Category Page SEO Optimization

Context

Use this when category pages have high commercial keyword potential but thin content. Category pages are often the highest-value pages in e-commerce SEO because they target commercial intent queries ("buy [category]", "best [category]", "[category] for [use case]"). This skill turns thin listing pages into authority hubs.

Procedure

1. Audit current category pages: content above and below product grid, H-tag structure, internal links, breadcrumbs, and structured data.
2. Analyze target keywords: map commercial intent queries to each category page.
3. Benchmark competitor category pages: what content elements do top-ranking competitors include?
4. Design content enhancements: introductory copy (100-200 words), buying guide section, FAQ, and comparison elements that add value without pushing products below the fold.
5. Audit faceted navigation: identify which filter combinations create crawlable URLs, assess index bloat risk, and recommend crawl management strategy.
6. Plan internal linking: category to pillar content, category to subcategories, product pages back to category.
7. Check CollectionPage or ItemList schema implementation.

Output Format

# Category Page SEO: [Category Name]

## Page Audit
| Element | Current | Issue | Recommendation |
|---------|---------|-------|---------------|
| Intro content | None/Thin/Good | | |
| FAQ section | Missing/Present | | |
| Breadcrumbs | Missing/Present | | |
| H1 | | | |
| Product count | | | |
| Schema | None/Partial | | |

## Content Enhancement Spec
### Above Product Grid
- Intro copy (100-200 words): [Scope: buying context, not keyword fill]
- H1: [optimized heading]

### Below Product Grid
- Buying guide: [3-5 key considerations for this category]
- FAQ: [5 common questions from search data]
- Related categories: [internal links]

## Faceted Navigation Audit
| Facet Combination | Crawlable? | Index Status | Recommendation |
|------------------|-----------|-------------|---------------|
| /category?color=red | Yes/No | Indexed/Not | Canonical to parent / noindex / block in robots |

## Internal Link Plan
| Source | Target | Anchor | Purpose |
|--------|--------|--------|---------|
| Category | Buying guide article | [text] | Authority + context |
| Product pages | Category | [text] | Upward authority flow |

## Schema Recommendation
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "CollectionPage",
  "name": "{{category_name}}",
  "description": "{{category_description}}"
}

QA Rubric (scored)

• Content value (0-5): additions help buyers make decisions, not just pad word count.
• Facet management (0-5): crawl configuration prevents index bloat without blocking valuable pages.
• Link architecture (0-5): category connected to content cluster and product pages bidirectionally.
• UX balance (0-5): SEO enhancements don't degrade product browsing experience.

Examples (good/bad)

• Good: "Category 'Running Shoes' has no intro content and ranks position 18 for 'best running shoes'. Add: 150-word intro covering terrain types and cushioning, FAQ from PAA ('How to choose running shoes for flat feet?'), and link to '/guides/running-shoe-buying-guide'."
• Bad: "Add 500 words of keyword-rich content to every category page." (no specificity, risks keyword stuffing, may hurt UX)

Variants

• Quick-win variant: intro copy + FAQ + schema for top 10 categories only.
• Full optimization variant: all categories with faceted nav audit, internal link plan, and buying guide content.