Our SEO experts have advised us to use a smaller number of product pages with variants, for size and colour, rather than have thousands of individual product pages, with each colour and size on a separate page.
However, when grouping variants (product.product) under a single product.template, the images displayed on a search or filter are the main image of the product.template, which may be any colour or size and possibly bear little resemblance to their search terms. So it is very offputting to the user to see a page full of products in all kinds of colours, when, for example, they searched on the term 'orange'. Same applies to attribute filters.
Furthermore, when you click on the search results, it then takes you to a product page where again the image is not necessarily the colour or selection of their choice.
All this must be be rather disconcerting to the average customer and involve them in extra work to find what they want. That is, if they didn't already leave the site.
I realise this is the way that Odoo works but wonder if there is any solution that would show my customers a selection of 'orange' items they were looking for, with direct links to 'orange' products.product variants.
If this is not possible, then I wonder which is better - SEO or UX. Or maybe a different front-end?
I'd welcome any suggestions.
Thanks, Richard