You’ve worked hard to craft a Shopify website where you can sell products that speak to consumers. You spent time picking the theme, loading your catalog and descriptions, and building your marketing plan. However, no matter how impressive your site looks or how easy it is to navigate, if your Shopify store isn’t search engine optimized, your chances of organically attracting your target audience is slim.
There’s no way around it: good SEO brings more people to your Shopify store. Data compiled by MineWhat found that 81% of consumers research a product before they make a purchase. If your store doesn’t appear higher in rankings, you could miss out on a sale — even if your products are more high quality. SEO has the power to either siphon customers with intent to purchase, or take them away.
What Your Shopify Store Needs
Every Shopify store needs a good foundation for SEO. And every SEO foundation is built upon good Keywords. Without great keyword research, you’ll never be targeting the right audience, and when you don’t target the right audience, your chances of attracting people who are likely to purchase are slim. Furthermore, when you know about your keyword research, you’ll be able to apply that knowledge to other areas of the business, like content marketing.
Begin your keyword research by making a list of keywords that you think are relevant to the business. Be specific here– if you sell office supplies, this doesn’t mean you should list keywords for office-supply related terms belonging to products you don’t sell. Just because it attracts people who are interested in office supplies, doesn’t mean they’ll appreciate going to a site that doesn’t have the product they initially searched for on Google.
Use keyword research tools to help you glean pertinent information about your potential keywords. Keyword research tools tell you which keywords are in high demand, which keywords have the lowest competition, volume, and cost per click data. You’ll also be able to tell which keywords are being used by your competitors on their most popular pages. Most keyword research tools offer free and paid versions, however, if you just want to test out how it works, you can use the Google Keyword Tool Planner.
Make Smart Product Descriptions
Once you have a thorough understanding of what keywords you need to use, you can apply them to your product descriptions. It’s important that you avoid keyword stuffing in your descriptions. Google knows when content is unnatural, and you’ll likely get penalized for making such a move. Some products you sell may seem self-explanatory; for example, your office supply store may have a hard time describing items like staplers and paper. Fortunately, you can have fun with your descriptions to spice things up (and brand yourself in the process).
ThinkGeek did just that with a paragraph-long description of a simple LED flashlight that begins with the line: “You know what’s sucky about regular flashlights? They only come in two colors: white or that yellowish-white that reminds us of the teeth of an avid coffee drinker. What fun is that kind of flashlight?”
Encourage Reviews From Shoppers
When you invite customers to leave reviews, you’re creating a platform to help increase your ranking. One ZenDesk survey found that 90% of participants are influenced by positive online reviews. Other studies have indicated similar findings: on average, most people trust online reviewers just as much as they trust word-of-mouth recommendations. It’s important that not only are these reviews on review platforms, but on your product pages as well. There are several ways to convince customers to review your business; weigh your options, and figure out which method is suited for your business.
Getting SEO Help
If all the talk about SEO overwhelms you, consider working with a marketing firm or agency to guide you in the right direction. Having an expert on your side allows you to learn more about the techniques behind SEO, as well as focus more on your product, and delivering a great customer service experience.
According to SEOInc, an SEO consulting company in San Diego, some businesses worry about working with an agency out of fear of relinquishing control, but this actually isn’t the case – so long as you work with a reputable company.
Shopify has become a top choice for selling online. Because of the increasing importance of driving customers to Shopify-powered sites, Shopify SEO has been experiencing rapid growth in recent years and is expected to continue to grow exponentially. SEOInc
You may even consider working with an experienced freelancer who has demonstrable skills in SEO and an extensive portfolio. Whatever you decide, keep in mind that SEO is something that needs to be done right, and unless you can devote the time to learn the best tactics and successfully apply them, it’s a better investment to delegate those skills to another party.
The eCommerce Guide to CAC, LTV, and Click-to-Purchase Rates on Mobile
Whether it's CAC, LTV, or click-to-purchase rates, this paper walks the modern eCommerce marketer through the steps they can take to decrease spend and increase revenue on mobile.
The eCommerce Guide to CAC, LTV, and Click-to-Purchase Rates on Mobile
Whether it's CAC, LTV, or click-to-purchase rates, this paper walks the modern eCommerce marketer through the steps they can take to decrease spend and increase revenue on mobile.
© 2017 DK New Media. All Rights Reserved. Visit and Subscribe to MarTech today!
