Some pointers to help e-commerce sites become more search engine optimized
If you own an online store, you are undoubtedly aware that one of the biggest challenges you face right now, given the intense competition, is getting customers. However, what if you could boost the number of people who visit your store without having to spend a lot of money on advertising?
The answer lies in optimizing search engines for e-commerce sites. It is a long-term investment that improves your visibility in search results and fosters a trustworthy relationship with your target audience, not just a means of drawing in visitors. If you are looking to understand how SEO can change the rules of the game for your online store, this article is your comprehensive guide.
- What do you know about SEO for e-commerce sites?
Were you aware? 74% of shoppers browse multiple sites to compare products before making a purchase decision! This means that competition is fierce, and to attract the attention of potential customers to your online store, you must combine effective advertising strategies, such as Snapchat, Facebook, and TikTok ads, with a focus on search engine optimization (SEO) to reach your target audience effectively.
What is SEO for e-commerce, then? Ecommerce SEO refers to the process of improving the appearance of online stores in search engine results pages (SERPs), which helps increase your traffic and improve user experience. Tasks associated with ecommerce SEO include a variety of activities, such as:
- Create content that meets search queries: For example: An online store, such as “True Classic,” that specializes in selling shirts can improve its SEO by creating content, such as “How to fold shirts without wrinkles.”
- Improve your page loading speed to ensure a smooth experience for visitors.
- Writing detailed and attractive product descriptions: to explain the features of your products and attract customers.
- Get reliable backlinks from credible websites to support the store’s ranking in search engines.
Online stores rely on SEO optimization as a strategy to attract more interested visitors, especially those searching for products related to your brand. This strategy is not only cost-effective but also provides sustainable and long-term results.
- Why is SEO important for e-commerce sites?
Why should you care about SEO as an e-commerce website owner? When you search for something on Google, you are taken to the search engine results page. There, you will find about 10 organic (unpaid) results. These organic results appear below the paid ads (in orange) and Google Shopping ads (in purple).
SEO for e-commerce sites is all about ensuring that your product pages appear in the first results of search engines, which increases your chances of success. Here are the most important benefits:
Increase your visibility in search results: Being at the top of the results increases your chances of attracting customers, as the first result gets 27.6% of clicks, compared to a small percentage of 0.63% for the second page.
- Attract sustainable visits to your store: By improving your site's SEO, you can attract natural (organic) visits without having to spend huge budgets on paid advertising. Organic visits are also more sustainable and less expensive, which helps you achieve long-term results.
- Increase conversion rate: Improving the user experience by designing fast and easy-to-use pages increases the likelihood of completing purchases.
- Enhance credibility: As you know, customers trust stores that appear in the first ranks, which reflects the professionalism and credibility of your brand.
- Competitive advantage in the market: SEO gives your store an advantage over competitors by appearing in higher ranks, thus increasing customers’ interest in your products.
- Targeting markets: SEO helps in understanding customer behavior and needs, which supports effective targeting of local and international markets.
- Improving the user experience: SEO is not limited to search engines only but includes designing fast-loading pages and valuable content that increases your customers’ satisfaction.
This makes SEO an indispensable tool for increasing traffic and sales and enhancing the position of your online store in the market.
Now get ready to boost your store's search engine ranking with simple steps!
As an e-commerce website owner, you certainly want to increase your visibility in search engine results. Search engine optimization for e-commerce websites is your way. Now I will provide you with practical and easy steps that will help you improve your online store and increase its effectiveness. Here are the most important of these strategies:
1. Find the perfect keywords
The first step in improving your online store's search engine optimization begins with keywords, which are the crucial link between visitors' desires and what your store offers. By choosing the right keywords, you can ensure that your products appear in potential customers' search results.
Rely on words that reflect the intent to purchase, such as “buy a suitcase with wheels,” instead of words that are not related to the purchase, such as “how to organize a suitcase.” One of the best ways to search for keywords is:
- Google Suggestions: Try using Google's autocomplete feature to find keyword ideas.
- Amazon: Check popular search terms on Amazon to increase your targeting.
- Professional analysis tools: Use tools like Ahrefs to identify keywords and analyze your online ranking.
2. Site Structure: User Experience and Indexing Optimization
Site structure is one of the main factors that affect search engine optimization for e-commerce sites. A good structure enhances the user experience and makes it easier for search engines to index your content. To develop your site structure:
- Visitor behavior analysis : Find out how users browse your site and then organize pages based on their preferences.
- Add breadcrumbs: Make navigation between product pages smoother by using breadcrumbs.
- Index only necessary pages: Make sure that only important pages appear in search results while avoiding indexing unnecessary pages.
3. On-page SEO
Optimizing the content within product pages is the key to your site's visibility. Here are some tips to optimize your pages:
Accurate and clear URL: Choose URLs that contain your keywords in a concise manner.
Rich and engaging content: Provide a clear and engaging description of your products while incorporating keywords to increase your visibility.
Primary Content: Make sure to include keywords in titles, meta descriptions, images, and alt texts.
4. Improve technical SEO
You may encounter some technical problems that may negatively affect your site's ranking in search engines. Here are some tips to avoid these problems:
- Duplicate content: Avoid having pages with duplicate content by using the correct tags or by modifying the content to be unique.
- Deep Pages: Reduce the number of clicks to reach distant pages by improving internal links.
- Improve site speed: Use tools like PageSpeed Insights to improve site loading speed and increase visitor satisfaction.
Implement these strategies, and you will be able to improve the search engine rankings of your e-commerce sites in search engine results and increase traffic to your site, which will enhance the success of your digital business.