Are you suffering from an eCommerce hangover? Did you set up your online store, create a Facebook page, and then sit back and wait for the revenue to start pouring in? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that’s not how eCommerce success happens. Building a profitable online business takes hard work, a willingness to learn, and dedication to ongoing marketing. One crucial component of your marketing outreach efforts is SEO.
Don’t think of SEO as a dreaded task you have to face each day; think of SEO as a way to magically make customers appear for your online business. Potential customers have no clue your company exists; it’s your job to get your company in front of consumers who might be interested in your product offerings. If you want help improving your eCommerce site’s SEO strategy, following are seven tips that can have a huge effect on your business’ online visibility.
Speak Up!
Pay attention to voice search. Don’t assume all potential customers are typing their requests into a search engine. A growing number of your customers will be using voice search engines like Siri or Alexa. Think about how your customers might speak their queries and whether localization might influence how they ask for help via voice search. If you integrate voice search into your SEO and blogging strategy, you will be far ahead of your competitors who haven’t even considered spoken queries as a ranking factor.
Pick The Right Platform and Learn How to Market On It!
There a many eCommerce shopping cart platform available, all with pros and cons. Common eCommerce shopping carts include WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, and many more, so find out which makes sense for your brand, products, and desired functionality of your online store. Once you have picked a platform, look for digital marketing professionals that have experience within that platform. For example, if you build your eCommerce store on Shopify and wish to hire an SEO agency, try and find an experienced Shopify SEO company. There are many nuances of each platform and finding an SEO with experience on your platform can be quite beneficial.
Use Better Keywords
Use a keyword search tool like Keyword.io or to find additional keywords for your eCommerce business. Keyword.io not only lets you find a myriad of keyword alternatives, it also lets you search for keyword options for platforms like YouTube, Amazon, and Bing. You can even find long-tail keyword phrases for app stores too. Search by country and by language or hunt for negative keywords instead. This is a powerful way to get your eCommerce SEO strategy on track, right? Check out this article for even more free keyword research tools!
Blog Like Your Business’ Life Depends On It (It Does!)
Start blogging for your online business. Blog on your own domain and also consider occasionally blogging on platforms like Medium or LinkedIn for added exposure. Use the keyword phrases you find on Keyword.io to fuel your blogging strategy.
I Spy With My Little Eye
Make sure the image captions on your site are keyword optimized. Image search is a powerful tool; savvy online business owners can use image search to their advantage. Think of how customers will search for your products; don’t just focus on product descriptions.
Bet Your Competitors Aren’t Using Infographics
Speaking of images, consider integrating infographics into your eCommerce SEO strategy. Create infographics for your online business using free tools like Piktochart, Canva, or Zanifesto. Make sure relevant keywords and phrases are present within your infographics. Use the custom infographics you create on your eCommerce blog and also upload your creations to an infographic search portal like Visual.ly.
Bird is the Word – Twitter for the Win
Twitter can be a powerful part of an eCommerce search strategy. Google now indexes tweets, so being active on Twitter can have a direct impact on your site’s SERP. Use Twitter to build a community around your company by sharing information your target audience is likely to find helpful (include target keywords in your tweets). Don’t promote your online business non-stop. Focus on the needs of potential customers, and they’ll come to trust you as a reliable source of information and products. Use a tool like Zapier to automate your business’s Twitter marketing efforts. Add anyone that tweets a hashtag relevant to your business to a Twitter list. Once they’re added to your Twitter lists, randomly like their posts or retweet their posts to your audience. You’ll soon see your Twitter following grow as list members become acquainted with your company.
Figuring out how to increase online sales doesn’t just magically happen without effort. You need to approach eCommerce growth strategically. Integrate the above-listed tips into your search optimization efforts, and you are likely to see a significant increase in visits to your online business.