Commerce Cloud gives you the tools, but merchandising wins come from a repeatable system: clear goals, clean rules, disciplined promo strategy, and a weekly optimization cadence.

Ecommerce merchandising is the process of guiding shoppers to the right products using search, category pages, and promotions. A strong merchandising playbook defines what to show, when to show it, and how to measure results, so teams can improve conversion and revenue without guesswork.

This playbook is most useful for teams running Salesforce Commerce Cloud (B2C or B2B) who manage large catalogs, frequent promos, multiple categories, and ongoing optimization across seasonal campaigns.

If you don’t define goals + guardrails → then merchandising becomes opinions and “random acts of promo.”
If you tune search and category discovery → then more shoppers find products faster (and conversion rises).
If you plan promos with rules + QA → then you avoid margin leaks, checkout confusion, and support tickets.

A “good” merchandising playbook includes:

• A weekly cadence (what to review, who owns what, what gets shipped)

• Search rules for top queries + zero-results coverage

• Category strategy (taxonomy, filters, sorting, featured placement)

• Promo framework (types, stacking rules, exclusions, messaging)

• Measurement plan (conversion, AOV, search exit rate, promo ROI)

Step 1: Set Merchandising Goals (So “Better” Has a Meaning)

This step prevents the most common problem: optimizing for clicks instead of profit.

What you do

• Choose 2–4 primary metrics: conversion rate, AOV, revenue per visit, margin, repeat purchase

• Define “hero categories” and “hero queries” that will get the most attention

• Set guardrails: minimum margin, inventory thresholds, brand rules, compliance constraints

• Identify seasonal moments: launches, holidays, clearance, bundles

Outputs you want

• A one-page “merch goals” doc (metrics + guardrails)

• A prioritized list of top categories + top search queries

• A promotion calendar (even if it’s simple)

Step 2: Search Merchandising (Make Top Queries Feel “Curated”)

Search is your highest-intent traffic. If shoppers can’t find it, they won’t buy it.

What you do

• Build a list of your top 25–100 queries (by volume and revenue)

• Create rules for:

  • Boosting/burying products (new arrivals, best sellers, high margin, in-stock)

  • Synonyms (brand nicknames, abbreviations, common misspellings)

  • Redirects (e.g., “returns,” “gift cards,” “size chart”)

  • No-result handling (recommended categories, popular products, contact help)

• Tune filters and facets so shoppers can narrow quickly (size, color, price, compatibility, etc.)

• Audit “search exit rate” and “search refinement rate” weekly

Outputs you want

• A “Top Queries” rule sheet (query → intent → rules → target products/categories)

• A synonym list with owners and update cadence

• A zero-results playbook (what appears, when, and why)

Quick win

• Fix the top 10 queries and the top 10 zero-result queries first. That alone can move revenue.

Step 3: Category Merchandising (Turn Browsing Into Decisions)

Category pages are where shoppers compare. Your job is to reduce effort and build confidence.

What you do

• Clean up taxonomy: categories should match how customers shop (not internal org charts)

• Decide the default sorting strategy per category:

  • Best sellers / revenue

  • New arrivals

  • Margin-aware sorting

  • Seasonal relevance

• Add category-specific “featured” logic:

  • New launches

  • In-stock emphasis

  • Best sellers and top-rated

  • Bundles or starter kits

• Make filters work for real shopping tasks:

  • Keep the filter list short and meaningful

  • Put the highest-use filters at the top

  • Avoid duplicate or confusing attributes

• Keep category content focused:

  • One short intro (for SEO and clarity)

  • A banner or module only when it helps decisions (not decoration)

Outputs you want

• A category blueprint (taxonomy, default sort, featured rules, top filters)

• A “hero SKU list” per category (what must be easy to find)

• A seasonal module plan (what changes and when)

Quick win

• Pick your top 5 categories and standardize sorting + filters. Consistency improves conversion.

Step 4: Promotions Strategy (Reduce Chaos, Protect Margin)

Promotions work best when they’re predictable internally and crystal clear to shoppers.

What you do

• Define your promo types and when to use each:

  • % off (sitewide or category)

  • $ off threshold (e.g., spend $X get $Y)

  • Free shipping thresholds

  • Bundles / buy-more-save-more

  • Loyalty or email-only offers

• Set stacking rules early:

  • Can coupons stack with auto promos?

  • Can promos stack across categories?

  • Are there exclusions (sale items, gift cards, specific brands)?

• Write promo messaging that removes doubt:

  • Where it applies

  • How it’s calculated

  • What’s excluded

  • When it ends

• QA like you expect failure:

  • Mixed carts

  • Edge inventory conditions

  • Returns/refunds impact

  • Shipping method changes

Outputs you want

• A promo framework doc (types, guardrails, stacking rules)

• A “promo QA checklist” your team runs every time

• A promo messaging template used across banners, PDP, cart, and checkout

Quick win

• If a promo needs a paragraph to explain, it’s too complicated. Simplify it or it will create checkout drop-off.

Step 5: Create a Weekly Merch Cadence (So This Actually Happens)

A playbook without cadence becomes a one-time project.

What you do

• Run a 30–45 minute weekly merch review:

  • Top search queries performance

  • Top categories performance

  • Promo results and margin impact

  • Zero-result queries and search exits

  • Inventory flags (out-of-stock on hero items)

• Maintain a prioritized backlog:

  • Rules and synonyms updates

  • Category sorting/filter improvements

  • Promo simplification and messaging fixes

• Assign owners:

  • Merchandising owner (rules and placements)

  • Content owner (banners/modules/copy)

  • Analytics owner (reports)

  • Ops owner (inventory/fulfillment constraints)

Outputs you want

• A recurring meeting + simple dashboard

• A 2-week sprint backlog of merch changes

• Clear owners and approval workflow

Step 6: Measure What Matters (And Stop Guessing)

Merchandising should be measurable, not subjective.

What you do

• Track a small set of KPIs consistently:

  • Conversion rate

  • Revenue per visit

  • AOV

  • Margin / promo cost

  • Search exit rate and zero-results volume

• A/B test selectively (don’t test everything at once):

  • Default sorting changes

  • Filter ordering

  • Promo framing and thresholds

  • Featured placements

Outputs you want

• A “merch scorecard” (weekly trend view)

• A test log (what changed, why, result)

Common Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)

Pitfall: Merchandising decisions are based on opinions
Fix: Tie changes to 2–4 core metrics + a weekly scorecard.

Pitfall: Search returns irrelevant results or too many results
Fix: Top-query rules + synonym hygiene + better facets.

Pitfall: Category pages look “pretty” but don’t help decisions
Fix: Default sort + top filters + featured logic aligned to intent.

Pitfall: Promotions stack unexpectedly and destroy margin
Fix: Stacking rules + exclusions + QA checklist before every launch.

Pitfall: Promo messaging is unclear until checkout
Fix: Repeat the same promo truth on PDP, category, cart, and checkout.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between search merchandising and category merchandising?
Search merchandising optimizes results for specific queries (high intent). Category merchandising shapes browsing paths (comparison and discovery). You need both to cover how people shop.

How many search queries should we actively manage?
Start with the top 25–100 queries by volume and revenue. Expand once you have a cadence and a clear process for rules and synonyms.

Should category pages default to “Best Sellers” or “New Arrivals”?
It depends on intent. If the category is stable and shoppers want proven options → best sellers usually wins. If it’s trend-driven or seasonal → new arrivals can perform better. Test on a single category first.

What promotion type is safest for margin?
Threshold-based offers (like free shipping over X or spend X get Y) often control margin better than broad percentage-off discounts—especially when paired with exclusions.

How often should merchandising rules be updated?
Weekly for top queries and hero categories, and daily during peak seasons or major campaigns. The key is consistency, not constant change.

Book a Merchandising Working Session

If you want a repeatable merchandising system (not one-off tweaks), book time with our team. We’ll review your current search behavior, category structure, and promo strategy, then map a practical plan to lift conversion without creating promo chaos or margin surprises.