A practical guide for ecommerce brands who want to rank on Google — without sounding like a robot wrote their website.
If you run a Shopify store, you've probably put a lot of thought into your products, your photography, and your branding. But your collection pages? For most businesses, they're an afterthought — a grid of products with a category name slapped at the top and nothing else.
That's a missed opportunity. Collection pages are often the first thing Google serves up when someone searches for a product type. Getting them right — with the right words, in the right places — can make a real difference to how much organic traffic your store pulls in.
Here's exactly how I approach it, and what I write for every collection page I work on. I work primarily in Shopify, so that's what I'll reference throughout — but the principles here apply to virtually any ecommerce platform. Whether you're on WooCommerce, Squarespace, BigCommerce, or something else entirely, the same logic holds.
What Goes on a Collection Page
Every collection page I optimise gets four pieces of content. Each one serves a different purpose, and together they give Google everything it needs to understand the page — and give your customers a reason to stay.
Page Title — what appears in Google search results and the browser tab
Meta Description — the summary shown under your title in Google
Top Text — a short intro above the product grid
Bottom Text — longer copy below the product grid, primarily for SEO (this requires a custom metafield — more on that below)
Before You Write Anything: Know Your Keywords
Before touching a single page, spend a few minutes thinking about how real people search for the products in that collection. Not what you call them internally -what a customer would actually type into Google. For each collection, identify 1–2 primary keywords (the main phrases you want the page to rank for) and 3-4 secondary keywords (related variations you can weave in naturally).
These don't need to come from expensive SEO tools. Start by typing your product category into Google and looking at the autocomplete suggestions and the "People also search for" section at the bottom. That's real search data, for free.
The goal is to use keywords naturally -never to stuff them in awkwardly. If a sentence feels forced, rewrite it. Google is good at spotting keyword stuffing, and so are your customers.
1. The Page Title
The page title is the clickable blue link that appears in Google search results. Google reads it as one of the strongest signals for what your page is about, so it needs to contain the words people are actually searching for. I use a simple format for every collection page:
[Descriptive collection name] | [Brand Name]
"Hoodies" is too vague. "Dark Art Hoodies", "Organic Cotton Hoodies", or "Handmade Leather Bags" - those are the kinds of phrases people actually search. Keep the whole title under 60 characters, including your brand name. Anything longer and Google will truncate it.
2. The Meta Description
The meta description sits beneath your title in Google search results. It doesn't directly determine your ranking, but it determines whether someone clicks - which does affect your ranking over time. Think of it as a two-line pitch for your page. Aim for 140-160 characters, lead with what the collection is and what makes it worth clicking, and end with a simple call to action: "Shop the collection.", "Browse the range.", "Explore now."
Template: [Product type] [a brief, specific hook about what makes them worth buying]. [Call to action] at [Brand Name].
| Don't write this | Write this instead |
|---|---|
| "Check out our amazing collection of hoodies!" | "Heavyweight organic hoodies, ethically made in the UK. Browse the full range." |
| "We have a wide range of products for everyone." | "Hand-thrown ceramics for everyday use. Each piece made to order. Shop now." |
| "Best prices guaranteed on all our items." | "Vintage denim, carefully sourced and restored. New pieces added weekly." |
3. The Top Text (Above the Product Grid)
The top text is the first copy a visitor reads when they land on your collection page. Its job is to set the scene, confirm they're in the right place, and make them want to keep scrolling. Write 80 -100 words of flowing prose - no bullet points, no lists. Open by confirming what the collection is and what types of products are in it, include your primary keyword naturally within the first two sentences, and close with a line that invites them to explore.
Never open with "Welcome to", "Discover our", "Look no further", or "You've come to the right place". Read it back and ask: does this sound like our brand, or does it sound like every other online shop? If it's the latter, rewrite it.
4. The Bottom Text (Below the Product Grid)
The bottom text is where the heavy SEO lifting happens. It sits below all the products, and most customers won't read it - but Google will. Its purpose is to give Google a detailed, keyword-rich picture of what the page is about so it can rank it accurately.
Note: This field doesn't exist in Shopify by default. To add a dedicated SEO content block below the product grid, I create a custom metafield and wire it into the collection template. It's a one-time setup job that then makes every collection page consistent and ready to optimise.
I keep the copy structured as three paragraphs, each with a clear job. Paragraph 1 (60–80 words): describe the collection in detail — product types, variations, sizes, materials. This is where your primary and secondary keywords go. Paragraph 2 (60–80 words): differentiation — what makes your version of this product worth buying over a competitor's? Materials, craftsmanship, ethical sourcing, the brand story. Don't invent claims; lean into what's genuinely true. Paragraph 3 (40–60 words): practical info - delivery, returns, payment options, how often stock updates. End with a gentle prompt to browse or come back.
Across all three paragraphs: write in flowing prose with no bullet points or sub-headings, don't repeat any keyword phrase more than twice, and don't just rehash the top text. Total word count: 150–250 words.
Putting It All Together
Good SEO content for a collection page isn't about tricking Google. It's about being clear — clear about what you sell, clear about who it's for, and clear about why someone should buy it from you. When you write that clearly and consistently across every collection page, Google notices.
| Checklist |
|---|
| Page title is under 60 characters and uses the primary keyword, not just a vague category name |
| Meta description is 140 -160 characters and ends with a clear call to action |
| Top text is 80 -100 words, written in prose, and sounds like the brand |
| Bottom text has three paragraphs: the collection, the brand's point of difference, and practical info |
| Bottom text is 150-250 words total |
| No keyword phrase appears more than twice |
| The writing sounds like a human who knows the brand — not like it was generated or stuffed with keywords |
It takes time to do this properly for every collection, but it's one of those things that compounds. Each page you optimise is another entry point to your store -another chance to get in front of someone who's already looking for what you sell.
If you'd like help writing SEO content for your store, or want someone to audit what you've already got, get in touch.