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What is taxonomy? Meaning, examples and how it affects your site searchability

I’m sure you’ve wondered why some websites are easier for you to navigate and apparently more search engine-friendly than others. The underlying secret lies in the quality of their taxonomy. In this article, we investigate what taxonomy is, examine different types of taxonomies, and give you an overview of how a well-structured taxonomy can significantly improve your site’s searchability and user experience.

Table of Contents

Taxonomy: A definition

Taxonomy originated from the Greek words for “arrangement” and “law”. It’s the discipline of creating systematic classification methods used to organize elements hierarchically. In the context of eCommerce, a taxonomy categorises products in a logical structure, aimed at making it simpler for users and systems to retrieve and manage information. For instance, in biology, the Linnean system classifies organisms by genus and species, which simplifies the retrieval of information about the natural wildlife around us. In the same way, a mindfully-organised product taxonomy categorises products by type, usage, brand, or other relevant attributes, developing a seamless navigation and information discovery experience.

The Benefits of a fit-for-Purpose taxonomy for eCommerce

Higher-quality user experience (CX)

Imagine a gourmet kitchenware website that offers a wide range of high-end utensils, cookware, and specialty appliances. Without a clear taxonomy, customers might struggle to find the right products, leading to frustration and abandoned carts. However, with a well-organized, hierarchical taxonomy, the site could categorize products into sections like “bakeware,” “grilling tools,” and “coffee accessories.” This structure helps customers easily navigate through related items—whether they’re looking for a specific type of pan or a high-quality espresso machine. The result? A smoother shopping experience that encourages visitors to stay longer and make purchases.

Improved SEO

A well-structured taxonomy helps search engines crawl and index a site more efficiently, improving search rankings and discoverability. For example, a tech retailer might have URLs like www.techstore.com/smartphones/apple/iphone-14 or www.appliancehub.com/kitchen/fridges/side-by-side/energy-efficient. These URLs go a step further by incorporating specific product types, brands, and key features, making the content clearer for both search engines and users. This detailed, hierarchical structure ensures that both search engine bots and customers can easily navigate and understand the context of the content, leading to higher visibility and a better user experience.

Consistency and clarity

Taxonomy ensures consistency across your website, making it easier for users to When you are consistent in your use of categories and labels, it helps considerably in creating a cohesive experience. For example, having uniform category pages for “new arrivals” or “best sellers” helps users quickly locate desired products.

How to build a robust product taxonomy

 

  1. Your target audience(s)

Understanding the target segments is crucial. The best way is to carry out user research to dig down into the needs and preferences you want to address. For instance, if your eCommerce strategy focuses on technology enthusiasts, categorise your products by specifications, brands, and use cases to respond to their most likely search habits.

  1. Keywords

Research and pinpoint the relevant, high-frequency keywords which your target segments use to search for products. Use them to build categories and subcategories. There are various tools on the market (like Ahrefs or Google Keyword Planner) which will support this process.

  1. Consistency

It’s essential to maintain consistency in your naming conventions and category structures, so that users can see an internal logic to your taxonomy. So, if you decide to categorise products by brand, make sure all brand names are listed uniformly across the site and within category hierarchies.

  1. Simplicity

Avoid getting too clever by half and creating complex taxonomies. Aim for a simple structure with fewer high-level categories – it’s often more effective. An online bookshop, for example, might have main categories like “Fiction,” “Non-Fiction,” and “Children’s Books,” with subcategories under each. Amazon is an example of best practices for this use case. 

  1. Scalability

We assume you plan to grow your business, so ensure the taxonomy has the flexibility to accommodate new products and categories as the business expands its number of SKUs. Naturally, regularly reviewing and updating your taxonomy will reflect new trends and products.

 

Examples of different types of product taxonomies for different eCommerce sites

Hierarchical taxonomy: This works best for large websites with a wide range of diverse product. So, a cosmetics site might use a hierarchical taxonomy with top-level categories like “Fragrance”, “Makeup”, “Skin Care”, “New in”, “Hair care”, and so on. Each of these ‘master’ categories would have subcategories (and probably sub-sub-categories!).

Faceted: Faceted taxonomies enable users to filter products by attributes, such as like size, colour, or price. So, an online clothing store with a good, faceted taxonomy would let users filter shirts by size, colour, style, and brand simultaneously.

Flat: This is the simplest of the lot. It’s suitable for smaller websites and lists all categories at the same level. A website for a local bakery might have simple categories like “Menu,” “About Us,” “Contact”, and then perhaps a maximum of three product categories – “Breads”, “Sweet treats”, and “Savoury treats”. 

Network: This taxonomy connects related content across categories and is ideal for sites with interlinked topics. For instance, a lifestyle blog might link articles about fitness, nutrition, and wellness under a network taxonomy.

What happens if the taxonomy you build is poorly structured?

Frustrated users: If users struggle to find information, it will probably result in high bounce rates. They won’t think twice about leaving the site, returning to the search engine and selecting a competitor.

Inadequate SEO performance: Without robust research into keywords, and mindful application of findings, search engines can’t index your site suitably. leading to a lower search ranking. Moreover, if you deploy keywords and categories inconsistently, it foxes search engine algorithms, reduces your visibility, and lowers the volume of organic traffic reaching your channels.

Increased operational costs: It becomes cumbersome to manage content and products, which is just inefficient, and leads to higher maintenance costs.

Best practices for creating a fool-proof product taxonomy

Your product taxonomy should satisfy three main requirements:

  •   The best possible user experience
  •   A fully-enhanced approach to SEO
  •   Increased conversions and, hence, sales revenue

Those businesses managing extensive product catalogues already know the complexity involved, so adhering to best practices is the key to developing a user-friendly structure. Below are seven best practices based on extensive industry insights: 

Leverage customer behaviour data Tools like heat maps and on-site search analytics help you to gain an ongoing understanding of how users navigate your site – which categories are popular, how users search for products, and where they encounter pain points. This requires regular analysis of this data and adapting the approach to make it more likely that your taxonomy meets user expectations, makes site navigation easier, and smooths out that painful wrinkle.

Develop a hierarchy which is both clear and intuitive: Aim for a hierarchy depth of 3 to 5 levels to avoid overwhelming users with the need to click 8 times before they reach what they’re looking for. So, a category like “Electronics” would intuitively be divided into “Mobile Phones,” “Laptops,” “Tablets”, “Home Entertainment”, and “Peripherals.” Also, don’t use vague categories like “Other” – it’s so opaque in meaning as to be useless.

Use Automation tools If you haven’t already, implement a Product Information Management (PIM) system so you can automate and streamline taxonomy management. One feature of a PIM is its ability to help categorise products, manage metadata, and maintain consistency across multiple platforms and locations. Automation lowers the risk of errors and redundancy in product categorisation, monitoring the taxonomy to ensure it’s up to date and accurate. PIM can automatically update product details and attributes across various sales channels to maintain that all-important consistency of CX.

Optimised taxonomy for personalised shopping experiences Tailor your taxonomy to reflect regional and cultural differences. As an example, users in colder climates may need categories for winter wear, while those in warmer areas might look for summer clothing. Personalising categories based on location or user preferences enhances the relevance of product recommendations and can always use customer segmentation data to adjust categories and attributes to better align with diverse user needs.

Guarantee accurate and non-duplicated categorisation Avoid inserting products into multiple categories inside the same taxonomy structure, as it can create inconsistencies and reporting issues. However, it can be beneficial to expose products in several relevant categories on your website to increase their visibility – a product like a hiking backpack can legitimately appear under both “Bags” and “Sports Equipment” on the front end but should be categorised under one primary category for internal purposes.

Test and Refine Continuously Regularly test your taxonomy structure to identify and address any issues. Use A/B testing, heat maps, and analytics tools to evaluate how users interact with your categories and attributes. Continuous testing helps identify bottlenecks, optimise navigation, and adjust categories based on user behaviour. This iterative process ensures that your taxonomy evolves in response to changing user needs and market conditions. 

Visualise and plan your taxonomy changes: Before you implement changes, create a visual representation of your product taxonomy using tools like Lucidchart or Miro. Especially in the case of extensive product catalogues, it will help you to eliminate duplicate categories and avoid excessive complexity. A clear visual model is also useful for planning and restructuring, so that all products can easily be found with the minimum possible number of clicks – structuring categories so users are able to find products within three clicks will significantly improve usability and reduce bounce rates.

With these best practices, you are on your way to creating a product taxonomy which optimises UX, backs up your SEO efforts, and generates higher sales. Ongoing maintenance and updates with a focus on automation tools will make sure your taxonomy stays relevant, efficient, and best in class in a dynamic and fiercely competitive eCommerce ecosystem.

Final Thoughts

A well-structured taxonomy is essential for enhancing user experience, improving SEO, and driving sales. By understanding your audience, conducting keyword research, and maintaining consistency, you’ll be able to create a taxonomy which both supports your business goals and scales as you grow.

At Start with Data, we specialise in helping businesses implement robust and durable product information management solutions. Among our services, we provide taxonomy design, data modelling, and content enrichment. We ensure your product data is organised, accurate, and easily accessible, enhancing your customer experience and driving higher conversions. Contact us today to have a conversation and find out much more about how we can support your business in achieving its PIM goals.

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