Ecommerce business SEO takes time and effort but can provide greater returns than paid ads campaigns.
Optimise product pages for both user experience and search engines by using descriptive URLs, next-gen image formats, and filenames that accurately describe their contents. Also ensure smooth and effortless site navigation.
Keywords
Keywords are one of the cornerstones of e commerce business SEO, providing the foundation for understanding which search queries people enter into Google to locate your products or services and the level of competition among these keywords (keyword difficulty). A variety of tools can assist in researching and creating a keyword list; professional SEO software as well as independent tools like Uber suggest may prove beneficial in developing an extensive keyword list. In addition, checking out competitor homepages, category pages and product pages can give an indication as to what keywords they may be targeting.
When selecting keywords with eCommerce intent in mind, it’s essential to prioritise those with phrases such as “buy” or “for sale.” Incorporating related search terms may also prove valuable as these can help search engines better interpret user intent and deliver more pertinent results. Optimising product pages with product-focused keywords while producing blog content with informative LSI keywords will drive both quality and quantity traffic to your products or categories.
On-page optimisation
On-page optimisation refers to tweaking the content and HTML source code of your website pages in order to increase search engine rankings. This includes everything from visible visitor-facing content, structure and organisation of URLs as well as overall URL structure and organisation. Having an understanding of these factors is vital as Google’s algorithm is continuously shifting.
At the outset of on-page optimisation, it is crucial to identify target keywords and their search intent. To do this, conduct research by conducting searches for your chosen terms on Google and examining their results. For added efficiency and visibility tracking purposes, professional tools and organic ranking trackers may also help.
Additionally, an essential e commerce business SEO factor is making sure visitors can reach any page on your website within three clicks or less – this provides excellent user experiences while upholding link authority. Furthermore, structuring product pages according to keywords you are targeting – for instance if targeting “gibson l5” as an example keyword would mean creating separate pages for each type of guitar sold in that model range.
Off-page optimisation
Off-page optimisation (also known as off-site optimisation or off-page SEO) is an integral component of SEO, used to leverage third-party resources and signals in order to increase your website’s authority with search engines and boost its page rankings. According to Backlinko, off-page SEO strategies such as eliminating dead pages, guest posting and social media engagement have the ability to have a substantial effect on page rankings.
Link building is one of the most frequently employed off-page SEO techniques. When respected websites link back to your content, it acts as a vote of confidence in its quality while simultaneously expanding brand recognition.
Off-page SEO tactics that you should employ include optimising title tags. Title tags are HTML tags which inform search engines of what keywords your content relates to; search engines then use these words as indicators of relevance when ranking pages for queries. Semrush and Ahrefs offer paid tools that can assist with finding suitable keywords for ecommerce businesses.
Link building
Utilising link building best practices can boost your e commerce business SEO. Start by identifying opportunities to acquire backlinks from competitors; for instance, if they write about an industry development without providing enough details, create and promote in-depth content about that topic to make up any missing parts. Promote it as linkable assets and you could potentially increase traffic and sales!
Building relationships with bloggers in your niche is another effective way of securing quality links, whether this involves guest blogging, blog commenting or other marketing tactics. Just make sure they add value for users while adhering to Google’s terms of service!
Backlink audits can also help track earned and lost links, and identify opportunities for your ecommerce store. Such audits can be automated with tools like Semrush (which offers a free trial version). Small SEO Tools offers another free service which lets you analyse competitor PAs. This gives an insight into their standing on Google.
