SEO for Product Information Management (PIM)

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I had not heard the expression “PIM” until today and it was in the SEO context. It’s a buzz word for what we might have called database driven websites in the past. They are used for product catalogue sites, such as hardware or clothing brands. They are increasingly cloud-based and are stepping up their marketing. I have not worked for a company that would need a PIM, so I had not noticed it before. Today I saw a YouTube video talking about SEO for PIM and the first thing I noticed was no attempt to explain the acronym. As you do, I Googled it and now I know.

What Is a PIM?

PIM is a Product Information Management system. It stores data about products and it might include a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system. In other words, it contains product titles, descriptions, feature lists, images, variants, videos, prices – whatever attributes you can attach to a product. A PIM might offer these features:

• Data Modelling
• Data Quality Management
• Multichannel Publishing
• Digital Asset Management (DAM)
• Workflow Management
• Data Management
• App Integration
• Product Data Syndication
• Multi-Language Integration
• Product Feed Management
• Marketplace Software Integration, e.g. Google Manufacturer Center, Shopify, Intershop, Oracle ATG, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, or Amazon
• Product Literature Integration

Articles about SEO and PIM

I also looked for articles about PIM in an SEO context. Most of the content is lightweight – keywords, description etc. Look at these, for example:

• PIM for Powerful eCommerce SEO
• PIM: build your SEO strategy
• 7 Ways a PIM Supercharges Your SEO Strategy
• How is PIM Vital to Your SEO Strategy?
• SEO for PIM
• 7 Ways PIM Software Can Improve Your SEO Strategy
• PIM and SEO
• How to Maximize your Ecommerce SEO Visibility with PIM

I stopped looking at that point. No, that is fluff – much of it, anyway. From the PIM maker’s perspective, it is just a packaged database product with a fancy name. Telling the customer to use keywords in titles and descriptions isn’t good enough.

SEO Expectations of a PIM

Sorry, I expect more from a PIM, given all the trouble they have gone to package a database product. Here is what I would expect out of the box, as a minimum:

• Schema.org (structured data) Tagging – A product page has so many opportunities to mark up different attributes.
• Faceted Navigation Management – Products with many attributes have the potential of creating thin content and Google might choose not to index what it considers low-value content.
• Digital Asset Management – No, I mean beyond storing file names and descriptions. Images, videos, PDFs etc can have many SEO optimisations.