E-commerce SEO (Search Engine Optimization ) is a term used to describe the process of generating more organic traffic from search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. It involves all guidelines for regular SEO but includes additional concepts that are specific to online shops.
E-commerce SEO is all about identifying keywords and online consumer habits so that your e-commerce website is search engine friendly. In layman’s terms, the goal of e-commerce SEO is to ensure your product pages rank as high as possible on the first page of Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.
If you are not sure e-commerce SEO really matters, here are some things to consider:
- 93% of all online purchases begin with a search engine
- Only 4.8% of users make it to page 2 of search results
- The top result grabs 32.5% of traffic on average.
As the numbers show, the benefits of e-commerce SEO cannot be emphasized enough. An effective e-commerce SEO strategy can be the difference between having a highly successful online shop or a not so successful one.
If you want to rank among the top results on Google, Bing, or Yahoo, these three basic concepts will help set you on the right path.
Keyword Research
Keyword research is the process of finding out which keywords, or search terms, people are using when looking for something online.
Identifying the best keywords to drive customers to your online shop is the cornerstone of any e-commerce SEO campaign. Learning the terms real customers use can help you provide the search engines with better content and also give you a better idea of what terms potential customers are familiar with.
As opposed to regular SEO strategies, keywords used in an e-commerce SEO campaign must be tailored around product pages. In other words, your keyword research must be focused on terms directly related to specific products, not just your business in general.
Site Structure
Site structure refers to how the pages on your site are organized and arranged. While the structure is an integral part of any SEO strategy, it is even more critical for e-commerce SEO campaigns. Why? Simply because e-commerce sites often have more pages than your average blog or local restaurant website.
So what is the best structure for your store?
While no bulletproof format or template guarantees success, all e-commerce sites should focus on having a “flat structure” consisting of the following two golden rules:
1. Keep your site simple.
3. Keep every product page no more than three clicks from your homepage.
When it comes to structure, simplicity is vital. An easy-to-navigate site will make it easy for actual visitors and search engines to find things in your online shop.
Content Creation
Every e-commerce site needs to have a blog, and just like any other aspect of your website, your blog posts need to be high quality and user-friendly.
Blogging is the most effective method to rank for keywords that did not make it onto the main pages of your site. This helps to reach a broader audience by writing about topics and keywords that are not so product-specific but still direct users to your store. However, if your posts are low quality or jam-packed with keywords, your visitors will not read them and most certainly won’t share them.
If you’re not the best writer or don’t have time to write blogs, find someone like an SEO company or SEO specialist to do it for you. Blogging is an essential element of e-commerce SEO and should not be ignored under any circumstances.
Did you know…
- 45% of marketers say blogging is their #1 strategy
- 70% of people would rather learn about a company through an article than an advert
- 68% of consumers feel more positive about a brand after consuming content from it
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Ready to move up the ranks?
While these three concepts are essential to any e-commerce SEO strategy, there is so much more that goes into it. A comprehensive e-commerce SEO campaign also includes link building, social media, competitor research, local SEO, the list goes on.
If you want to move up the ranks, your best option is to work with a company that provides professional SEO services.
At TFC, we ensure that our clients are found amongst keywords searches and move up the search results. So if you are ready to move up the ranks, do not hesitate to get in touch with us!
For our contact details and more information on what we can do for you, click here.