E-commerce and online retail businesses have always been my favourite clients to work with. From my first role managing an in-house e-commerce platform, to leading strategies for some of the biggest retailers in the UK, the results that you can generate from SEO are clear and a lot more tangible than a lot of other industries.
That’s not to say it’s easy or straightforward though, it’s the opposite. E-commerce websites often have the most technical complexities to deal with, most markets are saturated with huge brands, niche specialists, and everything in-between, and Google’s search results are constantly changing and adapting to user needs.
It’s also common for the e-commerce clients that I work with to require support in all areas of SEO, from technical and UX improvements, content strategy and on-page work, to brand building through digital PR. There’s always plenty to do and there’s no silver bullet to succeed.
My focus with any e-commerce SEO strategy is the potential customers. Regardless of the market or product, there are real people behind any keyword research, search volumes, and traffic reports that you’ll be looking at. And with complex buying journeys for even the most simple of products, your business needs to meet and satisfy the needs of these potential customers at every possible opportunity to capture sales.
Shopify SEO
As more and more e-commerce businesses have turned to Shopify as their platform of choice, the focus on SEO has become critical. Launching and selling is easy, generating organic traffic to your store is not as straightforward.
WooCommerce SEO
WordPress and WooCommerce are still one of the most popular choices for online retailers. There are challenges and specific approaches to be aware of though, to get the most out of the platform and organic search.
Platform Migrations
Most e-commerce businesses will face a decision to change platform as their business grows and scales, for lots of different reasons. Handling the migration from an SEO perspective requires careful consideration and expert support.
Frequently asked e-commerce SEO questions
What specific SEO strategies do you recommend for e-commerce websites?
For me, the biggest factor in any SEO strategy for an e-commerce or online retail business is competition. There are so many direct and indirect competitors that your potential customers will consider that you need to find gaps or opportunities to be visible and become the obvious choice.
How do you handle product descriptions and category pages for optimal SEO performance?
Categories and product pages are often neglected when it comes to SEO, with the basics ticked off in terms of a page title, heading, and generic body content. There are plenty of ways to maximise how effective both the SEO aspects and user experience are for potential customers to help you to stand out and perform in search engines.
What is your approach to managing and optimising large inventories for search engines?
E-commerce websites with large inventories usually have more challenges when it comes to crawling, indexing, and general optimisation, but this also provides a big opportunity. Prioritising efforts effectively can result in huge gains in traffic and sales, versus treating every product area equally.
How do you approach SEO for seasonal products or promotions?
Most e-commerce businesses will have their own peak seasons, as well as the obvious key times for all retailers. Being prepared from an SEO perspective needs to happen a lot sooner than a lot of other business and digital marketing activities as you need to be already visible in search engines for when the time comes.
What are your methods for optimising product images and descriptions for better search visibility?
Certain e-commerce and online retail businesses rely heavily on images, in particular luxury, home, and fashion businesses. Making the most of product images can often be underestimated, but there are benefits to be had beyond just typical SEO results, such as Google Shopping results and even backlinks.
