How To Improve Your e-Commerce Site with SEO [Checklist]

Learn how to improve e-commerce site SEO to drive organic traffic. Utilize alt-image text, focus keywords, unique product descriptions, and SEO e-commerce best practices on your e-commerce site for the best results.

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Are you looking for ways to drive more organic traffic to your site? 

Paid traffic is good but free, organic traffic through e-commerce site SEO helps to improve your page ranking in addition to your traffic.

    What is SEO for E-commerce?

    The process of optimizing an online store for search engines is known as search engine optimization (SEO) for e-commerce.

    One example of such optimization would be populating each individual product page with lengthy SEO product descriptions that include relevant keywords. 

    The ranking position of your online store may also be improved by obtaining backlinks from websites that are related to your business.

    E-commerce site SEO (search engine optimization) is the practice of producing more organic traffic (i.e., traffic that is not paid for or is free) to your online business from search engines such as Google and Bing.

    You are sent to the search engine results page (also known as the SERP) whenever you conduct a search on Google, for instance.

    You may build your online shop by generating more traffic, leads, and sales with the help of SEO for e-commerce. E-commerce site SEO gives you the ability to appear in search results that are more relevant to your business.

    A higher number of sales might result from having a higher ranking on Google for the product keywords that your consumers look for.

    E-commerce SEO vs SEO

    E-commerce search engine optimization places a primary emphasis on on-site optimization, which makes it simpler to get leads and complete transactions.

    However, search engine optimization (SEO) for e-commerce websites involves more than simply adding keywords, producing blog posts, and acquiring connections, in contrast to SEO for content-focused websites. 

    You need to have an understanding of how search engines function and the things that they value.

    This requires having a working understanding of SEO for e-commerce, taking into consideration the recommendations provided by Google, assessing the purpose of the buyer, and strategically executing it.

    It is possible that prospective buyers are looking for a specific product, an entire product category, or information (content) about a product.

    Therefore, in order for your keywords to be effective on e-commerce websites, they need to be changed appropriately for each of these:

    1. Product pages: These keywords will be rather particular, and they will most likely be composed of any product features that are relevant, such as the brand name, model number, color, and size.
    2. Category pages: These will include more general information because the buyer may not know exactly what they are searching for at this point in the shopping process.
    3. Content pages: On these pages, you should provide “content phrases” that link to further information about the products or services you provide. Writing blog posts centered on these terms is a very effective strategy for attracting organic visitors.

    Why is SEO Important for E-commerce?

    Search engine optimization is the industry standard for all types of websites. 

    A strong search engine optimization plan is the most effective technique to attract customers to your website, regardless of the products or services that you offer.

    Search engine optimization is essential since it is one of the most crucial things that draw visitors to your website. 

    It is the factor that decides where things rank on search engines. It investigates the experience that visitors to your website have.

    When it comes to identifying which websites are the greatest, most popular, and most beneficial for people to visit based on their search terms, SEO is the undisputed king

    If you want to have your website seen by more people, there is no getting around how crucial search engine optimization (SEO) is.

    The industry has long credited SEO as the primary factor in determining where websites are ranked across the various search engines.

    E-commerce shops will gain significantly from SEO in particular. In fact, many individuals think that online retailers should place an even greater emphasis on search engine optimization in order to improve their rankings and increase the number of customers they have.

    It might be challenging to rank an online store’s website. You have a lot of work to do, such as incorporating keywords into brief descriptions, making sure your website is easy to navigate, checking for graphics that load slowly, and more. E-commerce SEO is a challenging endeavor.

    However, search engine optimization for online stores is essential, particularly in the early stages of an online store’s website and operation. 

    As a result, it is in your best interest to educate yourself on the intricacies of e-commerce and the best ways to optimize your website for search engine optimization.

    Choosing the Best E-commerce Platform For SEO

    Choosing an e-commerce platform that has the best SEO features is essential to boosting your online sales. However, not all platforms are created equal. There are many factors that you must consider in order to find the right platform for your business.

    Aside from the SEO features, you should also consider the overall functionality of the platform. 

    Ensure that the platform supports mobile optimization and offers a good user experience.

    For instance, do you want to have social media sharing buttons on your site? If so, consider a platform that can accommodate them.

    The best e-commerce platforms are easy to use and offer the best SEO features. These features can boost your SEO ranking, traffic, and conversion rate. 

    They can also increase your profitability.

    State of Marketing Report 2024

    Fortunately, there are a number of e-commerce platforms to choose from.

    16 SEO Checklist Tasks to Perform on Your E-commerce Site

    In order to drive organic traffic to your e-commerce site, make sure you go through the following checklist, implementing each one. 

    Some of these will be easier to accomplish, such as avoiding duplicate content. Others will be more time-consuming, such as optimizing alt-text for images.

    However long you spend on this SEO checklist, it will be well worth it in the long run. You will almost certainly see positive results after ensuring that each item has been done.

    1. Keyword Research
    2. Don’t Duplicate Content
    3. Use Original Title Tags
    4. Use Keywords in URL and Headings
    5. Use Alt Text
    6. Use Robust Content
    7. Write Snippet
    8. Minimize Page Load Time
    9. Design For Mobile-First
    10. Toggle on Indexing
    11. Add a Site Map
    12. Enable HTTPs
    13. Resolve Page Errors
    14. Confirm Excluded Pages
    15. Incorporate Schema Markup
    16. Include Canonical Tags

    E-commerce SEO Best Practices

    The following recommendations for best practices in search engine optimization for online stores are provided to help business owners improve their rankings and conversion rates while simultaneously lowering their risk of being punished by search engines.

    If you follow the steps in this guide, you will get knowledge about the most effective SEO techniques for e-commerce websites, as well as the steps necessary to adopt these methods on your own website.

    Use Focus Product Keywords

    Sizes, measurements, colors, prices, and other qualities should be easy to find, read, and understand. 

    Provide standard, metric, or both measurements for international visitors, if relevant. 

    If possible, provide manufacturer details.

    Put U/X First

    Design for the shopper’s experience. Your e-commerce website should have clear menus or navigation choices that tell consumers what to expect.

    Avoid Messy URLs

    URLs may be information-packed. They should accurately describe what the product page contains.

    An example of a messy URL:

    https://www.ecommercedomain.com/cat?=416/product?=238728/main.html

    This URL is not searchable.

    Instead:

    http://www.ecommercedomain.com/blouses/green-chiffon-puffy-sleeves-blouses.html

    Populate Images With Alt-image Text

    Search engines are blind. They rely on alt-image text to learn what the image depicts on a page.

    Google is prioritizing accessibility. Legally blind and low-vision users need alt text. Rehabilitation Act Section 508 requires impaired website access. Graphics such as buttons and thumbnails also need alt text.

    Enable Reviews

    Reviews boost sales. Many consumers make buying decisions based on reviews.

    Do Not Duplicate Content

    On an e-commerce site, it’s easy to accidentally duplicate content. For instance, what if you sell only women’s blouses? 

    Don’t use the exact same description for all of your women’s blouses and only change the color and size. 

    SEO best practice for e-commerce sites means you have to have unique product descriptions for each SKU.

    In addition, avoid simply copying manufacturer blog posts. 

    It’s likely that other e-commerce site owners who buy from the same manufacturer have also used that exact manufacturer’s wording.

    Be Original With Content

    Without original content or commodities, your e-commerce site may struggle to rank for keywords. 

    Create innovative, interesting material to attract customers.

    Many online retailers write about industry news and trends. This provides search engines with more ranking variables for your website. 

    Search engines may consider you an expert if you blog consistently about one topic.

    Readers will appreciate informative, factual postings.

    Write for Human Readers

    Your e-commerce site content should appeal to human readers, not search engines. Customers are not machines. Nonsensical, keyword-stuffed content may boost rankings, but not conversions.

    Are you excited about employing these strategies to boost your e-commerce site SEO? If so, the next step is to employ a writer who can make your e-commerce site rank higher. 

    At WriterAccess, you’ll find writers who specialize in SEO, product descriptions, and much more. Start with a 14-day free trial and watch the magic happen

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