In 2019, data is the most valuable asset, and the primary information provider is Google search. The search box on Google.com is where 61% of first-time purchases begin, so you must pay attention to this. The topic of eCommerce SEO services is long and tricky because no one knows for sure how Google’s search algorithm works, and more interesting is that something that worked last year can harm your SEO this year; a classic example of this is keyword stuffing. This article will highlight the ten most common eCommerce SEO services mistakes and how to avoid them.
Mindless Keyword Stuffing
Most eCommerce SEO services merely try to fit in as many keywords in a post or page. This is an excellent SEO tactic, but only if you know how to do eCommerce SEO auditing right. Although we are not sure of the precise factors Google looks out for; we know that packing your keywords unnaturally in URLs, blog posts, alt text, etc. will do more harm than good. It kills your SEO as well as user experience. Focus on valuable content, one that flows well; and then put in the keywords, so they come naturally.
Links not Optimized
In the previous point, I emphasized that you should not stuff keywords unnecessarily in your URLs. However, that does not mean your keywords should not be in your URLs. Good eCommerce SEO services will advise you to put in only relevant keywords on your post, media, and page URLs, etc.
Most CMSs let you configure your permalinks. Confirm that the links on your website are readable and not just a set of numbers of formulas. On WordPress, you can set this by navigating to Settings > Permalinks.
Slow Websites
Bounce rate is an overlooked SEO factor; a higher bounce rate leads to lower Google search ranking. A scary statistic states that 40% of your visitors will abandon your store if it takes more than three seconds to load. Therefore, the slower your site, the higher your bounce rate (hence, poor SEO scores). Several plugins and simple tools allow you to speed up your site by caching your pages, compressing files, and so forth. Learn how to do e-commerce SEO auditing, as it will aid you in testing your store’s SEO scores.
Poor Internal Linking
A research found that the top 2,000 e-commerce websites load in 10 seconds on average, and this is not good. Google’s spiders love websites in which pages and posts have elements that link to other pages and posts on the same site. Not only Google, but this also helps your customers to navigate your site more intuitively. Checking your page speed with Google Pagespeed Insights can be a crucial step for your SEO audit, you will not only discover your site’s speed, you will also learn how to improve it.
Non-Responsive Design
Most people will access your site via mobile, and so your site must be 100% responsive. A mobile-friendly website means your visitors get a great experience no matter how they access your site, and failing to offer this means that Google will favor a competitor’s responsive website over yours.
Lack of SSL
E-commerce websites constantly exchange financial information between visitors and server. This data is not encrypted, hence can be tapped by a man in the middle. Thankfully Comodo PositiveSSL Certificate encrypt information moving between your customer and the store, so even if your data is tapped, the attacker will not make out anything from the data. Since encryption is vital for overall user experience, Google loves it. Sites with an HTTPS rank better than those without
Duplicate Content
This is where most e-commerce sites fall short. Those copy/paste blogs or product descriptions you got off Aliexpress or Amazon are affecting your ranking. Duplicate content sends confusing signals, and this can harm your SEO. The first job of all SEO services should be to ensure that most of your content is 100% unique.
Irrelevant Keywords
In the quest to show up on the first pages of search results, you can be tempted to optimize for whatever keyword with low competition. However, do not forget your target audience here; your content should rank for keywords your audience is interested in.
Complex Navigation Structure
Your website is the virtual office of your business, and if your visitors are confused, how much more Google? Ensure that important buttons or links are not hidden under hidden menus or content. How to do e-commerce SEO auditing, fixing your website navigation will boost your ranking and lead to more sales.
Forsaking Google Analytics
Analytics is a free Google tool that shows you precisely how your site performs, where you should focus your marketing on, and so much more insights into your visitor’s behaviors. If you are not sure how to do e-commerce SEO auditing, Google Analytics is a great place to start.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but these ten factors are the most overlooked issues that can make or mar your search engine rankings. Implement these, and you will see a considerable boost in your SEO.
Author
Tigran is a marketing and creative content specialist at Smarketa.com with a primary focus on SEO, PPC and customer satisfaction for eCommerce business. Being a true humanist she draws inspiration from the simple thing as everyday life and the matters one come across on a daily bases doing her best and above to help everyone around.