When it comes to Ecommerce, high search rankings are your holy grail.
According to Hubspot, 80% of a website's traffic begins with a search query, and search engine marketing - including SEO - has been found to be the most effective acquisition channel for 85% of retailers.
But if you're going to explore the wide world of Ecommerce SEO, you need a plan. So grab your khakis and your map. We'll be your guide on this dangerous - but rewarding - quest!
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1. Navigate your way to the top with Blogs
Ultimately, search engines want to deliver the best, most authoritative results for their searchers. Blogging is a fantastic way to build up your power ranking, but it doesn't end there.
TIPS:
- Identify how much time you can commit to blogging. We'd recommend a posting frequency of at least once a week. Consistency is key!
- Don't post for the sake of it! Make content valuable and worthy of a read.
- Create an editorial calendar to mix up your topics and titles. Mix up your topics and titles, and be in control of your messaging.
- Inbound links are gold, but don't forget outbound links. Strike up relationships, which can lead to links and social shares.
BENEFITS:
- Increases SEO footprint.
- Allows you to optimize for certain specific keywords.
- Demonstrates authority and thought leadership.
- Great content attracts social shares and inbound links.
- Allows you to link to internal content.
2. Become a 'Moving Man'
Credit to Brian Dean for this one! Quality inbound links are like votes for your website, acting as key trust signals for search engines.
The Moving Man Method involves identifying links to once-useful resources that no longer exit, then replacing them with links to your own content.
TIPS
- Start by identifying expired domains or redundant resources. Use tools like ExpiredDomains.net, or search Google for news on business closures or rebrands.
- List it out. Get a list of pages that point to the expired resource(s).
- Carry out basic outreach. Notify the site's administrator of the broken link and request to replace it with yours as a positive alternative. Most will be happy to swap it out!
BENEFITS
- Increase your odds of highly contextual and high-quality links.
- Improve your chances of higher visibility for your Catalog and Product pages.
- Enjoy highly targeted links for better traffic.
3. Explore the Social Media landscape
Social shares are arguably more important than 'follows.' Be as visible as possible by sharing social gems and becoming a social gem.
TIPS
- Add social buttons to as many pages as possible. Make it easy for your content to be shared - product pages, content pages and blog posts.
- Be a social butterfly. Join relevant circles and get your message out there.
- Don't be socially awkward! Use social triggers. Use keywords and hashtags in your social posts to get noticed.
BENEFITS
- Increase brand awareness
- Climb the ranks in popularity and authority
4. Seize the Holy Grail of On-Page SEO
On-page SEO is becoming more impactful for eCommerce stores. Rand Fishkin from oz has discovered that Google is giving more and more weight to higher CTR and longer page visits.
TIPS
- Write unique product descriptions. Compelling content can keep shoppers on your page longer, which can help conversions. Differentiate your store from others who sell similar products and avoid the punishing effects of duplicate content.
- Optimize your product images. Not only do they need to look great, but they should also have a logical URL and be optimized with alt tags.
- Build trust with user reviews. Reviews provide insight for potential customers while it offers Google more unique content to be indexed. Plus, they're free!
BENEFITS
- Increase visitor traffic
- Rank higher on search engines
- keep shoppers on your website longer
- Stand apart from the competition
5. Build a stronger structure
Give proper attention to your site's architecture. It needs to be watertight for you, for your users and for search engines.
TIPS
- Seek out errors and scope out pitfalls. Run your site through Screaming Frog SEO Spider tool (free!) to pick up errors like duplicate content or other missteps.
- Optimize user navigation and ease of use. Avoid huge menus and tedious drop-down menus. Use helpful elements like breadcrumbs, and empower your users to get around your site with ease and confidence.
- Be responsible with tags and titles. Proper title tags and meta descriptions make your site poised for peak performance.
- Track and measure results. Use Ecommerce tracking with Google Analytics for routine checkups.
BENEFITS
- Get better rankings with better User Experience.
- Create better opportunities to turn shoppers into customers.
- Keep current and elude unpleasant surprises.