You can see several pages on Google whenever you search something. These pages are called search engine results pages (SERP). Each page has about 10 organic search results below paid ads and Google shopping ads.
Well-designed and optimized websites with quality content rank higher on search engines like Google. This helps your store gain more visibility and attract traffic. E-commerce SEO needs you to focus on making your site easier to find.
Best Practices for E-commerce SEO
Additionally, e-commerce focuses on ranking your product pages among the top organic results on Google’s first page. This is important because most people never go beyond the first result page. Let’s learn more about the best practices of e-commerce SEO in detail. Here are some practices for e-commerce SEO for online stores that you must apply to your site.
Add Relevant Keywords
You might have heard that using keywords is very important in e-commerce SEO strategies but how to use it strategically is also tough to crack. You should use the right keywords and keep your product details clear so that the website becomes more user-friendly and easy to rank.
You can start by researching keywords that match your products and industry. These keywords should align with what your customers are likely to search for. Don’t forget to add important details like sizes, colors, measurements, and prices.
These details are easy to find and understand. For serving multiple regions, you can include both standard and metric measurements together for all your visitors. Also, double-check that your product SEO images accurately represent the items, especially in terms of color and size.
Needless to mention, you must avoid hiding prices unless necessary, such as for special sales or compliance with manufacturer policies. This is because if visitors cannot see pricing details easily, they are likely to leave your website. Consequently, it will increase your website’s bounce rate which will negatively affect its SEO.
User-friendly Website
A well-designed website which makes it easier for shoppers to browse. Plus, they don’t get bored easily so they remain active on the website. This reduces bounce rates. Note that your visitors can leave if your site is too slow to load even if you offer great products at affordable prices.
This is why we suggest creating a simple and intuitive website that has clear menus and labels. Not to forget, you should avoid overloading pages with large images or unnecessary elements as they will slow down your site. A quick-loading page will not only keep your visitors happy but also improve your search rankings since load time is a crucial e-commerce SEO factor.
URLs
A clean and simple URL structure helps visitors and search engines easily understand your site. It also makes it simpler for people to share your product SEO pages on social media or other platforms.
Here is how you can make the best URLs for your site.
- Keep it short and easy to read.
- Use keywords that describe the content of the page.
Examples:
- Poor: https://www.example.com/product12345/how-to-cook-perfect-pasta/
- Good: https://www.example.com/cooking-tips/perfect-pasta/
Clearly, you can include keywords in your URLs as it helps search engines understand the topic of your page. Hence, the page has a higher chance of ranking on the top. Besides, you should avoid unnecessary words like “the,” “and,” or “of”. They only make URLs look cluttered.
Use Schema Markup
Moreover, they can show rich snippets which display extra details like prices, reviews, or product availability. Here is how schema markup can be helpful for SEO for online stores:
- Product schema: It showcases details like product images, prices, and availability, e.g., “$29.99 – In Stock.”
- Review schema: This schema displays customer ratings, e.g., “4.8 stars based on 200 reviews.”
- Price schema: This shows price ranges directly in search results, e.g., “From $19.99.”
- Video schema: It makes videos (like tutorials or demos) easier to find in search results.
Rich snippets not only grab attention but also help shoppers quickly find what they need. Hence, they drive more clicks to your site.
Product Categories and Product Pages
After completing your keyword research and organizing your site structure, focus on improving your most important pages:
- Product Category Pages
- Product Pages
Use Shopify’s Built-In SEO Features
Shopify takes care of several e-commerce SEO basics for you:
- It adds canonical tags to avoid duplicate content.
- It automatically generates sitemap.xml and robots.txt files.
- It creates title tags that include your store name.
- It provides built-in social media sharing options.
Take Control of Manual Optimizations
To optimize e-commerce website, make these adjustments:
- Edit title tags, meta tags, and meta descriptions to include relevant keywords.
- Add clear, keyword-rich alt text for product images.
- Rename image files with keywords (e.g., red-leather-jacket.jpg instead of IMG12345.jpg).
You must aim to rank high in search results and attract clicks while optimizing title tags and descriptions. Moreover, don’t forget to add phrases like “20% Off,” “Free Shipping,” or “Exclusive Deals” to make your meta descriptions more appealing.
Detailed Product Descriptions
Give search engines and shoppers a reason to notice your pages by writing original, detailed descriptions for your products. Avoid copying manufacturer descriptions or using vague content, as this can harm your e-commerce website optimization.
Instead, describe each product clearly and thoroughly. Besides, you should highlight the features, benefits, and unique selling points of products.
How to Create Better Descriptions:
- Use keywords naturally throughout the text.
- Add subheadings to organize the information.
- Include reviews, FAQs, or videos to make the page engaging.
Focus on improving pages that already rank on the second or third page of search results. Boosting these pages can push them to the first page, where they’ll attract more traffic.
More detailed content helps search engines rank your page accurately and gives shoppers the confidence to make a purchase. Keep descriptions informative and persuasive to turn visitors into customers.
Conclusion
Needless to mention, you must avoid hiding prices unless necessary, such as for special sales or compliance with manufacturer policies. This is because if visitors cannot see pricing details easily, they are likely to leave your website. Consequently, it will increase your website’s bounce rate which will negatively affect its SEO.