Creating Shopify Categories – Tips for Boosting Sales

The wider your product range becomes, the harder it is to keep your online shop organised. Clear categories are therefore essential for a good customer experience. Creating Shopify categories is incredibly simple, but there are a few things to bear in mind. I’ll show you how to create the categories and what you should look out for.

The difference between manual and automated Shopify categories

If you want to create a new category, click on ‘Products’ in the Shopify admin, then on ‘Collections’, and then on ‘Create collection’ in the top right-hand corner.

You now have two options. You can choose between a manual or an automated (now intelligent) Shopify category.

First of all, we should talk about the difference between manual and smart Shopify categories.

Manual categories

As the name suggests, the ‘manual’ category is populated with products by hand. This means you have to add each product to the category individually.

This means that even when creating new products, you must ensure that you assign them to the correct categories.

Manual categories give you full control over how you organise your products, but once your range reaches a certain size, the process becomes very labour-intensive.

Smart (Automated) Categories

This is where automated Shopify categories come into play. You set the criteria at the start. After that, all products that meet these criteria are automatically added to the category.

Even if you add new products in the future, they’ll be automatically assigned to the relevant categories. This will save you a lot of work as your shop continues to grow.

Creating smart Shopify categories and setting conditions

Here’s how to set the criteria for your smart categories:

1. Set conditions: First decide whether all or just one of the defined conditions must be met. This affects how specific the assignment will be.
2. Define rules: Next, add tags or other criteria, such as product types, price ranges or stock levels. Each rule further narrows down the selection of products.
3. Using product tags: In most cases, it is sufficient to use a single product tag, e.g. the product type. This keeps the category clear and flexible.

Example: If you want to create a category for ‘summer dresses’, you can use the condition ‘Product type = Dress’ and the tag ‘Summer’. Shopify will automatically add all products that meet these criteria.

Further category settings

In addition to the conditions, there are a few other settings you need to configure. These play a key role in the search engine optimisation of your categories. To do this, you need to know which keywords are relevant to the category.

You can contact us for an SEO consultation regarding your Shopify shop. Alternatively, you can find our guide to Shopify SEO here.

Title and description

You should give each of your categories a descriptive title and a detailed description. Potential customers should be able to tell straight away what the category is about. You should also make your unique selling point (USP) clear.

Search engine listing

Here you can set the page title, the meta description and the currency.

Page title: this is the title that appears in Google. Ideally, the page title should be the same as the heading, or a supplement to it. Try to make full use of the 70 characters to draw customers’ attention to your page.

Meta description: The meta description appears just below the page title on the Google results page. Here, you have a further 160 characters to convince potential customers of your offer.

Handle: The handle is part of the URL and should also reflect the topic. Ideally, you should use your main keyword as the handle.

Category image

A category image represents your entire product category. For example, for the ‘summer dresses’ category, you could use an image of a popular summer dress.

Distribution channels and release date

Here you can specify the sales channels on which the category should appear. You can also schedule the publication date in advance.

Theme template

If your Shopify theme has different designs for category pages, or if you have a bespoke design created by a designer, you can select your preferred theme template here.

Meta-fields for categories

To provide additional information, you can enhance your categories using Shopify meta fields. This allows you to add further relevant information for visitors, which can also have a positive impact on search engines and your conversion rate.

Here’s how to add meta fields to your Shopify categories:

• Create meta fields:
  • Go to Settings > Metafields > Collections.
  • Click on ‘Add meta field’, specify the name and type (e.g. text, image) and save.
• Assign meta-fields to a category:
  • Go to Products > Collections, then select a category.
  • Scroll down, enter the values for the meta field and save.
• Show in the theme:
  • Go to Themes > Customise, then select the collection template.
  • Add ‘Dynamic content’ and select the meta field.
  • Save the changes.

The Importance of Shopify Categories for SEO

Category pages are often overlooked by beginners when it comes to search engine optimisation. The focus is often on the product pages and content marketing on the online shop’s Shopify blog.

However, category pages can be extremely valuable for SEO. Categories often have very high search volumes on Google, which increases their traffic potential.

Furthermore, Google often favours category pages, as searchers are more likely to find what they’re looking for there.

So don’t underestimate the SEO importance of your categories; define keywords for each of your categories and stick to best practice.

Conclusion on Shopify categories

Well-structured categories are essential for making your online shop clear and customer-friendly. Whilst manual categories give you full control, smart categories save you time and adapt automatically. With the right settings, descriptive titles, descriptions and images, you can not only improve the user experience but also boost the SEO relevance of your categories.

Don’t forget to make use of meta fields and SEO optimisation to maximise the potential of your category pages. A clear structure and strategically optimised category pages will help you delight customers and ensure your shop’s long-term success.

Would you like to structure your Shopify shop in the best possible way and are you looking for some help?

As an experienced Shopify agency, we’ll help you organise your categories in a clear and user-friendly way – including smart structures, optimised navigation and SEO strategies. This will ensure your online shop is a real success, not just for customers but also for search engines!

Get in touch with us now for a no-obligation consultation and take your e-commerce to the next level!

FAQ on Shopify Categories

How do I add a category in Shopify?

To create a new category, you need to log in to your Shopify admin, go to ‘Products’ and select the ‘Create categories’ option. Here, you can name the category as you wish and add products to be assigned to that category.

What are subcategories and how do I add them?

Subcategories are specialised groups within a main category, e.g. ‘T-shirts’ under ‘Clothing’. In Shopify, there are no true subcategories – instead, you create a separate collection for each subcategory and organise them in the navigation menu under the appropriate main category to visually simulate a hierarchical structure.

How can I customise my menu to display categories?

To customise your menu, go to the ‘Navigation’ section of your Shopify admin. Here, you can add a new menu item that links to the categories you have created. This makes it easier for your visitors to find the products they’re looking for.

Can I create categories manually or automatically?

Yes, you can create categories both manually and automatically. Creating categories manually allows you to customise each one individually, whilst automated processes can help you save time if you want to create lots of categories at once.

How do I permanently delete a category in Shopify?

To permanently delete a category, go to the settings for that category in the admin area. There you will find the ‘Delete category’ option. Please note that this action cannot be undone, which means that all products assigned to this category will also need to be edited.

What are the benefits of creating categories in Shopify?

Creating categories in your Shopify shop offers several benefits. It improves navigation for your customers, enhances the visibility of your products and helps you keep your product catalogue organised. What’s more, you can use categories to run targeted promotions for specific collections or products.

How can I customise my categories in the navigation bar?

To customise your categories in the navigation, go to ‘Online Shop’ and then to ‘Navigation’. Here you can edit the main menu or other menus and add or reorder your categories. This is important to ensure that your customers can quickly access the categories they’re looking for.