Pages: Category Pages

Guides e-commerce category page structure, content, and SEO optimization. Category pages organize products by attributes and drive 3x more organic revenue than product pages by ranking for broad, high-volume keywords.

When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1-2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

Initial Assessment

Check for project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-context.md exists, read it for product catalog and site structure.

Identify:

Catalog: Product count, categories, subcategories
Facets: Filters (size, color, price, brand, etc.)
URL structure: Current hierarchy, parameter handling

Category Structure

Hierarchy

| Principle | Practice | |-----------|----------| | Logical grouping | General -> specific (e.g., Furniture -> Bedroom furniture -> Beds) | | User search intent | Match how users search (e.g., "bedroom furniture" vs "furniture") | | Crawl depth | <=4 clicks from homepage; shorter paths improve indexing | | Long-tail categories | Niche categories convert better (36% vs 11.5% for broad) |

URL Structure

Subfolders: example.com/shoes/sneakers, example.com/shoes/outdoor-shoes
Slugs: Descriptive, keyword-rich; lowercase; no stop words
Avoid: Dates, timestamps, /category/ prefix
Breadcrumbs: Show path; help users and crawlers

Faceted Navigation (Filters)

Filters create many URL combinations (size + color + price). Manage to avoid duplicate content and crawl waste:

| Strategy | Use | |----------|-----| | Canonical | Point all faceted URLs to base category URL | | robots.txt | Block faceted URLs from indexing if needed | | nofollow | Add to internal links to faceted URLs | | JavaScript | Keep filters client-side; single URL for category |

On-Page Content

Content Requirements

150-300 words unique copy; pages with this rank ~2.7x higher than product-only grids
Placement: After hero/H1; FAQ block at bottom
Purpose: Help users decide; answer curation, materials, recommendations
Avoid: Manufacturer copy; crowding product grid

SEO Elements

| Element | Practice | |---------|----------| | H1 | One per page; primary keyword; clear purpose | | Title tag | 50-60 chars; keyword; compelling for CTR | | Meta description | 150-160 chars; value props (free shipping, returns) | | Schema | ItemList, Product; AggregateRating if reviews; FAQ if applicable |

Trust & Conversion

Reviews: Star ratings in SERPs; 99.9% of users read reviews; see serp-features for review rich results
FAQ: Answer materials, quality, recommendations; +157% conversion when used
Guides: Link to product guides; internal linking for SEO

Technical

Consistent layout: Same template across categories; predictable UX
Mobile: Responsive; touch targets >=44x44px
Redirects: 301 to category when product pages move; avoid breaking hierarchy

Output Format

Structure (hierarchy, URL paths)
Facet strategy (canonical, nofollow, robots)
Content (H1, intro copy, FAQ)
SEO (metadata, schema)
Checklist for audit

Related Skills

programmatic-seo: Programmatic SEO strategy; category pages as template-based scale
card: Card layout; product card structure, grid design
grid: Product grid layout; responsive columns
products-page-generator: Product cards, grid layout
canonical-tag: Faceted URL canonicalization
schema-markup: ItemList, Product, FAQ schema
internal-links: Category linking
breadcrumb-generator: Breadcrumb trail for category hierarchy
url-structure: URL hierarchy