What actually improves product discovery on an e-commerce website?</strong></p>

I’ve been working on SEO and website optimisation for e-commerce stores, and one thing I keep thinking about is the relationship between getting visitors to a website and helping them find what they actually need.

There are plenty of discussions about rankings, keywords, backlinks, and content. But once someone lands on a store, the experience itself matters too.

For example, a customer might search for a specific product using a term that doesn't match the wording used in the store's categories. If the navigation, filters, or product descriptions aren't clear, that customer may leave even if the website ranks well.

I’m interested in how other people approach this problem, particularly on stores with large catalogues or products from multiple categories.

A few things I’m curious about:

• How do you decide whether to prioritise category-page improvements or technical SEO?

• Has improving internal linking or site navigation measurably helped customers discover more products?

• What analytics do you use to identify pages where visitors struggle to find what they want?

• How do you balance SEO requirements with a genuinely useful shopping experience?

I'd love to hear about experiments you've run, what worked, and what didn't. Practical examples would be especially helpful.