To an e-commerce business, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is what bread is to Vegemite. Vegemite might be the star, but who’s really eating it without a vessel?
Much in the same way, your product or service — whether it’s clothing, electronics, or anything else under the digital sun — might be exceptional, but without effective SEO, how will it catch the spotlight it deserves?
Enter SEO, the vessel that guides viewers to your website. Just as bread serves as the base for Vegemite, SEO strategies lay the foundational pathway for consumers to find your website amid a sea of competitors. When someone types a query into a search engine, whether it’s Google or Bing (yeah, Bing is still a thing), SEO is the invisible hand that helps potential customers to your digital doorstep.
And it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. SEO needs to be fine-tuned to align with an e-commerce brand’s specified product offerings, target audience, and overall objectives. SEO strategies can be tailored to meet specific objectives, often with different levels of budgeting options available.
To understand in more depth why SEO shouldn’t be slept on by any e-commerce business, let’s explore why you need to be optimising, the intricacies of technical SEO, keywords, meta descriptions, and link building – and how as an e-commerce SEO agency, it’s all our bread and vegemite at Reform Digital.
Why You Need to Be Optimising (Constantly)
The number one challenge is the digital space today is standing out. There are over a billion websites out there, but most people never go beyond the first page of search results. So, how can you drive people to your website, ensuring it doesn’t get lost in the noise? The answer is, you need to be continually optimising.
SEO is an ongoing process, not a one-time feat (if only it were that easy). Search engines like Google are constantly evolving their algorithms because user behaviour is ever-changing.
Stagnation in your SEO efforts can lead to a drop in visibility and potential sales. To stay ahead in the game, you need to continually adapt your SEO strategy to keep your website in the glorious spot that is the first page of search results.
What is Technical SEO?
Now let’s get into the digital nitty-gritty of technical SEO. This is the backbone of your website’s visibility and involves optimising the technical aspects of your site to enhance its performance in search engine rankings. Here are some key elements of technical SEO:
Website Speed
Google and other search engines prioritise fast-loading websites because, let’s be honest, nobody has time for slow-loading pages (it also indicates lesser authority, meaning it ranks lower). Slower sites can result in higher bounce rates and lower rankings. Optimising your site’s speed on PC or mobile ensures a better user experience and improved SEO performance.
Mobile Optimisation
It’s becoming increasingly important for a website to be mobile-optimised, as more and more people use their phones to browse. Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it primarily considers the mobile version of a site for ranking. Making sure your site is responsive and mobile-friendly is a key component of SEO success.
Site Structure
A well-organised site structure helps search engines understand the content and hierarchy of your website. A site review will go over things like properly structured URLs, internal linking, and XML sitemaps, all contributing to better SEO.
Crawlability
Search engine bots (otherwise known as crawlers) need to be able to navigate and index your site efficiently. Ensuring that your site is easy for search engines to crawl and index is a fundamental aspect of technical SEO.
Keywords, Meta Descriptions & Link Building
Keyword research, meta descriptions, and link building are integral components of SEO that directly impact your website’s visibility.
Keyword Research
This is likely the first thing you think of when you think of SEO. Understanding the keywords your target audience is using to search for products or services for e-commerce sites is essential. Integrating relevant keywords into your content, product descriptions, and metadata helps search engines connect your site with user queries.
Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions provide a brief summary of what a page is about and appear in search results. Crafting compelling meta descriptions can improve click-through rates and encourage new users to visit your site.
Link Building
Building high-quality backlinks from reputable websites to yours is a critical aspect of off-page SEO. Quality links not only drive traffic but also signals to search engines that your site is authoritative and trustworthy.
All in all, SEO is the lifeline that connects your e-commerce products or services with potential customers. By continually optimising your site, mastering technical SEO, and effectively using keywords, meta descriptions, and link building, you ensure that your business remains competitive and thrives in the digital arena.
Or, if that sounds like a lot of work (and it is), let our team of SEO experts – from analysts and strategists to our fleet of SEO copywriters – do it for you. Reach out today for a free site review.
