Many businesses are becoming increasingly aware of SEO and online marketing and are using many of the SEO principles in the design and content of their website. What they might not be fully aware of, though, is the difference between traditional SEO and SEO for Ecommerce.
There are a number of differences between the two and we have gathered a number of factors and tips from experts to help businesses just like yours when it comes to designing your SEO for Ecommerce.
Multiple categorisations
This might sound complex but it’s actually quite simple. If an item on your inventory only fits one SEO topic then it can only be found on one search but if it has more than one tag then it can be found more than once. Think of a grey ladies coat which might ordinarily be given the keyword “grey coat”. This means that anyone searching for a grey coat might find yours and buy it. If you then add “coat” “ladies coat” “grey winter coat” and “ladies grey coat” to the equation, there is not only more chance of your original customer finding and buying the coat but also of someone looking for a ladies coat but not necessarily knowing or having already decided that they want it to be grey, or any other colour for that matter.
This is just the SEO for Ecommerce equivalent of giving oneself as many chances as possible to be found and of making a sale or attracting a customer.
The Site Map
Although many people find a site map by accident and are unlikely to visit it again, the site map is actually very helpful to rank higher with a search engine rather than to benefit your customers. Let’s be honest, as much as you want the customers to be involved and entertained or stimulated by your site, you also want them to be able to find it, and a site map is the easiest way for a search engine like Google to pick up on the keywords or headings of your pages without you having to do very much.
In essence, a site map allows Google’s detectors (or spiders as they’re popularly known) to be able to plough through every page of your site with minimum effort but maximum result for you. The more products you have on your site, the more difficult it can be to list everything and still expect it to be found. Larger companies with thousands upon thousands of products have started to use sub-categories and segmented maps to make theirs and Google’s lives a little easier.
Keep Content Fresh
The most recent research into the algorithms used by Google is that they are regularly updates and therefore have more chance of picking up new content. For this reason, as well as to keep the interest of your customers, it has never been more important to refresh content regularly. But that doesn’t just mean changing the home page or your product descriptions. Think in terms of blogs, reviews and even allowing guests to blog on your behalf – either with reviews or just their general opinions.