Ecommerce copywriting guide: best practices for writing content that converts

Imagine this: you’ve got a killer product. A slick site design. A solid value proposition.

But your product still isn’t flying off the digital shelf.

Why?

Probably because your copy isn’t compelling enough.

Your site is only as good as your copy, to a degree. So to drive traffic and turn visitors into customers, you need persuasive copywriting that actually converts.

You might be wondering what the difference is between content writing for eCommerce websites and general SEO copywriting. Honestly, they share a lot of the same approaches. But there are a few strategies specific to this industry that ought to be included in your homepage, product, category and blog page content.

We’ve helped dozens of eCommerce sites boost their sales with our eCommerce copywriting services, which means we’ve been able to identify exactly which best practices drive the most traffic and conversions.

And we’re going to share them with you in this guide.

Use these tips and approaches to create copy that encourages your customers to take action and increase your revenue. Don’t forget: if you need some professional advice creating your eCommerce copywriting strategy, simply reach out to us.

Here’s what this post will cover:

• What is eCommerce copywriting?
• General eCommerce copywriting best practices
• Ecommerce copywriting guidelines by page type:
  • Homepage
  • Category page
  • Product page
  • Blog posts and articles

What is eCommerce copywriting?

Ecommerce copywriting is basically the text (or copy) you create for any page on your eCommerce site. This can include product pages, category pages, landing pages, product descriptions and more.

Ecommerce copywriting should do two things:

• Inform and educate the user
• Propel them towards a final checkout

Brands and stores approach this in various different ways, but they often use consumer psychology, knowledge of their purchase funnel and other research to build trust with their customers.

Why SEO copywriting is still important

For your eCommerce copy to be effective, you still need to keep general SEO copywriting practices in mind - because you can only convince customers to buy your products if you successfully bring them to your site using proper SEO techniques.

The bottom line: SEO and eCommerce copywriting work together (not separately) to drive sales and revenue by performing two key things:

• Conveying your message to the reader and convincing them to take action (like get in touch, make a purchase etc.)
• Conveying to search engines what the page is about and the user intent you’re trying to serve with the page.

General eCommerce copywriting best practices

There’s no one size fits all when it comes to copywriting strategy. Like your eCommerce business, your copywriting strategy is unique. So before you jump into the strategies below, you need to identify your key USPs (unique selling points) and what you want to communicate to potential buyers.

Ask yourself: why should they buy from you? And why should they care?

Establishing your USPs will help guide you in your strategy and make your content much more effective.

However, there are a handful of practices we suggest to every business to get your content ranking of Google and attract the right customers:

1. Conduct proper keyword research and sorting

Your content will get you nowhere if it’s not optimised for search engines - so keyword research is essential for SEO copywriting for eCommerce products.

Before you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), conduct your keyword research. It’ll help you understand your current page rankings, competitor keywords and the user intent behind the queries or questions you’re trying to rank for.

The result? More effective content.

Any of tools (which we use ourselves) are great for getting started:

• Ahrefs

• Semrush Keyword Tool

• Google Search Console

1. Informational terms: top of the funnel
2. Consideration terms: middle of the funnel
3. Comparison terms: middle of the funnel
4. Transactional terms: bottom of the funnel

2. Use internal links

Internal links are great for distributing authority throughout your site to help your content rank in search engine results, as well as encouraging users to explore your site more. When you link to other products and categories, your users have the chance to learn more about your brand and what you offer - giving you more opportunities to push them further down the sales funnel.

As a rule of thumb, we recommend 1-3 internal links per page, but this should be based on the type of page you’re writing for (more on that below).

3. Write with the customer in mind

Writing for web (especially eCommerce) is a bit of an art: customers have short attention spans, they’re seeking answers to their questions and the right product for their needs, and they don’t want to spend a long time looking for that information.

A common pitfall is talking too much about your store and brand. Instead, focus on how the user will benefit from your product/buying from you. Don’t make them search for the answer: give the product details upfront and don’t bore them with flowery, waffly language.

This means highlighting:

• Product features, details and descriptions (all the need-to-know things)
• Sales and discounts
• Reviews and testimonials
• Shipping and return policies

4. Follow copywriting best practices

Don’t limit well-written, compelling copy to just your website. Use it across all your content, like email marketing, social media and more.

Here’s just a few copywriting best practices that are worth researching:

• Use the inverted pyramid method: start with the essential information and tell your reader straight away what they can expect to find on this page. Then follow with the non-essential information. Most web visitors don’t scroll to the bottom of the page, so grab their attention at the beginning to increase the likelihood of conversion.

• Avoid using exclamation marks or all caps: you think it’s a great way to emphasise a point - your readers don’t. It’s distracting, sometimes difficult to read and feels like you’re shouting at them. Your copy should communicate the user benefits clearly on its own and not rely on formatting styles to do the job. (If it doesn’t, you might need to re-think your copy).

• Use a range of formatting styles: ensure your writing isn’t one big paragraph with bullet points, subheadings, FAQs and quote features to highlight important details and keep your reader moving down the page.

• Be clear and concise: cut out the waffle and use short, digestible paragraphs and sentences in a welcoming tone of voice. Long, complicated sentences are for more academic styles of writing, not your online store. So keep it concise and easy to read.

Not a strong copywriter? Take advantage of our eCommerce copywriters who can implement these strategies quickly and efficiently for you.

Ecommerce copywriting guidelines by page type

Every page on your eCommerce site has a different purpose - and your copywriting strategy should show that. We explain our approaches below based on what we’ve seen make the most impact on organic traffic and conversion rates (for both our clients and our own eCom businesses).

Homepage copywriting tips

Your homepage content is designed to:

• Engage your customers

• Display the categories and products they should view first

• Establish a brand look and feel

To achieve these three things, your content, design and functionality all need to work together. Check out our 9 eCommerce homepage best practices to improve CRO and drive sales, as well as our other strategies below.

Copy length

Some businesses focus more on the design of their homepage, as opposed to the content, but we’ve found having between 400-600 words of unique content will get you further. This gives you more room to use keyword variations (worked into your text naturally with a sole focus), link to internal content and communicate your message effectively.

Meta & on-page keyword targeting

Branded keywords are the best way to go with your eCommerce homepage, as even the most broad of product keywords aren’t likely to rank. So use branded keywords to let shoppers who are looking for your site find your homepage easily:

• Meta title (under 55 characters, including spaces): target branded keywords, including your company name.

• Meta description (under 155 characters, including spaces): target branded keywords and include a call to action to motivate searchers to click.

• On-page title/H1 (usually 2-5 words): this should be your company name.

Internal linking

Your homepage is the starting point for lots of your customers, and a good use of internal links will ensure they move further into your site (and be more likely to purchase). We recommend featuring your top categories and products here to immediately grab their attention.

Use of images

A homepage is pretty boring without quality images and video. It’s worth working with a designer or developer to see how your copy and media work together before hitting ‘publish’. The goal? They should both drive action from your visitors.

Content upgrades

If you’ve done your keyword targeting right, you shouldn’t need to update your content since you’re already ranking for your branded keywords. But it’s a good idea to change your copy and images as necessary to reflect any sales, promotions, new products etc. that you want to draw attention to on your homepage.

Category page copywriting guidelines

Having content on your category pages helps customers understand which types of products are available in this category and the benefits - as well as tells Google what the category topic is for good SEO.

It can also be used to establish your brand’s credibility about the topic. For example, if your business is one of the largest online retailers for your products, express that in your copy to boost buyer confidence and conversions.

The aim: your eCommerce category page should help point your visitor to the topic of the page and help them decide where to go next.

Copy length

We suggest using around 100 words of content at the top and at least 200 words of extra content (like useful product articles) at the bottom of your category pages.

Take a look at Unsponsored. Their top-of-the-page content is only 65 words long, but it introduces the category concisely and includes valuable keywords.

One thing they could improve? Editing their page header to read ‘Bike Components’ instead of just ‘Components’ for better clarity and SEO.

Meta & on-page keyword targeting

To get the most out of your keywords on category page content, follow these guidelines for targeting:

• Meta title (under 55 characters, including spaces): target the top-of-the-funnel keywords first, then middle-of-the-funnel keywords. Your title should accurately describe the category.

• Meta description (under 155 characters, including spaces): target all keywords. Your copy should mention the main benefits and focus on what action the user should take.

• On-page title/H1 (usually 2-5 words): this is the category name, which should be very specific and target the top-of-the-funnel keyword phrase. For example: use ‘Women’s Waterproof Cycling Socks’ instead of just ‘Women’s Socks’ if the products are all waterproof cycling socks for women.

• Basic descriptions (75-100 words minimum above the product grid & an extra 200+ words of content at the bottom of the product grid - if possible): target all keywords once, and target multiple keywords with one usage where possible (ie. when the top-of-the-funnel keyword is part f a longer middle-of-the-funnel keyword phrase). Make the top-of-the-funnel keyword bold once with ‘<strong></strong>’ tags/code.