Imagine this: You have finally launched your dream e-commerce store. The digital shelves are lined with eye-catching products you know your customers will love. You have thought of every little detail of the user journey, and your website promises a fantastic shopping experience. Yet, something is missing – customers. They just don’t seem to find your store in the digital haystack.
This is when the magic of e-commerce SEO saves the day.
Source: https://giphy.com
In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the ultimate e-commerce SEO checklist, ensuring your e-commerce store shines brightly in the digital marketplace. You can think of it as your roadmap, which you could follow step by step. As a result, your e-commerce store will be more visible to search engines and, most importantly, to customers who are out there searching for exactly what you offer in the e-store.
So, without further ado, let’s get started!
Understanding E-commerce SEO
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process of improving your website’s visibility in search engines like Google, Yahoo or Bing. The main aim of SEO is to rank as high as possible in the search engine results pages (SERPs), which is achieved by combining different techniques and tactics.
You may wonder why that is important. According to a study where they analyzed 4 million Google search results, they found out that the #1 result in Google gets 27.6% of all clicks. Furthermore, the #1 organic result is 10x more likely to receive a click than a page in the #10 position. Therefore, the higher you rank, the higher the chances users will visit your site.
Source: https://backlinko.com/google-ctr-stats
Unlike general SEO, which focuses on broad content optimization, e-commerce SEO is about optimizing the category pages, product pages, and overall online shopping experience. It involves keyword research to match the user search intent, optimizing product descriptions and blog posts, and ensuring the website architecture is user-friendly and search engine-friendly.
In other words, e-commerce SEO is crucial to every e-store owner to make sure that when potential customers search for a product or service you offer, your store will show up in the search results.
#1 Technical SEO Essentials
Site structure
Make sure that your e-store has a “flat” site architecture. This means that users and search engine crawlers like Googlebot can reach any page on your site in 3 to 4 clicks or less. It is important mainly for two reasons:
- A flat site architecture helps efficiently distribute link authority (or ‘link equity’) from pages that naturally acquire many backlinks, like the homepage, to other important pages, such as product pages.
- It also makes it easier for search engines to find, crawl, and index all your site’s pages, meaning they will come up in the search results.
Here is a sample of the flat site structure:
Mobile responsiveness
The number of people using their phones to browse the internet is growing rapidly. While in 2015, just about 31% of the traffic came from mobile, in 2023, this number is nearly 54%. Therefore, it is crucial to make sure that your e-commerce store is mobile-friendly. For example, you should make sure that the site design is responsive (meaning that the designs look and function the same way for mobile and desktop users), “thumb-friendly,” and that the fonts are not too small for the different screen sizes.
Now, you might wonder where you could test if your e-commerce site is mobile-friendly or not. One way to do that is by using Google Search Console. You just need to log in to your GSC account and click “Mobile Usability” from the menu on the left. The tool will let you know if mobile users have any problems.
Site speed
This one is pretty simple: your website should load as fast as possible because no one wants to wait. Moreover, Google does not prefer to rank pages that are taking forever to load because it won’t make the users happy. A good page speed for SEO is considered to be three seconds or less, but the faster your site is, the better.
Some quick ways to improve your e-commerce site speed are compressing and optimizing your images, reducing the number of redirects, and eliminating unnecessary plugins. But of course, there are many other things, such as a great hosting provider, caching your site, and minifying HTML, CSS and Javascript, which also play essential roles in site speed.
Secure Website
In the past, most websites relied primarily on standard HTTP for transmitting data between the user’s browser and the web server. These days, we mostly see HTTPS, a secure version of the HTTP protocol. It lets users safely exchange sensitive information like credit card numbers and login details. HTTPS is increasingly becoming a standard for all websites, regardless of whether they handle sensitive user data or not.
We often hear and see that people need help with the technical aspects of SEO. If you feel like you need some help with optimizing your e-commerce store and enhancing your online presence, our team of SEO experts is here to help. Don’t let technical hurdles hold back your e-store potential.
#2 Keyword Research for E-commerce
Why is keyword research necessary?
Keyword research is one of the most fundamental steps in search engine optimization. It is a process where you research different terms and words, for example, “dog leash,” that people type into search engines. It helps with understanding your audience’s search behavior. Once you have figured out what your potential customers are searching for, you need to strategically use those keywords on your site to increase organic traffic. It might initially sound confusing so we will break it down into smaller pieces.
What is a keyword?
A keyword is a word or phrase people type into search engines, such as Google, while conducting searches. They are divided into long-tail and short-tail keywords. Short-tail keywords are shorter, as the name suggests, often just one or two words, with a broader scope. They tend to attract more search traffic but are less specific and often very competitive, which can result in lower conversion rates.
Some examples of short-tail keywords are:
- Running shoes
- Phone covers
- Dog leash
Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific, which usually attracts less traffic, but due to their specificity, they have higher conversion rates. It’s often easier to rank with them since they have less competition.
Some examples of long-tail keywords are:
- Women’s running shoes for long distances
- Durable phone covers for iPhone 15 pro
- Dog leash for big dogs
Where and how to conduct keyword research?
Most SEO agencies use specific tools such as Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz. They are paid tools that provide insights into search volume, competition, and variations of your primary keywords. Of course, some free options are available on the market, such as Google Search Console, Glimpse and Keyword tool. While paid tools have way more features than free ones, they are more suitable for people familiarizing themselves with SEO.
Once you have found a suitable tool, list the core terms related to your products or services. Let’s say that you own a pet store and are doing keyword research for dog leashes. I would type in the following terms: dog leash, dog harness, no pull dog harness, dog training leash and so on.
Now, the tool should help you to expand the list of keywords:
As a next step, start going through the keyword list and try to understand the search intent. This step is crucial to understand what the searcher is looking for and how your content can meet their needs. Keywords are usually divided into four more extensive categories by their search intent:
- Informational: These are used when people want to learn something. For example, “How do you put a harness on a dog?”
- Navigational: This is used when the person wants to get to a specific page. E.g., “Amazon login”.
- Transactional: This is used when the person is ready to purchase. E.g., “buy dog harness”.
- Commercial Investigation: This is used when considering a purchase and comparing options. E.g., “leather vs. nylon dog collar.”
Once you figure this out, it’s time to analyze the keyword metrics. If you are a newer or smaller business, we suggest starting with low-volume keywords since it’s usually easier to rank with them. In addition, they can offer niche opportunities. High-volume keywords tend to be more competitive and, therefore, more challenging to rank for.
Integrating Keywords Naturally
Now that you have finished keyword research, it is essential to include them in your ecommerce site in a way that feels organized and enhances the user experience. A few ways to do this is to mention them in the product descriptions, titles, headings or blog posts. It is also worth mentioning them in the meta descriptions, title tags, alt texts and URL structures.
Make sure that the keyword fits logically within the context of the sentence. It should add to the text, not feel forced. Moreover, instead of repeating the same keyword repeatedly, use synonyms or variants to keep the content fresh. Keep in mind that the natural flow of the text is essential.
Following these steps, you can conduct adequate keyword research, which benefits your e-commerce business. Getting good at it is time-consuming and requires some practice. But once you know what you are doing, you will most likely be successful.
#3 On-Page SEO Tactics
On-page SEO is vital in how search engines perceive and rank your products and store. Here are a few ideas on how you can master it:
Product Descriptions
Creating product descriptions that are both persuasive and SEO-friendly is an art. They aim to provide essential information, incorporate keywords naturally, and convince the user to purchase. So how do you do that?
Firstly, you should focus on unique content that adds value and differentiates your products. No one is interested in reading generic manufacturer descriptions. We also suggest using the keywords strategically, such as mentioning them in the first 100 words. You should also highlight the benefits of the product or service, and the text should be broken into short paragraphs that make descriptions easy to read.
Meta Descriptions and Titles
Meta titles and descriptions are the first things a potential customer sees in search results. You can think of them as a preview of your page’s content. They play a essential role in determining whether the user clicks through to your website.
Make sure to include primary keywords in both the title and meta description. Your meta description should compellingly describe the page content and be at most 160 characters. Every page should have a unique title that reflects the content and is ideally 50-60 characters long.
Image Optimisation
Images are not just a visual representation of your products; they also contribute to SEO. We suggest adding alt text to help search engines understand what the image is about. You can also use descriptive file names, such as “black-leahter-dog-leash.jpg,” instead of “IMG_0123”.jpg.”
Since large images can slow down your site and negatively affect the user experience and SEO, don’t use larger images than needed. We also suggest compressing images to reduce file size without compromising quality. Since many people like to scroll on their phones, ensure the pictures are mobile-friendly and adapt to different screen sizes.
#4 Content Marketing for E-commerce
Content marketing is more than filling your e-commerce website with text. It’s less about pushing products and more about telling a story that resonates with potential customers.
Role of high-quality content
First and foremost, high-quality content establishes your brand as knowledgeable and trustworthy. When users find your content reliable and valuable, it builds trust, and trust plays a huge role in long-term customer relationships. Moreover, engaging content tends to keep users on your site for longer, positively affecting the bounce rate.
Not only do people like high-quality content, but search engines do as well. Search engines favor well-written, informative and relevant content. Therefore, having great content on your ecommerce site can lead to higher rankings in the search results, making it easier for potential clients to find you.
Content ideas for e-commerce audience
We know that sometimes it might be challenging to come up with great content ideas. Here are some suggestions to help you:
- Buying guides: help customers make informed decisions, such as a guide on choosing the perfect dog harness for golden retrievers.
- How-to articles and videos are great opportunities to show creative ways to use the products you’re selling. For instance, a how-to article on clever dog leashes you haven’t thought of.
- Product showcases: highlight new arrivals, best-sellers or, why not, seasonal items.
- Customer stories and reviews: share stories on how customers have used your products. It helps to build trust with your audience.
- Behind-the-scenes content: give people a glimpse into how your products are made, how you source your materials or your company culture.
#5 Building Quality Backlinks
First things first, what is a backlink? In the SEO world, a backlink is a link from another website to your website. You can think of it as a digital vote, a sign that another site finds value in your content. This “vote” tells search engines that your e-commerce site content is credible and valuable, which can positively impact your site’s search rankings. Now, you might wonder how to build them.
Guest post
One of the most common ways to build white hat backlinks is to find opportunities for guest blogging. It means you will find other blogs in your niche and ask to write posts for them. It helps you get exposure and allows you to build your backlink profile organically by inserting links to your e-commerce site. It is essential to remember that the content you create should be valuable for the readers; you shouldn’t write it for the sake of getting the backlink.
HARO link building
HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is a link-building strategy where you respond to relevant questions from journalists and, in return, get featured in their articles. All you have to do is sign up on the HARO page and respond with a well-written answer once a query suits your niche. HARO links are usually from very high-authority news sites, which makes them super valuable for your SEO. Where’s the hook tho? Getting them is difficult since it requires constant effort and the ability to react quickly.
Link insertions
Another very common way of building links is link insertions. They are links that are added to existing articles on relevant websites. They are usually built through manual outreach to web admins who have content that is relevant to your site and who are getting a reasonable amount of traffic.
Tips while building links
- The quality over quantity principle applies to link building, too. One backlink from a high-authority site in your industry or niche is more valuable than ten low-quality backlinks.
- Use business contacts and suppliers to get backlinks. For instance, if you’re a distributor, ask your supplier to link to your site.
- Make sure to link to other sites besides your own to make it look natural.
- Analyze your competitors. Look at where your competitors are getting their backlinks and see if you could also get links from the same sources.
Monitoring and Improving
Once you have implemented the five steps discussed above, it’s time to monitor your e-commerce site’s SEO performance. We use tools such as Ahrefs, Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor the keyword rankings, backlinks, organic traffic, bounce rate and page loading speed.
SEO is not a set-and-forget strategy; the opposite requires ongoing attention. Search algorithm updates are often happening, not to mention the AI revolution, which is likely here to stay. Therefore, adapting and improving in the constantly evolving SEO world is essential to enhance your e-commerce site visibility and rankings in search engines.
In conclusion, mastering e-commerce SEO is not a sprint; it is more like a marathon. By following the best practices outlined in this guide – from optimizing your site structure to conducting thorough keyword research, focusing on on-page SEO, embracing content marketing, building quality backlinks, and continuously monitoring and improving your SEO – you’re setting your e-commerce store on the path to success.
Remember that the digital world is constantly evolving, and so should your SEO strategies. Stay informed, be adaptable, and never hesitate to refine your approach. If you need more time to feel overwhelmed or help figuring out where to start, consider contacting SEO professionals. The RedBat Agency is happy to help!
Thank you for reading, and have a great day!
