The ABCs of eCommerce SEO: Tips to dominate in 2023

Google's algorithm is constantly changing, but one thing remains the same. SEO is the most important strategy to rank high in search results.

Now, you might be wondering why is SEO important for eCommerce. You’re probably already spending too much on ads to even care.

In one word: visibility. In a few more words: organic traffic plus more sales plus brand authority.

With a good SEO strategy, you're getting your products found online even when you're not running ads. Besides this, it gives you an additional source of potential buyers for your remarketing campaigns. 

What's not to like! 

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What is SEO in eCommerce anyway?

You've got your online store; you've uploaded your products. But for some reason, you're on page 12 of Google search results. Even when customers search for the exact product you sell.

The most probable reason is the total absence of an SEO strategy for your eCom website.

But by optimizing your eCommerce shop, you are getting authority, and Google finds your site to be helpful to clients. You are straight away on a promising path to conquer multiple positions you can profit from:

• Google search
• Google images
• Google lens
• Google shopping
• Local business profile
• Google maps.
  

Now, please beware! When you first start reading about SEO, terms like Google entities, MUM, or E-A-T can be discouraging. Luckily, you don’t really need to know anything about them. All you need is to follow this straightforward eCommerce SEO checklist.

eCommerce SEO in 2023: What has changed?

Google's algorithms are changing fast. Faster than an average person can follow. However, it still resolves around the same factors: consistent publication of engaging content, keywords, backlinks, mobile-first indexing, and so on.

One important fact to know is that Google strives to evolve from a search engine to an answer engine. Offering rich answers to questions will be its main goal in the future.

Preliminary Steps: Setting the Groundwork

Before you even think about touching your site's SEO settings, let's get a few things straight.

• Why HTTPS is crucial for eCommerce sites

In case you didn't know, the 'S' in HTTPS stands for 'secure'. Nobody wants their credit card info hanging out in the wind like yesterday's laundry. Always opt for HTTPS.

• Mobile responsiveness: More important than ever

Most of the web traffic comes from mobile devices. If your site doesn't play nice with smartphones, you're leaving money on the table.

• Setting up Google Analytics and Google Search Console

If you're flying blind in the eCommerce world, Google Analytics and Search Console are your GPS and weather radar combined. One tells you where you're going, and the other tells you how you're doing.

Keyword research: Target the right audience

Keyword research is like fishing with a net instead of a single fishing line. You're going for quantity and quality.

• Keyword research for eCommerce

You've got products to sell and words to describe them. Keywords are those crucial words that'll get Googlers to go, 'Aha, that's what I need!'

• Tools and techniques for effective keyword research

We’re not saying you need to be a keyword wizard, but you need to be a keyword wizard. Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Google Keyword Planner to find out what people are searching for.

• Implementing keywords: from product pages to blog posts

Keywords don't just belong in your product titles and descriptions. They belong everywhere! You can add them to blog posts, headers, and even in image alt text.

• Speaking of blog

We strongly advise publishing blog posts regularly. The blog section helps improve the site’s authority and serves as a great solution to thin content. With tools like Chat GPT, the production itself shouldn’t be an obstacle.

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On-page SEO for beginners

On-page SEO is all about optimizing individual pages for specific keywords. Let's delve in.

• SEO for eCommerce product pages

Your product pages are your bread and butter. This is where you need to shine. Optimize copy by adding keywords from all parts of the sales funnel. This way, your product has a much better chance to serve as a solution to the potential buyers.

• How to optimize titles, descriptions, and images

Your product title should be a keyword-rich billboard. Descriptions should be enticing yet fact-filled.

And images? They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, an optimized image is worth a thousand clicks.

• Best practices for content and schema markup

If you fill the product pages with high-quality, useful content, Google will recognize your site as an authority.

• How to optimize an eCommerce product page for SEO

Step 1: Research keywords

Step 2: Insert keywords into titles and descriptions

Step 3: Add alt text to images

Step 4: Include keywords in URLs.

Internal linking strategies

The term "internal linking" is SEO-speak for 'keeping people on your website longer.'

Think of your site as a spider web. A well-constructed web catches more flies. Or, in this case, more clicks and views.

The buyer’s journey through your website needs to have a logic behind it that ensures easy navigation. The best way to achieve it is to add breadcrumbs. Always link to related products or categories.

You also want to investigate how your existing customers travel through your site. Use heat and scroll mapping tools to determine their journey. And try to fix any problem that might distract them from making a purchase.

Off-page SEO: Building trust and authority

Ah, yes, the SEO that happens away from home. Off-page SEO is like the reputation you have in high school—important and talked about when you're not around.

Backlinks are when other websites link to your site. To get them, you can guest post and offer high-quality content.

Besides this, a strong social presence is highly advisable since it considerably helps the visibility of your content.

Local SEO: A quick primer for eCommerce businesses

Maybe your eCommerce store sells something physical that people need ASAP, like plumbing parts, and you've got a physical location. This is where Local SEO comes in.

Leveraging Google My Business and local keywords

If your business has a physical presence, claiming your Google My Business listing is like claiming your throne. As for local keywords, think "best handmade chocolates in Brooklyn" instead of just "best handmade chocolates."

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Technical SEO: Essential for eCommerce success

No, you don't need to be a full-stack developer to get this right. But you do need to know a bit about what's happening 'under the hood' of your website.

• Site speed optimization for 2023

Your website needs to load fast unless you want to sabotage your sales. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can give you the lowdown on your site's speed.

• XML sitemaps and robots.txt: The technical nitty-gritty

Your XML sitemap tells Google what to crawl. Your robots.txt file tells it what not to. Think of them as the bouncers at your online club—keeping things orderly but making sure everyone gets to the party.

User Experience (UX): The silent SEO factor

User experience is the unsung hero of SEO. If your site is difficult to navigate, people will "bounce" faster than a rubber ball on a trampoline.

Why UX is important for SEO

Google takes note of how long people stay on your website and what they do there. A bad user experience can immediately discourage people from surfing your website.

Keep it simple! Your website should be as easy to navigate and user-friendly.

Conclusion

By now, you have figured yourself – the world of eCommerce SEO can be overwhelming. Just like how Rome wasn't built in a day, a good SEO strategy takes time and effort.

So go ahead. Unleash the potential of your online store. May the SERPs be ever in your favor!

Click on the image underneath and get your eCommerce SEO list for FREE!

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