Editorial Recommendations at PetCo

Editorial Recommendations are being used by an increasing number of retailers on their website to help boost sales and clicks on links. It’s always a good idea to pay attention to how different eCommerce websites use Editorial Recommendations and the ways different websites could make adjustments to improve the performance of their Editorial Recommendations on their sites. After all, while every eCommerce site has their strengths when it comes to the way they are using these articles, they also have their weaknesses. PetCo is among the eCommerce websites making use of Editorial Recommendations and has many notable strengths. However, there is, of course, room for improvement, as there tends to be with the majority of retailers. Here we’ll examine PetCo and their use of Editorial Recommendations on their site to see how they compare with other eCommerce sites.

PetCo Places Recommendations in the SERP

Among the most notable ways PetCo uses Editorial Recommendations is the placement of these articles on the search engine results page. This is important because it is the individuals actively searching for products who are most likely to click on Editorial Recommendations and, in turn, who are most likely to click on the products linked within the articles. However, there are some things to make note of and some issues. PetCo also features links to other search terms, and while it does feature some specific brand recommendations, these are only included at the very bottom of the search engine results page. This is a problem because it is far less likely individuals will browse through all the way to the bottom of the page when they are searching and come across these recommendations. 

Another thing to note is all of their recommendations are made entirely through text. Additionally, no specific products are recommended. Instead, PetCo promotes brands. Because it is all at the bottom of the search engine results page, all of this information has to be expanded and then scrolled through, making it more challenging for individuals to deal with. Finally, one of the bigger issues is that all the information is presented as PetCo’s opinion, and there is no third-party curation. This tends to be an issue with consumers as people value having an outsider opinion when seeking recommendations rather than feeling as if they are being advertised to.

PetCo Should Grow From Its Good Start

PetCo has made a good start, and it has plenty of room to grow. Among the best ways to start would be by simply moving its Editorial Recommendations higher up in the search engine results page, where visitors would be able to see it faster upon conducting a search. Additionally, adding images and reducing the amount of text would also help draw people in and invite them to check out the content. 

It would also be a great move to choose specific items rather than simply recommending certain brands. For example, choosing a certain type of dog food from Hill’s Science Die

t motivates individuals to click on the specific product and gives them an idea of what dog food may be good for their pup. Additionally, having a third party making the recommendations, especially one recognizable to them and one with authority, would offer even more motivation to make purchases. 

PetCo is Ahead of PetsMart

Among the many details to note is how far ahead PetCo is already with their Editorial Recommendations compared to PetsMart. PetsMart is only using their blog and is not making use of Editorial Recommendations in their search engine results page at all, and though PetCo has made some mistakes with their use of Editorial Recommendations in the search engine results page, they are still ahead of the game in comparison.

A combination of the two approaches would be a great way for PetCo to improve their Editorial Recommendations. They could do a great job of boosting their articles by simply adding great visuals and increasing the variety of Editorial Recommendations. Getting a third party to have the authority and credibility their customers seek would also make a tremendous impact.