Category texts often have a bad reputation: “Nobody reads them”, “Google doesn’t like them anymore”, “That’s SEO from 2012”. Yet in real Shopware projects, I regularly see the opposite: well-written category texts still work—just not the way many people expect.
This article is not about 2,000-word text blocks. It focuses on practical answers:
- where category texts still rank today
- how long they should actually be
- how to place them in a Shopware theme without hurting user experience
1. Where Category Texts Still Rank
Category texts do not rank automatically—but they help Google understand what a category is really about. They are especially useful in the following cases:
1.1 Categories with Informational Intent
Many categories are not just “shopping pages” but also answer real questions: “Which size?”, “What are the differences?”, “What should I consider?”. This is where category texts can capture rankings.
- “Running shoes for women” → guidance (cushioning, surface, fit)
- “Coffee grinder” → differences (manual vs electric, grind size)
- “Baby album” → materials, personalization, gift occasions
1.2 Long-Tail Keyword Combinations
Product listings alone often miss keywords users actually search for. A good category text can cover long-tail queries such as:
- “… for beginners”
- “… sustainable”
- “… made in Germany”
- “… for allergy sufferers”
1.3 New Categories Without History
New categories usually lack relevance signals. A clean, focused text can help them get indexed faster and gain initial visibility.
2. How Long Should Category Texts Be?
The honest answer: as short as possible, as long as necessary. There is no magic word count—but there are sensible ranges.
2.1 Practical Recommendations for Live Shops
- Short intro text: approx. 60–120 words (top)
- Extended text: approx. 200–400 words (bottom)
- Only for high advisory needs: 500–900 words (bottom, well structured)
2.2 Why Overly Long Texts Often Hurt
- product listings are pushed down (poor UX)
- mobile users need to scroll more (higher bounce rate)
- content feels like “SEO text” instead of helpful information
2.3 Structure Matters More Than Length
If you need more than 200 words, structure is essential:
- subheadings (H2/H3)
- bullet points
- short paragraphs
- FAQ blocks with 3–5 real questions
3. Placement in the Shopware Theme: UX vs SEO
Placement determines whether category texts help—or annoy users.
3.1 Top (Short) + Bottom (Detailed) – Best Practice
In many projects, this setup works best:
- top: 1–2 short paragraphs (60–120 words) for orientation
- bottom: extended text, FAQs, and internal links
Result: users see products immediately, while Google still gets enough context.
3.2 “Read More” / Expandable Text
An expandable text block can be a good compromise:
- only a teaser visible initially
- full text revealed via “Read more” button
Important: the text must be present in the HTML (not loaded dynamically), otherwise it may have little or no SEO value.
3.3 Placing Text Entirely at the Bottom
For some categories, conversion matters more than information. In such cases, placing the entire text at the bottom can be the right choice, especially for:
- highly transactional categories
- very large product listings
- mobile-heavy audiences
4. Quick Checklist: Making Category Texts Truly Useful
- no generic filler text—be specific and helpful
- one main keyword plus relevant secondary keywords, used naturally
- clear category USPs (delivery, quality, materials, selection)
- FAQ section based on real user questions
- internal links to related categories or guides
Conclusion
Category texts are not dead—they are often just poorly executed. Short, structured, and helpful texts can still:
- send strong relevance signals to Google
- capture long-tail rankings
- support users and improve conversion
The key principle is: UX first, SEO second—but done cleanly.
My Approach
I work Shopware-only and help merchants build category content that actually performs:
- SEO strategy and keyword structure
- category and product content optimization
- theme adjustments for clean placement
If you want to know which categories really need content—and which don’t, let’s talk.