What is Ecommerce SEO and Its 20 Benefits- Table of Contents
What is eCommerce SEO?
Ecommerce SEO is the process of optimizing an online store’s website to improve its visibility on search engines like Google. This involves various strategies and techniques such as keyword optimization, website structure improvements, and content enhancements. The goal of ecommerce SEO is to increase organic traffic to the online store, attract potential customers, and ultimately boost sales and revenue.
Ecommerce SEO or Ecommerce Search Engine Optimization is considered crucial for ranking an eCommerce website at the top of Google search results. In reality, it is related to your eCommerce website’s ranking on the Google search engine. Whenever you search for a website on Google, your result’s ranking is determined by the website’s eCommerce SEO.
If you want to attract more attention to your eCommerce website or online business, having good eCommerce SEO is essential. Ecommerce SEO provides an excellent way to increase your website’s traffic without spending heavily on advertising and support. SEO is all the time evolving and ever-changing science and nothing remains constant for long, which makes it very challenging to understand.
To gain expertise in eCommerce SEO, it is imperative to gain a basic understanding of it and sound knowledge of its fundamentals. Starting from trends to algorithms, everything should be learned and understood well in order to use SEO effectively.
When the internet came into existence, eCommerce SEO was not just a marketing tool. Its primary focus is to understand search results and work around the internet. However, a lot has changed now. SEO is not just a technique for search; it has become an excellent marketing tool for your brand.
If you’ve just started your website or want to take your business into digital mode, SEO will play a vital role. However, you don’t need to be worried because you don’t need to dive deep into SEO. Just Being aware of the basics and staying updated with the changes around you will be more than sufficient.
Why SEO is Important for eCommerce?
There are several benefits of ecommerce SEO because it is a great way to enhance your business in 2024.It’s on the rise as more people use technology for shopping. Many folks have been able to make their business dreams come true with it. But, there’s a lot of competition in this field, which can be tough to deal with. Success means being creative and staying on top of things as the business world keeps changing. Let’s delve into this article and understand what is Ecommerce SEO and what are the benefits of ecommerce SEO.
Benefits Of Ecommerce SEO
- Helps in Ranking Your Website
- Bring Organic Traffic to Your Business
- Build Trust
- More Visibility
- Attract the Right Customers
- Cost-Effective
- Stay Competitive
- Build Trust
- Better User Experience
- Mobile-Friendly
- Local Presence
- Get Insights
- Adapt to Changes
- Global Reach
- Better Credibility
Types of eCommerce SEO
- ON Page SEO
- OFF Page SEO
- Technical SEO
On-Page SEO
On-page SEO is a technique through which we optimize our web pages in such a way that they rank on search engines, allowing more traffic to flow to our website or blog.
With on-page SEO, we optimize the content of any website or blog post so that when Google’s crawler or any user reads our website’s content, they can easily understand what our content is about.
From an SEO perspective, on-page SEO is of paramount importance for our website because its primary purpose is to inform any search engine about the content of our website and the keywords we are targeting within our website or blog post.
In simple terms, on-page SEO requires us to work on our website and web pages, optimizing them according to search engine algorithms so that when Google’s crawler visits our website, it can easily understand and index our website.
If you want to get traffic from search engines to your blog posts or website, you have to do on-page SEO for your website. In today’s world, most people are connected to the internet, and they search for things on the Google search engine. Therefore, if you want to rank your blog post on Google, you must do SEO (Search Engine Optimization). The best thing about on-page SEO is that the more you optimize your website or blog post’s content, the better results you will see.
On page SEO Strategy
Structure of Content
Imagine reading a book without chapters or headings. It’d be pretty confusing, right? The same goes for web content. Organize your content into clear sections with headings and subheadings. This not only makes it reader-friendly but also helps search engines understand your content better.
Keywords in Titles – Optimized Titles
Think of titles as the book covers of your web pages. They should be enticing and include relevant keywords that tell both readers and search engines what your page is about. Keep them concise and engaging. Do not Spam your keywords in the content.
Header Tags
Headers are like the table of contents for your web page. Use H1, H2, and H3 tags to structure your content. The H1 tag should contain your main keyword and introduce the topic. Subsequent headings should break down the content logically.
Image Optimization
Images are fantastic for engaging readers, but they can slow down your website if not optimized. Compress images, use descriptive file names, and add alt text (a brief description of the image) to make them SEO-friendly.
Internal Linking
Think of internal links as signposts within your website. They guide readers to related content on your site, improving their experience. Plus, they help search engines understand the relationship between your pages.
Depth of Content
Longer, more comprehensive content often performs better in search results. However, don’t sacrifice quality for quantity. Ensure your content is valuable, informative, and genuinely helpful to your audience.
Implement Schema
Schema markup is like adding extra information to your content in a language that search engines understand. It can make your search results more attractive and informative, leading to higher click-through rates.
Optimized URLs
Your URLs should be clean and descriptive. Avoid using numbers or random characters. Include relevant keywords to make them SEO-friendly. A well-structured URL can give a quick idea of what the page is about.
OFF Page SEO
Off-page SEO is like the reputation-building of the internet. While on-page SEO focuses on improving your website from within, off-page SEO is all about what others say about you out there.
It’s like building trust and popularity in the online world. From getting mentioned on other websites to having people share your content on social media, off-page SEO strategies work to make your website a trusted and respected destination on the vast web, helping it rank higher in search engine results.
Off-page SEO involves assessing the behavior of websites on the internet. It helps Google determine which websites people prefer on the internet, which websites are more popular on social media, and which websites have more quality backlinks.
Based on these factors, Google ranks websites in its search results, especially when a significant amount of high-quality content is present.
If your niche has low competition, then Off-Page SEO may not be as crucial, and you can potentially achieve a good Google ranking by focusing on on-page SEO.
However, in highly competitive niches, Off-Page SEO becomes crucial for obtaining a high position in Google search results. In such cases, you’ll need a substantial number of quality backlinks and a strong social media presence.
OFF Page Strategy
Search Engine Submission
Imagine your website as a new restaurant in town. To attract customers, you’d want to make sure everyone knows you’re open. Similarly, search engine submission is like sending an invitation to search engines like Google and Bing. You’re saying, “Hey, my website is here, come check it out!” This helps those search engines discover your website and list it in their search results, so people can find you when they’re looking for something related to your site.
Free Classifieds Submission
Think of free classifieds as online bulletin boards where people post ads about things they want to buy or services they need. When you submit your business information to these classified websites, you’re essentially posting a digital ad for your products or services. It’s a way to get noticed by potential customers who are browsing these classifieds for what they need.
Image Submission
Imagine you’re an artist, and you want to showcase your artwork. Sharing your images on platforms like Pinterest or Instagram can attract art enthusiasts. Likewise, image submission in off-page SEO involves sharing pictures related to your business on image-sharing websites. These images can include products, services, or even informative visuals. When people see and like your images, they might visit your website for more information.
PDF/Presentation Submission
Think of this like creating a brochure or a slideshow about your business and sharing it with others. By turning your valuable content, like guides or reports, into PDFs or presentations, you’re making it accessible to a broader audience. Sharing these documents on platforms like SlideShare or Scribd can help others discover your expertise and drive traffic to your site.
Social Bookmarking
Imagine you have a list of your favorite books or websites that you want to save for later. Social bookmarking is like doing that but on the internet. You save links to your own website or web pages on special websites designed for this purpose. It not only helps you keep track of your favorite online places but also makes your content more discoverable by others who use those bookmarking sites.
Forum Posting
Think of forums as online communities where people discuss various topics. Suppose you’re an expert in gardening, and you join a gardening forum. By actively participating in discussions, answering questions, and sharing your knowledge, you can establish yourself as a gardening authority. When appropriate, you can also include links to relevant pages on your website. This not only helps other forum members but also brings interested visitors to your site.
Guest Posting
Guest posting is like being a guest speaker at a conference. You write articles for other websites in your industry or niche. These articles showcase your expertise and can include links back to your website. It’s a way to reach a wider audience and build your authority in your field, kind of like giving a presentation to a different group of people.
Press Release Submission
Imagine you have exciting news to share about your business, like launching a new product or winning an award. Press release submission is like sending an official announcement to news outlets. When you submit a press release, it gets published on various news websites, reaching a broader audience and generating buzz about your business.
Infographic Submission
Visuals can often explain things better than words. Creating informative infographics and sharing them on websites dedicated to visuals can help simplify complex information. When people find your infographics engaging and informative, they’re more likely to share them, driving traffic back to your website.
Video Submission
Videos are a fantastic way to engage with an audience. Creating compelling videos and sharing them on platforms like YouTube can expose your content to a massive audience. Be sure to optimize your video titles and descriptions with relevant keywords to increase your chances of being discovered.
Q/A Submission
Think of Q&A websites like Quora as a place where people ask questions about various topics. By actively participating and providing helpful answers to questions related to your expertise or business, you can build your reputation as an expert. When appropriate, you can link to your website to provide additional information.
Off-page SEO is all about spreading the word about your business or content across the internet. It’s like networking and promoting your business in different online communities. By being genuine, helpful, and sharing valuable information, you can gradually build your online presence and attract more visitors to your website.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO is a process through which we optimize our website’s SEO by fixing technical and internal factors. This helps search engines efficiently crawl, index, and boost the ranking of our website.
Technical SEO is of utmost importance because when your website’s technical SEO is well-optimized, it makes it easier for search engines to understand and process information about your website. This, in turn, leads to search engines rewarding your website and improving its ranking on Search Engine Result Pages.
For a website to rank on the first page of a search engine, it’s crucial to optimize not only On-Page and Off-Page SEO but also Technical SEO. It’s highly important that your website is well-understood by search engines, properly indexed, and has several aspects of Technical SEO in place.
For example, your website should load quickly, you should instruct search engine crawlers about which pages not to index, keep your website secure, and address many other technical aspects.
Technical SEO Strategy
Site Structure – Organization Matters
Think of your website as a well-organized room. Keep related things together so that it’s easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for. If you run a clothing store, don’t mix up shoes with hats; keep them in their own sections.
Consistent and Logical Site Structure
Imagine your website is like a recipe book. Keep similar recipes in the same category, like desserts together and main dishes in another. This helps visitors and search engines navigate your website smoothly.
Check for Crawling Issues in Google Search Console
Google Search Console is like your website’s health check. It tells you if there are any problems that could prevent Google from understanding your site. Fixing these issues ensures Google can explore and list your pages properly.
XML Sitemaps
An XML sitemap is like an index in a book. It lists all the pages on your website, helping search engines find and organize your content efficiently.
Robots.txt
Think of robots.txt as a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door. It tells search engines which parts of your website they can explore and which parts they should skip.
Mobile Friendliness
With so many people using smartphones, your website should be like a mobile-friendly app. It needs to look good and work smoothly on small screens to keep visitors happy.
No Index Tags
Imagine having a private diary. Some pages on your website might be like that diary, and you don’t want everyone to see them. Adding a “noindex” tag is like locking that diary away from search engines.
Canonical URL Implementations
Think of this as telling search engines which page is the “main” one when you have similar ones. It prevents confusion and ensures the right page gets the attention.
Optimize Your 404 Pages
A 404 page is like a friendly guide when visitors get lost on your site. Customize it to direct them back to where they want to go or suggest other interesting pages.
Add SSL Certificate
An SSL certificate is like putting a strong lock on your website’s front door. It ensures that information exchanged between your website and visitors stays secure and private.
Website Speed
Imagine waiting in line at a slow checkout counter. A slow website is like that – frustrating. Speeding up your site is like opening more checkout lanes, making visitors happier and more likely to stay.
What is EEAT in ecommerce SEO
E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
This is a set of guidelines from Google to help determine the quality of a website’s content. It’s like a scorecard for websites.
Expertise
This is all about knowing your stuff. Just like you’d trust a doctor for medical advice, Google wants to see that the people behind a website are knowledgeable in their field. So, if a site talks about health, it should have experts who really understand health topics.
Authoritativeness
Imagine you’re at a library, and there’s a book written by a well-known expert on a topic. You’d trust that book more, right? Google looks for the same thing online. It wants to see that your website is seen as an authority in its area. It’s like having a good reputation.
Trustworthiness
Think of trustworthiness as being reliable and honest. You’d trust a friend who always gives you good advice, right? Google wants to see that a website can be trusted to provide accurate and truthful information. It’s like having a reliable friend online.
And yes, in 2022, Google added an extra ‘E’ for “Experience” to E-A-T. This means they also consider the experience that users have on a website. It’s like looking at how easy it is to find what you need and how pleasant your time on the site is.
So, E-A-T is like Google’s way of making sure that the websites it recommends are run by knowledgeable, reputable, and trustworthy sources, and that they provide a good experience for users. It’s all about helping people find reliable and helpful information online.
Benefits Of Ecommerce SEO
Helps in Ranking Your Website
As we’ve discerned from the preceding discussion, eCommerce SEO plays a pivotal role in elevating your digital footprint. Whether you operate an online store or conduct ecommerce, a profound understanding of SEO is imperative. Implementing SEO strategies for your business can lead to the augmentation of its ranking on search engines, thereby engendering a significant influx of organic traffic. Consequently, this heightened visibility can catalyze the growth of your enterprise.
Bring Organic Traffic to Your Business
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a powerful tool for drawing real visitors to your website without relying on paid ads. It works by understanding what words people use when searching for things online, which we call keywords. Once you know these keywords, you can create informative and valuable blog posts or content that includes them. When your content matches what people are searching for, it makes your website more visible in search engine results.
This increased visibility means more people are likely to find and visit your site naturally, without you having to pay for ads. It’s a cost-effective way to build an audience and grow your online presence, whether you run a blog, an ecommerce store, or any other type of website.
Build Trust
SEO not only drives an increasing number of visitors to your website but also significantly enhances user accessibility and fosters trust in your online platform. A well-optimized website is akin to a welcoming and easily navigable storefront in the digital landscape.
Moreover, eCommerce SEO isn’t solely about boosting search engine rankings; it also revolves around delivering valuable, informative, and relevant content to your audience. When users find that your website fulfills their needs and interests, they develop trust in your expertise and credibility. They begin to see your website as a reliable source of information.
There are many more benefits of Ecommerce SEO:
- More Visibility: Boost your website’s chances of being seen by potential customers when they search online, leading to increased visits and sales.
- Attract the Right Customers: By optimizing for specific keywords, you attract visitors who are actively searching for the products or services your business offers, improving the likelihood of converting them into customers.
- Cost-Effective: Unlike traditional advertising, where costs can add up quickly, SEO provides a cost-effective way to market your products, especially as ongoing costs are generally lower.
- Stay Competitive: Outranking competitors in search results gives your business a noticeable advantage, attracting more attention from potential customers.
- Build Trust: Higher search rankings often translate to increased trust among online shoppers, making them more likely to choose your products or services.
- Better User Experience: A well-optimized site structure and content not only please search engines but also make it easier for visitors to navigate your website, enhancing their overall experience.
- Mobile-Friendly: With more people shopping on their phones, ensuring your website is mobile-friendly is crucial for reaching a broader audience and providing a seamless experience.
- Local Presence: For businesses with physical stores, local SEO strategies help your establishment show up in local search results, directing nearby customers to your business.
- Get Insights: Utilize SEO tools to gather valuable data and insights into customer behavior, helping you make informed decisions about your products and marketing strategies.
- Adapt to Changes: SEO is an ongoing process, allowing your business to adapt to changes in the market, customer preferences, and search engine algorithms, ensuring continued success.
- Global Reach: Establishing a strong online presence through SEO enables your business to reach a global audience, expanding your customer base beyond geographical boundaries and potentially increasing sales worldwide.
- Better Credibility: Having a great website makes customers trust your business more. People like to buy from companies that have been around a while. When you use SEO for your online store, you make your website better, put good stuff on it, keep away bad links, and use social media to talk about what you sell. Doing all this helps customers believe in your business and think it’s trustworthy.
Some eCommerce SEO Facts You Must Know
- 23.6% of ecommerce orders are directly linked to organic traffic
- 44% of people start their online shopping with a search engine.
- On average, the first result in Google SERP has 3.8 times more backlinks than the rest (2–10).
- 75% of people never scroll past the first page of search engines.
- 95% of search traffic goes to the first page of search results.
- 70% of searches use more than three words.
- 33% of small-to-midsize businesses have optimized websites.
- 61% of Google searches are done via mobile devices.
- At least 43% of all the ecommerce traffic comes from Google’s organic traffic.
- Moving up 1 search engine results page (SERP) will boost your click-through rate by an average of 30.8%.
- On-page content, such as your blog, can increase traffic by as much as 2000%, which can directly impact your SEO ranking.
- On average, the first result on Google contains 1890 words.
- Brand websites containing blogs have 97% more internal links that ultimately boost your SEO performance.
- Approximately 25% of Google searches contain a minimum of one video each.
- Search engines generate 300% more traffic for websites than social media.
- 14.6% of SEO-generated leads are converted into sales.
- Video content is 50 times more likely to drive organic search results than plain text.
- Updating existing content with fresh images and written content can increase organic traffic by 111.3%.
- 43% of all ecommerce traffic comes from organic Google search results.
- Google Images, Google Maps, and Google search account for at least 92.96% of the global organic traffic.
Importance Of eCommerce SEO For B2B
In the world of B2B ecommerce, SEO plays a critical role in driving traffic, generating leads, and ultimately boosting sales. With businesses increasingly relying on digital platforms for their purchasing decisions, the visibility of your B2B website in search engine results can make or break your success.
A strong SEO strategy can ensure that your products or services are easily discoverable by potential buyers who are actively seeking solutions to their business challenges.
Moreover, implementing effective ecommerce SEO tactics not only attracts more traffic but also helps in targeting the right audience. By optimizing content around specific keywords and phrases relevant to your B2B offerings, you can position yourself in front of decision-makers and procurement professionals who are ready to engage with high-quality suppliers.
This targeted approach not only increases the chances of conversion but also enhances the overall user experience by delivering valuable information when it’s most needed. In today’s competitive B2B landscape, embracing SEO is no longer an option – it’s a necessity for staying ahead of the curve and making meaningful connections with potential clients.
Best Ecommerce SEO Strategies
Keyword Research
To make your online store better, start by finding out what words people use when they look for what you’re selling. This is called keyword research. When you know these words, you can write better stuff for your website.
Keywords are really important for helping people find your website through search engines like Google. They should be a big part of how you tell people about your store. If you don’t use the right keywords, you might miss out on attracting new customers and experiencing the full benefits of ecommerce SEO.
Establish an Easy Website Architecture
To create a good online store, you need to start with a simple website design. This means how your website is set up and how people use it. When someone goes to your website, they should find it easy to look around and use. it not only enhances their experience but also contributes to the benefits of ecommerce SEO.
Having a simple and strong website design is the first step to a good website. It’s like making sure the base of a house is strong before you build the rest. This helps stop problems later and makes it easier to add new things to your website.
Create Unique Product Descriptions
Your product descriptions should be really interesting to make people want to buy from your store. Writing a good description is very important. It needs to clearly tell customers what they will get when they decide to buy something.
On-Page SEO
To get your website on the first page of search results, you need to think about many things. These include:
- Choosing the right keywords
- Writing good titles for your pages
- Creating meta descriptions
- Writing content for your pages
- Using keywords in H1 tags (main headings)
- Making a clear URL structure for your pages
- Adding descriptions to your images (alt texts)
- Keeping your image sizes right
- Making sure your pages load fast
All these elements are crucial for on-page SEO success and exemplify the benefits of ecommerce SEO.. For instance, when you describe your images well (alt text), it means when someone clicks on an image, they see a useful description instead of just an empty space
Optimize Images
Images are really important for making sales. They show what the product looks like and its details. When you make your images load faster and look better, it also helps your whole website work better.
Fasten Site Loading Speed
Page speed is about how fast your website’s content shows up. You can make it faster by doing things like:
- Compressing your files to make them smaller.
- Cutting down on redirects, so there are fewer steps to load a page.
- Getting rid of code you don’t use in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- Removing JavaScript that slows down loading.
- Using browser caching, so return visitors load your site faster.
- Making your server respond quicker.
- Using Content Delivery Networks to speed up content delivery.
Use Schema Markup
Schema markup is like giving search engines a guide to what your web pages are about. When you use schema markup, you help search engines understand your web pages better. This way, they can show your pages in search results the right way
Use Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is a good way to spread the word about your business on the internet. Websites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram are great places to tell people about your products and your brand. They can help you get more people to visit your website. You can use these social media sites to get people excited about your business and bring them to your site.This strategy complements the benefits of ecommerce SEO by enhancing brand visibility and audience engagement.
Create Quality Content
After you know which keywords are important for your business, start making content about those topics. Your main aim is to give helpful information to your audience so they keep coming back to your site. This includes writing about your products, making blog posts, creating pages that welcome visitors, and even updating social media.
Link Building
Building backlinks is an important part of SEO. It’s about getting more and better links from other websites to yours. Having good backlinks can make your online store show up higher in search results.
Backlinks are when other websites link to your site. They’re good for your search ranking because they show that other websites think your site is valuable. You should think carefully about which links within your site and which links from other sites you use. If you choose good sources or if other places use your site as a reference, it can make your brand more trusted, more well-known, and improve your site’s ‘link juice’.
Maintain Site Security
This SEO strategy focuses on keeping your website safe from harmful activities. Here are some best practices:
- Intercept and copy information going in and out of your web applications. This helps you keep an eye on what’s happening on your site.
- Stay away from bad, spammy links. These can harm your website’s reputation and search rankings.
- Use a SaaS-based Content Management System (CMS) because they often have better security features.
- Make sure your website is hosted in a secure environment. A good hosting service can protect your site from various online threats.
These practices protect your website from harmful activities and are integral to the benefits of ecommerce SEO, safeguarding your site’s reputation and search rankings.
FAQ- Your Burning Questions Answered!
1. Is it feasible for a beginner to handle eCommerce SEO for their business independently?
Absolutely, beginners can handle SEO independently. Starting with the basics is a good beginning. As you learn more and use advanced SEO strategies, you’ll get better at managing your website’s SEO on your own.
Remember, SEO can be a bit complex and it changes over time, so keep learning to stay updated. It’s also a good idea to connect with experienced SEO professionals for helpful insights.
2. What are the main benefits of ecommerce SEO businesses?
There are several benefits of ecommerce SEO to your business. First and foremost, it significantly enhances your online presence. Think of SEO as a digital spotlight that illuminates your website, making it more visible in search engine results. This increased online visibility is pivotal in ensuring that potential customers can easily find your business when searching for related products or services.
Moreover, SEO plays a pivotal role in driving organic traffic to your website. There are several benefits of ecommerce SEO, by optimizing your website’s content and structure to align with the interests of your target audience, SEO helps your site climb the search engine rankings. This, in turn, draws in more visitors who are genuinely interested in what you offer, increasing your potential customer base.
3. Should ecommerce sites focus more on product pages or blog content for SEO?
Both product pages and blog content are crucial for a successful ecommerce business. Product pages are like the storefront where you showcase what you’re selling. They need detailed descriptions, alt text, and meta descriptions to attract customers and make sales.
On the other hand, blog content provides more information about your business and products. It also helps bring in customers by offering useful information. So, it’s important to have a good balance of both to run a successful ecommerce business.
4. Can ecommerce SEO alone improve the conversion rate of a website?
SEO e commerce is undeniably responsible for higher conversion rates. It achieves this by improving the user experience in several ways. Optimizing your website’s structure, ensuring faster page loading, and providing valuable content make your site more appealing. A positive user experience reduces bounce rates, keeping visitors engaged and more likely to convert into customers
5. Is it necessary to hire an ecommerce SEO professional for successful business?
Absolutely, it’s crucial to have professional SEO assistance for your ecommerce business. If you have the technical know-how, you can learn from online resources. However, if you lack the expertise, hiring an SEO professional becomes imperative to bolster your online business effectively. A skilled SEO expert can make a significant difference in optimizing your ecommerce site and improving its online presence.
Conclusion
SEO is of utmost importance if you are planning to start an online store. These businesses rely heavily on their online presence to attract and convert customers, making search engine optimization a critical factor in their success. By optimizing product descriptions, category pages, and other content with relevant keywords, ecommerce sites can enhance their search engine rankings. Moreover, factors like website speed, mobile-friendliness, and quality backlinks are pivotal in ensuring that potential customers can easily find and engage with the online store. A well-executed SEO e commerce strategy is indispensable for driving organic traffic, increasing sales, and outperforming competitors in the fiercely competitive landscape of online retail. We hope that you have understood the benefits of ecommerce SEO. Wish you luck!
