Out-of-Stock Products: SEO Best Practices for E-commerce

Updated on July 21, 2025

In e-commerce, products go out of stock; it’s normal. However, how you handle those product pages affects more than inventory management. It impacts your search rankings, traffic, and customer experience.

The wrong move can lead to broken links, lost revenue, or a drop in organic visibility. The right strategy can preserve rankings, improve user experience, and keep customers engaged until the product is back.

Here’s what to do when a product runs out of stock and how to avoid common SEO mistakes.

Why Keep Out-of-Stock Product Pages Live

When a product goes out of stock, the easiest option might be to remove the page or replace it with something new. However, that can cause problems for both users and SEO.

1. The Page Might Already Be Ranking

If a product page has earned backlinks, internal links, or organic traffic, deleting it removes a valuable asset. Even if the product isn’t currently available, the page still carries ranking authority.

2. Customers Still Find and Click

People may still find the product in search results or through external links. If the page is gone, they’ll land on a 404 or irrelevant page, both of which hurt trust and usability.

3. Google Needs a Clear Signal

Removing pages without redirects or structured data creates confusion for search engines. Google may keep trying to index a non-existent page or downgrade the quality of your site if too many 404s appear.

When a Product Is Temporarily Out of Stock

Keep the Page Up

Leave the product page live. Add a clear “Out of Stock” message near the add-to-cart button. If possible, include an estimated restock date.

Suggest Alternatives

Show related or similar products directly on the page. This helps customers continue shopping and reduces bounce rates.

Add a Restock Notification Option

Let users sign up to be notified when the product returns. This is good for customer experience and builds your email list with high-intent shoppers.

Use Structured Data

Add the ItemAvailability Property in your product schema markup. Use OutOfStock or PreOrder to clearly communicate availability to Google.

Schema.org Reference

Keep Internal Links Active

If other product or category pages link to this product, don’t break those links. They still send SEO value, and users may follow them while browsing.

When a Product Is Permanently Discontinued

If the product doesn’t come back, update the page accordingly, but don’t delete it right away.

Use a 301 Redirect (If You Have a Close Match)

Redirect the discontinued product page to a similar item or the parent category. This will increase link equity and help customers find a substitute.

Only do this if the new page is a relevant match. Otherwise, it may frustrate users and confuse search engines.

Use a “Noindex” Tag (If There’s No Match)

If there’s no good replacement, leave the page live but add a noindex meta tag. This tells search engines to drop the page from their index without removing it from your site.

You can still use the page for customer communication or as a stepping stone to other products.

Mark It Discontinued in Schema

Use Discontinued in the structured data to signal that the product is no longer for sale. This helps search engines display accurate information and prevents issues with rich results.

Mistakes to Avoid

Deleting Pages Without Redirects

Removing a product page without redirecting it leads to 404 errors. Too many 404s can affect crawl budget and overall site health. Always redirect or clearly mark a page as discontinued.

Redirecting Every Out-of-Stock Product

Not every unavailable product needs a redirect. Only use 301s for products that are gone permanently and have a close match. Otherwise, leave the page live and mark it appropriately.

Leaving Empty or Vague Pages

A product page that says nothing but “Out of Stock” isn’t helpful. Add relevant details, suggest alternatives, and give users something to do next.

Forgetting Mobile Usability

If you’re adding restock notifications or alternative product carousels, make sure they work well on mobile. Many users will hit these pages on their phones, and poor formatting can increase bounce rates.

Summary: Your SEO and UX Checklist

For temporarily out-of-stock products:

• [x] Keep the product page live
• [x] Add a clear out-of-stock message
• [x] Offer restock notifications
• [x] Show similar or related products
• [x] Mark the status with schema markup

For permanently discontinued products:

• [x] Use a 301 redirect to a relevant product or category
• [x] Or, add a noindex tag if there’s no alternative
• [x] Update schema with Discontinued availability

Done Right, These Pages Still Add Value

Out-of-stock pages don’t have to be dead ends. When managed properly, they can:

• Retain existing search rankings
• Keep customers on your site
• Collect emails for future marketing
• Improve site health by reducing unnecessary 404s

In short, your product page can still work for you—even when the product doesn’t.

Need Help With SEO or Product Page Strategy?

Garrett Digital helps e-commerce businesses improve site structure, search visibility, and product content. If your store struggles with SEO issues around inventory, we can help you create a plan that works. Let’s talk.