Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is partly responsible for turning the internet into the virtual business world it is today. Like other digital marketing strategies that support an online business, eCommerce SEO evolves, which means companies or their third party IT providers must stay abreast of emerging eCommerce search engine optimization strategies to ensure that business websites maintain a favorable search engine results position (SERP).
“Needs” is a word we use colloquially to convey the importance of acquiring something. But when it comes to eCommerce search engine optimization, there are five things a website truly needs in order to achieve a high SERP amid the sea of competitors. Let’s take a look at the top eCommerce SEO tips and explain their importance concerning your site’s performance.
Tip #1: Build a Strong Internal Link Architecture
A successful linking plan within your website is essential for the site’s performance. Known as “internal links”, links comprising the plan hyperlink to different pages within the website’s domain. They’re the opposite of “external links” that run from pages on one site to pages on another.
There are three benefits of a well-executed internal linking structure: it helps visitors intelligently navigate the site, allows you to cross-sell products and services by using links such as “What other people bought”, and makes it easier for Google to crawl the site, which helps achieve a higher position in search results.
Tip #2 – Create Thorough Product Reviews
Regarding SEO eCommerce optimization, posting regular product and service reviews shows Google that your site is frequently updated, which is one of Google’s website authority factors for indexing sites in search results. According to Econsultancy, “61% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase decision”.
Tip #3 – Deploy Schema Markup
According to OntraBlog, schema markup “is a bit of coded HTML that tells search engines what searchers should be able to understand about your website before even clicking through to see it.”
In search results, examples of schema markups include high-quality thumbnail photographs, user ratings, and reviews above the meta description, a meta description that details the link topic, and a highly descriptive title tag that indicates what the page is about. In combination, these elements can generate a higher click-through rate and a lower bounce rate for your site.
Tip #4 – Improve Your Page Load Speeds
The internet’s provision of instant information has eroded the virtue of patience — at least when we’re searching for something online. According to research from KissMetrics, 40% of visitors abandon a site that takes longer than three seconds to load. If you’re running a slow website that sells goods or services, that’s a lot of potential customers to lose.
How can you speed up your site? First, see how fast the site loads by using this free resource from PageSpeed Insights. If load time exceeds three seconds, you can hire an IT company to fix the problem or use your own resources by referring to the information at WP Total Cache or Amazon AWS.
Tip #5 – Write Original Product Descriptions
Instead of using product descriptions from manufacturers whose products or services you sell, write your own descriptions, or have an online marketing agency that provides copywriting handle the job.
Using the manufacturer’s description can create duplicate content if the description appears somewhere else on the web, such as the manufacturer’s website. When Google detects the content in two places and sees that your content was written second, it may penalize your site in search results.
Besides, the average manufacturer’s product description is usually pretty drab. Replacing it with compelling language that casts the product or service in a more attractive light can generate more views of what you’re offering and, by extension, stimulate more purchases.
Hopefully these eCommerce SEO tips will help your online store thrive and grow exponentially. Make sure to read our report on the top eCommerce technology trends.
