Category page optimisation
Added helpful, search-relevant content to category pages so they better matched shopper intent.
How Jenson USA moved 120+ commercial keywords from the bottom of page one into the top 3
Existing category pages, made strong enough to win.
Jenson USA, an online cycling retailer, had valuable category searches such as mountain bikes stuck at positions 8–10: visible, but earning very little traffic. Category page optimisation, internal linking, duplicate URL fixes and review schema moved more than 120 of those keywords into the top 3.
Previous work by a Sage Kite delivery specialist
- Positions 1–3: where clicks happen
- Positions 8–10: visible, but almost no traffic
120+Keywords moved into the top 3
8–10 to top 3Ranking positions
Category pagesPrimary growth lever
Figures are as reported by the delivery specialist for this engagement.
The starting point
Already visible in search, but not where the clicks happen
Jenson USA sells bikes and cycling gear online. Its revenue depends heavily on category pages, the pages that answer high-intent searches like "mountain bikes". These are the searches shoppers use when they are close to buying.
Shopper searches"mountain bikes"
IntentClose to buying
Page that answers itCategory page
The business already had search visibility and a broad product catalogue. The opportunity was not building presence from zero, but converting near-miss rankings into the top positions where clicks actually happen.
Near-misses, not a blank page.
The work was about turning rankings that already existed into rankings that earn clicks.
The problem
The site was ranking, but not high enough for rankings to matter
Valuable keywords stuck at positions 8–10
Category-level searches with real commercial value sat at the very bottom of page one, where click-through rates are minimal and traffic impact is negligible.
Thin category pages
Category pages lacked helpful SEO content, giving search engines little reason to rank them above competitors for competitive terms.
Duplicate category URLs
Uppercase and lowercase variations of the same category URLs created duplicates that split ranking signals across multiple versions of one page.
Limited review visibility in search
Product review data wasn't being communicated to search engines through structured markup.
What duplicate URLs do to ranking signals
Before: uppercase and lowercase versions of the same category URL each held part of the page's ranking signals, so neither could compete as strongly as one page.
Illustrative diagram with example URLs, not measured data.
The site was doing enough to appear, but not enough to be chosen, and the highest-value category searches were delivering almost no traffic.
Execution approach
Start where the site was closest to winning
The engagement began by identifying where the site was closest to winning: keywords already ranking on page one, but at positions 8–10. These were faster, lower-risk wins than chasing entirely new keywords. Rather than adding volume, the work focused on making existing category pages stronger and removing the structural issues holding them back.
Locate near-miss rankings
Identify high-value commercial keywords sitting just below the positions that drive traffic.
Clean the foundation
Fix duplicate category URLs first, so ranking signals are consolidated rather than split.
Strengthen the pages
Add category content and internal links to build authority on the pages that matter most.
Enhance search presentation
Add review schema so listings communicate trust and relevance.
Targeting keywords already close to the top made the effort efficient: small structural and content improvements were enough to move rankings meaningfully.
Solution delivered
Four fixes to one category page
Switch each fix on to see what it changed on a category page and in how it appears in search.
Internal linking for category authority
Implemented internal linking to strengthen the authority of priority category pages.
Duplicate URL fix
Resolved the duplicate category URLs caused by uppercase and lowercase variations, consolidating ranking signals into a single version.
Product review schema
Implemented review structured data to help search engines understand and surface review information.
Illustration with placeholder content, not Jenson USA's actual pages.
Key outcomes and impact
From the bottom of page one to where clicks happen
Commercial keywords in the top 3
120+
Each dot is one keyword. 120 is the minimum: more than 120 moved, up from positions 8–10.
Strong growth in category traffic
High-value category searches began delivering meaningful clicks.
Improved organic shopping visibility
Supported by cleaner URL signals and review markup.
How this made life easier
Wins built on pages the site already had
Wins built on existing assets
The improvement came from strengthening pages the site already had, rather than requiring a large new content programme.
Consolidated ranking signals
Fixing duplicate URLs meant every category page had one clear, authoritative version, removing an ongoing source of diluted performance.
A repeatable model for other categories
The same approach of content, internal links, clean URLs and schema can be applied to additional categories as the catalogue grows.
Clear focus on what drives revenue
Prioritising commercial category keywords kept effort aligned with searches that sit closest to purchase.
Tools and tech used
The methods behind the climb
- Keyword ranking analysisIdentifying positions 8–10 opportunities
- Category page SEO content optimisationHelpful content matched to shopper intent
- Internal linking strategyAuthority built on priority category pages
- Canonical and duplicate URL managementOne clear version of every category page
- Product review schema markupReview data communicated through structured markup
Takeaway
Ecommerce growth doesn't always require new pages. Sometimes it requires making existing category pages strong enough to win.
This project shows that ecommerce growth can come from making the category pages a store already has strong enough to win. For any retailer with keywords ranking just below the traffic threshold, this is a high-leverage, practical approach.
- Ecommerce retailers
- Keywords ranking just below the traffic threshold
- Category-led catalogues
Previous work by a Sage Kite delivery specialist
Delivered by Sangram Singh, SEO consultant
Previous work by Sangram Singh, SEO consultant at Sage Kite. Sangram led this engagement for Jenson USA, from finding the near-miss keywords through the category content, internal linking, URL clean-up and review schema described above. It shows how Sage Kite’s consultants approach ecommerce search: find where a site is closest to winning, fix the foundation, and strengthen the pages that matter most. Results are as reported by Sangram for this engagement.
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