Your customers are surfing the web and looking for products similar to the ones you offer. What are you doing to drive that traffic to your site?

E-commerce has quickly replaced traditional marketplaces worldwide. More customers are now purchasing products via digital stores than ever. A responsive e-commerce website for your small business can boost your sales significantly–but only if the right customer base can reach you.

Driving traffic to your e-commerce website requires good Search Engine Optimization (SEO) because it dictates your website’s rank in the search engine result pages. After all, your audience won’t look past the first search result page to find what they’re looking for.

The first step is to incorporate SEO-friendly web design elements to your e-commerce site. Not sure where to start? Hire our professional web designing services to get started today.

Here’s a quick introduction of how professional SEO services can put your e-commerce site on the map.

Does My E-Commerce Site Really Need SEO?

An e-commerce website, or an online store, can only generate sales if it’s visible to customers. E-commerce websites need good SEO for the following reasons:

Increased Visibility: SEO ranks your e-commerce website higher on search engine results pages (SERPs), allowing it to reach a larger online audience.

Competitive Advantage: Good SEO practices can help your website stand out from the competition. It ultimately ranks higher on SERPs by showing up for relevant search.

Better User Experience: An SEO-friendly web design improves user navigation and overall experience. Web design experts can help create a better structure, organize web content, and incorporate visual elements that retain user attention.

Credibility and Trust: If your site ranks high on the first search result page, it appears more credible and trustworthy to users. As such, users are more likely to make purchases from your e-commerce site.

Recommended Read: SEO Services for E-commerce Websites: What You Should Know

SEO-Friendly Web Design Elements That Take Clicks to Cart

So what kind of web design elements does your e-commerce site need to have in order to drive traffic? Here’s the verdict from our professional website designers.

Keyword Research

SEO and keyword research go hand-in-hand. You can’t optimize your e-commerce site without incorporating relevant keywords. Finding relevant keywords requires keyword research.

Here’s how to get started:

Keyword intent

Keyword intent is the purpose behind a specific search query. For instance, if a user searches “best seafood near me” on Google, you can tell what they were intending to look for. They want to find the highest-rated or best-reviewed seafood restaurants in their vicinity.

For e-commerce websites, two types of keyword intents are the most relevant:

Informational keyword intent shows that a user wants to understand something.

When a user types in “hiking trails in Arizona” in the search bar, they’re not looking for a product. Instead, they want to learn more about a specific topic.

However, this search query and these keywords will still be important for your e-commerce site if you sell products related to outdoor activities like hiking. You can incorporate such relevant keywords in your product descriptions and web content. This way, search engines will recommend your site to any user who searches for those keywords.

Commercial keyword intent, on the other hand, shows that a user is looking to purchase a certain product. If your e-commerce website sells stationery items, then a user query like “buy notebooks online” will be relevant to you.

As an e-commerce website selling notebooks, your goal is to appear in the first page results like these sites. Professional web designing services that understand SEO-friendly web design can help you accomplish this goal.

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find high-ranking keywords for your e-commerce niche.

Informative and Optimized Product Pages

Many e-commerce websites fail to properly optimize their product pages. This significantly hurts their SEO rankings.

Have a look at these two product pages:

The most obvious difference is the product description. Customers like knowing details about the product they’re interested in purchasing online. The lack of information about a certain product forces users to make their own assumptions. This can lead to disappointing purchases (or worse, no purchases) and hurt the credibility of your online store.

The Nike product page shown above also lets users click on the “Show Product Details” button to display this pop-up screen:

Did you notice the different keywords incorporated in this content?

In the above example, shoe-related keywords can include “Air Jordan,” “Air-Sole,” “foam cushioning,” and “semi-gloss leather.”

Mobile Responsiveness

People use their mobile phones to make purchases more than their computers. Some studies suggest that more than half of all global website traffic is generated through mobile devices.

A website design agency can help improve your site’s mobile responsiveness. This refers to a website’s ability to adapt and display properly on various screen sizes and devices, when people use their smartphones, tablets, or other devices.

The following example might help you get a better idea:

Note that the first website is too cluttered, with overwhelming visuals and excessive content. The Marvel Comics webpage on the right is significantly better; a lot more readable and understandable.

Mobile responsive websites have better content organization, reformatted pictures and fonts, white spaces, and easily clickable buttons.

Quick and Easy Navigation

Most users don’t stay on a poorly designed website for more than ten seconds. Therefore, good user navigation is important.

Good website navigation requires you to incorporate user-friendly elements in your web design. Users should be able to find relevant service pages and contact page easily. You can add quick links in your website’s footer to improve navigation.

Page load speed also makes a significant difference here. Sites that take too long to load have a bounce rate. Consider hiring professional web design services to boost your site’s loading speed and improve active site traffic.

Products should ideally be sorted into categories, allowing users to find what they’re looking for more easily. Use a main menu in your header to organize web pages. If your website header has a logo, make sure it links to the homepage.

The ASOS website is a great example. It allows users to easily find and navigate to product pages by categorizing them in the main menu. The site thus has a logical hierarchy that’s easy to follow.

All these elements make it easier for users to navigate your e-commerce website. As a result, users spend more time on your site, and search engines consider it relevant.

Optimized Service Page Links

URLs and webpage links are critical to SEO.

An e-commerce website should have concise links for each webpage, especially product pages. Search engines take into account permalinks, or permanent links when determining the credibility and authority of your e-commerce site. A permalink is the permanent URL users and search engines see on your webpages.

A concise permalink, with relevant keywords, helps boost the webpage’s SEO rankings. Take these webpage URLs, for instance.

The major difference between both URLs is that one is much easier to understand than the other. When customers and search engines are trying to find a product page on your site, a simple and short URL allows them to navigate to the product page right away.

Recommended Read: How to Boost Your Online Store’s Google Rankings: A Practical Guide to E-Commerce SEO

The Bigger Picture: A Holistic SEO Strategy for E-Commerce Websites

Optimizing your own site to incorporate SEO-friendly web design can be challenging. Let our team of web design experts help you out with e-commerce web design!

Global-marketing Inc. offers full-scope SEO services for small and large businesses. Regardless of the industry your business operates in, we can help your professional website rank higher.

So, connect with our team now and let your online customers know what you have to offer.

The post SEO-friendly Web Design for E-commerce Websites appeared first on Global-marketing Inc..

“Help, my online store is drowning!”

If you’ve been caught muttering these words while staring at your sales analytics in disbelief, welcome to the club; it’s packed with eCommerce enthusiasts trying to stay afloat in the stormy seas of digital marketing.

All hope isn’t lost. This isn’t the Titanic; your Google SERP rankings don’t have to sink like an anchor. If you’re looking for ways to revive your eCommerce website’s online visibility, you’re at the right place.

In this blog, our eCommerce SEO experts will help you navigate the complex waters of Google’s algorithm and steer your eCommerce ship toward SERP-topia. You’ll find clear, practical, step-by-step instructions on how to optimize your product pages, clean up your URLs, build a powerful backlink profile, and so much more.

This is the moment when SEO stops being a three-letter acronym that sends chills down your spine and starts being the secret weapon in your digital marketing arsenal. Our eCommerce marketing guide is ready; let’s roll it out!

1. Get Your Keyword Research Game On Point

Keywords are like the secret handshake that lets you into the exclusive club of high Google rankings. They’re the phrases and terms that potential customers type into the search bar when they’re looking for products like yours.

By strategically embedding these keywords into your content, you’ll give your audience exactly what they want. You’ll also manage to help Google understand what your eCommerce website has to offer. Feeding two birds with one scone? Check!

Keyword research is integral here. It’s about understanding the words your audience uses when they’re in buying mode and optimizing your website to speak to them in this language.

How do you discover these magical terms? Google Keyword Planner should be your starting point here. It’s a free tool that generates hundreds of keyword suggestions based on a single keyword, a group of keywords, or even your eCommerce website’s URL.

It also provides information on the average monthly searches for each keyword, the level of competition you’ll face, and even the potential cost per click if you were to use the keyword in Google Ads.

Think about the words and phrases that relate to your products. These should be words that your customers use frequently. Pop these into Google Keyword Planner to uncover a whole world of keyword variations and opportunities.

Now, you may be tempted to grab the keywords with the highest search volumes and stuff them into your content like a turkey on Thanksgiving.

That’s not a rabbit hole you want to go down.

It’s important to note that keyword research isn’t just about quantity; it’s about quality and relevance. Choosing the right keywords is like choosing the right ingredients for a recipe. A pinch of high volume, a spoonful of high relevance, and a dash of low competition can create the perfect SEO soufflé.

Additionally, don’t forget about long-tail keywords. These are longer, more specific phrases that customers use when they’re closer to making a purchase or when they’re using voice search. They may have lower search volumes, yes. But they often have higher conversion rates.

While Google Keyword Planner is an excellent tool for keyword research, it’s a mere starting point. In 2023, you can find dozens of robust, cutting-edge, and advanced eCommerce SEO keyword research tools that fetch the best keywords with detailed insights and actionable suggestions.

Speak with eCommerce SEO experts to get the ball rolling. A strategic partnership with an eCommerce SEO agency that specializes in keyword research is your best bet here.

At Global-marketing Inc., we offer SEO keyword research services of our own. Our team uses its vast experience, rich knowledge of eCommerce SEO, wide skillset, and savvy tools to find the highest-ranking keywords for your local industry and audience. We masterfully incorporate these keywords into your eCommerce content for stellar results.

Whether you work with us or explore other paid tools, make sure you eventually segue into the more “hardcore” side of eCommerce keyword performance. Yes, beginner-friendly tools are great for up-and-coming eCommerce businesses. But as your store starts gaining traction, making more sales, and developing a unique online identity, it’s time to bring out the big guns that give you phenomenal results.

2. Optimize Your Product Pages

Think of your product pages as your digital store’s window displays. They’re often the first touch point for potential customers and hence, must be engaging, informative, and SEO-friendly.

Google needs to understand what’s being offered, and your customers need to feel compelled to open their wallets.

Here’s how you can achieve this:

Speak in Keywords

Now that you’ve armed yourself with a compelling list of keywords (thanks to your top-notch research), it’s time to put them to work.

Integrate these keywords into your product titles, descriptions, meta tags, and image alt text in a way that feels natural. Keep in mind that Google is smart and doesn’t appreciate keyword stuffing. You’re writing for humans first and search engines second.

Let’s say you’re selling handmade wooden chess sets. Your keyword research has indicated that “handmade wooden chess set,” “luxury chess set,” and “artisan chess board” are frequently used by your target audience.

Here’s how you can naturally integrate these keywords into different elements of your product page:

• Product Title: Premium Handmade Wooden Chess Set
• Meta Description: Are you looking for luxury chess sets that transform your game into an aesthetically appealing experience? Start exploring our collection of handmade wooden chess sets to experience the artisan chess board difference!
• Product Description: Our handmade wooden chess set is a blend of functionality and luxury. This artisan chessboard adds an element of sophistication to any setting. Our luxury chess set comes in two colors: brown and black.

See what we mean?

Craft Unique and Descriptive Titles

eCommerce product titles are like the headlines of a newspaper article; they must catch the reader’s attention and give them an idea of what to expect.

Make sure your titles are descriptive, unique, and engaging. They should also include your primary keyword. For instance, instead of “Blue Jeans,” a more engaging and SEO-friendly title could be “Men’s Blue Slim Fit Jeans.”

Here are a few examples of how you can transform bland product titles into keyword-optimized ones:

• Instead of “Black Leather Boots,” try “Men’s Black Leather Ankle Boots: Rugged & Stylish”
• Instead of “Silver Necklace,” try “Sterling Silver Pendant Necklace with Cubic Zirconia”
• Instead of “Organic Tea,” try “Organic Green Tea Blend with Jasmine: Refreshing & Aromatic”

Enrich Your Product Descriptions

When it comes to product descriptions, more is more. Google appreciates detailed, unique, and insightful content that accurately captures the product.

Talk about the product’s features and benefits. And, of course, weave in your keywords where they make sense.

A product description should tell a mini-story while helping web users understand why it’s a must-have. Let’s stick with the handmade wooden chess set example:

• Poor Description: “Wooden chess set. Handmade. Includes 32 pieces.”
• Enriched Description: “Indulge in the timeless game of kings with our premium, handmade wooden chess set. Each set is crafted from sustainably sourced oak and showcases the refined beauty of the wood. Its unique grain patterns make it a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. The set comes with 32 meticulously carved pieces. Each piece has been weighted and felted for a comfortable, steady feel. Whether you’re plotting your next move in the quiet morning hours or hosting an evening of intellectual duels, this chess set serves as a stylish centerpiece that elevates your decor and gaming experience. Artisan design meets functional elegance in this luxury chess set: a worthy addition to any chess enthusiast’s collection.”

Catch our drift?

Use High-Quality Images and Optimize Them

Visuals play a vital role in SEO for eCommerce product pages. High-quality images aren’t just a nice-to-have; they’re non-negotiable.

But remember, Google can’t ‘see’ images; it relies on the image filename and alt text to understand what the image represents.

Make sure your filename reflects the product (e.g., mens-blue-slim-fit-jeans.jpg), and use alt text to provide a descriptive, keyword-friendly explanation of the image.

Let’s take the example of an online store that sells artisan coffee mugs. Here’s how you should optimize an image:

• Original Filename: jpg
• Optimized Filename: handmade-artisan-coffee-mug.jpg

When you upload this image to your product page, you’ll have the option to add alt text. This is where you further describe the image using relevant keywords.

Leverage Customer Reviews

Positive reviews can provide a significant eCommerce SEO boost. They add fresh and unique content to your page (which Google loves) and help build trust with your customers.

Encourage your customers to leave reviews and actively respond to them (even the less-than-perfect ones).

Let’s say your eCommerce website sells high-end vegan skincare products. A customer leaves the following review:

• Customer Review: “I love the rejuvenating night cream! My skin feels so soft,and I love that the product is 100% vegan and cruelty-free. I’ve been using it for a month, and I can already see a difference!”

The review is a great way to add fresh, unique, and flattering content to your product page. It also reinforces important keywords like “vegan,” “cruelty-free,” and “rejuvenating night cream.”

Good American is known for mastering this neat little trick. Their product pages feature flattering reviews that further compel web users to proceed with a purchase.

iRobot uses the same approach to boost conversions and show Google that the savvy brand knows exactly what it is doing.

If you’re having trouble generating reviews, talk to our eCommerce SEO experts. We’ll walk you through the best techniques for generating a substantial number of positive reviews through white-hat eCommerce SEO practices.

Once you master the art of SEO for eCommerce product pages, you’ve taken care of half the work. How come? Since you run an online store, your products are the heart and soul of your business. Sprinkling some optimization glitter over your product pages will help you earn a power-packed boost in online visibility, climb SERPs faster than Usain Bolt, and make enviable sales.

Sounds like a plan?

3. Clean Up Your URLs

Have you ever received a letter with a messy address and no return address? It’s confusing, right? The same goes for your eCommerce website’s URLs. If they’re confusing to Google, they’ll be confusing to potential customers as well. This is where URL optimization comes into play.

Your URLs are like the addresses of your web pages. They should clearly tell both search engines and users what they can expect to find on the page. And while URL structure may seem like a small factor, it can significantly influence your site’s search engine visibility. Here’s how you can clean up your URLs:

Keep It Simple and Straightforward

Aim to keep your URLs as simple and descriptive as possible. The goal is to give users and search engines an idea of what the page is about. For example, “www.yourstore.com/category/item123” doesn’t tell us much about the page’s content. On the other hand,”www.yourstore.com/women-sweaters/red-wool-sweater” clearly indicates what we can expect to find on that page.

Use Keywords

Keywords should find their way into your URLs as well. If you’re selling a blue cotton men’s shirt, “www.yourstore.com/men-shirts/blue-cotton-shirt” would be both user-friendly and SEO-friendly.

Use Hyphens to Separate Words

When it comes to separating words in a URL, hyphens are the way to go. Why? Search engines, like Google, view hyphens as spaces; “blue-cotton-shirt” is read as “blue cotton shirt,” whereas “blue cotton shirt” could be read as a single, nonsensical word.

Avoid URL Parameters When Possible

URL parameters, like those in “www.yourstore.com/product?id=123,” can be confusing to search engines and users alike. If your eCommerce website generates these types of URLs, look into URL rewriting options to create cleaner, more readable URLs.

Keep It Lowercase

Always use lowercase letters in your URLs. Why? URLs can be case-sensitive. A user may remember your URL and type it into their browser in all lowercase. If the actual URL contains uppercase letters, this could lead to a 404 error, which isn’t good for user experience or SEO.

4. Optimize Your Site for Mobile

Once upon a time, there was a magical land where users only browsed websites on desktop computers. We don’t live in that land anymore.

In 2023, mobile devices account for 59% of web traffic. Mobile optimization isn’t a consideration anymore; it’s a critical factor in eCommerce SEO.

And it’s not just about user experience. After introducing mobile-first indexing, Google primarily uses a site’s mobile version for ranking purposes. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re losing out on precious Google real estate.

How can you make sure your eCommerce website shines on smaller screens? Here’s how.

Responsive Design

A responsive design ensures your site layout and content dynamically adjust to fit the screen being used. This means whether your customer is shopping on their tablet, smartphone, or desktop, your site maintains its integrity and usability.

Speed It Up

Mobile users are often on the go and have little patience for slow-loading pages. In fact, Google has confirmed that 53% of mobile users exit a site if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load.

Use tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to test your site speed and receive recommendations for improvement. Compress images, minify code, and leverage browser caching to keep your site light and fast.

Simplify Navigation

On smaller screens, simpler is better. Streamline your navigation to make it easy for mobile users to find what they’re looking for. Implement hamburger menus, use large, finger-friendly buttons, and keep important items within easy reach.

Touch-Friendly Design

Nothing frustrates a mobile user more than trying to tap a tiny button or link. Make sure all clickable elements on your site are touch-friendly. This includes buttons, form fields, and even your text links.

Prioritize Local SEO

Many mobile searches have local intent, i.e., web users look for businesses “near me.” If you run a physical eCommerce store, prioritize local SEO.

Your business’s name, address, and phone number must be consistent across all online platforms. Leverage your Google Business Profile (GBP) to boost your local visibility (more on this later).

Mobile-Friendly eCommerce Websites at a Glance

1. ASOS: ASOS’s mobile site is a visual treat. As you keep scrolling, you’ll notice the perfect blend of colorful content and white space. The outcome? A clean, uncluttered, digestible look.

The product images are high-quality, users can zoom in for a better view, and there are no navigation issues. The checkout process is streamlined; customers can easily complete their purchases within a few steps.Talk about brilliant mobile eCommerce SEO!

2. Zappos: Zappos offers an excellent mobile shopping experience. Thee Commerce website loads quickly, the product categories are organized in a simple, easy-to-navigate menu, and there’s ample white space.

They have also optimized their product pages to include clear descriptions, multiple images, and customer reviews.

Zappos masterfully provides all the information a customer might need to make a purchase decision.This is what we mean when we talk about good SEO for eCommerce product pages!

3. Nike: Nike’s mobile site is exceptionally well-organized; customers can easily browse through their extensive product lineup without so much as a grunt. The site is fast, the product images are aesthetically appealing, and there’s plenty of white space to prevent clutter.

The site also incorporates short videos to demonstrate products and enhance user engagement. Nike has mastered SEO for eCommerce product pages!

5. Take Advantage of Local SEO

We lightly touched upon local SEO earlier. In this section, we’ll go all out to help you master the ropes. Here’s how you can boost your local eCommerce SEO game like a seasoned pro:

Create a Google Business Profile (GBP) Account

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) profile is the first thing a user sees when they perform a local search. GBP is a free tool that enables you to control how your business appears on Google Search and Google Maps, including your business name, location, and hours of operation.

By creating and optimizing a GBP profile, you can boost your local presence, display customer reviews, and provide quick access to your eCommerce website.

Here’s a quick example. Let’s say a web user is looking for a divorce lawyer in New York. They run a quick Google search, and the following results show up:

What does this include? GBP profiles. If you’ve created and optimized your GBP profile, you’ll increase your chances of making it to the Google Local 3-Pack.

See how this works?

Encourage and Respond to Online Reviews

Online reviews are a powerful form of social proof and play a significant role in local SEO for eCommerce websites.

Encourage your customers to review your business and promptly respond to each review to show that you value their feedback. Actively responding to reviews demonstrates your engagement with your customers; it also shows Google that your business is active and trustworthy.

Optimize for Voice Search

Voice search isn’t just growing in popularity; it has officially become as commonplace as a strainer in a household.

Voice search queries are often longer and more conversational; they frequently contain a location. Ensure your content is conversational and answers the kind of questions users might ask their voice assistant.

Utilize Local Keywords

Your SEO strategy should incorporate local keywords. For example, if you run a physical store in Austin, Texas, use keywords like “vintage clothing store in Austin” or “Austin’s best vegan skincare products.”

Add Local Business Schema

Schema markup is a powerful yet underused form of SEO that can boost your visibility on SERPs. It’s a type of micro data that helps search engines understand your content better.

Local business schema can include information like your business’s name, address, operating hours, and geographical coordinates.

Create Local Content

Creating locally-focused content is an excellent way to boost your local SEO efforts and engage local customers. For example, a blog titled “The Best Summer Outfits for Austin’s Weather” masterfully targets a local keyword and provides value to local customers.

Here are some excellent examples:

Pretty cool, right?

6. Leverage the Power of Backlinks

Backlinks are often considered the lifeblood of SEO, and it’s easy to see why.

A backlink is a hyperlink on a third-party platform that takes readers back to your site. In the eyes of search engines, a backlink is like a vote of confidence. It says, “Hey, this site has valuable content worth referring to!”

The more high-quality backlinks your site has, the more trustworthy it appears to search engines, which can significantly boost your rankings.

Now, how do you acquire these valuable backlinks? Link building isn’t an overnight process; it requires strategy, creativity, and patience. Here’s how you can go about it.

Start with great content. Engaging, shareable, value-added, and insightful content is the cornerstone of any successful link building strategy.

If your content is insightful, informative, or entertaining, other sites are more likely to link to it. This could be anything from in-depth how-to guides to data-driven reports or even infographics.

Next, consider guest blogging. By writing a guest post for another site in your niche, you’re doing two things. First, you’re positioning yourself as an industry expert, which can result in greater credibility and visibility for your brand. Second, you’re usually allowed to include a backlink to your site, which can help improve your domain authority and fetch referral traffic.

When it comes to guest blogging, remember, quality trumps quantity. It’s better to have a few backlinks from high-authority, reputable sites than numerous backlinks from low-quality sites. Google knows the difference; it’s no dummy. You can’t outsmart it, no matter how hard you try.

If you haven’t already, utilize your business relationships. Collaborations, partnerships, and networking can all provide opportunities for backlinks.

For instance, if you supply products to a business, you could ask them to link back to your site in their supplier’s section. Or, if you sponsor an event, you could request a backlink from the event’s webpage.

Then, there’s the option of unlinked mentions. Scan the web for any mentions of your brand that aren’t linked back to your site. If you find any, reach out to the site owner and request them to add a link. They’re already talking about you, so they may be open to adding a backlink.

And lastly, don’t forget the power of social media. Although social media links are typically “no-follow” (meaning they don’t pass SEO value), they can still bring traffic to your site, increase your online visibility, and offer another way for people to share your content. All of this can result in more organic backlinks.

Recommended Read: Going Beyond Backlinks: Harnessing the Power of Shallow Link Building

7. Harness User-Generated Content

The power of user-generated content (UGC) lies in its authenticity. Unlike branded content, UGC is perceived as unbiased and reliable. It’s a potent tool for fostering trust and boosting engagement. And, in the world of eCommerce SEO, trust and engagement translate into higher rankings.

UGC can take many forms. From customer reviews and ratings to user-submitted photos and Q&As, these pieces of content add real value to your website. They offer prospective customers a glimpse into the experiences of others who have already purchased and used your products.

How can you strategically use UGC to augment your eCommerce SEO strategy? Let’s break it down.

Encourage Customer Reviews

Customer reviews are the pulse of any eCommerce store. They provide a real-life perspective of your products and contribute fresh, unique content to your eCommerce website (which search engines love).

Encouraging customer reviews, however, requires more than just adding a cute little “Leave a Review” button to your product pages and calling it a day.So, what’s the right way to go about things?

Start by sending out post-purchase emails requesting reviews. These emails must be well-timed. Consider sending them a few days or a week after the product was last delivered; this means the customer has had a chance to use it.

Personalize your requests and express appreciation for their time and feedback.

Here’s a great example:

Incentives can also be a powerful tool to encourage reviews. Offering a discount code, a gift card, or points in your loyalty program can nudge customers who may not leave a review otherwise.

Keep the goal in mind: you’re not trying to ‘buy’ positive reviews but rather reward customers for their time and effort. Hire eCommerce SEO content experts who can craft engaging, fun, and compelling review request emails for you.

Leverage User-Submitted Photos

User-submitted photos add a touch of authenticity to product pages that polished professional shots simply can’t match. They provide a realistic view of your products ‘in the wild’ and help potential customers visualize the product in their own life.

Encourage your audience to share their product photos on social media platforms using a dedicated hashtag for your brand. Feature the best user-submitted photos on your site and social media channels; make sure you give credit to the original posters. This is an excellent way to generate valuable content. It also fosters a community around your brand, promotes further engagement and content creation, and strengthens your brand identity.

Foster a Q&A Community

A vibrant Q&A community can turn your product pages into a hub of user-generated content! By allowing customers to ask and answer questions about your products, you’re providing valuable information to potential buyers while adding unique, keyword-rich content to your site.

Make sure you have a system in place that notifies past purchasers when a new question is posted. The question at hand should only pertain to products your customers have previously purchased from you. This encourages past buyers to engage and share their knowledge. Keep monitoring and moderating this space. Step in to answer questions if needed and ensure the conversation remains positive and on-topic.

Utilize User-Generated Videos

Videos are incredibly engaging and can significantly increase the time users spend on your eCommerce website: a metric that Google considers when ranking pages. User-generated videos, in particular, can add depth to your product pages and provide a dynamic alternative to written reviews.

Encourage your customers to create product review videos, tutorials, and unboxing videos. Share these on social media or directly on your product pages.

Make sure you offer guidance and possibly even video creation tips to your customers. This will help you ensure they create valuable, relevant, and high-quality content. Featuring the best user-generated videos on your platforms can incentivize more customers to get involved!

8. Optimize Your Site’s Speed

A fast-loading site is non-negotiable. With every additional second your eCommerce website takes to load, you risk losing impatient visitors, increasing your bounce rate, and reducing conversions.

What’s more, Google considers page speed as a ranking factor, meaning a slow site could hinder your SEO performance.

Improving your site’s speed isn’t just about keeping the speed demons at Google happy, though. It’s about offering your users a smooth, frustration-free experience that encourages them to stick around, explore, and eventually hit that coveted ‘Buy Now’ button.

How can you ensure your eCommerce site is a veritable Usain Bolt in the World Wide Web’s Olympic Games? Here are some practical steps to take:

Minimize HTTP Requests

Each time a web user visits a page on your eCommerce website, their browser pings your server (a process known as an HTTP request) for every single element on that page. This includes images, scripts, and CSS files. The more elements on your page, the longer it’ll take to load.

To minimize HTTP requests, start by getting a handle on how many requests your site currently makes. You can check this box off the list by using Google’s Developer Tools. Lower that number by simplifying your site’s design. Consolidate your CSS and JavaScript files (multiple files mean multiple HTTP requests). Try to use CSS instead of images whenever possible. Why? CSS loads significantly faster.

Every element on your site that loads separately from the HTML document (including images, CSS files, scripts, etc.) requires a separate HTTP request. Minimize these, and you’ll effectively speed up your site!

Optimize and Compress Images

Large, uncompressed, bulky images are one of the biggest culprits of slow-loading websites. Thankfully, image optimization is a straightforward process. Start by resizing your images. No image should be wider than your webpage or uploaded at a higher resolution than necessary.

Once your images are appropriately sized, compress them. Numerous tools, including Photoshop and various online platforms, can reduce file size without impacting image quality significantly.

Always make sure your images are in the correct format. For example, JPEGs are typically smaller and load faster than PNGs or GIFs; this makes them a better choice for eCommerce product page images.

Enable Browser Caching

When a web user visits your site for the first time, their browser stores elements of your site (like images, HTML, CSS) in a cache. When they revisit your site, their browser can load the page without having to send a bunch of HTTP requests again. The outcome? Faster load times.

You can take advantage of this by setting your “expires” header for how long you want that information to be cached. In many cases, unless your site design changes frequently, a year is a suitable time period. Google’s PageSpeed Insights is a great starting point.

Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A CDN hosts your site on multiple servers spread across the globe. It effectively reduces the distance between your server and the user. When a web user visits your site, the CDN will deliver the content from the geographically closest server, dramatically reducing page load times.

This is especially critical for eCommerce businesses with international customers; it ensures that all users enjoy the same high-speed experience (regardless of their location). Most CDN services are easy to implement and offer scalable pricing based on traffic levels.

Reduce Server Response Time

Your server response time is affected by the amount of traffic you receive, the resources each page uses, the software your server uses, and your hosting solution. Aim for a server response time of under 200ms as a rule of thumb.

Look for performance bottlenecks like slow database queries, slow routing, or lack of adequate memory. Identified? Start fixing them. If these technical fixes are beyond your current capabilities, consider hiring an eCommerce SEO expert specializing in technical SEO. Global-marketing Inc. can take the reins here.

9. Create High-Quality Content

Dip your toes into any eCommerce SEO strategy, and you’ll find ‘creating high-quality content’ floating on the surface. It’s a gem that never loses its shine, a pillar that never wobbles.

But what does it mean for eCommerce websites in particular? What sort of content should online stores produce to attract their target audience and send the right signals to Google? Let’s break it down.

Value in Variety

eCommerce businesses often find themselves in the limiting confines of standard product descriptions or the occasional blog. It’s like having an artist’s palette and only using the primary colors. Your eCommerce business can tap into numerous shades and hues of content; there’s a lot more up for grabs than you may think.

For instance, consider developing comprehensive buying guides for your audience. If you sell outdoor gear, an insightful guide on choosing the perfect camping tent or hiking boots can be a valuable resource for your customers. This is an excellent way to equip them with rich insights and position your brand as an authority in the outdoor gear space. We’re feeding two birds with one score yet again.

Interactive Content: A Step Ahead

Interactive content is all about creating a two-way dialogue with your audience. In 2023, it’s taking the digital world by storm. This form of content actively involves the audience. The outcome?Higher engagement and valuable user insights.

Take, for instance, a simple quiz. If you run an eCommerce business that sells skincare products, creating a quiz titled “What Skin Type Do I Have?” can provide immense value to your customers.

They’ll actively engage with your content and gain insights about their skin. This knowledge will help them find the most suitable products from your collection.

Simultaneously, you’ll get a chance to gather valuable data about your audience’s preferences and needs, which can inform your future product development and eCommerce marketing strategies.

Here is this little trick in action:

Interactive content won’t just fall into your lap. If you want to equip your site with high-quality interactive content, turn to eCommerce marketing services for help.

Content That Tells a Story

People resonate with stories. Including storytelling in your content strategy can help create a personal connection with your audience.

Share your brand’s origin story, highlight your values and journey, showcase satisfied customers, or even share tales of how your products have made a difference.

The goal is to establish an emotional connection that goes beyond the transactional relationship.

10. Use Structured Data

Structured data may sound like a concept strictly for the tech wizards among us. In reality, however, things aren’t as complicated as they may appear from a distance.

In the simplest terms, structured data is a standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying the page content. In essence, it’s a way to explain your website’s content to search engines in a language they understand.

By using structured data, you’re giving Google a deeper insight into your content. This can help your site rank higher and make your search results more attractive. The outcome? Impressive click-through rates (CTR).

Let’s take a product page on your eCommerce website as an example. Without structured data, Google sees the page as a mix of images, text, and links. But with structured data, you can specify the product name, price, availability, ratings, and more. This information can then be used to create rich snippets, enhance your listing on Google SERPs, and make your business more attractive to potential customers.

Google’s preferred format for structured data is JSON-LD. It stands for JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data; you’ll often see it integrated into the header of a webpage.

The specifics of implementing JSON-LD can be technical and may require assistance from a developer. You can also use plugins available for popular platforms like WordPress; they’ll help you add structured data to your site with ease.

Another way to implement structured data is by using Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper. This tool guides you in tagging the data fields on your website for better classification.

Google’s Search Console also includes a report for ‘Rich Results,’ which helps you monitor how your structured data is performing and identify any errors that may be impacting your rich results.

11. Avoid Duplicate Content

If originality is the soul of wit, avoiding duplicate content is the lifeblood of eCommerce SEO. In the eCommerce marketing landscape, duplicate content is a cardinal sin that can significantly hamper your Google SERP rankings.

Duplicate content refers to substantial chunks of content that appear in more than one location on the internet. These locations can either be within the same domain (internal duplicate content) or across different domains (external duplicate content).

Why is duplicate content such a big deal? Search engines, including Google, aim to provide the most relevant search results to users. When the same content appears more than once, search engines get confused and have trouble determining which version is more relevant for a given search query. This can result in search engines choosing to display only one version of the content in search results, which may not be the version you want to rank.

eCommerce websites are filled with tons of product pages. Since the quantity is so high, the risk of duplicate content is off the charts. The same product description can appear on multiple pages, or the same page can be accessed via different URLs.

How can eCommerce businesses combat this issue?

Canonical Tags

In many cases, you can’t avoid using duplicate or very similar content on your eCommerce site. This is where canonical tags come in handy. A canonical tag (rel=”canonical”) is a way of informing search engines that a URL represents the master copy of a page.

Let’s say you’ve listed the same pair of sneakers in both the “Men’s Footwear” and “Sports Shoes” categories on your site. The URLs might look like this:

• yoursite.com/mens-footwear/blue-sneakers
• yoursite.com/sports-shoes/blue-sneakers

To avoid getting penalized for duplicate content, you could decide that the first URL is the “canonical” version and add a canonical tag to the second URL to point to the first one. This way, Google understands that these pages are essentially the same, and it should focus on the canonical page for ranking purposes.

301 Redirects

A 301 redirect is the most search engine-friendly method for webpage redirection. If you have pages with similar content, you may want to guide search engines and users to one primary page through a 301 redirect.

Let’s say you initially had separate pages for ‘red wool sweaters for men’ and ‘men’s red wool sweaters.’ Given that these pages essentially sell the same product, you could use a 301 redirect to point one page to the other.

So, if a user (or search engine) lands on “www.yoursite.com/red-wool-sweaters-for-men“, they’d be automatically redirected to “www.yoursite.com/mens-red-wool-sweaters“. All the link equity from the redirected page is transferred to the new page, preserving your SEO efforts.

Parameter Handling

Parameter handling can be a bit of a beast in the world of eCommerce SEO. Parameters in URLs are often used for tracking clicks or sorting items, but they can generate additional URLs for the same content.

For example, you might have a URL like “www.yoursite.com/category?page=2 or www.yoursite.com/product?color=blue“. The parameters here are “?page=2” and “?color=blue”, which can lead to the creation of many URLs pointing to similar or identical content.

To manage this, Google Search Console offers a URL Parameters Tool. You can specify how you want Google to treat certain parameters (like ignoring them or considering them representative of unique content). This can help reduce the chance of your eCommerce site suffering from duplicate content issues.

12. Embrace Social Media Integration

The internet is no longer a one-way street. It’s more like a bustling, 24/7 cocktail party, where conversations, recommendations, and cat videos flow in all directions.

At this digital cocktail party, social media platforms are the effervescent hosts; they facilitate connections, discussions, and plenty of purchasing decisions. And guess what? Google loves a good party.

When it comes to enhancing your eCommerce site’s Google rankings, social media integration isn’t just the icing on the cake; it’s another rich layer of that delicious SEO cake we’ve been baking!

Boosting Brand Visibility

Every Facebook share, retweet, or Instagram tag exposes your brand to new customers. It’s like playing hide-and-seek in the dark and holding a high-powered flashlight; you’re easier to find.

While Google hasn’t confirmed social signals as a direct ranking factor, numerous studies suggest a strong correlation. Social signals (likes, shares, comments, tweets, pins, etc.) are like applause from an invisible audience. Google may not admit it, but we all know that loud applause can sway a judge’s decision.

Authoritative Backlink Power

High-quality backlinks are like gold nuggets for your Google rankings. And social media can be the most productive gold mine.

A viral blog or product video doesn’t just generate traffic; it also attracts backlinks from bloggers, journalists, and other website owners who find your content worthy of reference.

The more high-quality backlinks you earn, the more Google sees you as an authoritative figure in your industry!

Indexing Speed

Here’s a little secret: Google loves fresh content. And the faster Google indexes new content, the sooner it can appear in search results.

Publishing new content and sharing it on your social channels is a great way to speed up the indexing process. It’s like showing Google directly where the fresh content buffet is rather than waiting for it to stumble upon it on its own!

Global-marketing Inc.: The Last Piece of the eCommerce SEO Puzzle

eCommerce SEO isn’t a walk in the park. It’s not a picnic under a shady tree or a leisurely paddle in a serene lake. In fact, it’s more like competing in a triathlon while solving a Rubik’s cube. It’s a game where the rules are constantly changing, the playing field never stops shifting, and the finish line keeps moving.

eCommerce SEO requires strategy, determination, and the will to keep up with Google’s never-ending algorithm updates. It’s about knowing how to perform extensive keyword research, possessing the skills to optimize your product pages, having a knack for building high-quality backlink profiles, and so much more. We’re just scratching the surface here.

Sounds like quite a game, doesn’t it? Well, it is. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to play it alone.

At Global-marketing Inc., we’re not just players in the eCommerce SEO game; we’re grand masters. As a trusted eCommerce SEO agency, we know exactly what we’re doing. Equipped with years of experience, a toolkit filled with cutting-edge strategies, and a passion for helping eCommerce websites grow, we’ve mastered the art of helping online stores conquer Google SERPs.

Are you ready to play? Explore our eCommerce marketing services to get this game started! It’s not just about winning; it’s about transforming the game of SEO into your business’s home turf. Our eCommerce SEO experts are ready to take the reins. Let’s show Google what we’ve got!

The post How to Boost Your Online Store’s Google Rankings: A Practical Guide to eCommerce SEO appeared first on Global-marketing Inc..

But let’s face it: a lot goes into launching and building an ecommerce business.

Once set up, you can increase your B2B conversion rates by helping your buyers find what they’re looking for in a seamless manner.

However, this is easier said than done; there are some hidden factors that contribute to your conversion goals:

1. Email signups
2. Social media shares
3. A profitable online sale
4. Visitors adding products to their carts
5. Visitors adding products to their wish list
6. KPIs that are valuable for your company
7. Let Customers review the products you sell them

Understanding ecommerce conversion rates

The ecommerce conversion rate is the percentage of users that visit your website and complete a desired action.

So, what’s a good conversion rate?

The Monetate Ecommerce Quarterly regularly updates the benchmarks on ecommerce conversions for large brands. From this data, we can deduce that the average ecommerce conversion rate is somewhere between 2 and 4%.

Let’s look at 10 ways you can increase your ecommerce conversions:

1. Improve your analytics

Analytics that are in tune with your business goals give you real insight into your customers’ buying behavior and point out the improvements that you need to make in your Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) strategy.

High-tier brands know what their top selling commodities are, and when it’s high-time to remarket them.

Your B2B firm is no different.

When you fix your analytics to properly track your goals, you’ll be able to map out the journey of top customers and learn how likely are customers to go through your products.

For instance, find out what people are looking for when they visit your site, including specific categories, product pages and information pages.

Constructing customer journey is an essential and integral part of Ecommerce SEO, which in turn translates into higher conversions.

Without having access to the trigger events, scenarios and unified data source that synchronizes offline sales with the online activity, your B2B business will not be able to reach its potential.

Your digital plan should primarily include the concept of storing customer data and acting upon it in real-time.

You can even tweak your analytics by segmenting the traffic to track repeat purchasers and for insights into the events leading to a purchase.

2. Mobile Optimization

Studies show that the number of smartphone users worldwide surpasses the three million mark, and this figure is forecasted to further increase by several hundred million in the upcoming years. This gives way to the increasing trend of mobile shopping.

Mobile conversion rates can take a massive hit if ecommerce businesses don’t follow the best practices of mobile landing pages. In fact, a study has shown that 67% of smartphone users are likely to purchase from businesses with content customized according to their location.

To optimize for mobile devices, it is very important to keep your text concise, to the point, and also impactful.

You need to hit the customer’s pain points and benefits right on the bull’s eye. This will significantly improve and increase your b2b conversions rate via your mobile website.

You can do this by writing essentials-only product descriptions and copy. On a mobile phone, a person is scrolling and therefore has a more limited screen size and attention span.

No one likes to read pointless fluff, especially mobile users.

Another important note to optimize your ecommerce site for mobile users is speed. To figure out whether your website is currently optimized for speed on mobile devices, you can use Google’s Pagespeed Insights tool.

The tool will then spit out firstly what speed your users are experiencing when using your site and secondly what you should change in order to improve their experience.

Making sure your speed is fast in this way optimizes your customer experience, which in turn, massively improves your b2b website conversion rate.

As illustrated, mobile site’s performance plays a major role in the success of any online venture.

By providing your customers with a fast and seamless mobile experience, enhanced merchandizing and auto complete features, you’ll quickly see the web conversions and revenue increase significantly.

Research shows that 47% of the visitors expect the website to load in less than 2 seconds. Conversely, 40% visitors are likely to leave the site if the load time is more than 3 seconds.

So remember to plug your URL into Google’s PageSpeed Insights to make sure your site’s load time is within these parameters and if it’s not, make the recommended changes to boost your b2b conversion rate.

3. Give clear and detailed product descriptions

Once you’ve captured your visitor’s attention, it’s time to keep them engaged. That’s where product page optimization comes in. You can drive high levels of B2B online sales by adding unique content to your site that speaks to the challenges of your customers. Always add as much information as you can about the product; visitors bounce from pages that aren’t able to answer their questions. This includes the products’ features, benefits, how it works, and what it can and cannot do.

Salesforce reports that nearly 59% of all B2B buyers conduct online research on the products that they require, instead of contacting a customer service.

You should also try to include a product reviews section into your site to enhance your B2B ecommerce experience. Doing so creates the “Amazon Effect”, which reinforces positive feelings in your buyers.

Be sure to integrate the cross sell and upsell functionalities in the website’s initial presentation as well as the order confirmation stage—the website should speak to the visitors in a way that complements the products that they’re about to purchase.

4. Consider adding a product video/demonstration

Images are great, but videos are better. Adding a product video will go hand-in-hand with the product description. Since your site isn’t a brick and mortar store where visitors can talk directly to representatives and ask them questions, your aim should be to provide a digital experience that’s as close to the real deal as possible.

Provide a clear walk through of how to set up the product and its use through a demo video. Customers prefer to assess the ease of using the product.

5. Product filtering and site search

Setting your site with powerful characterization and filtering will help your customers find exactly what they’re looking for. For instance, give visitors the ability to filter products by price, size, color or style. Going through a long list of products without categories would be chaotic!

Moreover, in case you offer services instead of products, make sure your services are clearly listed in a structured product menu. You can even add a ‘Suggested Products’ functionality that will increase your cross-selling and upselling opportunities.

6. Provide free shipping

Statistics show that nearly 75% of consumers expect free shipping—even if their orders are under $50. Amazon’s Prime membership is based entirely on consumers’ obsession with free shipping. This is a pretty smart strategy. Analysts believe that Amazon is trying to get the customers hooked on the convenience of free shipping; once customers get their Prime ID, they start buying everything without really paying attention to the prices.

What’s more is that an average of 67.75% shopping carts are abandoned due to unexpected costs like shipping and taxes.

A psychology hack for this that you could implement is to make it look like you’re offering free shipping when your shipping cost is actually included in your overall cost, which technically allows you to say free shipping in your product pricing section.

Here’s an example of this.

Say you have one product, which is $30 + $5 shipping.

A customer will not like the idea of paying $5 extra for shipping. Instead, if you simply wrote:

$35 + free shipping

The same customer is much more likely to make invest in your product.

It can be funny to see because you are getting the same amount of money, either way, you phrase it, but it’s a common practice among marketers and business people to take advantage of this interesting quirk in the human psyche and buyer mentality.

Ultimately this simple psychology hack can help you boost your b2b conversions by changing almost nothing on your site but how your pricing is phrased.

7. User Personalization

According to Smart Insights, adding suggestive personalization in your website—for instance, “visitors who viewed this, also viewed”—can generate up to 68% of your ecommerce revenue.

Amazon.com is a clear example of user personalization in ecommerce marketing sites. Nearly every element on their page is personalized; from the personal hello to the “Wish List” and suggested items based on the visitor’s previous searches—nothing is recommended to the user outside their realm of interests.

Additionally, you can increase B2B conversion rates by giving your customers star treatment through a personalized dashboard that displays relevant products, their recent orders and timely promotions. It can even offer additional rewards like early product availability, custom pricing, enhanced customer service and invoicing options.

8. Use chatbots or live chat

Using chatbots will help you avoid the overhead of staffing someone for live chat, but in reality you’ll get a better response from visitors if you use live chat. This is because buyers are always looking for a personalized customer experience, just as they would expect from a brick and mortar store. Plus, it builds a direct communication line between you and your potential customer.

B2B stores can gain the customers’ trust and prove that a real expert is on the other end by displaying an actual photo, name, contact number, ratings and the number of customers that have been served.

In case you do opt for the chatbot route, be upfront with your customers about it. A prime example is Facebook’s chatbot ‘Bitcoin Buddy.’

9. Obtain customer emails

Try to access your customer’s email addresses through a coupon code or a pop-up, and market your best selling products to the customer while they’re still in their decision phase.

One such example is Zappo’s rewards program that offers free shipping and exclusive 24/7 customer service access upon sign up.

Email marketing is a practice that every B2B ecommerce business should adopt because people—business executives in particular—constantly check their email. In fact, studies show that email marketing generates 40 times more ROI compared to other marketing tactics.

An email campaign should focus on addressing the pains of the customers and informing them of what the brand’s services are, how they work, and what challenges they aim to solve.

10. Offer coupons

Coupons can be a great way to gain your visitor’s interest and encourage them to try your services and products out. However, make sure to use coupons sparingly, because offering low prices all the time can end up hurting your business.

For instance, offering 50% discount on too many services can cut your revenue in half. Although it may attract new customers but that still doesn’t guarantee repeat business. How many times did you end up buying a product only because it was discounted?

Instead, focus on offering a unique brand experience and an outstanding service.

Here are some ingenious ways of using coupons to boost revenue:

Sell “stale” inventory

Introduce coupons when you notice low sales volumes. Either offer a percentage discount on individual items in the inventory or offer a free item once the buyer hits a certain spending threshold.

Appreciating customers

That’s all the more reason to show your loyal customers some love! Email your customers coupon codes to thank them for their continued support.

Reward new customers with discounts.

When a new customer purchases from your business for the first time, you can automatically apply discounts on their order. Although try not to sell this upfront; little bonuses like discounts that apply at checkouts may be a great tactic to making lifetime customers.

11. Let your customers leave reviews for the products they buy from you.

Reviews are incredibly important, not just for you as a business owner and seller to know that you are, in fact, selling good products that actually do help people, but also for your future customers.

This is people’s hard-earned money, so naturally, they will want to check out your page to see what other users of the product had to say about it upon receiving it.

Good product reviews mean a more confident buyer, which translates into skyrocketing your conversion rate for your b2b ecommerce website.

So let your customers leave reviews within your product page itself and, in fact, encourage them to leave reviews.

A best practice related to reviews is to display your top reviews to potential customers who are scrolling through the product page. Yet another best practice to boost your conversion and customer retention rate is to actually take the time to as a seller respond to each of your customers’ reviews, whether they are good or bad.

If they are good, be sure to express your gratitude, thank them, and mention that you look forward to helping them find success with their pain points in the future.

The more personalized rather than generic the response, the better.

The same principle applies to negative reviews. Be gracious and accept feedback where it makes sense.

One thing you want to highlight in your top reviews is how your company works and what your unique selling point is to fellow businesses that you are selling to.

The way you can do this is by approaching previous clients and asking them specifically how your business has made a solid and helpful impact on their business to even help them improve their workflow/conversion rate, depending on the nature of their business.

Another hack that is arguably even a step up from top reviews is to take advantage of the power of a testimonial.

Testimonials are particularly powerful because they tend to be more detailed than a regular review would be because the person essentially swears by your product enough to give you a testimonial.

In this way, video testimonials are particularly powerful and impactful to consumers because video just acts as more solid social proof to a fellow customer than writing a review would.

A person can see that another person has needs similar to theirs’, which were met by your product on your b2b website.

Therefore, seeing this testimonial would increase their confidence in their purchasing decision and subsequently increase your b2b web conversion rate as a whole.

In conclusion

There isn’t a “one size fits all” strategy when it comes to how to best boost your B2B ecommerce conversions. The goal should be to implement these tactics intelligently. Showcase your brand’s distinctive features, use Artificial intelligence, a dynamic pricing business model and offer unique packages to new and repeat customers.

If you’re able to get happy customers to sign up to your referral program and leave positive reviews, you’ll be amazed at the impact it has on your ROI.

Bio: The author is a digital marketing and SEO expert at Global-marketing Inc., an award-winning digital marketing firm. He specializes in on-page SEO, link building and SEO ecommerce services and marketing solutions.

The post 11 Ways to Triple Your B2B Ecommerce Conversions appeared first on Global-marketing Inc..

In today’s digitized world, entrepreneurs and small business owners can’t get away with not knowing SEO strategies. In fact, e-commerce and SEO tools have become fundamental aspects of online marketing.

Research suggests that people prefer mobile browsing over laptop or desktop searches. This growing trend has created the need for online business owners to ensure that their website is optimized for mobile device viewing and has a user-friendly interface.

As simple as this may sound, many entrepreneurs struggle to implement SEO strategies effectively. The result is poor search engine rankings and foregone opportunities to make profits.

How to Optimize Your E-Commerce SEO?

You must strike when the iron is hot. Global events like Halloween, Christmas and Black Friday are prime days for e-commerce businesses to make profits and improve the visibility of their brand. However, you can’t yield the benefits of these events if you don’t even have an SEO strategy set up in the first place.

Everything from the content you post online to how your website is designed can play a crucial role in how well your business capitalizes on opportunities and converts them into a loyal customer base.

Nearly 35 percent of customers come from organic search engine results. This means that there’s a broad market you can tap into if you occupy any of the top search result ranks. So how do you rank better on Google?

At Global-marketing Inc., we’ve mastered the art of SEO marketing. We’ve been offering our award-winning digital SEO services to clients all over the world and can provide you with optimized tools to help your business thrive!

Here are some of our best tips on a mandatory SEO checklist for small business owners and entrepreneurs aiming to go big this year!

Part A: Website Architecture and Design

The architecture and design of your website refer to the overall structure of your site, including the hosting server and the plug-ins and applications installed in it. Your website’s structure makes a huge difference in terms of how big your e-commerce store is.

A six-page website will likely load and operate faster compared to a thousand-page one. Using a Content Management System, however, can take the burden off of you to take care of your website since the design and operations are already programmed.

Here are some things you can do to improve your website design.

1. Simplify your Website’s Structure

A complicated homepage structure can chase away even the most enthusiastic customers. Your website should always be UX and UI friendly. This means that your site visitors should be able to navigate their way to the product page under 3 clicks. Also, keep in mind that a responsive website design that’s adaptable to mobile device viewing will improve your chances of getting visitors to stay on your site. This is known as dwell time and it works wonderfully to improve your business’s SEO rankings.

2. Incorporate Breadcrumbs on Your Site

Breadcrumbs are a navigational aid that tells the visitor what part of the website they’re on.

This feature should also be beneficial for your business since the right breadcrumb tags can make you more searchable.

When you first read about breadcrumb navigation for your site, it can sound rather confusing and abstract so let’s break it down.

Basically, the term comes from the tale Hansel and Gretel, in which Hansel leaves bread crumbs behind him so that they can navigate the path that they have walked to get to where they are.

Subsequently, breadcrumb navigation on your website is specifically designed to help your website visitor understand what path they have followed on your website’s pages to wind up on the page that they currently are at.

It’s akin to having left a trail of breadcrumbs behind them to navigate their path.

Traditionally the breadcrumb navigation feature is placed at the top of the web page so that the user can easily see it.

It will look something like: Home > Blogs > Breadcrumb blog piece > Contact Us Page.

In this above case, the page that the user ended up on was the Contact Us page, and the breadcrumb tells them the story of how they navigated through the site to get there.

This ultimately helps the user understand your site structure and therefore navigate your site more easily to the pages that they want to access.

The key “secret sauce” which makes the breadcrumb navigation system work is that each “crumb” is linked so that the user can immediately skip back and forth to pages that they want to go to.

You may be wondering: how can this practice improve an Ecommerce site’s SEO for entrepreneurs and small business owners?

The answer is that Google actually uses breadcrumb navigation to crawl your website and place it into categories.

Therefore, if your site already has an effective breadcrumb navigation system in place, Google is much more likely to rank it on the first page.

3. Optimize Links to your Site

When it comes to organic searches, site links can help your visitors easily navigate the most important pages. These are usually the most frequently visited pages on your website.

It helps to add internal links to related products on your ecommerce site or even products that your other customers bought with the product in question.

This helps you up-scale your revenue and sales through up-selling your customers more products.

A smart way to include internal links is to use your keywords as the “call to action” rather than a generic phrase like “click over here.”

A key way to increase your authority as well as get some good internal links in is to create an About Us page.

This helps your target customer understand your company better, and if your mission is something they resonate with, they’re much more likely to regularly support you as a brand.

If you have specific product types that you specialize in, you can definitely link those pages in your About Us section.

Therefore, an About Us page is definitely something to add to your Ecommerce SEO checklist.

Part B: On-Page SEO Tactics

On-page SEO refers to the process of optimizing each page on your site, including the codes and content, to make them readable as search engine result pages. Small businesses that wish to boost their SEO rankings can and should definitely work on SEO page tactics.

Here’s what to focus on:

1. Keywords

Prepare a list of keywords you’d like to get ranked for.

Remember to own the keyword you choose; don’t spread your content so thinly that you don’t get ranked for anything.

Website crawlers are always on the lookout for content that features the right percentage of keyword-to-text ratio.

A keyword strategy that you should definitely take advantage of is to target long-tail keywords as much as possible.

This is because long-tail keywords are not only lower competition overall but also have a higher chance of bringing you conversions because of the sheer specificity with which a user is searching for something.

Find keywords that are relevant to your e-commerce store but don’t stuff them in meaningless prose. Search engines are a lot smarter than you think.

2. Increase Your Page Speed

We’ve talked about improving the loading speed of your website; now it’s time to talk about the operational speed of each page on your site.

Loading and buffering speeds are key indicators to Google’s algorithms on how to rank your page.

You can get in touch with Global-marketing Inc.’s website development department to help you with this feature.

Having slow loading speeds definitely does not do favors for your Ecommerce SEO as an entrepreneur.

3. Create Localized Landing Pages

E-commerce stores can benefit from creating specific pages that target a particular kind of promotion.

The holiday season is specifically useful for this endeavor, since there are more searches guaranteed for particular keywords around those dates.

Aside from holiday events, it can also be beneficial to your site to create category pages with specific keywords.

An example of this could be “Women’s Soccer Shoes” or “Men’s Date Night Shoes,” depending on your keyword research.

The biggest keywords should definitely have a category of their own under which you can place smaller keywords that fit into the larger category.

If your landing page features something exciting like a giveaway or a competition, your visitors are likely to share your page on social media—earning your authentic links that will boost your SEO rank.

You can optimize your localized landing pages by immediately showing your visitors your most popular and most bought items within that genre.

This can immediately get the proverbial sales ball rolling.

Sales start flowing in using this technique because it gets people interested fast.

4. Add Descriptions for Product Pages

Promote your products by adding small description texts to entice potential buyers. Feel free to write descriptions however you want them. Here are some tips to keep in mind while writing them:

– Keep your description in the 300 to 700 word range.

– Pepper your text with internal links to other pages on your site.

– Add a customer review section to your product pages. Anytime someone types ‘reviews’ in the search bar can get linked to your product description pages.

– Communicate any and all special offers or discounts on your products.

When you’re writing your product descriptions and titles, make sure to create a sense of urgency.

This applies even to crafting your meta descriptions for your organic search results on Google and other search engines.

A useful pro-tip for your Ecommerce SEO checklist for 2021 to create that sense of urgency is to use a countdown clock for specific deals and prices.

A bonus pro-tip that a lot of ad-copy writers use is to take full advantage of powerful words in your product descriptions and titles.

These specific words are timeless and have been tested to psychologically prime your visitors to invest in products.

While there are many power words out there for you to research, this should help you get started.

Part C: Off-Page SEO Strategies

No Ecommerce SEO checklist for entrepreneurs and small business owners is complete without off-page SEO Tactics.

A lot of the work that goes into improving your e-commerce business’s search engine ranking happens offline. Off-page SEO is slightly different from writing a blog or optimizing your web page.

Here, we deal with topics like offering sponsorships for certain events, partnering with local businesses within your industry and improving your outreach with white hat link building techniques. Let’s discuss each one of them in a little more detail.

1. Link Building Strategies

The simplest way to build authentic links is to promote a product, service or event.

Insert them into all of your content, but in ways that make them look like a natural fit and not a forced block of promotional text.

You can also embed links into the images you upload onto your website. Google’s algorithms will take that into consideration when they’re building your SEO rank.

One key strategy to find places that can link to your site is to see which sites are linking to your competitors.

You can easily build links on forums and directories that your competitors have built links on already.

A key place to also find an easy backlink is to get in touch with your manufacturer and ask them to link to you as a merchant for their product on their website.

If they aren’t forums or submission-based directories, you can also reach out to the websites linking to your competitors and ask for a link to your site.

If you ship your product internationally, it can also help you to check international competitors in the countries you can ship to.

Then repeat the same practice for the websites that are linking to your international competitors’ ecommerce websites.

2. Develop Industry Partnerships

This is perhaps the most important element of off-page SEO marketing. Get in touch with local industry e-commerce website owners and build a reciprocal promotional deal. Ask them to link your business on their content and offer them something in return.

You can even hire some already high-ranking online businesses to serve as licensed distributors for your products. From white hat link building to the chance to reach out to a larger consumer base, there are many benefits to expanding your industry partnerships.

3. Embrace the Sponsorship Culture

Getting your products sponsored by a third party website is actually easier than you think. There are many blogs that would happily promote your products. You can also opt to sponsor an event and request your partners to promote you on their website and on-ground activities. This should help put your e-commerce brand’s name on the SEO map.

4. Reach Out to Bloggers

Bloggers bring in loads of traffic and a loyal fan base with them. Get your small business’s name out there by having bloggers feature you on their blogs. You don’t even need to get anything major done for a promotion—simply ask them to link back to your home or product page and you’re surely going to have a lot of their traffic directed to your pages. Many bloggers would be willing to promote you for free; however, some will ask you for some compensation. The choice is yours.

5. Start Guest Posting

Backlinks are crucial for improving your SEO rank. You can use those and harness the power of online influencers to create a solid SEO marketing strategy for your small business to bloom. Ask popular blog owners or local industry groups to let you publish a guest post for them. You’ll be able to convince them better if you already have a few topics in mind. Try to work on something that benefits both of you. In most cases, your partner will agree to guest posting since the backlinks benefit their SEO rank as well.

Final Word

Memorize these e-commerce SEO marketing tips and strategies and maximize your gains during any major shopping season!

A simple, user-friendly and responsive website can help increase your visitor dwell time, while the right kinds of links and promotional pages can help boost activity on and off your page throughout the year.

While SEO tips for Ecommerce stores, startups, and entrepreneurs can be challenging to understand, you are already ahead of the game by taking the time to understand this blog’s points.

A good business person also knows when to delegate work so that they can focus on what matters most in their ecommerce business.

If you’re looking for professional website design, SEO marketing or content development strategies, feel free to get in touch with us today!

Global-marketing Inc. is one of the leading white hat SEO marketing agencies in the United States and offers some of the most affordable rates to get you started on your way to the top of search engine result pages!

Call us at +1(833)405-1025 to learn more about our packages!

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