Key takeaways
- Google has two product experiences: product snippets for review pages and merchant listings for pages that sell.
- Group variants with ProductGroup, hasVariant and variesBy.
- Decide per catalog: one page for all variants, or one URL per variant with clear canonicals.
- Write specs and comparisons shoppers use, not the supplier's copy.
Which product structured data does a page need?
It depends on what the page does. Google uses product snippets for pages where people can't buy directly, such as editorial reviews, and merchant listing experiences for pages where customers can purchase. Merchant listings can show details like price, availability, shipping and return policy, so store product pages should provide that information in their markup.
Google explains the difference in its intro to Product structured data.
How should product variants be marked up?
Use the ProductGroup type for the parent product, with variesBy naming what changes, such as size or color, and hasVariant listing each variant as its own Product with its own SKU, price and availability. Add a productGroupID to tie them together. Google supports both one page holding every variant and one page per variant.
The properties and both setups are documented in Google's guide to product variant structured data.
One URL or one per variant
- One page for all variants suits products where variants differ only in size or color. Simpler to maintain.
- One URL per variant suits variants people search for separately, such as a specific color or capacity. Each needs unique content and a self-referencing canonical.
- Parameters for selection (for example ?color=red) should not create dozens of indexable duplicates. Use a canonical URL to the main version.
Large catalogs with filters face the crawl issues covered in faceted navigation and crawl budget.
What content belongs on a product page?
The specs shoppers compare, in a clear table, the differences between variants, what is in the box, sizing or compatibility help, care and warranty, shipping and returns, and answers to the questions customer service hears most. Original photos and honest notes from the team beat the supplier's description, which every other store already uses.
That last point is Google's guidance on original, helpful content applied to product pages. For a store being upgraded, compare it with the previous version of the product: what changed, what improved and who should upgrade.
Delivering it white label
For Shopify clients, start with the Shopify SEO checklist, and add these checks to the technical audit. Catalog work is part of our white label e-commerce SEO, within our white label SEO services.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between product snippets and merchant listings?
Product snippets are for pages that review products. Merchant listings are for pages where customers can buy.
Do I need ProductGroup for every product?
Only for products that come in variants, such as sizes or colors.
Should every color have its own URL?
Only if people search for the colors separately and each page can be genuinely useful.
Can I copy the manufacturer's description?
You can use the facts, but write your own description and add details only your store knows.
Does structured data guarantee rich results?
No. It makes a page eligible. Google decides whether to show the enhanced result.
About the author
Juan José Giraldo is a senior SEO specialist with 5+ years of experience. He works on technical and local SEO for 600+ US car dealerships and supervises the SEO of 18 US e-commerce stores. He runs White Label SEO LATAM from Medellín, Colombia, and delivers white label SEO for agencies in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Read more · LinkedIn.