We have created the ultimate guide for you to learn all about eCommerce SEO.
With conflicting opinions roaming around the internet, it can be confusing to find out what best practice is when it comes to SEO for eCommerce. So keep reading and let us break it down for you.
What Is SEO
Let's start with the basics, so what is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. Essentially, it refers to the process of perfecting your content to get to the top of search engines such as Google. This is done through the use of keywords and/or phrases that people are searching for.
People only want to see what's relevant to them. Makes sense right? So that's what Google prioritises. When you include common words that people use in their searches, Google will bump up these results so that users get the most relevant information.
What Google wants is for people to find the answers to their questions at the very top of the first page of results.
That's why people keep using Google time and time again - because it helps them find the answers to their questions.
The reality is that around 40% of people will find your eCommerce site through searching rather than any other way. So you can do all the marketing you like, and you may still not get the traffic you need.
The final piece of the puzzle is eCommerce SEO so that people will find your site when they search for products like yours.
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SEO for eCommerce
So, how can you best do SEO for eCommerce? Writing engaging and exciting product descriptions is a fantastic start. Then, to back it up, you need some beautiful, high-quality images.
The one thing that everyone looks for when buying products these days is reviews. Reviews not only prove the quality of your products but that your site is a real eCommerce store.
They want to be sure that they will get exactly what they are paying their hard-earned money for.
If you create an offering that is the best choice for your customers, they will end up finding your site. So all you need is to do what you do really well to get great eCommerce SEO.
There are many ways that you can make this happen, so keep reading to find out what they are.
Keyword Research
The very first thing you'll need to do for SEO is eCommerce keyword research. It's the most essential element of successful SEO so don't try skipping this step.
What you're trying to achieve with keyword research:
- Find relevant keywords that you can easily rank for and get to the first page of results
- Find relevant keywords with a high level of traffic so you get lots of people coming to your site
Buyer Intent
Start your keyword research by thinking about buyer intent. Buyer intent, otherwise known as commercial intent, simply refers to how far along someone is in their decision to purchase a product. For example, someone may search 'best frying pans'. This person is still researching which type of frying pan they might want. They are likely not ready to buy one just yet.
Or, someone could search 'Baccarat Granite Frypan'. This person has likely already done their research and knows that they want this brand and type of frying pan.
By locking into buyer intent with your keywords, you can make sure you target people who are already ready to purchase.
How To Do Keyword Research
One of the best ways to do keyword research is with Google. Choose a seed keyword - this is the main word or phrase that describes your product. For example, 'frying pan'. Then start typing that into Google and see what the autofill options are. These are some of the most searched keywords, so you can choose to use those.
Or when you search 'frying pan', scroll down to the bottom of the first results page. There, you will find many alternative search options. These also make fantastic keywords.
Research Competitors
Another way of performing keyword research is to find out who your competitors are and find out what keywords they use. Simply google your keyword and click on the webpage of a high ranking competitor. Then you can use your skills of detection to browse their site and figure out what their keywords are.
LSI Keywords
Once you have your keywords, you can think about some LSI keywords to go along with them. LSI keywords are simply semantically related words that relate to your original word. For example, if your keyword was 'frying pan', you could use the similar words of 'skillet' or 'wok' somewhere in the text. Any avid home cook knows that these are different cooking implements, but perhaps those searching for a skillet or a wok are also in the market for a frying pan. That's the reason we include keywords similar to the main phrase.
On-Page SEO
Now that you have got your list of keywords, you're ready to develop some on-page SEO. This should be done both for your category pages and product pages.
They follow pretty much the same steps, except that you won't need product description for your category page. Keep any text 300 words or less for category pages.
Here are some easy steps you can use to optimise each product page on your site:
Include the Keyword in the Heading
To do this, you should first be using the H1 heading setting for this to be the most effective. This helps Google denote that it is a heading. Then ensure that your heading includes the keyword. For example, 'Black Cast Iron Frying Pan'.
Add the Keyword to the URL
For each product page, the URL should include your keyword. Try to keep your URLs as simple as possible. They should only be your base URL, followed by the category, and the keyword for this product. For example, 'www.homeware.com/kitchenware/fryingpan'.
Write a Description of 1000 words +
This may seem like a lot, but Google ranks longer pages higher. The best format is a description next to the image of around 300 words, and have the rest below.
That way your page will rank but you're keeping a fantastic user experience by not making people scroll through screeds of description. The part below could be useful information, such as how to care for your frying pan.
Include Your Keyword In the Text
The description mentioned just above should mention your keyword a few times. However, don't overstuff your keyword. Keep it natural and just use your keyword wherever it fits in well rather than trying to force it into the text.
Add the Keyword to the Meta Data and Alt Text
Adding keywords to the parts behind the scenes can help you rank for that keyword as well. You should include it in the metadata for the page as well as the alt text for images.
Google reads images by analysing the alt text, so it relies on this to know what's in the image. That's why adding your keyword here is so important.
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We recommend that you spend a lot of time on your keyword research, as this can really help you nail eCommerce SEO.
By finding out the buyer intent and using keywords related to this, you can attract people who are searching for exactly your product. Then, you just need to include your keywords in your on-page SEO to create a killer site.
Great SEO is not about tricking people into clicking on your site. Instead, it's about making your site easy to find by those who are actually looking for your products.
That's why we say that if you create a fantastic site, you should naturally achieve a high click-through rate and amount of page visitors.
