Lulus (E-commerce – Scalable Category Page Optimization)

Lulus, a fast-growing online fashion retailer, implemented a clever programmatic SEO tactic on its e-commerce category pages to boost long-tail rankings. Rather than creating separate pages for every product variant (which could be inefficient and thin), Lulus loads all variant names onto the main category page in the HTML.

For example, on the “Maxi Dresses” category page, if a particular dress comes in multiple colors, the page will list each variant’s full name (e.g. “Lulus Radiant Arrival Shiny Gold Organza Maxi Dress,” “...White Organza Maxi Dress,” “...Pink Organza Maxi Dress,” etc.) in the product listing snippet. This means that instead of one mention of “Maxi Dress” (with one color) on the page, there are multiple instances covering different descriptors (gold, white, pink, blue maxi dress, etc.).

By programmatically injecting hundreds of long-tail keyword combinations (product attributes like color, fabric, style) into category pages, Lulus significantly increased the page’s relevance for a variety of search queries.

For example, a shopper searching “pink organza maxi dress” might land directly on the Maxi Dresses category page because that exact phrase appears in one of the variant listings. This strategy makes the scale of Lulus’s catalog work in its favor SEO-wise, without creating thin pages for each variation.

Complementary to this, Lulus still maintains individual product pages for each item, but the category page optimization helps capture broad traffic and funnel it to product pages. Lulus also supports its SEO through typical e-commerce content tactics – user reviews on products (UGC), robust filters (for faceted navigation SEO), and a fashion blog that builds links and brand authority.

The results have been strong: SEO experts noted Lulus as a “site to study” for its recent surge in organic performance using smart programmatic tactics. By adding structured, keyword-rich content at scale to existing pages in a user-friendly way, Lulus improved both its search rankings and user experience (shoppers see all color options in one place).