3 product sorting strategies to boost SEO and conversions on your listing pages

Bart Verschueren

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Sorting products on your PLPs (Product Listing Pages) might seem simple — but when you’re managing an e-commerce site, it becomes a strategic decision.

Are you optimizing for SEO? For clicks and conversions? For personalization?

Here are three product sorting strategies you can apply to make your pages work smarter, for both users and search engines.

1. Sort by relevance to boost SEO

If SEO is your main goal, relevance is your best friend.

That means ranking products higher on your listing pages if they closely match the page title or targeted keywords.

Example: On a listing page titled “Sportia Blue Running Shoes”, your top products should clearly contain terms like “Sportia,” “Blue,” and “Running Shoes.”

This helps Google and other bots understand that the content is relevant to the search, improving your chances of being indexed and ranked for relevant queries.

An example of a product listing page sorted by relevance, where the top items align closely with the page title keywords.

2. Blend relevance with other criteria

Once you’ve nailed relevance, it’s time to blend in other layers, depending on your business goals.

2.1. Blend relevance with popularity to drive conversions

Want users to engage and convert? Highlight products that get more clicks.

Why? Because:

• Clicked products are more likely to convert

   

• They reduce bounce rate and increase time on site

   

• These are positive engagement signals for SEO

   

So after leading with relevance, blend in your top performers to improve UX and boost conversions.

2.2. Blend relevance with stock logic products for inventory optimization

Need to clear low-stock products? Adjust your sorting logic to push low-stock items higher or lower, depending on your strategy.

It’s a smart way to manage product visibility in real time, especially when stock levels change frequently.

3. Add personalization logic (advanced)

Want to go further? Add a personalization layer to your sorting logic.

If someone has previously browsed or bought blue shoes, then next time they return, show similar products first, even on a broader search like “running shoes.”

It’s a subtle way to meet user intent, and make your PLPs feel tailored.

Choose sorting that matches your goal

There’s no one-size-fits-all rule for product sorting.

But if you want to improve SEO, conversions, and UX all at once, a hybrid approach is your best bet.

At Verbolia, we help e-commerce brands apply this logic at scale across thousands of pages, blending relevance, popularity, and personalization with technical SEO best practices.

👉 Want to see how it works? Let’s talk.