Definition
Product variants (size, color, material, capacity) pose a specific e-commerce SEO challenge. Creating a page per variant generates duplicate content since descriptions are nearly identical. Conversely, not creating distinct pages prevents targeting specific queries (e.g., 'iPhone 15 Pro 256GB blue'). The optimal strategy depends on search volume per variant. If variants have significant search volume, create distinct pages with unique content and appropriate canonicals. If variants lack their own volume, use a single page with a variant selector and canonicals pointing to the main page.
Key Points
- Decide single page vs separate pages based on variant search volume
- Use canonicals to avoid duplicate content between variants
- Distinct variant pages must have unique content
Practical Examples
Variants with search volume
A smartphone e-commerce site creates distinct pages for 'iPhone 15 Pro 128GB', '256GB', and '512GB' because each variant has significant search volume, with unique adapted content.
Variants without their own volume
A t-shirt site uses one page per model with a size and color selector. URL variations (?color=red&size=M) are canonicalized to the main page since no one searches for 't-shirt X size M red'.
Frequently Asked Questions
Depends on search volume. If users specifically search for a variant (e.g., 'MacBook Pro M3 16GB'), create a dedicated page with unique content. If variants have no own volume, keep a single page with selector and canonicalize variant URLs.
Use Schema ProductGroup to group variants, with a distinct Schema Product (under hasVariant) for each variation including specific price, availability, and SKU.
Go Further with LemmiLink
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Last updated: 2026-02-07