If you’re selling products online, you already know that the more traffic you have, the more likely you are to make sales. With that said, it doesn’t matter how brilliant your products are or how classy your customer service is if customers can’t find you when they need you.
While most eCommerce business owners worry about things like 3PL fulfillment and providing good customer service, many don’t realize just how critical search engine optimization (SEO) is to the success of their online store.
So, if you buck this trend and invest time and money into SEO, you can unlock a relatively easy way to get ahead.
In the following paragraphs, we’ll explore some of the best SEO tips for eCommerce websites.
1. Target the Right Keywords
Keywords are the specific phrases or terms people use to find products like yours. Targeting popular keywords on your website will help consumers find you when they need what you sell.
Choose wisely, and your site will rank higher in search engine results, and we all know that if your website isn’t on the first page of Google, it probably won’t register with customers at all.
2. Optimize Your Site for Mobile Devices
More than half the population shops predominantly via a mobile device. Whether that’s a smartphone or tablet, it doesn’t matter. To provide a great user experience, you must ensure your site loads quickly and accurately no matter how a customer chooses to shop.
Remember, the longer it takes for your website to load, the more likely customers are to leave without making a purchase.
3. Add Alt Tags to Images
While most people are driven by visual stimulation, search engine bots are not. They don’t care if your site has images, but if you add Alt tags to the visuals on your website, the bots can crawl and “read” them.
Furthermore, Alt tags give blind or visually impaired people the ability to read and understand the images on your site, and the modern digital landscape is all about inclusivity and accessibility.
4. Write Detailed Product Descriptions
Product descriptions help customers understand and identify the products they’re browsing. It’s not enough to provide a few words and a price. Your customers need to know more about the products they’re considering.
For example, if you sell dark chocolate candy bars, talk about the type of cocoa they’re made with, their texture and flavor, and how eating one can help you escape the stress of the day.
Let the customer know how your product can help them solve a problem, and describe how it can be used. The point of a product description is to provide as much information as possible about the things you sell, including the keywords you’ve chosen for that page.
5. Avoid Duplicate Content
Duplicate content is one of the biggest no-nos for any website. Your website may be one of many in the same niche, but you must refrain from putting out the same content as other sites. Any text that matches another website word for word could trigger the search engines to lower your ranking.
So, remember – all written content must be original and unique.
SEO is a complicated and confusing practice that many business owners don’t realize is central to the success of their online business. If you don’t understand SEO or have the time to manage it properly, consult a professional who can manage this vital part of your eCommerce business for you.