While it’s true that SEO is crucial for eCommerce success, many online shops don’t prioritize it. Although ads are effective for short-term gains, relying on them long-term can hurt your profits. If you’ve been focusing on paid ads and neglecting SEO, here are two points to consider: This article will outline how online stores can increase organic traffic by using the ultimate eCommerce SEO guide.
- Paid ads are most effective for new websites that lack brand recognition. They provide initial visibility in exchange for investments like cost-per-click (CPC).
- Eventually, your online store will need organic traffic. Relying solely on paid ads will cut into your profits. You need sustainable, high-quality traffic that doesn’t come at a cost.
Imagine someone searches for “women’s running shoes” using relevant keywords. You want your product listings to appear as high as possible in the organic search results.
But how do you achieve this?
That’s where eCommerce SEO comes in. By understanding search engine algorithms, optimization strategies, and effective tactics, you can boost your website’s ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant user queries.
This comprehensive guide will provide a roadmap and explain stepwise outlining the necessary steps to optimize your eCommerce store for search engines. Let’s explore the world of eCommerce SEO in 2024 and beyond.
E-Commerce Keyword Research
Whether you have a small online shop or a large multi-vendor marketplace, keyword research is the crucial first step. Getting this right is paramount, as mistakes can lead to:
- Targeting keywords that are too competitive
- Ranking for irrelevant keywords that attract the wrong audience
Neither scenario is ideal for your business. You want to target the right keywords that bring in valuable traffic, not just increase website traffic without conversions.
Identify these three types of keywords based on your niche and target audience:
- Primary Keywords: These should resonate with your niche and establish your brand identity. Use them in prominent places like your domain name and homepage.
- Secondary keywords: Choose 10-15 more specific keywords related to your main products. Use these in your eCommerce store’s category pages.
- Tertiary long-tail keywords: Determine at least 10-15 long-tail keywords for each secondary keyword. For example, if you have 15 secondary keywords, aim for 150 long-tail keywords. Use these longer, more specific phrases in your product page titles, meta descriptions, and other on-page content.
Here are three effective methods for finding the right primary, secondary, and tertiary keywords for your niche:
A. Analyze Marketplaces:
Utilize popular marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Alibaba, BestBuy, and Walmart for keyword inspiration. Identify top-performing products in your niche on these platforms.
- Examine their prominent pages, like the homepage and featured product sections.
- Pay attention to their search autosuggestions. For instance, searching for “n95 masks” on Amazon yields several suggestions:
B. Learn From Your Competitors:
It’s perfectly acceptable to analyze your competitors’ strategies. Search for your primary keyword on Google.com to discover how other online stores are driving organic traffic by following the eCommerce SEO guide.
Let’s continue with the “N95 Masks” example:
We haven’t even reached the search results page, yet we’ve already gathered useful keywords from the autosuggestions. Now, hit “Enter” and examine the search results:
Here’s what you can do:
- Scroll down to the “Searches related to n95 mask” section at the bottom of the page for additional keyword ideas:
You now have even more relevant keywords.
- Next, choose a competitor from the search results who sells similar N95 masks. Analyze their website, paying attention to their prominent pages, category pages, and product pages to identify potential keywords.
Note: Don’t simply copy your competitor’s keywords verbatim. There might be various reasons for their higher ranking, such as stronger domain authority. Create a list of relevant keywords and evaluate them using the steps outlined in the next section.
C. Utilize SEO Tools: eCommerce SEO Guide To Drive Traffic For Online Stores
Several SEO tools to discover can help you discover relevant keywords for your niche and analyze the ones you’ve already gathered. One powerful tool is Ahrefs. This comprehensive SEO tool assists with keyword research, competitor analysis, and link building for your eCommerce website. Keep reading to unlock the secrets of driving organic traffic to eCommerce sites.
Other SEO tools include Google Analytics, Google Search Console, SEMrush, Moz, and UberSuggest. Google Analytics and Google Search Console are free, while you can choose from various premium tools for more in-depth analysis. Premium tools often provide more detailed and visual guidance compared to the equally effective but less user-friendly Google Analytics.
Learn how to leverage Google Analytics and Google Keyword Planner. These tools will assess the effectiveness of your chosen keywords by tracking key performance indicators.
Website Architecture and On-Page SEO Optimization
Once you’ve identified the right keywords to target, it’s time to use them strategically. Start by optimizing your website’s fundamental architecture for SEO.
Your site architecture refers to the organization and structure of your website’s navigation, category pages, product pages, and homepage. Optimizing this not only benefits SEO but also improves user experience. The goal is to present relevant content to users and create a seamless navigation flow to drive organic traffic to online stores, adhering to the principles of the eCommerce SEO guide.
- Design a simple yet scalable site structure.
- Minimize the number of clicks required to reach important pages.
- Strategically place your primary, secondary, and long-tail keywords on relevant pages.
Note: Choosing a robust eCommerce software or multi-vendor marketplace solution can automate much of the website architecture setup. Focus on optimizing keyword placement for optimal results.
In terms of on-page SEO, optimizing website architecture and keyword placement covers a significant portion of the task. The remaining steps involve crafting SEO-friendly content for your web pages. This includes:
- Writing compelling body copy for your homepage and category pages, complete with relevant meta descriptions.
- Creating engaging content for product pages, incorporating product description and user-generated content.
- Adding descriptive alt text, meta tags, and descriptions for all images, including product images.
- Optimizing metadata and descriptions for every URL on your website.
- Adjusting your robot.txt file to reflect your intended sitemap.
Technical SEO and Website Audit
After completing the foundational on-page SEO, it’s crucial to evaluate your website’s performance from a search engine perspective. This involves measuring key metrics and conducting a thorough SEO audit. This process achieves three main goals:
- It provides a clear understanding of your website’s on-page SEO quality and its current competitive standing.
- It helps create a prioritized list of tasks to improve on-page SEO before tackling off-page SEO.
- It confirms that your current SEO strategy is on the right track.
Here’s how to conduct an effective SEO audit: Continue reading to discover powerful techniques for driving organic traffic to eCommerce sites.
A. Crawl Your Website: eCommerce SEO Guide To Drive Traffic For Online Stores
Utilize tools like Google Search Console or Beam Us Up to crawl your website and identify critical issues such as:
- Broken links
- Missing metadata
- Duplicate content
B. Implement 301 Redirects for Alternate Site Versions:
If you have multiple versions of your website URL, use 301 redirects to consolidate them into one primary version. For example, you might have variations like:
Choose one as your primary URL and redirect all others to it. This is crucial when transitioning from HTTP to HTTPS, ensuring users are redirected to the secure HTTPS version.
Multiple URL variations confuse search engines and create duplicate content issues, harming your SEO.
C. Homepage Audit:
Thoroughly review your homepage for any SEO errors. Ensure proper use of H1, H2, and H3 title tags, keyword-rich meta descriptions, and other metadata.
D. Unique Content: eCommerce SEO Guide To Drive Traffic For Online Stores
Eliminate duplicate content from your website. All content across all pages should be unique. If you must reuse content, such as product descriptions for variations of the same product, use Canonical Tags to guide search engines on which pages to prioritize for indexing.
E. Backlink Profile Analysis:
Utilize tools like Ahrefs to analyze your backlink profile, paying attention to:
- Anchor text quality
- Backlink quality
- Broken backlinks
Based on this analysis:
- Optimize anchor text for SEO.
- Disavow low-quality backlinks.
- Fix any broken backlinks.
F. Mobile-Friendliness Analysis: eCommerce SEO Guide To Drive Traffic For Online Stores
Mobile-friendliness is crucial for Google SEO. Responsive websites that adapt to different screen sizes rank higher than those designed solely for desktops. Ensure a positive user experience for mobile visitors by using tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to assess and improve your website’s mobile-friendliness.
G. Site Speed Analysis:
Optimize your website’s loading speed across all devices. Slow-loading websites perform poorly in search rankings, especially in Google’s SERPs. If your pages take longer than 5-6 seconds to load, aim to reduce that time to 3-4 seconds.
eCommerce SEO Guide To Drive Traffic For Online Stores: Final Thoughts
By addressing all these aspects, you’ll create an SEO-friendly eCommerce website. Once optimized, explore additional strategies like content marketing, social media marketing, influencer marketing, affiliate marketing, and link building to further enhance your online presence and drive traffic.
While you can implement various advanced tactics to boost your SEO in the future, the fundamental steps outlined in this guide are crucial and should be prioritized.