Even though search engine optimization (SEO) seems straightforward on paper, there are dozens of interlocking pieces that should be monitored in practice if you demand positive results.
When it comes to e-commerce sites, the process becomes even more complex than usual. In fact, e-commerce sites operate under a unique set of circumstances with a distinct set of best practices.
The fundamentals of SEO, such as great content, quality inbound links and a good social media campaign, surely apply for e-commerce sites, as well. But there are other important strategies that need to be applied concerning SEO for e-commerce sites.
5 Important Aspects of SEO for E-commerce
Unique content – Don’t make the blunder that most newcomers to e-commerce make when creating their product pages, that is simply copying and pasting an Amazon or other product description they find somewhere onto their pages. This doesn’t sit well with Google, and you won’t rank well. Make unique content for your pages!
Reviews and social proof – Very often the factor that tips the sale in your favor is the inclusion of product reviews and other social proof in the form of testimonials. These are gold: make use of them!
Redirect old product pages – When you retire a product and simply ignore it, it still gets traffic and may eventually lead to a 404 error page, a bad SEO signal to Google. Prevent this by redirecting your old pages to new, more relevant ones.
Use unique imagery – Use unique images on your pages too. Like duplicate content in the form of text, using the same images found on Amazon won’t help you. If you can take on some image editing, it’s simple enough to alter the images enough to make them unique, and perhaps adding a message of your own.
Use diverse content – Make an effort to use as many different types of content as possible. Infographics, customer video testimonials, and product demos can all lead to a richer customer experience in Google’s eyes.
Using these small tweaks together with traditional on-page SEO can lead to your pages leapfrogging over the competition. All it will require is a little more work!
