dissatisfaction. Incorporating relevant keywords not only improves search engine rankings but also demonstrates expertise, professionalism, and understanding of the target audience, helping customers find exactly what they need.

Understanding your target audience and their search intent

Have you ever wondered what drives your audience to search for your products in the first place? That’s search intent, which is the underlying motivation behind a user’s search query. 

There are four main types of search intent:

Navigational

Users with navigational search intent are looking for direct links or directions to a specific store, address, page or website. For example: “Dropshipzone”

If you want your website to be found easily by your target audience, you’ll want to focus on navigational keywords and optimisation strategies. Setting up a Google Business Profile is a great start. You can also target long-tail keywords including the terms “near me” or “In [local area]”.

Informational

Users with informational search intent are seeking information or answers for a specific topic. These queries usually include questions like who, what, where, how, or why. For example: “How to start dropshipping in Australia”

The best way to target users with informational search intent is to create content that is helpful, informative, and relevant to your business.

Commercial

Users with commercial search intent are preparing to make a purchase and are looking for more information about specific products. For example: “Best waterproof watches”

To target commercial search intent, you’ll want to create content that helps users to make a purchase decision. Include reviews or testimonials for your products, create informative buying guides, compare similar products, or collaborate with influencers or affiliates. Showing online reviews and testimonials can boost your sales by 270 per cent, and video testimonials can increase website traffic by 157 per cent.

Transactional

Users with transactional search intent are ready to make a purchase or sign up for a service. For example: “Buy watches Australia”

To target transactional search intent, you need to create content focused on selling your product or service. This is where your product pages will truly shine. Showcase your unique selling points (USPs), highlight value, and create urgency. You can use key phrases such as “buy now”, use countdown timers, or highlight when stock is running low. 

Key elements of an SEO-optimised product description

Ensuring uniqueness compared to competitor websites

Many suppliers provide their own product descriptions when dropshipping. While this can make the selling process easier, it may also negatively impact your online store. Suppliers often work with multiple retailers, which may mean your product description appears on multiple websites. Writing your own unique online product descriptions helps distinguish yourself from the competition and avoid penalties.

Using relevant keywords naturally

It used to be easy to simply fill your website with keywords and force yourself to the top of SERPs, a practice called keyword stuffing. Content during this era was unnatural to read, made sites difficult to navigate, and eroded consumer confidence in online stores. These days, search engines can recognise when a website is using keyword stuffing to boost its rankings and will punish businesses for it. 

Keywords that flow naturally within your text enhance readability and user experience, helping to reduce bounce rates and increase engagement. By seamlessly integrating the right keywords into your content, you can attract targeted traffic while maintaining a professional and trustworthy tone, which ultimately boosts your search engine performance and conversion rates.

Highlighting product benefits and features

When you clearly showcase how a product solves a problem or meets a need, users are more likely to stay on your page, reducing bounce rates and signalling to search engines that your content is valuable. Including benefits and features also allows you to naturally incorporate target keywords, improving your chances of ranking higher in search results. Moreover, detailed and well-structured product descriptions enhance user trust and increase the likelihood of conversions, which further supports your overall SEO strategy.

Including calls to action

A call to action (CTA) is a type of prompt that encourages users to take a desired action. In ecommerce, CTAs are used to guide customers toward completing a desired goal, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or clicking a link. CTAs not only improve user engagement but also align with SEO goals by increasing dwell time and reducing bounce rates, which are key ranking factors for search engines. Strategically placed CTAs, like "Shop Now" or "Discover More," enhance the user experience by making the path to conversion clear and seamless. 

Tips for structuring product descriptions effectively

Use of bullet points for scannability

Poor formatting can make your product descriptions difficult to read and unappealing to customers. A wall of text overwhelms readers, discouraging them from engaging with the content. To optimise for SEO and user experience, break up your informative product descriptions using bullet points and short paragraphs. This structure improves readability and helps search engines understand your content better.

Optimising titles and meta descriptions

In SEO terms, metadata refers to elements that provide information about a webpage to search engines, screen readers, and users. Optimising titles and meta descriptions are essential for SEO-friendly product listings as they are the first elements users see in search engine results.  Both elements should be engaging, accurate, and under the recommended character limits (around 60 characters for titles and 150-160 for meta descriptions) to ensure they display fully in search results.

Common mistakes to avoid in SEO product descriptions

Overuse of jargon

Using excessive technical or industry-specific language alienates potential customers who may not understand these terms. While it’s essential to convey expertise, prioritise clarity and simplicity to make your descriptions accessible to a broader audience. Write in a conversational tone that resonates with readers while naturally incorporating keywords for SEO.

Ignoring mobile optimisation

In 2025, it's estimated that over 70 per cent of ecommerce traffic comes from mobile users. Additionally, Google now uses mobile-first indexing - this means they prioritise the mobile versions of websites for indexing and ranking. Unresponsive product pages or slow load times on mobile can lead to high bounce rates and lower rankings. Ensure your pages are mobile-friendly, fast-loading, and easy to navigate.

Not thinking people-first

Focusing solely on SEO can lead to robotic, keyword-stuffed descriptions that fail to connect with readers. Remember that it’s people who buy your products, not search engines. Write with your audience in mind by highlighting benefits, addressing pain points, and telling compelling stories. Engaging, people-first content improves conversions and naturally enhances SEO over time.

Examples of well-written SEO product descriptions

Ikea

When it comes to furniture, there are few names bigger than Ikea - and for good reason. Ikea’s product pages come with high-quality images, detailed descriptions, and exact measurements. Their returns information is advertised immediately, and pages include other useful information such as care tips and warnings. They also include reviews from customers, both written testimonials and photos of products in their homes. These features anticipate customer’s biggest pain points before they occur, and help customers imagine their products in their own homes, endearing them to the product before they decide to purchase.

The Iconic

An “iconic” Australian online fashion retailer, The Iconic’s product pages have many features that encourage visitors to shop right away. On one product page, visitors can immediately see the product comes from a favourite brand. Important information such as size guides and materials are front and centre. Further down, visitors can browse their “Wear it with” section, which offers similar products to complete their look. Limited-time discounts have also been highlighted in a bright, bold font. These pages encourage users to buy with confidence and to buy soon. 

Adore Beauty

Adore Beauty is an online beauty retailer that stocks over 260 trusted beauty brands. Their product pages tell customers that they care about the quality of their skincare. Right away customers are shown “Most Helpful Positive” reviews - positive testimonials from other consumers that highlight key product features. Immediately below this feedback, Adore Beauty asks “Is this for you?” and provides a short description of what the product does, how it works, and what skin type the product works for. Further down, customers can read a more detailed breakdown of the product including key ingredients and any skin concerns that their products address. They even highlight “Most Helpful Criticism”, signalling to consumers that the brand values transparency and authenticity above reputation. 

Tools to help with writing SEO product descriptions

• SEMRush: SEMrush is a popular digital marketing platform that provides a suite of tools for marketers. Their helpful SEO tools can help with keyword research, backlink analysis, position tracking, market research, generating content ideas and providing copy suggestions.

• Ahrefs: Ahrefs is a comprehensive digital marketing toolset focused primarily on SEO and backlink analysis. They offer plenty of free SEO tools, including an AI product description generator. This generator can help you write product descriptions in various lengths and tones to accurately match your brand and product types.

• Ubersuggest: Created by Neil Patel, Ubersuggest provides a range of features for keyword research, site audits, content ideas, and competitive analysis. It's especially popular among small to medium-sized businesses and beginners due to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. In recent years, Ubersuggest has also released an AI writer that can help you create a range of content, from product descriptions to full-page blogs.

• Jasper AI: Jasper AI is an AI-powered writing assistant that helps businesses write SEO-optimised content and copy, from product descriptions to ad campaigns. It can be trained to suit your brand voice using existing materials and easily integrates with other software including Surfer SEO. 

Summary

Writing compelling and SEO-optimised product descriptions is a game-changer for dropshipping businesses. The right approach can significantly boost your search engine rankings, drive organic traffic, improve conversions, and boost sales. By implementing the SEO strategies outlined in this blog, your dropshipping product pages will stand out, attract more shoppers, and convert more shoppers into loyal customers.

Sign up with Dropshipzone today and see how our products can change the trajectory of your ecommerce store. Our Suppliers provide everything you need for winning product descriptions, from detailed specifications to clear, high-quality product images. With the backing of our dedicated customer service teams, you’ll be selling and rising through the ranks in no time at all.

Get started today with Dropshipzone!