11 Simple E-Commerce SEO Tips and Tricks

Getting traffic to your store is a great way to get new visitors. But growing traffic can be difficult to get right. 

You can choose digital ads or go the route of SEO for eCommerce. Search engine optimization is a great opportunity for ranking high on Google. And it helps you get more organic traffic for your website. If you’re new to these tactics, look for affordable SEO services for small businesses to help you up your game. 

In the meantime, learn about some tactics meant to drive traffic your way. Here are a few tips on improving your e-commerce SEO game.

1. Work with effective keywords

Keywords are what people search for online. You type them in a search bar and press Enter. Then the browser shows you the results. 

Keywords are terms people focus on when looking for online information. So, they are what you should focus on when you want your products to show up in searches. 

You can use as many keywords as you desire, but it’s important to spread them out. When creating content, you want to tell Google what your pages are about so they can show up for relevant searches. Target one or two terms for each page, product, or category. How can you figure out which keywords to use? Here are a few ideas:

• Work with what you know. List what your service or products have to offer and add related terms. Work as broadly as you want. 
• Analyze trends. Look at the data to find out what keywords bring people to your website. Google Analytics can be very helpful in this instance. 
• Get to the specifics. After figuring out the generics, focus on what your products bring to the table. Work on finding specific keywords that describe your products and services. 
• Match search volume and competition. Your target is to rank for high search volume terms that are achievable. In other words, they are easy to rank for. Use Google Keyword Planner to your advantage.
• Consider user intent. User intent is what people are thinking about when searching for something online. When selling something, your target is the user intent looking for a purchase. Focus on keywords that entice users to buy something from you. 

2. Create meticulous product descriptions

When working on product pages, make sure to “sell” your items to buyers and search engines. Bring more to the table than just titles, photos, and prices. Work on a product description that sells. 

Include anything you think your potential customers would want to know about before making a purchase. That includes measurements, instructions, and other useful details. 

Be as descriptive as possible, and don’t forget the details. Of course, use keywords applicable to your specific product page. But use them naturally, where they fit. 

3. Be careful with duplicate content

The text that appears exactly the same in multiple places/pages is duplicate content. Search engines don’t like it because it’s confusing. They don’t know which version is accurate, so they won’t rank well. 

A few tips on avoiding duplicate content:

• Focus on unique descriptions for your products. When two of your products have similarities, you may be tempted to simply copy and paste the description. Focus on what makes products unique. 
• Don’t copy/paste descriptions from manufacturers. When you have a dropshipping site, it’s easier to just copy and paste the information from the manufacturer’s webpage. But everyone else does this. Instead, focus on unique descriptions to show interest in the products you’re selling. 

4. Make use of keywords in your anchor texts

Links to content on your website help search engines like Google understand the relationship between your pages. Internal links are links to other pages on your website. They have SEO value. 

So, when you create internal links on new pages, use them for more important anchor texts, like your keywords, not just generic phrases like “click here.” 

5. Simplify your URLs to make it easier to crawl for search engines

A good URL provides a preview of what the page is about. Therefore, it’s a good thing to have to provide users with a good experience. And URLs do the same with search engines. 

Avoid long URLs and keep them descriptive. Try to make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for. Include keywords where appropriate to do so. Focus on the user experience. 

6. Add alt text for your images

Search engines don’t see your images. Instead, they read the alt text to understand what’s in the pictures. 

Alt text is a caption that accompanies photos on your website. It should include keywords and be as descriptive as possible. 

Remember that screen readers read alt text to those with vision impairments. Include keywords if they’re useful in describing the image, but skip them if they lack value. 

7. Keep tabs on your broken links

Broken links are confusing for visitors and browsers alike. Search engines use them to understand your site structure. They’re also useful in showing how trustworthy your site is. 

Manually monitoring your links can be a time-consuming hassle. Use tools like Broken Link Checker or Screaming Frog to ease your work and save time. 

When changing the URL of your pages, consider working on setting up a 301 redirect. It tells search engines like Google that you updated the link. 

8. Increase site speed

Search engines love it when websites load fast. Of course, they’re key to a great user experience. When raking your pages, search engines consider your loading speed. Follow these tips to make sure your site loads fast:

• Use caching – caching saves a copy of your website on browsers. It allows those pages to load faster when visited. You can set caching up with plugins. 
• Image optimization – compress images where possible and use only clear photos with the largest file size you need. 
• Consider using a Content Delivery Network – CDNs store heavy files off-site, allowing them to load faster. They also load websites from distributed servers closer to a user’s location. 
• Choose your host carefully – a good host is the foundation for good website speed. 
• Limit your plugins – don’t overcharge your website with all sorts of plugins. Use only the ones you truly need to help your website load faster. 
• Update WordPress plugins, and themes regularly – updates include code that helps things load faster. And they make your website more secure and functional. 

9. Secure your website with HTTPS

Every customer who signs up, purchases something from you, or opts in for a campaign gives you their personal information. So, you must ensure that your collected data is safe and encrypted. 

When someone comes to your website, but doesn’t feel safe, they may not return and go to your competitors instead. 

Google named HTTPS as an important factor for ranking. And most important and high-quality websites have moved to HTTPS already. Keep your customer data safe by doing the same thing!

10. Optimize your website for mobile

In 2019, Google announced it would index websites with its mobile device crawler. That means it scans your website and ranks it for mobile devices. First, you need to have a mobile-friendly website. Then, make sure you have similar content on them and that your videos and photos are optimized for mobile screens. 

Always test your website for mobiles before publishing it. Make sure your experience is similar on larger and smaller screens. That will ensure a good transition for your users from PC to mobiles and vice versa. 

11. Work on backlinks to your products and blogs

Backlinks happen when other websites link to your products or content. That tells search engines that other websites see your content as good and worth linking to. 

The more backlinks you have, the more likely you are to get a higher rank from Google. 

Backlinks are an effective way to scale up your brand or shop and earn referrals. However, there will be a few things you have to focus on. That means spending time guest writing on websites other than your own or paying affiliate websites to list your products. 

Conclusion

Growing organic traffic is not an easy task. But it’s not impossible either. 

Following these SEO-friendly practices is meant to help you increase organic traffic to your eCommerce store. Results are sure to follow. 

Of course, SEO needs consistent focus and takes time to show the fruits of your labor. But with enough hard work and patience, you’ll see your business grow.