An often-overlooked facet of your winery’s search engine optimization (SEO) efforts are the product page descriptions.
It may sound surprising, but how you describe your wine products on your website is crucial to your search engine optimization. Those product descriptions can be your secret SEO weapons that help you attract more ideal customers and climb the ranks of Google’s search engine results.
We’ll help you make your product descriptions work toward your winery SEO goals. Plus, we’ll share tips on how to write product descriptions that help you rank higher and catch the attention of your ideal wine customers.
But first, we’ll start with a solid understanding of how product descriptions can make a difference in your winery SEO efforts.
Importance of product descriptions
A product description is the text that accompanies your wine products on their product pages. At a bare minimum, you’ll have your wine’s name, grape, and region.
However, for a product description to sell wine, it needs to go beyond the tasting notes. Wine buyers do not search for wine based on tasting notes. In the sections below, we’ll explore the other types of information to include in your product descriptions so that they strike a chord with wine buyers and do a better job of selling your wine.
Customers need product descriptions to make a purchase
But the more information you can include in your product description, the better. Studies show that when it comes to online purchases, product descriptions really matter to customers.
The stats about product descriptions are compelling. According to SEMRush, 82% of online buyers read the product description before purchasing. Google’s research has shown that for 85% of shoppers, the product description is the single most crucial factor in their buying decision.
Search engines love product descriptions
Search engines like Google base their ranking results on the amount of relevant keywords and data on a website. So, if your winery website includes keywords that are relevant to customer searches, you’ll have a better chance of ranking higher.
But search engines are sophisticated enough to spot “keyword stuffing”, so you can’t cram your website with unnaturally-placed keywords and watch your search engine rankings climb. In fact, you’ll be penalized with a lower ranking for keyword stuffing.
Product descriptions are the perfect place to add plenty of relevant keywords in a natural way. You can include descriptions of the wine’s taste and provenance, outline the history of your growers, and suggest food pairings. It’s real estate that demands to be developed, because search engines love to see informative product descriptions, and wine buyers do, too.
Target the right customers with solid keyword research
If you conduct thorough keyword research before you write your product descriptions, you’ll have a list of keywords that attract your target audience.
Not all wine drinkers are your ideal audience. Your marketing efforts – including product descriptions – should be focused on targeting the right wine drinkers and excluding the rest.
If your product descriptions include the right keywords and are written in a voice and tone that resonates with the audience you want to attract, you’ll pinpoint the ideal buyers.
SEO tactics to improve your wine product descriptions
With these 6 steps, you can write product descriptions that resonate with your target audience. You’ll also provide the data they need to make a wine purchase or book a wine tasting.
- Research keywords and include them naturally
Keyword research is always the first step in effective SEO strategies. Don’t rush through your keyword research or assume you know how wine lovers find your products. The phrases they use to search for wine online may surprise you.
Wine buyers often start their search with terms like “buy wine online,” a phrase which has a monthly search volume (MSV) of 2.9K. They also include terms like “best” into their search, for keywords like “best cabernet wine” (9.9K MSV). “Fine wine” was another popular choice, with 14.8K MSV. “Organic vineyard” only yielded a MSV of 10 searches, while “organic wine” had a MSV of 8.1K!
Keep your target audience in mind as you conduct your research. The wine industry is changing, and younger drinkers are finding new ways to describe the wines they love. To attract a younger audience to book wine tastings or purchase wine online, you’ll need to research the keywords and wine information they look for on a product page.
Young wine buyers often prioritize brands that align with their personal values, so they’ll search for wines that use keywords like “organic” or “black-owned winery.” Include nutritional information and don’t be snobby with your language. Young wine drinkers are increasingly turned off by esoteric wine terms.
When choosing keywords, remember that search volume isn’t the only metric to analyze. Keywords with a higher search volume are usually expensive and competitive to rank for. Instead, look for less competitive keywords with a lower search volume.
2. Look to your online reviews for inspiration
Your online customer reviews can be a great source of inspiration for finding keywords that resonate with your audience. Current customers will describe your wine products in surprising ways, so check your reviews for clever, descriptive phrasing that might strike a chord with potential wine buyers.
Your product pages should include as many reviews as possible, as shoppers rely heavily on product reviews to make a decision. Encourage existing customers to write reviews after they’ve received their product or attended a wine tasting.
3. Provide accurate and specific information
Wine drinkers are sophisticated shoppers who expect a certain level of reliable information about the wine they’re buying. For starters, they’ll want to know the wine’s specs:
- Country of origin
- Region
- Grape or grape blend, with percentages
- Alcohol content
- Vintage
- Color
- Style
Serving recommendations, including the temperature at which to serve the wine, how long to aerate it, etc, should also be included in this section. Buying wine online takes imagination, and wine buyers need to envision themselves enjoying this wine. The more information you can give them about the wine and how, when, and where to enjoy it, the easier it is for them to imagine themselves drinking it. And the easier it is for them to click “Add to cart.”
Your customers should be able to rely on the accuracy of your product data. Trustworthy product descriptions establish trust and promote loyalty among your customers and create an aura of thought leadership around your brand.
4. Add food pairing recommendations and similar wine suggestions
Food and wine pairing suggestions are a great way to show your wine expertise and improve your search rankings at the same time.
Pairing suggestions make it easy for shoppers to buy your product. They can envision how and when they’ll drink your wine, making it an almost effortless decision to purchase it. Describe the wine’s flavor profile and then suggest foods which would complement those tastes. For example:
“This red Bordeaux features a bold black currant aroma with subtler notes of plum and pear. Its rich earthiness is best complemented by a grass-fed beef roast, heavily marbled, or a beet and goats cheese salad.”
If you’re trying to book more wine tastings, food and wine pairing suggestions show your audience the type of expertise they’ll enjoy when they sit at your tasting table.
5. Tell a story that resonates with your buyers’ values
With all this talk of keywords and SEO strategies, it’s important to remember that buyers respond best to compelling stories. Your product page is the place to spin a compelling narrative about your grapes, your growers, and the exciting process of producing exceptional wine.
To stand out from other, similar wineries, you need a unique brand and a tightly-defined target audience. Think about what’s unique about your winery – your history, your values, your grape blends – and then decide what specific wine buyers would be most interested in your unique brand. When you write copy or identify keywords, always keep that ideal audience in mind.
Pepper your wine’s story with the keywords you identified in your research. But keep it human, and write it for the real people who will enjoy its flavor and history – not the search bots.
6. Include a simple “call to action” (CTA)
A CTA describes the next step you want your website visitors to take. “Book a tasting”, “Purchase this wine”, or “Buy a box” are all good examples of clear, effective CTAs. When you make it simple for shoppers to take the next steps, they’re more likely to do it.
Product DescriptionExamples
Let’s take a look at some brilliant product descriptions to understand what information to include, how to format your product information, and what voice is right for your brand.
Bricoleur Vineyards is a great example of addressing the core aspects of what a customer is looking for in a product description. Going beyond the basic tasting notes is crucial for proving the details a buyer needs to make a purchase.
Avaline Wine does something here that is so simple, that it’s easy to miss. They tell the buyer what environment this wine pairs with.
“Pairs well with: A cozy evening with friends around the table”
Take it a step further, give your customers some ideas who how they can best enjoy your wine.
Adding some basic graphics is something that Usual Wines does for all their products. Speaking to the points your customers care about, wether its sustainability, sulfates, or ingratiates makes it easy for people to find your products. Nothing helps make the point clearer than an icon, making it quick and easy to read.
Jordan Winery goes above and beyond in its product page design and descriptions. Not only do they include beautifully easy-to-read tasting notes, they also provide serving instructions, a Youtube video on the wine, and paring suggestions.
Notice Jordan includes recipe recommendations, cheese-paring suggestions, and ingredients that pair well with the wine. This level of detail not only provides value to customers, it provides SEO ranking opportunities.
Get your products ranking
We’re the experts on writing product descriptions that help convert website visitors into wine purchasers. You can rely on us for advice and revenue-growing SEO tactics to improve your on-page SEO, technical SEO, and more.
We specialize in improving search results for winery websites through targeted SEO for wineries. Book a call today to start strategizing an SEO campaign that will increase your website traffic and boost your position on search engine results pages.