What Are Shopify Sub Collections – Creating True Sub Categories
The way Shopify is built, it’s makes it easy to create pseudo sub collections either menu options or by using tags. However, structurally we’d argue they are not technically correct, particularly form as SEO perspective.
Luckily we’ve solve this with the OptizenAI app.
In this article we’ll look at what sub collections are, and how you can create them to be not only user friendly, but also structurally correct for the search engines.
| Key Insights | Details |
|---|---|
| What Are Sub-Collections? | Shopify sub-collections help organize products more effectively, enhancing the shopping experience. |
| Setup Process | Follow a step-by-step guide to create and set up sub-collections within your Shopify store. |
| Customization | Learn how to customize sub-collections to create a visually appealing shopping experience. |
| SEO Optimization | Implement SEO strategies to improve search rankings and increase visibility for sub-collections. |
| Troubleshooting | Identify and resolve common challenges associated with Shopify sub-collections. |
What are Shopify Sub-Collections?
Shopify sub-collections are an essential feature that allows store owners to categorize products within parent collections. This helps customers effortlessly navigate your online store by drilling down into specific product categories, and adding sub collections can further enhance this structure. F
or example, if you run a clothing store, a parent collection might be “Men’s Clothing,” while sub-collections could be “T-shirts,” “Jeans,” or “Jackets.”
Improve User Experience: Sub-collections improve organization and create a visually appealing shopping experience by grouping similar products. They’re especially helpful for stores with large inventories. This hierarchical structure, or collection tree, enables customers to find what they’re looking for without sifting through hundreds of products.
Improve SEO: Sub collections if built correctly can also help improve SEO by developing strong connections between parent collections and sub-collections, and developing relevant topics and sub-topics to improve semantic relevance between each.
| Benefit | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Better Product Organization | Keeps similar products together, making it easier for customers to find what they want. |
| Improved Navigation | Sub-collections allow customers to drill down into specific categories quickly. |
| Enhanced Customer Experience | Creates a seamless and visually appealing shopping experience. |
| Increased Conversion Rates | Well-organized collection pages lead to higher conversion rates. |
| SEO Advantages | Optimizes product categories for better search engine visibility. |
Shopify Sub-Collections vs. Collections
When it comes to Shopify sub-collections versus primary collections, the key difference lies in their hierarchy. It is important to create a topical map all the collections and sub-collections when setting up your navigation menus and site structure to ensure effective management of product categories. A parent collection encompasses a broad category, while sub-collections dive deeper into specific product types.
For example, if your parent collection is “Electronics,” your sub-collections might include “Smartphones,” “Laptops,” and “Tablets.” This layered structure allows you to cater to different customer preferences while keeping your store organized.
What many people get wrong in our opinion, is focussing on the menu initially, rather that creating a structurally sound topical map that makes sense to not only users, but also search engines.
A free tools to build a topical map can be found here.
Key Differences
- Parent Collections: Broad categories encompassing various sub-collections.
- Sub-Collections: Specific product types under a parent collection.
- Manual Collections: You choose which products go into the collection.
- Automatic Collections: Products are added based on specific criteria like tags or titles.
- Nested Collections: Sub-collections within sub-collections for deeper categorization.
Benefits of Using Shopify Sub-Collections
Implementing Shopify sub-collections offers numerous benefits. Not only do they streamline product organization, but they also enhance the customer experience by enabling easier navigation. This, in turn, can lead to higher conversion rates and repeat purchases.
Additionally, sub-collections provide SEO advantages by making it easier for search engines to understand and rank your product categories. By organizing products in this way, your store is more likely to appear in relevant searches, driving more organic traffic to your site.
Shopify Sub-Collections for Better Product Categorization
Shopify sub-collections are particularly useful for better product categorization. They allow you to create a more organized and intuitive shopping experience. By breaking down large categories into smaller, more specific sub-collections, you help customers find exactly what they’re looking for faster.
For instance, if you sell outdoor gear, a parent collection could be “Camping Gear,” with sub-collections for “Tents,” “Sleeping Bags,” and “Cooking Equipment.” This setup not only makes sense from a customer experience standpoint but also improves your inventory management.
Example of sub-collection setup
| Parent Collection | Sub-Collection 1 | Sub-Collection 2 | Sub-Collection 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s Clothing | T-shirts | Jeans | Jackets |
| Electronics | Smartphones | Laptops | Tablets |
| Camping Gear | Tents | Sleeping Bags | Cooking Equipment |
Shopify Sub-Collections Hierarchy Structure
A well-thought-out collection tree (or topical map) is important for maintaining a clean and navigable online store. The hierarchy structure involves having parent collections at the top, with multiple layers of sub-collections underneath. This structure helps in organizing products logically, improving both customer satisfaction and search rankings.
For example, your main menu might list “Electronics,” under which you have “Smartphones,” and then further divide into “iPhones” and “Android Phones.” This nested collection approach makes your store look professional and makes shopping easier for your customers.
The Problem With The Shopify URL Structure For Sub Collections
The URL is the first point of contact for a search engines bot to your website. This sets the tone and provides an immediate quality signal for the Google search algorithms. When a bot hits a page, ideally it wants to be able to crawl associated and relevant pages from the page it entered from.
It want’s to see well organized and relevant connections between core topics and sub-topics, and vice versa. It does this via internal links. It follows the internal links on a page, and make a connection to each of the pages (documents).
If you build a strong topical relevant hierarchical structure, where bots can crawl through the pages and make sense of the connections, this presents a quality signal to Google and other search engines.
If the structure is poor, and internal links are irrelevant and not hierarchical, this presents a lower quality signal. This (and many other signals) are aggregated to provide and overall quality score to your store, and hence how it will perform in the search engines.
By default Shopify does allow a parent / child relationship for this hierarchical structure, however it makes it difficult to build the structure and then edit each of the pages within the hierarchy.
Below are the two options you have in Shopify to build sub-collections.
You can see that the first structure providing a non hierarchical connection, with each page at the same level.
The second option, provides a much stronger hierarchy connection that makes sense to users and search engines alike.
When internal links are added to each page, linking the sub-collections and core collection together (with with breadcrumbs, menu items, body content links, filters, or all or part of these), the site presents with much higher quality and relevance signals.
Luckily creating this structure is easy to do in Shopify using the tag function, where the tags are used for the end of the URL string.
For example:
/collections/pokemon/buildable- where “buildable” is the tag. If the tag “buildable” is added to products that are Ppokemon, the page created with this URL will only serve those products in the product grid – ie a sub-collection page of buildable Pokemon toys.
The downside of creating the connections this way is that Shopify by default does not allow the editing of the important SEO meta information on these pages, such as SEO titles, SEO description, H1 page title, and page content.
By default, Shopify will use the meta information from the core collection. So while it’s simple to create the URL structure, this doesn’t provide a front facing quality page that is relevant to the actual page purpose.
We’ve solved this using Optizen. Below we’ll work though how to create these and use our app to edit the pages.
Using Optizen To Build True Sub-Collections In Shopify
- Install OptizenAI PRO on your Shopify store. Go here to install.
- Contact OptizenAI support to have sub-collections / tag pages activated
- Using your topical map (as mentioned earlier) tag all the products with the relevant tag.
For example, lets use:
/collections/pokemon/buildableThere are 2 requirements:
- Firstly all the products you want in this sub-collection need to also be in the “Pokemon” collection.
- add the tag “buildable” to each of the products.
4. Open Optizen and sync the tags.
5. Search for the collection and tag combination.
6. Add the sub-collection page content and SEO meta information. Set the page to index, save and now you have an optimized sub-collection that will index and rank in the search engines.
Shopify Sub-Collections and Collection Limits
There are some limits to how many collections and sub-collections you can create within Shopify, but most stores won’t run into these. If you do, consider restructuring your collection tree / topical map to simplify categories or merge similar sub-collections.
Remember, simplicity often leads to better customer experiences and more repeat purchases.
Tips for Managing Collection Limits
| Tip | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Simplify Categories | Reduce the number of sub-collections by merging similar ones. |
| Prioritize High Demand | Focus on sub-collections that see the most traffic and conversions. |
| Use Tags | Instead of creating more collections, use tags to categorize products within a collection. |
| Review Regularly | Periodically review your collection tree to ensure it still makes sense. |
| Test User Flow | Check that customers can still effortlessly navigate your site despite fewer categories. |
Managing Shopify Sub-Collections Effectively
Effective management of Shopify sub-collections involves regularly reviewing and optimizing your collection tree. Make sure that all products are correctly categorized, and that your sub-collections still align with how customers are shopping.
Use the Shopify admin tools to check the performance of each sub-collection and make adjustments as needed. Consider merging underperforming sub-collections or creating new ones if your product range has expanded.
Bullet Points: Effective Sub-Collection Management
- Review Regularly: Ensure your sub-collections still meet your customers’ needs.
- Merge When Necessary: Don’t be afraid to combine underperforming sub-collections.
- Use Analytics: Track how well each sub-collection is performing and adjust as needed.
- Optimize Display: Make sure your sub-collections are displayed in the most logical and visually appealing way.
- Engage Customers: Use sub-collections to create targeted landing pages for specific customer segments.
Customization and Display
How to Display Shopify Sub-Collections on Storefront
Displaying Shopify sub-collections on your storefront is all about making your store easy to navigate. The goal is to ensure customers can find what they’re looking for quickly, without getting frustrated.
Use the Shopify admin panel to adjust how your sub-collections appear on your storefront. You can arrange them in a drop-down menu under the main menu or feature them prominently on your homepage.
| Display Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Drop-Down Menu | Add sub-collections under a parent collection in your main menu. |
| Homepage Feature | Highlight key sub-collections directly on your homepage for easy access. |
| Sidebar Navigation | Use a sidebar menu to list all your sub-collections for quick access. |
| Banner Links | Create banners on your homepage that link directly to specific sub-collections. |
| Collection Page Links | Ensure sub-collections are linked prominently on collection pages and then also link from sub-collections to collection pages. |
How to Filter Products Using Shopify Sub-Collections
Filtering products using Shopify sub-collections is a great way to help customers narrow down their options. You can set up filters based on various criteria, such as price, color, or size, making it easier for customers to find exactly what they’re looking for.
For example, within a sub-collection like “Shoes,” you might offer filters for “Running Shoes,” “Casual Shoes,” and “Formal Shoes.” This allows customers to quickly find the specific type of shoe they need without having to browse through unrelated products.
With Optizen, there are also features to create smart tag filters, that allow internal links in a sidebar filter to the sub-collection pages.
SEO Tips for Shopify Sub-Collections
Optimizing your Shopify sub-collections for SEO is helpful for improving your store’s visibility in search results. Start by ensuring that each sub-collection has a descriptive title, meta description, and URL that includes relevant keywords.
For example, if you’re creating a sub-collection for Buildable Pokemon Toys,” the URL likley could be: /collections/pokemon/buildable.” This makes it clear to both customers and search engines what the page is about, and is highly semantically relevant tot eh query. T
There is no ambiguity as to what the page is about
| Tip | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Keep It Short | Short URLs are easier to read and share, and are less ambiguous for search engines. |
| Use Keywords | Include relevant keywords to help with SEO. |
| Avoid Special Characters | Stick to letters, numbers, and hyphens to keep URLs clean. |
| Make It Descriptive | Ensure the URL clearly describes the content of the page. Stay consistent in the URL creation strategy. |
| Test for Readability | Make sure the URL is easy to read and understand. |
Shopify Sub-Collections for Targeted Marketing
Shopify sub-collections can be a powerful tool in your targeted marketing efforts. By creating targeted landing pages for specific sub-collections, you can attract customers who are interested in particular products.
For example, if you’re running a promotion on “Winter Jackets,” you can create a landing page specifically for that sub-collection and drive traffic to it through email campaigns, social media, or paid ads.
How to Optimize Shopify Sub-Collections for Mobile
With more and more customers shopping on their smartphones, it’s important that your Shopify sub-collections are optimized for mobile. This means ensuring that your pages load quickly, are easy to navigate, and that all elements—like buttons and images—are sized appropriately for smaller screens. In most case, sub collections will take the same layout and form as the default collections of your Shopify page. If your collection pages are optimized for mobile, so will your sub-collections.
Mobile Optimization Tips
- Responsive Design: Ensure your sub-collections look great on any device.
- Fast Load Times: Optimize images and reduce unnecessary plugins to speed up page loads.
- Clear Navigation: Make sure your drop-down menus and side navigation are easy to use on mobile.
- Test Regularly: Regularly test your sub-collection pages on different mobile devices to catch any issues.
- Use Mobile-Specific CTAs: Tailor your calls-to-action to be more mobile-friendly, such as larger buttons and shorter text.
Final Points
Shopify sub-collections are a game-changer for organizing your online store. They make it easier for customers to find what they need, improve your store’s SEO, and can significantly boost your sales. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to optimize an existing store, implementing and managing sub-collections effectively is key to your success.
Use apps such as Optizen to improve the functionality and ease of building true Shopify sub-collections.