How to write product descriptions that sell and rank

Start with the buyer's questions

Most weak descriptions describe the product from the seller's side: what it is called, how lovely it is. Strong descriptions answer what the buyer is wondering. Before you write, list the questions a customer would ask if they were holding the product in a shop:

• What is it, and who is it for?
• How big is it, what is it made of, what colour is it really?
• Will it work for my situation: my room, my dog, my skin type, my car?
• How do I use it or look after it?
• What exactly arrives in the box?
• When will it arrive, and what if it is not right?

The best source for these questions is your own inbox. Look at the emails and messages customers send before buying, the reasons people give for returns, and what they mention in reviews. Each repeated question is a gap in your product page.

A structure that works for most products

You do not need a different format for every product. A consistent structure makes pages easier to scan and much faster to write:

1. Opening line: what it is and who it is for, in one or two sentences. This is also what appears in search results if you reuse it as the meta description.
2. Why it is worth buying: two or three short points about the benefit, each backed by a fact.
3. Specifics: dimensions, weight, materials, capacity, compatibility, care instructions. A bullet list or a small specification table works well.
4. In the box: exactly what the customer receives.
5. Delivery and returns: a short line with a link to your full policy.
6. Common questions: two or three answers to the questions you collected.

A worked example

Here is a typical weak description for a candle:

"Our beautiful luxury candle will bring a wonderful atmosphere to any home. Hand made with love. A perfect gift!"

It tells the buyer almost nothing. A stronger version, using the structure above:

"A hand-poured soy wax candle with a soft fig and cedar scent, made for people who like a gentle fragrance rather than an overpowering one. It comes in a reusable amber glass jar with a cotton wick that burns cleanly when trimmed. Size: 8 cm tall, 7.5 cm wide. Care: trim the wick before each use and burn for no more than four hours at a time. In the box: one candle with lid, in recyclable packaging. Ready to gift, with an optional handwritten card."

Every sentence now answers a question. Notice that the improved version still sounds warm; specifics do not make writing cold.

Specifics beat adjectives

Words like "premium", "luxury", "high quality" and "perfect" appear on so many shops that buyers skip over them. Replace each one with the fact behind it:

• Instead of "high quality leather", say what kind of leather, where it comes from and how it is finished.
• Instead of "comfortable", say what makes it comfortable: the fabric, the cut, the padding.
• Instead of "perfect size", give the measurements and compare them to something familiar, such as "fits an A4 notebook".
• Instead of "long lasting", say how long, if you know it from your own testing.

Specifics help in another way: they reduce returns. A customer who knew the exact size before ordering is less likely to send it back.

Writing for search without stuffing keywords

Product pages can bring in search traffic for years, but only if they are written for people first. Practical rules:

• One main phrase per product. Think about what a buyer would type, such as "soy candle fig scent" rather than your internal product name, and use it naturally in the title, the opening line and once or twice in the text.
• Clear product titles. A pattern such as product type, key feature, variant works well: "Soy Wax Candle, Fig and Cedar, 200 g".
• Write unique text. Copying the manufacturer's description means your page is one of dozens with the same words. Rewrite it in your own words with your own details.
• Do not neglect category pages. A short, helpful introduction on each category page often ranks for broader searches.
• Describe your images. Alt text should say what the photo shows, which helps both search engines and visitors using screen readers.

Our guide to SEO for online shops covers the technical side, such as site structure and page speed.

Formatting for phones

Many of your visitors will read product pages on a phone, where long paragraphs become walls of text. Keep paragraphs to two or three sentences, put specifications in bullets, and make sure size guides open properly on a small screen. Avoid hiding essential information inside tabs that many visitors never open: dimensions and delivery information belong where people will see them. Photos and text work together, so plan them as a pair; see product photos that sell.

Claims you need to be careful with

Product descriptions are advertising, and UK advertising rules apply. The Advertising Standards Authority and the CAP Code set out what you can and cannot claim. Take particular care with:

• Health and beauty claims: you cannot claim that a product treats or cures a condition unless the rules for that type of product allow it.
• Environmental claims: words such as "eco-friendly", "sustainable" or "plastic free" need to be accurate and backed up. The Competition and Markets Authority's Green Claims Code explains what is expected.
• Comparisons and "best" claims: only make them if you can prove them.
• Product safety information: warnings and instructions required for your product type must be easy to find.

A process for a whole range

Rewriting hundreds of descriptions at once is daunting. Work in batches instead:

1. Write a template based on the structure above, with prompts for each section.
2. Start with your best sellers and the products with the most views but few sales.
3. Collect the facts first (measurements, materials, care) for a batch of products, then write.
4. Read each description on your phone before publishing.
5. Revisit pages when the same customer question comes in twice.

Good descriptions need good photos alongside them. If you lack the time or space for photography, Retail Web Hosting offers Studio as an add-on for AI product photos and short clips, at £25 a month including 100 credits; see Studio.

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