Key Takeaways
- Comparison pages attract high-intent organic traffic
- Choose types of comparisons that suit our products and target audience
- Engaging comparison pages include helpful tables, reviews, Q&A and visual elements
- Industry leaders like Amazon, Apple, and Wayfair use comparison content extensive to attract and convert visitors
Ecommerce SEO is highly competitive. The introduction of product grids in search results, product attribute filters in Google, and increasing paid ads have made ranking for product-specific keywords extremely difficult.
Given these challenges, it’s worth asking: is targeting product-specific keywords with product pages the most effective strategy?
Building on this idea, a study by Episerver shows that 92% of consumers visiting a brand’s website for the first time are not ready to make a purchase. Instead, the study found that most consumers are searching for different products or services, comparing prices and other variables.
This means that to effectively capture and engage the majority of ecommerce site visitors, your content strategy must be designed to support and guide them through their comparison journey, leading them closer to a purchase decision.
The best content type to nurture these users?
Comparison content.
While creating comparison content is a well known strategy, few websites successfully create comparison pages that convert and rank well. At Fire&Spark, we have worked with a variety of clients to build comparison pages that effectively do both. Our 20 years of experience have gleaned insights into what information users find most compelling and will lead to conversions.
In this article, we dive deeper into creating comparison pages that both rank and convert. We will uncover successful examples of ecommerce comparison content, best practices, and implementation strategies.
Understanding Ecommerce Comparison Pages
First, what are comparison pages?
Comparison pages are typically landing or blog pages that evaluate and contrast various products, services, or brands. These pages can focus on comparing competitors or product attributes, such as pricing, features, colors, materials, and more.
Key features of effective comparison pages
Next, we’ll explore the key features of comparison pages and provide examples from existing Ecommerce sites:
1. Product Comparison Tables
Comparison tables format product attribute data into an easy-to-read format. These tables can compare different models of products, competitors, and more. While these comparison tables are usually found on comparison landing pages, some Ecommerce sites will also feature them on certain product pages.
Product attributes comparison table
2. Customer Reviews and Ratings
Adding customer reviews and ratings to comparison pages adds credibility and provides real-world opinions. These reviews offer users additional perspectives on how products perform in practice, highlighting strengths and weaknesses that may not be evident from product descriptions alone.
3. Frequently Asked Questions
Including a FAQ section on comparison pages helps address common concerns and questions that potential customers may have. By providing these answers, FAQs can reduce bounce rates and guide users further along the purchasing funnel.
4. Multiple In-Depth Comparison Pages
Instead of limiting content to high-level comparison pages, such as “Types of Shoes,” creating multiple, in-depth comparison pages focusing on specific brands, models, or attributes is beneficial. For instance, pages comparing “Nike vs. Adidas Running Shoes” provide detailed insights that cater to specific purchase decisions.
Examples of In-Depth Comparison Pages
Types of comparison pages
Just like there are different features you can include on a comparison page, there are also different types of comparison pages you can create.
1. Brand vs Brand
One type of comparison page is brand vs brand. These pages focus on comparing how specific brands and their product offerings stack up against each other.
Brand vs Brand Comparison Page
2. Product vs Product
This type of comparison page focuses on comparing two specific products or models. Usually, these pages do a deeper dive into the product attributes than brand vs brand pages. These pages can showcase products from either different brands or the same brand.
Product vs Product Comparison Page
3. Product Attribute vs Product Attribute
Lastly, product attribute comparison pages focus on comparing two different attributes, such as color, material, size, and more, against each other.
Product Attribute vs Product Attribute
The Importance of Comparison Pages in Ecommerce
The main benefits of investing in comparison pages over other content types, such as listicle-style blogs, include:
- Boosting conversion rates by targeting ready-to-buy audiences: Oftentimes, users who are searching for comparable products are in the market to make a purchase. These types of searches have higher purchase intent than other informational keywords typically targeted in blogs.
- Converting high-intent traffic through addressing purchase criteria: While collection and product pages are valuable conversion tools, sometimes users need more information before purchasing. Crafting comparison pages that link to your brand’s products while addressing the questions customers ask when making a purchase decision increases the likelihood of conversion.
- Targeting valuable “X vs. Y” search queries: By directly addressing these queries, comparison pages can capture high-intent traffic, providing users with the exact information they need to choose between two specific options.
- Providing engaging, scannable content to retain visitors: Another significant advantage of comparison content is its ability to boost engagement. In our experience with implementing comparison pages on our client’s websites, we’ve observed noticeable improvements in engagement metrics for these pages compared to other pages on the site.
Ecommerce Comparison Page Examples: Which Sites Do It Best?
Amazon
Not surprisingly, Amazon has some of the best product comparison tools integrated into its website. Rather than opting for individual comparison landing pages, Amazon has a comparison tool embedded into its product pages.
Amazon Product Page Comparison Tool
This approach has a couple of key advantages. For one, it ensures that users stay on the Amazon website to explore different product options, reducing the likelihood of them seeking comparisons elsewhere.
This comparison also helps with customers’ decision-making process by providing side-by-side comparisons directly within the product page, making it easier for customers to evaluate and choose the best option without leaving the page.
This is a viable approach for websites with an extensive product library. However, for Ecommerce sites with a smaller selection, embedding comparison tables directly on product pages might not be the most effective strategy.
Apple
Another website that has employed an effective comparison content strategy is Apple. The Apple website mainly targets branded comparison queries (ex. “iPhone 15 vs 15 pro”) with landing pages that only feature Apple products.
Apple Product Model Comparison Pages
Smaller brands with less well-known products may not generate enough search volume for these keywords, making it less effective to build comparison pages as a strategy for acquiring organic traffic. Instead, focusing on other types of comparison content, like non branded comparison pages (“canvas vs leather sneakers”) might be more beneficial for reaching potential customers.
Wayfair
Wayfair offers a broad range of home furniture and appliances, providing many opportunities to create comparison content. As part of their strategy, Wayfair publishes non-branded comparison articles on their blog, helping users choose between different product options.
Wayfair Non Branded Comparison Content
These comparison pages are designed with conversion in mind, featuring elements such as:
- Calls-to-action
Shop Sous Vide Slow Cookers Call-to-Action
- Relevant products for the user to shop
On-Page Product Grid
- “Shop this image” call-outs
Shop This Image Call-Out with Relevant Image Links
Publishing this non-branded comparison content has proven effective in driving traffic. Collectively, these pages rank for 7,300 keywords and attract approximately 5,600 organic users each month.
Implementing Comparison Pages into Your Ecommerce Strategy
Compile Research to Inform Comparison Pages
Before you start brainstorming comparison page ideas, it’s important to gather the research that will guide your content creation. Begin by analyzing the comparison pages your competitors have created and use keyword research tools, like Ahrefs, to identify the keywords those pages are ranking for.
Then, revisit your existing audience personas and research. What are the key decisions your ideal customers face during their purchase journey? Understanding these decision points will help you decide on the types of comparison pages to create and the specific attributes or features to compare. This research will ensure your comparison pages are relevant and align with what matters most to your audience.
Identifying Key Competitors and Products to Compare
Next, you must identify the key competitors and products that resonate most with your target audience. Consider products that customers frequently compare, whether they are from your own brand or from competing brands. Focus on products that have similar features or serve the same purpose, such as popular product model comparisons.
Make sure that you have a deep understanding of product attribute tradeoffs or considerations that are most important to your core audience. Otherwise, your content may not align with the user’s purchase intent.
Developing a Content Plan and Update Schedule
Once you’ve identified the brands, attributes or product models to focus on, develop a content plan that outlines which comparison pages to create and when to publish them.
It’s also important to establish a regular update schedule to ensure that the information on your comparison pages remains accurate and relevant. This could involve updating pricing, features, and availability, as well as adding new competitors or products as they emerge.
Optimizing Comparison Pages for Search Engines
To improve the visibility of your comparison pages, optimize them for search engines by using targeted keywords like “X vs. Y” and ensuring your pages have clear headings, meta descriptions, and internal links.
While search volume is important, it shouldn’t be the only consideration. A niche keyword with a lower search volume can often convert better if it closely aligns with your product offerings. The key is to understand the search intent behind the keyword and ensure it matches your products, as this alignment will ultimately drive better results
Promoting Comparison Pages Through Various Marketing Channels
To drive traffic to your comparison pages, promote them through a variety of marketing channels. This could include social media, email campaigns, paid search ads, and even partnerships with influencers or bloggers in your industry.
By actively promoting your comparison pages, you increase their visibility and encourage more potential customers to engage with your content, ultimately driving more conversions.
Conclusion
Incorporating comparison content into your Ecommerce strategy is essential for capturing high-intent traffic and guiding users through the decision-making process. By carefully selecting the types of comparison pages that best align with your products and audience, and by optimizing these pages for search engines, you can significantly boost conversion rates. By following best practices and pulling inspiration from leading websites such as Wayfair and Amazon, your comparison pages can become powerful tools for driving engagement and increasing sales.
Let Fire&Spark help you adapt your content strategy…
- Schedule an SEO strategy session: Talk to a strategist at Fire&Spark about developing comparison content and repositioning your existing content for the changing SEO landscape. Schedule a strategy session.
- Dive deeper into SEO for Revenue: Fire&Spark’s SEO for Revenue Guide explains how to update your SEO strategies to optimize for sales and conversions, not just rankings and traffic. This mindset shift is crucial for adapting to changes in search. Get the guide.
- Request a generative AI search audit: Our team would be happy to take a look at your site and help you forecast the effect of generative AI search and Google’s AI overviews on your top-of-funnel organic traffic. Request an audit.
