Product descriptions: writing to sell and to be found

A product description has two readers: the buyer, who wants reassurance before paying, and the search engine, which wants to understand what the page is about in order to show it to the right people. Many stores write for one while forgetting the other: very commercial texts that are invisible on Google, or texts stuffed with keywords that drive customers away.

The good news is that by writing clearly for the first, you already help the second. This article presents a simple seven-step method to write descriptions that sell and rank: understanding the customer, finding the right phrases, structuring the page, writing unique text, taking care of technical elements, extending content beyond product pages and measuring results.

Why the description matters so much

The description is often handled last, once the product is online, yet it does a large part of the selling. With no salesperson to answer questions, it is what explains what the product is for, who it is for, how to use it and why to choose it over another. It reassures on the points photos do not show: material, dimensions, care, compatibility.

It is also the main text content of your page: without text, a search engine has almost nothing to read to understand what you sell. A good description is therefore the first search lever for each page, before more advanced techniques.

Step 1: start with the customer

Before writing a line, answer three questions: who buys this product, for what use, with what worry? Note the answers. For example: a person looking for a work bag, who must fit a laptop in it, and who worries it will be too heavy or wear out quickly. Your description must cover these three points in this order: the benefit (what the customer gains), the proof (why it is true), the practical detail (the concrete features).

If you already have customer support, reread the questions received about this product: they are exactly the information missing from the current description.

Step 2: find the phrase your customers type

A customer does not search "leather goods item" but "black leather handbag for work". To find real phrases, use the search suggestions offered by search engines, look at how competitors describe the same product, and reread the words your customers use in their messages and reviews. Choose one main phrase per product, and two or three close variants.

Aim for precise phrases rather than very general ones: they have less competition and attract visitors who already know what they want, so are more likely to buy.

Step 3: place it in the right spots

Once the phrase is chosen, integrate it naturally in the places search engines read first:

• In the page title, preferably toward the start.
• In the first lines of the description.
• In a subheading on the page.
• In the alt text of the main image.
• In the page address, if your tool allows it.

Without overusing it. Text that sounds artificial drives customers away before the search engine even notices it. If a sentence feels forced when read aloud, rephrase it.

Step 4: write unique text

Reusing the supplier's description as is means publishing the same text as dozens of other stores: search engines have no reason to prefer yours, and the customer learns nothing new. Rephrase in your own words, add your experience, your usage tips, your answers to frequent questions. Even two or three unique sentences make the difference.

The same rule applies to your own products: avoid copy-pasting the same description for close variants. Each page needs its own reason to exist, and you can group variants (colors, sizes) on a single page rather than duplicating content.

Step 5: make it easy to read

On mobile, a wall of text is never read. Break it up:

• Paragraphs of three or four lines at most.
• A bullet list for features (dimensions, material, package contents).
• Clear subheadings to separate description, care, delivery.
• A few words in bold on the essentials, without overdoing it.

Place a short summary at the top, with the detail below for those who want to dig deeper. Everyone then finds what they need at their own pace.

A description that helps people choose is also the one Google wants to show.

Step 6: take care of technical elements

Beyond the visible text, a few elements weigh on search ranking and on click rate from search results:

• The title tag and meta description: these are the lines displayed in Google. Write them to make people want to click, in one concrete sentence containing the main phrase.
• Images: descriptive file name, useful alt text, reasonable weight.
• Structured data of the product type, which lets price, availability and rating appear in results. Most e-commerce platforms handle them through a module or a setting.
• Speed and mobile display, which influence both ranking and sales.

Step 7: extend content beyond product pages

Product pages are not enough to answer every search. Many customers first look for an answer to a problem: "how to choose a carry-on suitcase", "what is the difference between two materials", "how to care for leather". Well-written category pages, buying guides and blog articles attract these visitors upstream of their decision, then guide them to your products with internal links.

A good rhythm to start: one useful article a month, answering a real question from your customers, which you know comes up in your customer support or in searches in your sector.

Measure to progress

Track, product by product, the number of visits from search engines, the phrases for which the page appears, the click rate in results and the purchase rate. Search engines' free tools show precisely which phrases bring visitors, which lets you adjust the text. Search optimization is long-term work: the effects of an improvement are measured in weeks, not days.

Common mistakes

• Stuffing the text with keywords: it is painful to read and poorly regarded by search engines.
• Writing the same description for similar products.
• Forgetting practical details: dimensions, materials, care, compatibility.
• Never updating a text, even when the product or offer changes.
• Promising what the product does not do: it generates returns and negative reviews.

Where to start this week

Rank your products by revenue and rework the top five: rewrite the title, introduction and highlights using the phrase your customers actually use. Then watch their rankings and sales for a month before handling the next ones.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a product description be?

Long enough to answer the customer's questions, short enough to stay readable: often between 150 and 300 words for an ordinary product, more for a technical or expensive one.

Can you use an artificial intelligence tool to write?

It can help produce a first draft, but the text must be reread, corrected and enriched with your real experience of the product, otherwise it will be generic and identical to your competitors'.

Should descriptions be translated?

If you sell to customers in several countries, yes: a careful translation, adapted to the phrases really used in each language, opens a new search market.

At Lynkevo, we write product pages, category pages and blog articles for e-commerce brands, in French and in English. Tell us about your catalog and we will come back to you with a proposal within 24 hours.