Want to get organic traffic to your store so you can make some sales? Ecommerce search engine optimization, or SEO, is how you do that.
Optimizing your website for search engines will help increase visibility, attract potential customers, and improve your chances of turning those visitors into buyers.
SEO can be broken down into a bunch of smaller disciplines. There’s technical SEO, which is about your site’s speed, structure, and security. Then there’s on-page SEO which is focused on making individual pages more searchable. Then there is content marketing and link building, which is about making pages people want to read and then getting those pages in front of readers.
It’s a lot to take in, especially if you don’t have a technical background. It’s for that reason that we compiled this guide to give you some actionable tips to help you get started.
So let’s begin with a quick definition of eCommerce SEO.
What is Ecommerce SEO?
Ecommerce SEO is all about optimizing your online store to rank higher in search engine results. Unlike general SEO, eCommerce SEO zeroes in on product and category pages, optimizing for relevant keywords, and enhancing the user experience to turn visitors into customers. It targets specific search terms to attract shoppers actively looking for the products you sell.
Good SEO impacts your store’s visibility, making it easier for customers to find your products. High search rankings lead to increased organic traffic and better conversion rates. Effective SEO strategies also boost your online presence, helping you attract and retain customers, which ultimately drives sales and growth.
In this guide, we’ll provide tips on how exactly you can optimize for SEO.
Technical SEO Tips
Optimizing the technical aspects of your site is crucial for better search engine rankings. But technical SEO can get complex if you research it online.
To help you get started, here are some concrete steps to help you optimize your technical ESO.
#1: Optimize your site structure.
A well-organized site structure is a must for SEO. As Nikola Baldikov, CEO of Inbound Blogging, suggests, “start with defining your categories. They should be logical and intuitive, so both users and search engines can browse the website easily.”
He continues, saying, that “if you don’t know where to start, try checking what your competitors are doing and gathering some ideas. Simply uploading products without considering the organization can cause your visitors to get confused and hurt your sales.”
#2: Make sure your website is mobile-friendly.
Mobile optimization is key since search engines prioritize mobile-friendly sites. After all, 45% of web users shop through their phones.
Brandon Schroth, Founder at Reporter Outreach, emphasizes that “mobile phones are the most popular form of devices used to perform online shopping.” He goes on to say that “if a website is not mobile optimized, user experiences may be imperiled, in addition to search rankings being affected.”
Make sure your site is responsive and adapts to different screen sizes. This is because a mobile-friendly site enhances user experience, reduces bounce rates, and boosts search performance. Or, put in a less technical way, people stay on your site for longer and are more likely to buy.
#3: Improve site speed.
Fast-loading websites rank higher and offer a better user experience. “Speed matters more than you think,” says Nathaniel Miller at The SEO Marketing Dad. “Make sure your site loads fast and looks great on mobile. Customers expect quick, seamless experiences, and Google rewards it too.”
If you want to improve your site’s load time, then optimize images, turn on browser caching, and minimize HTTP requests to improve loading times. Use tools like GTMetrix to find and fix speed issues.
#4: Secure your site with HTTPS.
Security is a ranking factor, and HTTPS ensures that data exchanged between your site and users is encrypted. Make sure you have a valid SSL certificate to secure your site. Additionally, HTTPS improves user trust and can lead to better search engine rankings, as search engines prefer secure sites.
If you have trouble doing this, use Why No Padlock to troubleshoot.
On-Page SEO Strategies
On-page SEO is all about optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and attract more relevant traffic from search engines. Here are some specific tips you can apply today to improve your on-page SEO.
#5: Optimize product pages with targeted keywords.
Make sure to incorporate relevant keywords naturally in your product titles and descriptions. Use keywords that your potential customers are likely to search for. Be sure to also include them in headings, subheadings, and bullet points. This helps search engines understand your content and rank your pages higher for those specific terms.
But that said, avoid the temptation to stuff keywords into product titles and descriptions. You instead want to incorporate relevant keywords naturally. Tom Jauncey of Nautilus Marketing advises that you “optimize product pages with unique, keyword-rich descriptions and high-quality images. Too many eCommerce sites rely on manufacturer descriptions, which can hurt rankings. Make sure each product page offers value in terms of content.”
#6: Use high-quality images and optimize alt text.
“The first SEO tip for an eCommerce site is image optimization,” says SEO consultant, Jase Rodley. “Since eCommerce is all about visuals, make sure all product images are high quality and have descriptive alt text with relevant keywords. This helps with SEO and accessibility.” He also recommends using user-generated content like customer reviews and testimonials, which he says, “adds fresh unique content to your product pages and builds trust with potential buyers.”
#7: Create compelling meta descriptions.
Meta descriptions are short descriptions of your page that can be sent to search engines. Usually, they are 160 characters at most.
You need to write concise and compelling meta descriptions for each page. This will involve summarizing the page content and including targeted keywords.
Now you should know – meta descriptions not always appear in search results. It depends on the search terms used and, frankly, whether or not Google feels like using your meta descriptions.
But all the same, well-written meta descriptions increase the odds that searchers turn into visitors.
#8: Optimize URL structures for clarity and keywords.
Create clear, concise URLs with relevant keywords. Avoid long, complex URLs. Google, and other search engines, tend to dislike long URLs or ones that contain irrelevant information like random numbers.
Additionally, as Ross Kernez from SEO Meetup suggests, building links from trustworthy websites in your industry can further enhance your site’s rankings by signaling credibility and relevance to search engines. “Aim to get links from well-known, trustworthy websites in your industry,” says Kernez. “These good links help boost your site’s ranking in search engines.”
Content Marketing for SEO
Creating valuable content is a good way to improve your search rankings. Sometimes, this means improving the quality of your product pages with reviews or FAQs. Other times, it means creating blog posts, videos, and other forms of content to help answer questions that your customers may have.
No matter how you choose to go about it, content marketing is a proven way to help boost your SEO.
#9: Start a blog related to your niche.
It’s not relevant for every niche, but it works like a charm when it is! Regular blog posts can improve your search rankings and also help you establish your site as an authority in your industry.
Blogging allows you to create keyword-rich content that attracts organic traffic. In order to do this, write about topics relevant to your niche, addressing common questions and sharing useful knowledge.
#10: Use user-generated content.
Encourage customers to leave reviews and testimonials on your site. User-generated content (UGC) adds credibility and naturally incorporates relevant keywords.
“Feedback and reviews from your existing customers offers social proof and helps to convince and convert new customers,” says Michelle Symonds, CEO of Ditto Digital.
It’s not hard to understand why search engines like UGC. Much like human beings, search engine bots like seeing proof that your brand is as good as you say it is!
Positive reviews can also improve your search rankings and attract more visitors by showing that you have satisfied customers.
Building up UGC takes time. But one way you can speed up the process is by remembering to ask customers to leave reviews. Many will if you remember to ask!
#11: Build a keyword-rich FAQ page.
Create an FAQ page that addresses common questions and concerns related to your products. As you answer questions, you will naturally use keywords in the questions and answers.
“I would recommend that sites prioritize their product descriptions,” says Kim Butler from Online Optimism, “being sure to answer any potential questions their customers might ask. You could also include this in frequently asked questions after descriptions to add more value.”
In addition to being good for SEO, adding FAQs improves user experience, on top of simply driving organic traffic to your site.
Link Building Techniques
Search engines tend to favor websites that other sites link to. When other sites link to your website, these are called backlinks. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the better your website will rank.
So here are some tips on how you can build up your backlinks.
#12: Implement a link-building strategy.
“Link building, [such as] building links to the root of your domain via brand mentions, is not only important but is one of the most natural ways to obtain backlinks over time,” says John White from Complete White Label. “I recommend doing this via expert commentary campaigns.”
That’s just one technique you can employ though, as there are a lot of ways you can get backlinks. Many of them boil down to networking.
To acquire quality backlinks, reach out to the owners of larger sites. Offer to create guest blog posts or strike up a partnership. A lot of this will come down to outreach, often cold outreach, done via email or social media.
Another good way to build up your link profile is by getting mentioned in the media. You may also consider using websites like Qwoted or HARO to get in touch with reporters.
#13: Partner with influencers for content outreach.
Collaborate with influencers to create and share content that includes links to your site. Influencers can reach a wider audience and provide high-quality backlinks. This not only improves your link equity but also drives targeted traffic.
“Apart from increasing your credibility,” says Brandon Schroth from Reporter Outreach, “this will also help expand your brand’s reach. Moreover, these collaborations help in producing creative and original content that can be published on social networks and other digital media, thus generating quality backlinks and increasing the visibility of your website.”
Overall, this is a smart way to increase brand awareness. This is especially true in some niche markets such as cosmetics.
It’s also useful to remember that influencers aren’t just people with big Instagram or TikTok followings. Reporters, reviewers, bloggers, and even community organizers are all influencers in the broader sense of the term. Don’t overlook them because of all the people talking into ring lights!
#14: Use internal linking wisely.
“Don’t skip out on the importance of internal linking,” advises Nathaniel Miller from The SEO Marketing Dad. “Internal linking is a powerful way to guide users and spread link equity. Don’t overlook it.”
Internal linking helps distribute page authority throughout your site and improves navigation. Link related products, blog posts, and category pages to enhance user experience and SEO. Be sure your most important pages receive the most internal links.
You will also want to make sure you use descriptive anchor text. That means avoiding turning words like “here” into links. The linked text itself needs to tell you something about the page that is being linked to.
Advanced SEO Tips
SEO advice can become very complex. If you follow all of the previous tips but are still looking for further ways to improve, here are a few more things you can do.
#15: Use schema markup for rich snippets.
Schema markup helps search engines understand your content. When you use schema markup, it can improve search result visibility with rich snippets.
Rich snippets include additional information below the meta description in the search result. That might include a product rating, number of reviews, price, delivery cost, returns policy, and similar information.
Paul DeMott, CTO at Helium SEO, explains that using it for “highlights like stock, ratings, and pricing can boost your presence on search engine result pages by offering rich snippets.”
In order to add rich snippets, you need to implement schema markup. This can get complex, so here is a guide on how you can do this in Shopify.
While complex, it is often worth it. That’s because rich snippets improve click-through rates by making your listings more attractive.
#16: Optimize for voice search.
Voice search is becoming more common. So think about the kinds of keywords people will use when using Siri for search.
Think about how you can get your pages to rank when using natural spoken language. Think about the kind of long-tail keywords that reflect how people speak.
Truthfully, this is very hard to do. But if you answer common questions directly in your content, such as descriptions, you will improve your odds of appearing in the voice search results. This is because of the conversational nature of copywritten text online.
For more information, check out this post by Design Rush on voice search best practices.
#17: Focus on local SEO if applicable.
You might also consider optimizing your eCommerce site for local search if you have a physical store or target a specific region. Include your business address, phone number, and operating hours on your site. Use local keywords.
If nothing else, create a Google My Business listing to improve your visibility in local search results.
#18: Use comparison pages.
“Comparison pages targeting keywords like ‘Product A vs. Product B,’ are perfect for capturing bottom-of-funnel shoppers who are ready to buy but need that final push,” says John Butterworth of Mint SEO.
“They’re searching for specific product comparisons, so give them a clear breakdown of features, benefits, and pricing to help them decide. If your page has a clear winner, it’s likely the customer will purchase that product straight after reading.”
#19: Make gift guides for seasonal SEO.
Another underrated tip, advocated for by Hemapriya Natesan is creating seasonal guides. She says that you can “create blogs centered around popular themes, like holiday gift guides, that incorporate long-tail keywords.”
On those pages, you can “showcase your products with high-quality images, customer experiences, and descriptions that illustrate why they’d make thoughtful gifts.”
It should be noted this can be a solid way to acquire first-time customers since shoppers tend to be more open to new brands during the holidays.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to SEO, there is one animating principle. Make a site that people want to find!
In practice, that means creating a site that is easy to use, secure, and loads quickly. That’s where technical SEO comes in. Every single page needs to be useful, which is where on-page SEO is handy.
The best sites make content that users want to find and distribute it to other websites where it can be found. To accomplish that, you need content marketing and link-building.
Take a few of these tips and think about how you can apply them to your site. There’s a good chance that they’ll help you improve your eCommerce SEO game!
Further Resources
For further learning and implementation of advanced SEO techniques, consider the following tools and resources:
- Google Search Console: Monitor and maintain your site’s presence in Google search results.
- Ahrefs: Comprehensive SEO toolset for keyword research, backlink analysis, and site audits.
- Moz: Offers tools and resources for SEO learning, including keyword explorer and link-building strategies.
- SEMRush: An all-in-one marketing toolkit for SEO, including competitive analysis and site audits.
- Yoast SEO: A popular WordPress plugin to optimize on-page SEO.
- Neil Patel’s Blog: Extensive resources and guides on SEO best practices and strategies.
