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Proven SEO Strategies and Tips for eCommerce

Having an ecommerce business can be very rewarding. You don’t have the pressures of a storefront, you might not have to hire and/or manage employees, or pay costly fees for taxes, electricity and the other expenses associated with a physical store. The other side of ecommerce is the competitive landscape. With mainstay brands shutting their doors because of increased online shopping, you must share more of the pie. The information below will help put you in the strongest position possible.

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SEO strategies

What are the best SEO strategies for ecommerce companies?

1. “Out of stock” v. “This item will be available…”

One of the biggest problems for customers and the businesses that sell to them are out of stock items. Nothing is more frustrating than wanting to make a purchase and learning the item is not available. For the business, it can be disheartening when a customer is ready to spend with you but cannot receive the item they want. Is the item coming back? Is it out of stock forever? These are questions that go through a customer’s mind and your business does not want to cause confusion through any part of the interaction, especially not at the point of purchase. It is better to list the lead-time rather than “out of stock.” If it will take 10 days for you to receive the item, the text should say, “This item will ship out within 14 days due to high demand.” This customer knows exactly what is going on and it reaffirms their decision to purchase this item because other people want it as well. Always offer solutions. If you cannot access an item anymore, take it off your website. It’s better that it’s not visible at all, rather than having the customer find out it shouldn’t have been on your website anymore.

2. Show your products in the best light possible

Nothing can hurt your credibility more than having a sub-par photo representing your product. Make sure you only show hi-res photos of the products you’re selling. If the customer can’t see it, they won’t want it, and if they don’t want it, they won’t buy it.

3. Provide your customers with smooth landings via your landing page

  • Use a clean and organized look so the customer’s eyes aren’t overwhelmed
  • Keep it simple, don’t have pop-ups or other unnecessary ads or text detracting from the purpose of the page.
  • Use a header to clearly communicate the purpose of the landing page.
  • Optimize your page for mobile use! Most people read emails on their phones.

4. The locks only keywords can open

This comes down to good old fashioned research. The keywords you choose must be relevant to your site’s content. Run tests on keywords you would like to use and see how the competition is using them. It will let you know if you are on the right track in choosing the word. Also, collect data from your customer’s habits to learn the value of the keywords.

5. Google, can you see me?

After all your hard work, wouldn’t it be a waste to not be seen? Avoid this by making sure your business is listed on Google. Provide all vital information about your business so customers have no issue finding you when they are shopping. Other search engines like Yahoo and Bing are key to your brand’s exposure, so make sure you are visible and as prominent as possible where your customers frequent online.