You’ve taken the time to build a beautiful website for your business. You’ve started to stock it with products, but you’re just not seeing the traffic you were hoping for. Maybe you’ve consulted Google for some help, and they directed you towards Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Now you’re probably wondering what SEO is and why it matters for your business.
SEO is a series of tactics web admins and business owners can use to get their webpages noticed and ranked by search engines like Google and Bing. SEO can push a website higher in relevant search results by properly utilising links, images, videos, keywords, and other web page elements. If used poorly or ignored, your page can drop in the rankings without your knowledge.
So why does SEO matter for your business?
By focusing on SEO, you can not only target the types of customers you want, but you’ll also have more control over where and how you get discovered. SEO is the key to effectively building your store’s presence online.
Let our eCommerce team give you the rundown on some of the basics of search engine optimisation so you can start getting those visitors in and conversions
Why is SEO so Important?
Between running your business and setting up your eCommerce website design, you have a lot to worry about. Maybe you already rely on web advertising agencies and eCommerce website developers to build your business presence online. Is it worth it to delve into SEO, too?
The internet has come to play a significant role in consumers’ lives, who are increasingly finding the products and services they want primarily through search engines. With Google alone processing over 3.5 billion queries a day, it’s safe to assume that most people use search engines as the first step in their shopping experiences.
Let’s say you start selling digital products on Shopify. How you utilize SEO practices determines where your store shows up in relevant searches. It also determines what search terms you are targeting, be they broad or specific.
Because most users don’t dig far beyond the first page of search results, SEO aims to get your business as high in relevant search results as possible. Ideally, you want to land on the first page (in fact, you want to be within the first 5 organic search results). But getting them to your page is just the first step.
SEO is one of the most powerful tools to grow your eCommerce business. Many website builders (such as Shopify) include tools for gauging SEO, but they don’t always explain the best ways to boost your rankings.
How Does SEO Work?
Every search engine uses programs to index pages on the web. Then, when a user submits a search term or phrase, the engine uses an algorithm to determine which indexed pages are relevant and in what order to display them. While search engines keep their algorithms largely secret, SEOs have learned the practices that give the best results through trial and error and A/B testing.
SEO is how your website communicates with search engines to prove that it contains relevant content. But what makes your content more suitable than another in the same field? The words and phrases you use are part of the puzzle, but only one of many.
To verify your website is authoritative, you should follow these SEO practices when creating your web page:
Create regular content relevant to your niche
You might think of this as simply adding more products to your store, but you should aim for more textual content to boost SEO ranking. Online store owners usually do this in the form of a blog because it’s well organised and easy to update with fresh written content. Just make sure what you add is relevant to your niche and target audience.
Utilise mobile-friendly design
Nearly 60% of all searches come from mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. As a result, leading search engines tend to favour mobile-friendly websites. As an aside, it also helps retain users on mobile devices.
Use frequent internal and external hyperlinks
SEOs often talk about SEO as proving a website’s authority on its targeted niche. Hyperlinks do this by connecting relevant pages and giving the search engine algorithm a stronger sense of what those pages are about. Interlinking pages includes connecting to pages on your site as well as external sites that have information relevant to your niche.
Optimise the images you use
Search engines look at your visual content and your text to determine what your pages are about. However, they need help identifying images. SEOs do this through meta tags and alt text, bits of code that provide your images with labels and descriptions. Each image should have its meta tags and alt text, with relevant keywords to help the algorithm. It would be best if you also chose file formats that load quickly.
Simplify your site structure and user experience
How you organise files, both on your site and on your server, can affect how search engines read your content. Having an overly complex internal structure can negatively impact your overall SEO ranking. Keep files organised by type and ensure your pages are easy for users to read and navigate.
Is There an Easy Way to Implement SEO Changes?
After looking at the above practices, you may be thinking that it’s a lot of work to make those changes — you’re right. Achieving and maintaining a high ranking via SEO is a constant job that requires you to make changes frequently. It’s a lot for someone to take on, especially if they aren’t well versed in SEO practices and are already running the day-to-day of their business.
Do You Need Your Site to Rank Higher?
Digital Drive is an eCommerce web design agency with a wide range of services to help you take your online business to the next level. Whether you need help to set up your Shopify store, optimise your WooCommerce website, or create an effective ecommerce marketing campaign that converts, our team is here to help. Contact Digital Drive now and see how we can help your brand thrive.
