As an ecommerce store owner, you may be under the impression that blog sections are best left to service businesses or moms posting recipes. That they don’t have an important place in an ecommerce content marketing strategy.
However, if you’ve been ignoring your blog section, you’ve been missing out on an effective way to entice potential clients to “enter” your online store. We’ve seen this time and again with our clients: Adding a blog section seriously increases your website traffic.
Why bother with content marketing for ecommerce?
In an ideal scenario, you’d spend all your resources marketing your product pages, right? If a person is searching for “decaf coffee beans,” you want your site to be in the top results.
But by now, you’ve probably realized that ranking for terms with a high buyer intent is hard. If you’re in a competitive niche like coffee beans, you will need to spend a lot of time and resources to outrank the bigger players.
But there is a clever way around this. By targeting middle or higher-funnel keywords, you can successfully rank higher and get more visitors to your site.
Take a look at the typical keyword funnel below:
First, let’s explain what the funnel is saying.
The keywords at the bottom of the funnel (Conversion) are the hardest to rank for but will have the highest conversion rates: For example, buy decaf coffee beans. When a user types this term into search, they are ready to make a purchase.
Keywords in the middle of the funnel (Consideration) are easier to rank for but will have a lower conversion rate than those at the bottom. E.g., best decaf coffee beans. A user typing in this keyword is still in the research phase but closer to making a purchase than those at the top of the funnel.
Keywords at the top of the funnel (Awareness) are the easiest to rank for, but conversion will be lower. For example, how are decaf coffee beans made? These users are just starting their research journey and may or may not be ready to make a purchase.
As mentioned, ranking for a Conversion keyword will take a lot of time and resources. However, with a blog section, you can attract readers in the Consideration or Awareness phase at a much lower cost than in the Conversion phase.
It’s the happy medium, the perfect balance between the effort you put in and the rewards you’ll reap.
A note about conversion rates
I want to be clear about this. The conversion rate at the middle or top of the funnel will be lower than at the bottom. From our experience, words at the bottom will have at least a 50x higher conversion rate than the middle.
BUT they will also be at least 50 times more challenging to rank for.
There are also several other benefits to a great blog section on your e-commerce site. Let’s take a look –
Benefits of a blog section for ecommerce sites
1. Raises brand awareness and trust
This one is fairly obvious—the more a person researches a topic and keeps seeing your name pop up, the more they start to recognize and, therefore, trust your brand. Even more so when the article they click on offers an informative and helpful answer to their search query.
Think for a moment what effect this could have on your sales. Did you notice right at the bottom of our funnel is loyalty? If, as a reader, I consistently find helpful answers to my search queries on your site, there’s a good chance I’ll type in your brand name when ready to make a purchase.
2. Gain topical authority
Put simply, the more articles you create on a topic, the more Google sees you as trustworthy and an expert on the specific topic. And the better you’ll start ranking in search.
In addition, once you’re seen as an expert on a topic, it will also help reduce the number of links you’ll need to boost your site’s authority. Pretty neat, right? If that’s not enough to motivate you to start blogging, I don’t know what will.
3. Internal linking
Internal linking is another absolute gem that I can tell you is often overlooked by your competitors.
A blog section allows you to add internal links from articles to your product or collection pages. This is something Google actually likes and can legitimately help your collection pages rank better. It’s a simple hack anyone can put into action. Make it one of your Ecommerce content marketing strategies now.
Video: Do internal links work for SEO? See my test!
Content Marketing for eCommerce – Don’t Make This Mistake.
Okay, you’re convinced your ecommerce site can benefit from a blog section. So you send a quick email to ask a trusted employee to come up with a list of article ideas and get writing.
Wait!
This is the single biggest mistake you can make. Coming up with a list of random blog topics simply will not work. You need to do some proper research first. This doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive, though.
Let me start by explaining why random blog ideas are a bad idea. It all comes down to website traffic. You can create a great, engaging article, but unless someone is actually searching that term, you won’t get any eyes on your article. It’s a massive waste of time and energy, right?
Here’s an example keeping with the coffee bean theme:
Using Ahrefs, we can look at the list of blog posts written on eightoclock.com. They have 25 blog articles, and all these articles get a total of around 300 visitors a month. One of those articles receives 200 monthly visitors, meaning the remaining 24 get very little organic traffic. That’s a lot of wasted time and resources.
For comparison, let’s look at a site that took the time to do some research first: kickinghorsecoffee.com. They have 61 blog articles and an impressive 22.4k visitors monthly.
Kicking Horse Coffee is doing what we call Intentional SEO. They’ve invested in keyword research, and it’s really paid off.
How To Do Keyword Research For eCommerce Content Marketing
Method 1 – A completely free way to do keyword research
Method 1, of course, is Google.
Start by typing your main keyword into the Google search bar and noting the suggestions.
Then, you can add additional words like “how,” “why,” or “are” and see what comes up. A bit further down the page, the People also Ask section is another helpful feature.
For a list of questions people are asking about your topic, you can also use Quora, Reddit and answerthepublic.com.
Easy, right? Well, it’s a good start, but this method has limitations. Even though you know what terms people are searching for, you have no idea how many people are searching for a term.
Method 2 – Use tools like SemRush or Ahrefs
A far more effective way to do keyword research is to use tools like Ahrefs and Semrush. If your budget is a serious concern, sign up for a free trial with SemRush and do as much keyword research as it allows. Or, if you’d like to access a full set of features, sign up for a monthly subscription.
The benefit of using a tool like SemRush is that you can see exactly how many people are searching for a term, and this information is gold.
For more information on using SemRush, see our video: How to find profitable blog topics.
In addition, your competitors have likely invested much time and effort into keyword research. Using the tools mentioned, you can determine which of their blog articles are getting the most traffic and then create your own article targeting that keyword. We’re not encouraging you to copy it; we’re encouraging you to be inspired by it. Find points they’ve missed or add your own expert opinion.
If the idea of keyword research seems overwhelming, reach out to the RedBat SEO Agency. We’d be happy to take care of all your content needs or help you out with keyword research.
Optimizing Ecommerce Collection Pages to Rank Higher
Having a great blog section, of course, doesn’t mean you can neglect your collection pages.
Sticking with our example, I’m going to tell you how to improve your collection pages to help with ranking.
The first step is to enter your keyword, in this case, “decaf coffee beans,” into Google search. Then, you will need to open up at least the top 10 websites and make a few notes of what they do well and, more importantly, what they could improve. Then, use that info to improve your own collection page.
Take a look at our video below to see what this looks like in practice, or sign up for our mini SEO service: Optimizing a product or category page.
Conclusion – Content Marketing For Ecommerce
Incorporating a well-researched blog section into your eCommerce content strategy isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a powerful tool for driving traffic, connecting with your target audience, and boosting your search rankings. By targeting keywords at different stages of the buyer’s journey, you can attract a broader audience and guide them from initial interest to loyal customers.
Remember, success in content marketing comes from a balanced approach: combining strategic keyword research, high-quality content, and consistent posting. As you refine your blog, you’ll find it not only supports your SEO efforts but also deepens customer relationships, ultimately leading to increased sales. Content marketing is one of the best investments ecommerce brands can make, so don’t overlook the potential your blog holds.
If you prefer to focus on sourcing products instead of content marketing, partner with the Redbat SEO Agency. From blog articles to link building, we offer a complete SEO package. Contact us today to set up a meeting.
Frequently Asked Questions About Content Marketing for eCommerce Stores.
What types of content should I create for my eCommerce store?
In addition to blog posts, you can consider creating:
Video tutorials:Videos are highly engaging and can effectively demonstrate how to use your products. They can range from unboxing videos to detailed how-tos and troubleshooting guides. Video content is particularly useful for social media and can increase your reach on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Customer testimonials:Testimonials from real customers build trust and credibility. Make sure to include them on your ecommerce website, in emails and on social media platforms.
Social media content:Create a mix of posts, including product highlights, behind-the-scenes content, user-generated content, and interactive posts like polls or Q&A sessions. Social media posts are an excellent way for people to know your eCommerce brand and what you stand for.
Email newsletters:Regular newsletters can keep your audience informed about new products, promotions, and upcoming events. Include valuable content such as tips, guides, or exclusive offers to keep your subscribers engaged.
How often should I publish a blog article?
Depending on your resources, aim to publish new content at least once a week. In saying that, quality is far more important than quantity. So if you want to gain topical authority quickly by posting several articles each month, make sure you’re consistently producing helpful, authoritative content. Create content for people, not search engines.
How do I measure the success of my content marketing efforts?
To measure the success of your content marketing campaigns, and of your blog articles in particular, start by tracking website traffic—focus on page views and how long readers stay on your content using Google Analytics. Next, assess your blog’s impact on SEO by monitoring keyword rankings and organic search traffic. Finally, measure how effective your articles are at driving action, like newsletter sign-ups or purchases.
What is SEO, and why is it important for my eCommerce store?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results, making it easier for potential customers to find your store. For eCommerce stores, SEO is essential because higher visibility in search results directly translates to increased website traffic, more qualified leads, and, ultimately, higher sales.
