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How Do You Plan Categories for Large eCommerce Sites?
davissmith1224307
Posts: 18
Joined: 01 Sep 23
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11 Aug 25 6:58 am

How Do You Plan Categories for Large eCommerce Sites?

Hi everyone,

I’m in the early stages of building an eCommerce site that will eventually have hundreds of products across multiple categories. I want to make sure the category structure is user-friendly, scalable, and easy to maintain as the inventory grows. I’ve noticed that some developers work closely with an eCommerce SEO company during the build phase to ensure the structure is not only good for shoppers but also search-friendly. How do you usually approach category planning for large stores? Any best practices or examples would be great.
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fabioslemer
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Joined: 30 Aug 25
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03 Sep 25 4:57 pm

 Hi there,

When planning categories for large eCommerce sites, I’ve found it helps to think from both the customer journey and SEO perspective:

Customer-first navigation – categories should reflect how buyers naturally search (e.g., “Shoes → Running Shoes → Trail Running”). If people can’t find it in 2–3 clicks, they’ll leave.

Balanced depth – avoid going too deep (too many sub-levels) but also don’t overload a single category with hundreds of products.

Keyword research – checking what terms people search for can guide category names and structure, making them both user-friendly and SEO-friendly.

Scalability – plan for growth: think about how categories will look when you add 100+ new products.

I usually map this out on a simple spreadsheet first, then test the structure with real users before finalizing.

Curious – do you already have a product list drafted, or are you still in the planning stage?
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