SEO for Ecommerce

In the bustling digital bazaar that is today’s online marketplace, standing out from the crowd is more critical—and more challenging—than ever before. The key to capturing the attention of potential customers? A robust, strategic approach to Search Engine Optimization (SEO). For eCommerce businesses, SEO isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the difference between being lost in the shuffle and leading the pack. 

In this blog post by our team at Internet Marketing Geeks, we will delve into the nitty-gritty of SEO for eCommerce. Offering practical strategies, insider tips, and industry insights to help you propel your online store to the top of search engine results. 

Why is SEO so important?

68% of online experiences begin with a search engine (Ahrefs).

75% of searchers never click past the first page of search results (HubSpot).

Google currently holds over 85% of the search engine market (Statista).

These statistics underscore the critical role of SEO in driving traffic and improving visibility online. The reason being that a well-executed SEO strategy can significantly enhance your business’s online presence and lead to increased traffic, conversions, and revenue.

How is ecommerce different?

SEO for ecommerce websites can be particularly challenging for various reasons.

One of the primary reasons is the sheer volume of products that e-commerce sites typically host. Ranking each product individually is a mammoth task, and it’s virtually impossible to rank hundreds of keywords simultaneously.

Another reason is the prevalence of duplicate and thin content on e-commerce websites. Many e-commerce sites use manufacturer-provided descriptions, which are duplicated across multiple online platforms and can lead to penalties from search engines.

Moreover, the level of competition has significantly increased over the years as Google’s algorithm updates have made it more difficult to rank for competitive keywords.

Additionally, e-commerce websites often struggle with generating sufficient traffic and defining a specific target market. If the target market is too broad, it becomes difficult to rank for relevant keywords.

Lastly, a lack of product reviews can also negatively impact the SEO for ecommerce stores as around 70% of buyers look for product reviews before making a purchase! Without these reviews, your site may not appear trustworthy or authoritative to potential customers.

Overall, while e-commerce SEO can be challenging, it’s not insurmountable- With the right strategies, including unique product descriptions, a defined target market, and a focus on garnering product reviews, you can improve your ecommerce site’s SEO rankings.

SEO Strategy for Ecommerce

Here is an overview of what your ecommerce SEO strategy should consider:

Keyword Research

The process of keyword research involves exploring the vast landscape of possible search terms your target audience might use. You’re not just guessing here; there are several handy tools designed to make this task easier. 

Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush are two of the most popular ones. 

At Internet Marketing Geeks, we believe these tools are helpful as they may give you insightful information on what people search for, how frequently they look for it, and how those searches change over time. It’s important to remember, however, that keyword research entails more than simply looking for phrases with high search traffic.  

These well-known keywords might certainly generate a lot of traffic, but they also frequently face intense competition. It can be tough to rank highly in search results for these terms, especially if you’re a smaller business or just starting out.

That’s where long-tail keywords come in. These are longer, more specific phrases that people might use when they’re closer to making a purchase decision. For example, instead of “running shoes,” a long-tail keyword might be “men’s waterproof trail running shoes.”

Long-tail keywords often have lower search volumes than their shorter counterparts, but don’t let that fool you. The traffic they bring in is usually more targeted, meaning it’s more likely to convert. Plus, because these keywords are more specific, they often have less competition, making it easier for you to rank well for them.

Effective keyword research is about balancing high-volume keywords with targeted long-tail keywords as you work to understand what your potential customers are searching for. Then you can optimize your website and content to meet their needs, which helps you stand out in the crowded online marketplace at a time when search engines want you to do so!

On-page SEO

There are several things you can tweak and adjust for on-page SEO, but without getting too technical, it’s all about making sure your web pages are structured well and filled with high-quality, relevant content. This includes, but is not limited to, the headlines, descriptions, and the actual text on the page.

Here’s where keywords come into play. Each page should be focused around a specific keyword or phrase – think of this as the main topic or theme for that page. This keyword should appear in various places on the page, but always in a way that makes sense and adds value to the reader.

But here’s the catch: while it’s important to include keywords, you never want to overdo it. It’s not about cramming as many keywords as you can onto a page. In fact, stuffing your page full of keywords can actually hurt your SEO efforts. Search engines are pretty smart, and they don’t like it when websites try to game the system and want to see that your keywords are used in a natural, meaningful way in the context of valuable content.

On-page SEO is all about making each page on your site the best it can be for both search engines and human readers. It means creating quality content around specific keywords and presenting it in a way that’s easy to understand and navigate. If you can do this right, you’ll be well on your way to climbing the search engine rankings!

Technical SEO

Just like a well-oiled machine runs more efficiently, a well-optimized website performs better in the eyes of search engines. This entails making sure your site runs quickly, is simple to use on mobile devices, and has an easy-to-follow navigational structure for search engines. It also involves giving search engines more details about your content so they can comprehend it better.

This is important because search engines like Google send out bots to “crawl” websites and add them to their “index”, which is essentially a giant database of web pages. The easier it is for these bots to crawl and understand your site, the more likely they are to rank it highly in search results.

But technical SEO isn’t just about pleasing search engines. A lot of these optimizations also improve the user experience. Faster loading times, mobile-friendly design, and better organized content all contribute to a smoother, more enjoyable experience for your visitors.

So, while technical SEO might seem complicated and, well, technical, it’s an essential part of any SEO strategy. By optimizing the backend of your website, you’re helping search engines understand and rank your content while also creating a better experience for your users. And in the world of SEO, that’s a win-win!

Content Creation

Regularly crafting high-quality content keeps your website fresh and dynamic. Imagine doing this by regularly adding new chapters to your book to keep people interested and excited for the next chapter. This can encourage a devoted audience to often visit your website, share your material, and participate in the dialogue by adding new content on a consistent basis.

But the benefits of quality content extend beyond just your human audience. Content also provides a feast for search engine bots. Each piece of content presents an opportunity for you to incorporate keywords, which are the terms or phrases people might use when searching for what you offer. The more content you have, the more chances you have to rank for various keywords, making your website more visible to potential visitors.

And the types of content you can create are vast. From informative blog posts and in-depth product guides to engaging tutorials and insightful opinion pieces – the possibilities are endless. The key is to create content that offers real value by answering your audience’s questions, solving their problems, or simply entertaining them.

Content isn’t just king in SEO; it’s the lifeblood of your website. It engages your audience, enhances your visibility in search engines, and ultimately drives success in the digital landscape.

Link Building

Just as personal recommendations can be powerful in the physical world, in the digital realm, they come in the form of links from other websites. These are seen as endorsements or votes of confidence in your content. When high-quality, relevant sites link to your website, it signals to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy.

The result? Improved authority and higher rankings. Authority, in SEO terms, is akin to credibility or reputation. The more authoritative your site is perceived to be, the higher it can rank in search engine results- leading to increased visibility, more website traffic, and ultimately higher conversion rates.

There are several ways to build these valuable links. Strategies range from guest posting and influencer outreach to creating content so compelling that others can’t help but share it. Although each strategy has advantages and disadvantages, they are all focused on the production and marketing of high-quality content.

Remember, link building isn’t just about quantity; the quality of your links matters greatly. Links from relevant, authoritative sites carry more weight than those from low-quality or unrelated sites. 

Thus, the goal is to establish meaningful links that improve your site’s reputation and exposure rather than to amass as many links as you can – In turn, you can boost your site’s authority, enhance your exposure in search engine results, and increase traffic to your website by nurturing high-quality links. Effective link building takes time, effort, and a focus on developing real relationships, much like successful networking.

Understanding your audience, doing keyword research, optimizing your website both on-page and technically, producing high-quality content, establishing links, and doing frequent monitoring and analysis are all necessary steps in developing a successful SEO plan. Internet Marketing Geeks, as an SEO company, specializes in developing specialized SEO plans that aid eCommerce companies in boosting their exposure, bringing in more visitors, and boosting sales. 

One of the team members would be happy to assist you if you want to use SEO to advance your eCommerce business. You can Contact the team right away to explore how we can help you achieve your company’s objectives.