Ecommerce Search Engine Optimisation: Boosting Online Sales

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Credit: pexels.com, Wooden blocks spelling SEO on a laptop keyboard convey digital marketing concepts.

Ecommerce search engine optimisation is crucial for boosting online sales, as it helps your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). A study found that 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results.

To start, you need to understand that search engines like Google use algorithms to rank websites based on relevance and user experience. These algorithms consider factors such as keyword usage, page speed, and mobile-friendliness.

Keyword research is essential in ecommerce SEO, as it helps you identify the most relevant and high-traffic keywords related to your products. By incorporating these keywords into your product titles, descriptions, and meta tags, you can improve your website's visibility in search engine results.

Research and Planning

Research and Planning is a crucial step in ecommerce search engine optimization (SEO). Every ecommerce SEO campaign should start with keyword research because it's the basis for every other SEO-related task you do on your website.

Credit: youtube.com, How to Rank No. 1 on Google: Ecommerce SEO Secrets

Keyword research is a VERY big deal for your ecommerce site. Without keywords, you can't optimize your product and category pages. Your list of keywords should even influence your technical SEO, as search algorithms look at the keywords in your site architecture and URLs, too.

To find untapped terms that your customers search for, conduct keyword research by identifying all product category pages you should build, ensuring you cover all relevant keywords and product groups. For example, if you run an online pet store like "PetPals", you should research keywords such as "organic dog food", "natural cat treats", and "eco-friendly pet toys."

To do keyword research, think about the Google search your customers will make, the questions they have, and what they might search when looking for your product or services online. You can use tools like Keyword Tool Dominator to scrape Amazon's search suggestions, which can give you dozens of keyword suggestions, including long-tail keywords.

Here are the different types of keywords you should focus on when doing keyword research and creating content:

  • Product-focused keywords that capture potential customers' interests in products like yours. Examples include: “maxi dresses” and “dog food.”
  • Transactional keywords that contain words indicating a high purchase intent, such as “maxi dresses on sale” or “dog food deals.”
  • Long-tail keywords that fewer people are searching for online but tend to attract targeted traffic, such as “blue bamboo maxi dresses” or “best organic dog food.”
  • Subcategory keywords for each of the broad product categories on your site. For example, for toys and games as a broad product category, subcategory keywords might include dolls, action figures, board games, educational toys, costumes, and sporting equipment.
  • Semantically related keywords that are very similar to your main keywords. You can often find these kinds of keywords by performing a Google search for your main term and looking at "related searches" further down on the search result page.

By following these steps, you'll be well on your way to conducting thorough keyword research and creating a solid plan for your ecommerce SEO campaign.

Amazon Optimization

Credit: youtube.com, Amazon SEO - How To Optimize Your Amazon Listing And Rank In Search

Amazon Optimization is a crucial step in ecommerce search engine optimization (SEO). Amazon is the biggest ecommerce site online, making it a goldmine for researching product keywords.

Amazon's search bar suggests targeted keywords, also known as long-tail keywords, which tend to convert better and are less competitive. These are especially helpful for your research.

Looking at Amazon's categories is also a great way to find keywords for your category pages. Amazon's main categories are listed when you click on the "All" button at the top of the homepage.

Clicking on a category and its subcategories can help you find category-focused keywords that match your site's offerings. For example, if your site sells healthy dog food, you'd go to the "Pet Supplies" category and then click on "Dog Food" to find relevant keywords.

Amazon's sidebar filters on category pages show keywords they use to describe their products. You can use these keywords as valuable suggestions for your category pages.

Credit: youtube.com, Amazon SEO: How To Rank Products On The First Page On Amazon

Pro Tip: If your category is unique in some way, make sure to include that unique feature in your keyword. This can help you target less competitive and more targeted long-tail keywords.

Here are the types of keywords you can gather from Amazon and competitor research:

  • Product-focused keywords gathered from Amazon’s suggestions and competitor research
  • Category-based keywords pulled from Amazon’s categories and your competitors’ top-performing pages
  • Long-tail keywords that target specific, less competitive terms your customers search for

SEO Tools and Techniques

SEO tools are available to help you discover keywords, monitor your site's performance, and research competitors' SEO. SEMRush and Ahrefs are two popular options that offer a range of functions.

SEMRush can perform competitor research, keyword research, and content and social media marketing, while Ahrefs can perform competitor and keyword research, conduct a site audit, and track your rankings. Google Search Console and Google Analytics are also useful tools for measuring your site's search traffic and performance, and monitoring the performance of your marketing, content, and products.

Here are some key features of popular SEO tools:

  • SEMRush: competitor research, keyword research, content and social media marketing
  • Ahrefs: competitor and keyword research, site audit, content ideas, and ranking tracking
  • Google Search Console: search traffic and performance measurement, content optimization, and site map submission
  • Google Analytics: marketing, content, and product performance monitoring, data analysis, and ad management
  • Ubersuggest: competitor SEO analysis, winning strategies and content ideas

Use Tool Dominator

Use Tool Dominator to boost your keyword research. This free tool scrapes Amazon's search suggestions to give you dozens of keyword ideas.

Explore further: Google Ranking Keyword

Credit: youtube.com, Unlocking the Power of Keyword Tool Dominator: The Ultimate Guide for Boosting Your SEO

Keyword Tool Dominator is a game-changer for finding long tail keywords. It's way faster than Amazon Suggest and gives you more ideas.

For example, typing "organic dog food" into Amazon Suggest returned 10 keyword ideas. Keyword Tool Dominator, on the other hand, spat out 95.

This tool is a must-have for ecommerce businesses looking to increase their search engine rankings.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a powerful tool that can help you expand your SEO game and achieve higher rankings. It offers a range of features, including site audits to optimize your ecommerce site and site explorer to analyze competitors.

Ahrefs boasts itself as an all-in-one SEO tool, with offerings such as keyword explorer to find out what your customers are looking for. This is particularly useful for ecommerce websites, where understanding customer search behavior is crucial.

The keyword explorer feature can help you discover the exact keywords your competitors are already ranking for. This can give you valuable insights into their SEO strategies and help you identify opportunities to outrank them.

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Ahrefs also offers a content explorer feature, which allows you to view the top content on the web for your industry. This can help you identify gaps in your content and create more relevant and engaging content for your audience.

Here are some of the key features of Ahrefs:

Overall, Ahrefs is a valuable tool for ecommerce businesses looking to improve their SEO and drive more traffic to their site.

Page Optimization

Page optimization is a crucial aspect of ecommerce search engine optimization. To improve your page's visibility and ranking, you need to make sure it's optimized for the right keywords.

Optimizing your page for specific keywords can give you an edge over competitors. For example, if you're selling bamboo cutting boards with handles, optimizing your ecommerce category page around the keyword "bamboo cutting board with handle" can help you crack Google's top 10.

Properly optimizing your page requires a deep understanding of your target audience and their search behavior. You can use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify issues and implement solutions like image compression, code minification, and leveraging browser caching.

Credit: youtube.com, How to Rank No. 1 on Google: Ecommerce SEO Secrets

To improve page speed, you can compress large product images using tools like ShortPixel to reduce load times. This can enhance user experience and boost SEO rankings.

A good rule of thumb is to keep every page three (or fewer) clicks from your homepage. This makes it easy for users and search engines to find all of your pages. Concentrating link authority in the site's product and category pages can also help these pages rank in Google.

A well-optimized ecommerce site architecture is essential for SEO. It should be simple, scalable, and easy to navigate. Here are some key elements to consider when optimizing your ecommerce site architecture:

  • Keep every page three (or fewer) clicks from your homepage
  • Concentrate link authority in the site's product and category pages
  • Use a flat site structure to make it easy for users and search engines to find all of your pages

Here are some examples of how to implement these elements:

  • Use short, keyword-rich URLs that include a one- or two-word description of the category
  • Use forward slashes to indicate folders or directories that house related pages
  • Use product schema to display rich snippets like price, availability, and reviews

By following these best practices, you can improve your page's optimization and increase your chances of ranking higher in search engine results.

On-Page Optimization

On-Page Optimization is a crucial aspect of ecommerce search engine optimization. You can improve your site's visibility and drive more traffic by optimizing your product and category pages.

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To optimize your product and category pages, create unique content that satisfies searcher intent and is authoritative within your industry. This can be achieved by starting a blog and posting new content regularly to answer potential customers' questions, teach them about your products, and encourage their trust.

Use headings, subheadings, and numbered and bulleted lists to easily scan content. Ensure target keywords are used strategically throughout the text, headings, and subheadings, but avoid keyword stuffing.

Here are some key on-page optimization strategies:

Create unique and authoritative content.Use headings, subheadings, and lists to improve content scannability.Use target keywords strategically, but avoid keyword stuffing.

By implementing these strategies, you can improve your site's on-page optimization and drive more traffic to your ecommerce store.

On-Page

On-Page optimization is a crucial aspect of ecommerce SEO. A well-optimized on-page structure can improve your site's search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your store.

Take a look at this: On Page Seo Content

Credit: youtube.com, On-Page SEO Tutorial | On-Page Optimization Step By Step | SEO Tutorial For Beginners | Simplilearn

To start, focus on creating unique content that satisfies searcher intent and is authoritative within your industry. This can include starting a blog and posting new content regularly to answer potential customers' questions and encourage their trust.

A good rule of thumb is to structure each page to lead visitors through a logical thought process. Use headings, subheadings, and numbered and bulleted lists to easily scan content.

Ensure target keywords are used strategically throughout the text, headings, and subheadings. However, avoid keyword stuffing, which can make your site copy difficult to read and cause search engines to penalize your site.

Internal linking is also an ecommerce SEO best practice. Link from authoritative pages to high-priority product and category pages to distribute link equity throughout your site and improve overall SEO.

Here are some internal linking strategies to consider:

By implementing these on-page optimization strategies, you can improve your site's search engine rankings, drive more traffic to your store, and increase conversions.

Adding Modifiers for Long-Tail Traffic

Credit: youtube.com, On-Page SEO Weapon for Long-Tail Traffic

Adding modifiers to your title tag can help you show up for more long-tail searches. This is because people often use specific words and phrases when searching for products in Google.

Some common terms people use when searching for products include "cheap", "deals", "review", "best", "online", and "free shipping." You can add these words to your title tag to increase your chances of ranking for long-tail searches.

Here are some Click Magnet Words that can help you get more clicks:

  • X% off ("25% Off")
  • Guarantee
  • Lowest Price
  • Free Shipping
  • Overnight Shipping
  • Sale

These words are like magnets for clicks, and can help you get more traffic to your website. By incorporating them into your title tag, you can increase your chances of ranking for long-tail searches and getting more sales.

Category Page Optimization

Category page optimization is a crucial aspect of ecommerce search engine optimization. Amazon's categories and subcategories can be a great resource for finding category-focused keywords that match your site's offerings.

Clicking on a category and looking at the subcategories can help you identify relevant keywords. For example, if your site sells healthy dog food, you'd go to the "Pet Supplies" category and click on "Dog Food" to find keywords used to describe dog food-related products.

By incorporating these keywords into your category pages, you can improve their relevance and help them surface for high-value inquiries.

Check Amazon Categories

Credit: youtube.com, The Perfect Ecommerce Category SEO Framework

Checking Amazon categories is a great way to find keywords for your ecommerce site. This involves looking at the categories your competitors, including Amazon, already use.

Click on the "All" button at the top of Amazon's homepage to list their main categories. These categories are probably too broad for your site.

Click on any category that makes sense and look at that department's subcategories. For example, if you expand the "Fitness" category, it breaks down to "Exercise & Fitness", "Yoga", "Sports Medicine", and "Accessories."

Dig through the list to find category-focused keywords that match your site's offerings. If your site sells healthy dog food, you'd go to the "Pet Supplies" category, then click on "Dog Food" from the list.

Amazon will show you keywords they use to describe their dog food-related products in the sidebar filters. These are all valuable keywords to consider using for your dog food ecommerce category pages.

Credit: youtube.com, How To Optimize Your Category & Collection Pages For SEO | Kai Cromwell

You can also turn broader keywords into more targeted ones by including your site's unique features. For example, you could turn "dry dog food" into "healthy dry dog food" or "raw dry dog food."

Here are the types of keywords you can gather from Amazon and your competitors:

  • Product-focused keywords gathered from Amazon’s suggestions and competitor research
  • Category-based keywords pulled from Amazon’s categories and your competitors’ top-performing pages
  • Long-tail keywords that target specific, less competitive terms your customers search for

Category Page: In-Depth Descriptions

Writing in-depth descriptions for category pages is crucial for ecommerce sites. This is because category pages still generate sales, even if they don't convert as well as product pages. So, it makes sense to spend time finding keywords for your category pages.

To start, look at the categories your competitors already use. For example, if you're competing against Amazon, click on the "All" button at the top of the homepage to see Amazon's main categories. Then, dig through the list to find category-focused keywords that match your site's offerings.

Here are some tips for writing in-depth descriptions for category pages:

  • Incorporate written content throughout these pages, including relevant supporting paragraphs with target keywords.
  • Identify opportunities to include structured data, branded imagery with optimized alt text, and a keyword-rich page title/H1.
  • Use longer tail keywords that target specific, less competitive terms your customers search for.

Here's an example of how to optimize category page descriptions:

  • For a category page on "Organic Pet Food", include subcategories like "Organic Dog Food", "Organic Cat Food", and "Organic Bird Food."
  • Use keywords like "healthy dry dog food" or "raw dry dog food" to target specific searches.
  • Make sure to include a keyword-rich page title/H1, such as "Stylish Maxi Dresses for Every Occasion at [Name of E-Commerce Site]."

By following these tips, you can create comprehensive category pages that group related products and make it easier for customers to find what they need. This not only improves user experience but also helps search engines understand the structure of your site.

Technical Optimization

Credit: youtube.com, Understand search engine optimization (SEO) | Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Certificate

Technical Optimization is crucial for ecommerce sites to rank well in search engines. Technical SEO issues can be the tiebreaker between a site ranking 4th and 1st on Google's first page.

To fix technical issues, regular Site Audits are key. You can use tools like Semrush, DeepCrawl, Sitebulb, ScreamingFrog, or Site Condor to run a technical SEO audit on your ecommerce website.

Here are the top technical SEO issues to focus on:

  • Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
  • Make your site mobile friendly
  • Increase site speed
  • Create an XML site map
  • Avoid duplicate content
  • Add structured data markup to your website
  • Register your site with Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools
  • Fix broken links
  • Correct Product Schema

A well-optimized site architecture is also essential. This means simplifying and organizing your site's structure, so visitors can find what they're looking for in three clicks or less.

Architecture Setup

Setting up a solid architecture is crucial for any ecommerce site. A well-structured site makes it easy for users and search engines to find all of your pages.

Keep things simple and scalable, that's the first rule of ecommerce site architecture. This means avoiding clutter and making sure your site can grow with your business.

Credit: youtube.com, Cost Optimizing Your Architecture: Practical Design Steps for Developer Savings

Keep every page three or fewer clicks from your homepage, that's the second rule. This flat structure helps search engines like Google crawl and index your site more efficiently.

A simple, flat architecture makes it easy for browsers to find what they want, and it's great for SEO too. Concentrate link authority in your product and category pages for better ranking.

A well-optimized ecommerce site architecture should have a concentrated authority in its product and category pages. This helps these pages rank in Google and makes it easy for Google to find and index every page.

Take a look at PetSmart.com, a real-life example of an ecommerce site with awesome architecture. Within three clicks, you've found what you want, and Google can fully index all of their pages.

Creating a sitemap and submitting it to Google through your Google Search Console can help the search engine understand your site's structure. This document lists all the crawlable pages on your site, making it easier for Google to understand what your ecommerce website is about.

Consider reading: Azure Index Search

Fix Technical Issues

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Fixing technical issues is crucial for ecommerce sites, as they tend to have many pages that can lead to technical SEO problems. Technical SEO issues can be the tiebreaker on Google's first page, especially for ecommerce sites with few backlinks.

Ecommerce sites with lots of pages are more prone to technical SEO issues, which can be the difference between a No. 1 ranking and a lower spot. Regular technical SEO site audits are essential to identify and fix these issues.

To run a technical SEO audit on an ecommerce website, you can use tools like Semrush, DeepCrawl, Sitebulb, ScreamingFrog, or Site Condor. Semrush's Site Audit tool is particularly useful for ecommerce sites with numerous pages.

A technical SEO audit provides an overview of your site's health, including an overall health score, number of errors, warnings, and notices, and thematic reports like Crawlability, HTTPS, and Core Web Vitals. You can click on any of these reports to get a deeper analysis.

Explore further: Semrush Search Volume

Credit: youtube.com, Optimizing SEO Technical Issues

The Crawlability report shows how easily search engines can access and index your site's content, which is crucial for ecommerce sites with lots of product pages. You'll get a prioritized list of issues to fix, along with a description of the problem, why it matters for SEO, and how to fix it.

Here are some common technical SEO issues to fix:

  • Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
  • Make your site mobile friendly
  • Increase site speed
  • Create an XML site map
  • Avoid duplicate content
  • Add structured data markup to your website
  • Register your site with Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools
  • Fix broken links
  • Correct Product Schema

Fixing these issues can help increase your organic search traffic and improve your search engine rankings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between SEO and eCommerce SEO?

SEO aims to increase overall website traffic, while eCommerce SEO focuses on driving targeted traffic to product pages to boost conversions

What is SEO in e-commerce?

SEO in e-commerce is a free method to increase your online store's visibility on search engine results pages. By optimizing your website, you can attract more customers and drive sales

Claire Beier

Senior Writer

Claire Beier is a seasoned writer with a passion for creating informative and engaging content. With a keen eye for detail and a talent for simplifying complex concepts, Claire has established herself as a go-to expert in the field of web development. Her articles on HTML elements have been widely praised for their clarity and accessibility.

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