{"id":187297,"date":"2022-11-02T21:10:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T20:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/guides\/how-to-write-product-titles-and-descriptions"},"modified":"2025-09-11T16:50:01","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T14:50:01","slug":"how-to-write-product-titles-and-descriptions","status":"publish","type":"guides","link":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/guides\/how-to-write-product-titles-and-descriptions","title":{"rendered":"How to write product titles and descriptions"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-cover\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-7557\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/guide-titlecover-producttitles3.jpg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\"\/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-30 has-background-dim\"><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-215847d43aa37c22e5d3ddea7a48100e\">How to write product titles and descriptions <span class=\"hide-mobile\"><br \/><\/span>(for top findability)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Have you seen the clip below, explaining the principle of optimised site search? Although the clip was released a decade ago, it is still pretty relevant for many retailers with a basic site search. However, this guide is not about the benefits of an optimised site search. If you\u2019re reading this post, it means you\u2019ve probably already got your site search basics set in order. We will rather give you actionable insights to optimise your site search performance by improving your product information and attributes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Google Analytics in real life - Site Search\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cbtf1oyNg-8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how\">How does site search work?<\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s start with a quick recap of the site search basics. The search algorithm looks for the search query text and the more matches that it finds, the higher the score (and hence a higher relevance). Our advanced search features will ensure the algorithm also searches for variations of the query. For example the stem, corrected spelling, and partial matches. I won\u2019t bore you with more details, just keep this in mind when you start implementing the do\u2019s and don\u2019ts explained below.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"kiss\">&#8216;Let\u2019s KISS&#8217;: Keep It Short and Specific<\/h2>\n<p>So how can you optimise your product text to improve findability? Remember this acronym:<strong> KISS: Keep It Short and Specific<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<p>It may sound counter-intuitive, but long text is less effective than short and specific text. The search algorithm looks at the length of the text to determine the relative importance of the keywords. When you use a long description to describe your product, if the keyword is only mentioned once or twice, it will not stand out. Reduce boilerplate text such as a generic description of the product or product family listing, because it brings down the rating. If you think it\u2019s relevant, you can include this in a separate attribute that you include in the product datafeed (e.g. short description vs long description).<br \/>Similarly, and a frequently seen \u2018mistake\u2019, is to list information on other (related) products. This will make the key product less relevant to the search query and in many cases will cause the related products to be ranked higher. Use a separate attribute (e.g. related products) in your feed for which you can configure the search weight to be lower than the product description.<\/p>\n<p>So, practically, what should you do? Make your title and description texts specific to the product, and if possible, also unique to the product by using unique terms such as the serial number or the full product name. Also e.g. unique attributes, collection, combination of (unique) attributes.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:23px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An example<\/h3>\n<p><em>A visitor searches for \u201cNike Air Jordan\u201d. The algorithm will search for all 3 terms and combinations of all three. To ensure that the latest Nike Air Jordans are shown first, make sure that the title includes the full 3-word term. All other Nike Air shoes or even Nike shoes will be shown at a lower position.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>That doesn\u2019t sound too hard, does it? Well, the example above is pretty simple, but when you sell 20 types of O-rings, imagine all of the variations in size and material you may have. You may be inclined to name them all \u201cO-ring\u201d, and have the size or material listed as separate attributes. You should certainly have separate \u2018size\u2019 and \u2018material\u2019 attributes, yet also making sure all 20 variants have a unique title. This way the correct result for a \u2018Teflon 16mm O-ring\u2019 will be shown first and the user does not have to filter separately on material or size.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"optimisation\">Datafeed optimisation<\/h2>\n<p>I can hear you thinking, doesn\u2019t <a href=\"https:\/\/spotler.com\/search\">Spotler Activate Search<\/a> allow me to search on a combination of attributes? So why do I have to put them (also) in the title? Yes, you can certainly include any product attribute in your searchable fields, as long as you have them defined in your datefeed. But what if you have tens or even hundreds of attributes? Including them all will make your search algorithm cast a very wide net, meaning that a Teflon non-stick pan in your catalogue will be also found on par with the Teflon O-ring.<\/p>\n<p>Remember KISS? This goes for product attributes as well: make them specific and unique (where possible). Also, use consistent attribute values, meaning that the colour grey is always grey and not 50 shades of grey :-). We (strongly) recommend to use the <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/merchants\/answer\/7052112?hl=en&amp;ref_topic=6324338\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google Merchant Feed<\/a> definition for your XML datafeed. This is a widely used definition with a clear and consistent hierarchy (taxonomy) that is supported all across the industry. It will help you to structure your datafeed which will optimise the search results, and serves the Google Shopping feed as well. Oh, one more thing on attributes. Search algorithms work best with natural language, meaning real \u2018human\u2019 text. That\u2019s what they\u2019re designed for. So instead of using codes or acronyms for colours, sizes and features, use text (e.g. \u201cblue\u201d, \u201clarge\u201d, etc.).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHelp! I see 10 versions of the same item! How do I fix this?\u201d We get this question a lot. The answer is to use our grouping feature. This allows you to have all individual items in your feed, so that they are findable. Yet, grouping will only show 1 item out of the group. For grouping to work perfectly, this must be properly defined in the datafeed. All products have a unique identifier, and grouped products will have a separate attribute that indicates they belong to a certain group of products (\u2018assoc ID\u2019, or association identifier). This is defined in your CMS and will tell Search what products to group. Make sure each member of the group has the same set of attributes with consistent values. So, for example, when you\u2019re grouping on colour and size, make sure all variants have these attributes filled consistently. This will allow the algorithm to find all red dresses in size medium and show just 1 item per group.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/guide-producttitles-products.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7583\"\/><\/figure>\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"synonyms\">Pants or trousers? The optimal use of synonyms<\/h2>\n<p>Everyone uses their own words to describe certain items or characteristics, and so do your visitors. Synonyms are meant to solve this ambiguity by having the algorithm search for synonyms of the words that you use throughout your text. <\/p>\n<p>So when you use \u2018sneakers\u2019 consistently, you can have the algorithm search for them when people type \u2018trainers\u2019, \u2018sport shoes\u2019, \u2018tennis shoes\u2019, etc. Here it\u2019s important to say that a version of the same word is not a synonym. So plurals or singulars, or separate words instead of a single term are not synonyms. Our search algorithm will solve most of these issues for you! Synonyms are meant to account for the different terms that people use to find the same thing. <\/p>\n<p>Here are some important tips on how to use synonyms:<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-be88419a8e3203dca71fc06807e64b08\">1. Make them specific<\/h5>\n<p>Generic synonyms (e.g. \u2018shampoo\u2019 = \u2018hair product\u2019) will result in many more (and less relevant) search results.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-af267f0631cd9bd796df24cf958af78f\">2. Avoid using short, 2-3 letter synonyms<\/h5>\n<p>In many cases this will generate too many hits and reduces the search relevance.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6e90e27081f78a9b3643d03b2b10189e\">3. Match what you\u2019ve written in your catalogue<\/h5>\n<p>Don\u2019t start copying a thesaurus on the Internet. Synonyms are intended to match visitor search queries onto your catalogue text.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ab2399d941c6a1ae8488ecbd911b5939\">4. Circular synonyms will boost to infinity, and beyond<\/h5>\n<p>When \u2018jeans\u2019 matches \u2018Levi\u2019s\u2019 and further on in your list you want to match \u2018Levi\u2019s\u2019 to \u2018straight jeans\u2019, the algorithm will replace \u2018jeans\u2019 with \u2018Levi\u2019s\u2019 and substitute this with \u2018straight jeans\u2019, and so on. This will cause a strong boost to items that include jeans, even if a \u2018jeans jacket\u2019 is searched for, because all variants of Levi\u2019s straight jeans will be shown first. By the way, our software warns you when a circular synonym is used, so that you are informed and can take measures to prevent it.<\/p>\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading has-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1d1ef9bf0120f04827f7333d9e8f6771\">5. On the Search dashboard you will find the top queries without results <\/h5>\n<p>These are the exact words people use to search for an item when they didn\u2019t get a result. These are perfect guidance for you to create the appropriate synonyms. Just hit the plus-icon next to it to add it to synonyms. Just make sure to consider all of the above advice!<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/guide-producttitles.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7543\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>We discussed how to write your texts (KISS), how to define specific and unique product attributes, how to structure your datafeed, how to avoid flooding your search experience with variants of the same product and gave some great tips that will improve your search conversion by using synonyms.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mobile-fw has-light-blue-background-color has-background\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:60%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-titel\">Book a personal demo<\/h3>\n<p>Curious about what search optimisation and our <a href=\"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/ecommerce\/onsite-search-merchandising\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"181005\">software<\/a> can add to your business? Book a demo and get inspired!<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/demo\">Book a demo<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:40%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full no-bot-margin hide-mobile\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"515\" height=\"372\" src=\"https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/cta-demo-21.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-68004\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/cta-demo-21.webp 515w, https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/cta-demo-21-300x217.webp 300w, https:\/\/spotler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/cta-demo-21-263x190.webp 263w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 515px) 100vw, 515px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this guide you\u2019ll find actionable insights to optimise your site search performance by improving your product information and attributes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":187306,"template":"","cat_industry":[1462,1463],"cat_topic":[1630,1688],"class_list":["post-187297","guides","type-guides","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cat_industry-b2c-en-gb","cat_industry-ecommerce-retail-en-gb","cat_topic-data-analytics-en-gb","cat_topic-strategy-en-gb"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guides\/187297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guides"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/guides"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guides\/187297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":187300,"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guides\/187297\/revisions\/187300"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/187306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=187297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cat_industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cat_industry?post=187297"},{"taxonomy":"cat_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spotler.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cat_topic?post=187297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}