Does your Ecommerce website appear when consumers search for your products? If not, you might want to use eCommerce search engine optimization (SEO). SEO for eCommerce websites can boost your search engine rankings. With higher rankings, you can generate more website traffic and sales to boost your ROI. In fact, 68% of all online activity begins with a search engine. Only 25% of people click beyond the first page, though. If your eCommerce site doesn’t appear at the top, people might not find your store. Here are nine tips that can help you use eCommerce SEO on your site. With these tips, you can boost your rankings. In time, you can appear ahead of competing stores. Set your business up for long-term growth. Start optimizing with these nine search engine optimization tips today.

1. Research Your Audience

First, it’s important not to make assumptions when developing your search engine optimization strategy. Instead, begin by gathering research. Your research will ensure you focus on the right keywords and create personalized content.  Personalization can help you show consumers you understand their interests, pain points, and needs. About 80% of consumers say being treated like a person is important to winning their business. Over 70% get annoyed when content doesn’t align with their interests. Meanwhile, 52% of customers switch brands if they fail to personalize communications. Personalizing your content could lead to a 10% lift in sales. In order to personalize your eCommerce SEO content, you need to understand who your customers are and what they care about. Start by reviewing your website analytics. Then, segment your audience into smaller buyer personas. You can distinguish customers based on:

• Pain points
• Interests
• Hobbies
• Buying behaviors
• Age
• Gender
• Location
• Household income
• Language
• Education
• Marital status

For example, you might sell clothing for both men and women on your website. You can create content that appeals to each gender.  Perhaps you sell exclusive, expensive products. You might focus on consumers with a higher household income.  Understanding who your customers are will help you appeal to their search intent. The customer’s search intent indicates what they expect to find during a search. If you don’t appeal to their intent, your content might not appear for that search. 

2. Gather Keyword Research

Once you understand your audience, start gathering keyword research. Your eCommerce SEO keyword research will inform your content strategy. You can use these tools to start gathering a list of keywords:

• SEMRush
• Keyword Planner
• Google Trends
• Answer the Public
• Ahrefs

Focus on long-tail keywords that are phrased as questions. Then, you can focus on answering the customer’s questions within a blog post. Long-tail keywords are more precise. You’ll have an easier time appealing to their search intent. Shorter keywords like “shirts” are too broad. The customer might want to find “how to tie-dye shirts” or “shirt design company.” You could struggle to appeal to the right search intent. 

3. Update Your eCommerce Website

In order to effectively use SEO for eCommerce websites, it’s important to audit your website. Google prioritizes websites that offer a positive user experience (UX). If your eCommerce site is difficult to use or navigate, consumers might leave. If they leave without exploring, your bounce rate could rise. A high bounce rate on your site can hurt your search engine rankings. Lower rankings will make it more difficult for shoppers to find your eCommerce store during a search.  Start auditing your site by running it through Google’s PageSpeed Insights, Mobile-Friendly Test, and Core Web Vitals. Make sure it’s fast and mobile-optimized for all users. Nearly 40% of people will stop interacting with a poorly designed site. Another 40% stop engaging with slow websites. A poor UX will drive 50% of people to your competitors, too. Consider working with an experienced web design and development agency to improve your site with the UX in mind.

4. Create Quality Blog Content

Creating high-quality, engaging blog posts can help you attract more customers to your eCommerce website. Start by reviewing your keyword research. Choose a single focus keyword for each blog post. Then, create content that appeals to the user’s interests. Experiment with different types of posts, including:

• Infographics
• eBooks
• Videos (Q&A, product demos, how-to, etc.)
• Blog posts/articles
• Polls
• Quizzes
• VR/AR

Make sure your posts are informative and helpful. Provide readers with information they can’t find anywhere else.

5. Optimize Your Pages

In order to use SEO for websites, you’ll need to optimize your content with keywords. Make sure each page has a unique focus keyword. Then, include your keyword in the:

• URL
• Page title
• Meta description
• Opening and closing paragraphs
• Body text
• An H1 header
• Image alt text
• Image file name

Avoid keyword stuffing by using synonyms and related keywords on each page. Make sure to optimize each product page, too!

6. Generate Links

There are three types of links that can enhance your eCommerce SEO strategy. Internal links send readers to other pages on your website. For example, you can link to a product page within one of your blog posts. External links send readers to other websites. You can link to studies, research, or other blogs. Backlinks are links that send readers on other websites to your eCommerce store. Backlinks with a high domain authority can boost your SEO rankings. Consider guest blogging or working with an influencer to generate backlinks. 

7. Track SEO Trends

Google’s search engine algorithm changes throughout the year. Make an effort to track the latest SEO trends. For example, featured snippets and voice search are gaining popularity. Video content is becoming more popular, too. Appealing to these trends can further boost your SEO rankings. 

8. Share Your Content

Once you start creating blog posts, share them! Send an email newsletter or share your content on social media. Sharing your content will help you generate more traffic. Generating more organic traffic could further boost your SEO rankings. 

9. Work With an SEO Pro

You don’t have to develop an eCommerce SEO strategy alone. Consider using SEO services this year. Working with an SEO professional can help you further boost your SEO rankings. Then, you can experience the benefits of SEO like an influx of traffic and sales!

SEO for eCommerce Websites: 9 Tips for Higher Search Rankings

Higher search engine rankings can help you reach more customers online. Consider using SEO for eCommerce websites this year. With a strong SEO strategy, you can generate more sales than ever before. Boost your rankings with these tips today.  Need help getting started? We’re here for you. Contact us today to discuss your eCommerce SEO strategy.

The post How to Do SEO for Ecommerce Websites: 9 Effective Tips appeared first on Forge Digital Marketing.