Filter Pages. How To Properly Index Products On Them?

Product filtering narrows down items within a category based on criteria listed on the site and selected by the user. It’s a hugely helpful feature for online shoppers, as it makes finding exactly what they’re looking for a breeze, preventing buyers from wading through the entire offering. Filters streamline browsing and can save users a ton of time.

So, how does this work in practice? Take, for example, a sizable fashion e-commerce site. With hundreds of products to choose from, you’d certainly want a quicker way to zero in on what you need to buy, so that you don’t spend all day scrolling. In stores like this, you’ll often find filters for options like:

color
size
fabric
brand/manufacturer

Sticking with fashion, here’s an example of product filtering within a single category on the Answear website:

Example of product filtering in an online store Source: https://answear.com

After applying a few filters, you get a refined list of products that matches exactly what you’re looking for:

Source: https://answear.com

Product filtering generally works the same way across industries, with only the filter names changing based on available options and product types.

In electronics and home appliance stores, filters tend to be more varied than in fashion stores since there are multiple product categories with unique specs. Whether you’re looking for a smartphone, TV, or washing machine, filters will adjust to each product’s category-specific features. However, the filtering process works the same in every case, helping users find exactly what interests them most.

Examples of product filters for “TV sets”.

Example filters for the “TV” category. Source: https://www.walmart.om/

Example filters for the “washing machines” category. Source: https://www.walmart.com/

How does the solution above work? It’s called faceted navigation – a system that lets users easily filter and select content on websites. Facets represent product attributes, allowing users to explore available content by applying different criteria.

The examples above clearly show that faceted navigation is an incredibly useful tool for filtering products. It helps potential customers quickly find what interests them, improving the site’s user experience and boosting satisfaction as they browse.

Now, let’s discuss the impact of indexing filtered pages on your site’s SEO.

What are the consequences of improper indexing of filtered search results?

By now, it’s clear that product filtering is a must-have feature for online stores – no surprise so many sites rely on it.

Unfortunately, many e-commerce sites don’t handle this feature correctly, neglecting indexing settings or adding too many filters, which leads to negative outcomes: improper indexing of filtered search results instead of proper category pages, reduced usability, and duplicate content on the site. Duplicate content makes SEO efforts much harder and limits the site’s visibility in Google search results.

We’ve written more about duplicate content and how to tackle it on our blog. Check it out if you’re concerned about duplicate content on your site.

Blocking filtered results from indexing

Not every filter deserves a spot in the search engine spotlight – some should be blocked to keep your site free from duplicate content and other headaches. When done right, filters can actually bring in extra traffic. The trick is to give them well-structured URLs or distinctive meta tags and headers that clearly name the filters.

If implementing new filter-based pages in this way isn’t feasible, then it’s best to block them from indexing.

Want to know how to prevent filtered results from being indexed and ensure a notable number of filters doesn’t harm your site? Check out the tips below!

Canonical links

By setting a canonical URL, you’re indicating to Google which page should be prioritized for indexing among several pages with different URLs but identical content. The “rel=canonical” tag signals to Google’s crawlers which content is original and which duplicates should be disregarded. This approach helps address duplicate content issues and ensures that search engines deliver the “best” results, meaning exactly the page you want users to discover.

For more details on canonical links, check out one of our blog articles – it’s a crucial topic in the world of technical SEO.

The robots.txt file

Using the robots.txt file is another way to prevent duplicate content when indexing filtered products. This text file lets you specify sections or parameters that search engine bots shouldn’t access, keeping them out of the index. The file can be found in the main directory of your domain, right after the domain name, for example, yourdomain.com/robots.txt.

It consists of a series of commands. To block a specific filter page, simply add the filter URL parameter next to the “Disallow” directive. Example parameters might look like this:

Disallow: *?color=red

Disallow: *?size=8

If your site uses dynamic filters – those that can be combined or layered – you may need to set a custom parameter to represent all the filter combinations you want to block.

Proper implementation and indexing of filtered search results

Each filter on your site generates new URLs – ranging from a few dozen to potentially hundreds of thousands. To ensure smooth indexing of filtered results and avoid duplicate content, it’s essential to create these new pages in a smart and thoughtful way.

URLs

The new pages created by applying filters should have user-friendly URLs. Avoid using special characters (e.g., %, &, !, ^) and don’t separate words in the URL with spaces. Instead, use a hyphen (“-“) to separate words, not underscores (“_”), since bots have difficulty reading underscores. A well-constructed URL would look like this: https://appliances.com/photo-and-video/cameras/lreflex-cameras.canon

Meta tags

When preparing meta tags (title and meta description), it’s essential to include the name of the applied filter. This helps you easily differentiate the tags for filtered pages from those of the main category page. Well-structured meta tags for the link above might look like this:

meta data and filter pages

H1 headings and category descriptions

Make sure to include the filter name in the H1 heading, which sits at the top of the heading hierarchy on web pages. It’s also a good idea to add it to the category description. The keyword density and the length of the description should match the search potential for the newly created pages – if you want to dive deeper into this topic, check out our article on content for online stores.

When the filter name appears in content that Google’s bots can crawl, it increases the chances of properly indexing those filter-generated pages, helping them rise in search rankings.

Filter performance & speed

The loading speed of filter pages directly affects the performance metrics that search engine algorithms consider. Users are quick to abandon filters that are slow to load, resulting in higher bounce rates and potentially hurting your site’s organic search rankings.

It’s essential to strike a balance between rich filtering options and the efficiency of the solutions you implement. A great practice is to use lazy loading, which can significantly enhance your site’s speed by loading resources only when needed. This approach reduces server load and accelerates loading.

When optimizing your filters, consider the variety of mobile devices and screen sizes to ensure a seamless user experience, no matter what equipment is being used. It’s a good idea to think about it right from the design phase of your online store.

Filters rendered with JavaScript

Using JavaScript to create filters on e-commerce pages is quite common, but it does come with its set of challenges. While Google can handle JavaScript code, it requires more resources and can sometimes lead to issues with indexing dynamically generated content. Search engine bots may struggle to read elements rendered on the client side, meaning they’re only visible in the user’s browser. This can result in incorrect indexing or even missing certain content altogether.

To tackle this, consider implementing server-side rendering (SSR). This approach generates the complete HTML content before sending it to the browser, making it easier for bots to crawl and index your site.

Displaying filters on mobile devices

Optimizing filters for mobile devices is crucial, especially with the shift toward mobile-first indexing.

As it’s been mentioned earlier, adding filters to the mobile version shouldn’t slow down your page loading time. This directly relates to user experience (UX), which we’ve covered in a separate section. Before we dive deeper, let’s remember that our primary goal is to ensure that interacting with filters is fast and effortless for users.

Indexing filter pages vs UX. How to make filters user-friendly?

Indexing filter pages is just one side of the story! Product filters also need to be user-friendly and intuitive since effective filtering can boost conversions by as much as 20%. Well-chosen, organized and easy-to-use filters make a big difference. Once your filters are in place, check how they perform on mobile, as more and more shoppers browse and buy directly from their phones. Here are a few tips to help make your product filtering smooth and accessible for users.

The optimal number of filters

Most retailers think that offering numerous filters gives users more control to fine-tune search results and find exactly what they’re looking for. However, the opposite often happens – too many filter options can confuse customers and make it harder to browse through the offering.

Similar filters should be grouped together. It’s also essential to carefully select which filtering options to use on the site – focus on the most popular and helpful ones. Consider removing or collapsing unnecessary filters to save screen space and avoid clutter.

Proper filter arrangement

The arrangement of filters also plays a crucial role in creating a positive experience for users. If a customer can’t find the filter they need, they may quickly lose interest in shopping at your store.

Filters should be organized logically: the most popular options should appear at the top, making them easy to access. Arranging filter names alphabetically is also a great approach, helping users locate the right option without any hassle.

Number of products per filter

Displaying the number of products next to each filter option is a highly useful feature. It saves users time – if no products are available for a selected filter, customers won’t waste time clicking or scrolling through empty pages.

Similarly, when there’s a large number of products for a specific filter, visitors can apply additional filters to narrow down the results, helping them find the most relevant products faster. Filtering - list of products

The number of products displayed next to filters. Source: https://mediamarkt.pl/

Clear display of selected filters

When users apply filters, their choices should be easy to spot, clearly confirming that specific filters are active. This can be achieved in a couple of ways:

Next to the filter – Add a checkmark or shaded box next to the selected filter.
Above the search results – Display all active filters above the product list, along with an “x” icon next to each filter for quick removal, allowing users to refresh the selection of products.

Example display of selected filter options. Source: https://global.accessorize.com

Filters should be easy to remove – ideally with a single click on the selected option or by using a button next to the filter itself. At this point, it’s also important to note that many e-commerce platforms and CMSes offer free plugins for creating filters.

Leveraging AI for filtering

We’ve discussed the impact of artificial intelligence on SEO in detail. Unsurprisingly, it also opens up exciting new opportunities for product filtering. Machine learning algorithms can analyze user behavior – like past searches and purchases – to enable personalized filtering and tailored recommendations based on individual preferences. What’s more, recommendation engines can identify patterns in customer interaction data with products, allowing for dynamic adjustments of filters to better align with buyers’ needs.

With effective data analysis, you can create more intuitive filtering interfaces that adapt to users’ changing needs in real time. AI can also help by automatically adjusting filters based on shopping trends or seasonality, enabling you to better align your offerings with customer expectations. Ultimately, this helps buyers make informed and faster choices, increasing the conversion rate in the store.

Indexing filter pages – the takeaway

Product filters are incredibly valuable tools, especially for online stores with extensive offerings. They provide numerous benefits, such as enhancing internal linking, boosting the site’s visibility for specific keywords, and improving user experience by helping customers find the right products. However, leveraging this functionality can also pose challenges, particularly the risk of duplicate content that negatively impacts websites. Therefore, proper indexing of filter pages is crucial to fully harness the benefits mentioned above.

That said, it’s important to be cautious when indexing filter pages. In our experience with clients, we’ve seen that overusing filters can negatively affect the site, particularly in terms of SEO. Often, having too many filters results in duplicate content, which can lower rankings in the organic search results. Therefore, it’s essential to evaluate each case individually to determine whether a specific filter page should be indexed.

Wondering if you’re indexing filter pages correctly in your store? Get in touch with us! Our experienced e-commerce SEO specialists will conduct an SEO audit of your site, pinpointing any filtering errors and guiding you on the best ways to address them. We’ll also share best practices and help you implement the most effective solutions tailored to your unique needs.

Take your business to the next level with Delante and start selling more!

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