Let’s explore some examples using our similarity score extension.
1. Product naming convention optimization
Optimizing product description pages (PDPs) optimizes your product listing pages (PLPs).
This means that optimizing your product pages for a specific query also enhances the relevance of your category pages.
The products listed on your category pages naturally adopt the same queries and terminology as the parent category.
For example, REI’s use of “Men’s Hiking Boots” in their product naming conventions also helps optimize the parent category page.
Understanding the concept of cosine similarity, we can now see why this helps improve SEO at scale.
When running our similarity score extension on top of this page, we can see that REI’s own product grids have strong matches against the parent category.
Dig deeper: Product page SEO: A complete guide
2. SEO text on category pages
A best practice for ecommerce sites is to include search-optimized text at the bottom of category pages.
Typically, this consists of 3-5 paragraphs of content placed beneath the product listings, providing additional information about the category as a whole.
I recently conducted a LinkedIn poll asking if this type of text at the bottom of category pages is beneficial, with 82% of respondents confirming that it is.
When we view this initiative through the lens of cosine similarity, it becomes clearer why it’s effective. It helps ecommerce sites significantly improve the content relevance of their category pages.
When done correctly, you can see how well this content aligns with target keywords. For example, on Chewy’s Dry Dog Food page, most of their sections score 7.0 or higher in similarity.
Dig deeper: How to make your ecommerce content more helpful
3. Related categories
Another effective ecommerce SEO strategy I’ve long advocated is using internal links at the bottom of category pages to cross-link to other relevant categories. These are often labeled as “Related categories” or “Related searches.”
For example, REI includes “Related searches” at the bottom of its category pages, which helps to strengthen the relevance and connectivity of its content.
Looking at the Wayfair site, they actually include both options:
Let’s see how these features impact the content’s cosine similarity against the core query. For REI, we can see that each item strongly impacts content optimization.
Not only are they helping the core category page, but they’re also establishing a strong internal linking system to other semantically related pages.
Dig deeper: Retailers: Google is becoming your new category page
4. Product reviews
It may be surprising, but I believe product reviews are an underutilized asset for SEO on ecommerce sites.
Often, I see sites allow only 5-10 reviews to be indexed, then use JavaScript to prevent further indexation.
However, when reviews are relevant, they can be a powerful tool for leveraging cosine similarity at scale.
If reviewers consistently mention the product’s name or category, it helps bring your product closer to the root query, improving its relevance.
For example, look at how relevant reviews can enhance a page’s similarity score and overall SEO performance.
Now that you understand the role of cosine similarity and its impact on search, you can apply these principles to optimize your ecommerce site and content structure.
The most significant improvements will come from scaling your efforts to enhance similarity across your site.
Dig deeper: Ecommerce content: How to demonstrate beneficial purpose and expertise
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