How to Identify Thin Category Pages in eCommerce
Thin category pages have minimal content, few or no products, and offer low SEO value. Identifying them is key to improving site structure, user experience, and organic rankings.
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Key Takaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What defines a thin category page?
Thin pages dilute crawl budget, confuse search engine indexing, and reduce user trust, leading to lower rankings and traffic.
Why are thin category pages bad for SEO?
Thin pages dilute crawl budget, confuse search engine indexing, and reduce user trust, leading to lower rankings and traffic.
How many products should a category page have?
There’s no set number, but ideally 8–20 products per category help maintain relevance and user experience. Avoid pages with fewer than 3 in-stock listings.
Can I combine thin category pages?
Yes. Merging weak pages into broader, more comprehensive categories helps consolidate authority and improve SEO value.
How often should I audit for thin pages?
Aim to audit your category pages at least quarterly or whenever you perform a content refresh or site migration.
Step by Step Plan
Audit Content Depth
Evaluate each category page’s word count and relevance. Pages with less than 100-200 words and no unique value should be flagged.
Check Product Volume
Look for pages with zero, few, or out-of-stock products. A strong category page should offer variety and availability.
Analyze SEO Metrics
Use tools like Google Analytics or SEMrush to identify pages with low traffic, high bounce rate, and short session duration.
Analyze SEO Metrics
Ask whether the page targets a specific keyword with commercial intent. Vague or duplicate content across categories is a red flag.
Crawl for Technical Issues
Run crawlers like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to find orphaned pages, duplicate content, or thin metadata.
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