What is a variable product?
First, let me explain what a variable product is, so that we can resolve this dilemma. A variable product is one that contains several options, essentially one and the same product, but differs in a certain detail. For example, we have a t-shirt that exists in red, yellow and blue, but there are also sizes: M, L and XL. This would be an example of a variable product.
The most common mistake with variable products
I definitely see the following situation very often: I go to a web store and there is a certain model of T-shirt, say in red, but next to it I see the same T-shirt again only in another color, then in a third one… and everything is displayed as individual products.
So there we have 3 products that essentially differ only in color.Let’s get answers to why this is wrong through some questions?
- What will you call that product?
- How will you write a description of such a product?
- How will you market that product?
- What should Google show when someone searches for that shirt?
Why is it a mistake to make them this way?
- You make it difficult for the customer to navigate the site because he has to go to several places to get to the desired item.
- You’re creating duplicate content on your site by posting identical descriptions for each of those products, I’m pretty sure, because they’re essentially the same except for different colors.
- When you want to advertise that shirt, you will not be able to turn on one advertisement, but you will have to turn on as many advertisements as there are different colors. Which of course is pointless.
- Let’s say your t-shirt is called the “Closet Collar T-Shirt” and if people were to search for something like that on Google, what should it offer them? Since you have several options, it would confuse Google. And when he gets confused, the result is that he destroys your position.
- If you want to share a link to this t-shirt on social networks, email or some other place, you won’t be able to post just one link, but several – again pointless and unnecessary.
Okay, you get what I mean. And now let’s see how it should actually be done, then decide at the end which option is better for you.
Correct creation of variable products
Since your product has 3 colors and 3 sizes. It is necessary to make all of this as one product, within which all those options will be found. So the user will enter that product, see the title, images and description of the product, then choose with one click which color he wants, the next step is to choose the size and add the product to the basket.
This gives us 1 product, because that’s what it is. We get a unique title, a unique description and with this product we only “spent” one spot when looking at google indexing. In this way, you make it easier for both the user and Google, and thus you make the whole job easier for yourself. Now you can enjoy and advertise your specific shirt properly.
Conclusion
In this way, you will improve the user experience as well as site optimization. What you should pay attention to if this mistake has already been made and you want to correct it, is to take account of redirections and what exactly you will index and what you will tell Google to deindex. I will talk more about these things in future articles where I will show exact examples and how to do them.
