The 10 essential steps to successfully optimize your store for Google search.

For an online store, SEO means a lot. It can have a direct impact on traffic and conversion rates. It also strengthens the credibility of a website and the brand’s reputation. Considering the current level of competition on the internet, SEO can only be a good thing for a website that knows how to use it properly. To do this, the correct SEO strategy must be applied. This strategy must leverage strong keywords, optimize product pages and content. It should include internal and external linking processes as well as local SEO via Google My Business. In this article, we will see practical tips for on-page and off-page optimization, as well as address data analysis and identifying opportunities for improving an SEO strategy.

The importance of SEO for your online store

Knowing that 39% of e-commerce traffic comes from online searches, a company cannot bypass natural referencing to hope to thrive on the internet. SEO, or search engine optimization, includes a set of strategies aimed at helping a website that wants to rise to the top pages of search results (SERP). It is an approach that allows for better visibility and undeniable advantages in terms of competition.

Understanding the benefits of Google referencing

SEO has become a standard for websites regardless of the product or service being sold. It is one of the best ways to attract people to a website. It is necessary to put in place a solid search engine optimization strategy to exploit it.

It is an essential approach for those who want to attract more visitors to their website. E-stores will particularly benefit from SEO, as it allows them to get more traffic and prospects. If SEO is done correctly, it brings more visibility and ultimately increases a company’s revenue.

Getting familiar with Google’s algorithm and how it works

When you want to reference a website, you cannot ignore the current dominant search engine: Google. Google uses algorithms for its operation. These algorithms consist of a set of rules used by Google to rank websites in search results. This is a complex system that retrieves page data, tries to understand what users want, and ranks pages based on their relevance and quality. The algorithms are therefore a tool on which Google bases itself to catalogue a page in search results when a user enters a query in the search bar.

Explanation of SEO competition in e-commerce

Every hour, there are millions of people conducting web searches. The vast majority do it to find the services or products they need. However, only a tiny portion will go beyond the first page when searching. The biggest competitors will compete for the best position on the first page. SEO is an effective way to achieve this. For an e-commerce business, the competition is fierce on the web. In order to attract more customers, internet users must easily find goods and services without having to search for hours on Google. Search engine optimization allows one to rise above competitors and position themselves well for our product or service niche in order to be easily spotted by the user.

Developing an effective SEO strategy

Developing an effective SEO strategy means optimizing every aspect of your website. Here, you should focus on e-commerce-oriented referencing. It will bring improvements to your site (on-page SEO), but also outside of it to increase its visibility and reputation (off-page SEO). Both should help to achieve a high position on the first page of results for the keywords you want to target.

How to choose the right keywords for your online store?

To find the right keywords, there are important factors to consider. The first is undoubtedly the volume. A frequently searched keyword can increase traffic to your site. But you should also consider the second factor, which is competition. The more searches there are for a keyword, the more competition there is on it.

It is best to choose those with fewer competitors or opt for more specific terms, which are usually called long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are longer, have less competition, and allow you to get more qualified traffic. Relevance is also an important element, as it determines the keyword related to the product, service, or activity that you offer.

And finally, there is the intent indicating what internet users are trying to find when they search. Is it for information, to find a retailer, to buy? An e-commerce store will focus on commercial and transactional search intents.

Importance of Google My Business and good internal/external linking

A good SEO strategy also takes into account good internal and external linking. Internal linking is part of SEO on-page. It connects pages within the same site, making navigation easier for users and helping search engines better understand our site. External linking, on the other hand, is a very important part of off-page SEO. It involves creating incoming links commonly referred to as backlinks. These come from other sites that mention ours for one reason or another. In simple terms, the more a domain name (site) is mentioned on other sites, the more its credibility will increase with Google. Among other things, with its 40,000 queries every second, Google processes over 3 billion searches each day. Half of these are local searches.

And this is where Google My Business and local referencing become important. They are free and allow you to manage how you are visible in online tools like Google Maps. You can then update the information in your Google business profile at any time. In other words, you control how your opening hours, phone number, and other attributes appear online and on Google Maps. Potential customers can then contact you more easily because your information is accessible at all times. To use Google My Business, you need to create a business listing and log in. Then, you can go to the Google My Business site and click on “Manage” to complete the steps for creating the listing.

How to optimize product listings for SEO?

Writing optimized titles and descriptions, using images correctly, and using meta tags are important for product listing optimization.

How to write optimized titles and descriptions?

A good title should remain natural and contain targeted keywords. To be displayed correctly in search engine results, the title should be a maximum of 70 characters. The SEO title reflects the elements contained on the page. It can ask a question or answer one and should include the page’s name or the company/brand name.

To write an optimized description, think first about what buyers are looking for and highlight the benefits and features of the product. Here, it is necessary to target the right SEO keywords for each product and place them strategically in the text. Then, you can add calls to action. Finally, a crucial detail, each description should be unique.

Importance of images and how to optimize them for SEO

Images help with the proper referencing of a web page. They contribute to obtaining a good ranking in Google and make it easier for internet users to read. There are several image optimization methods for SEO. The first thing to know is that they should not slow down your site’s loading speed. They should be the right size and contain keywords as well as alternative text. The latter helps search engine spiders index the content of an image. Don’t forget to make photos mobile-friendly. Indeed, with Google’s mobile-first indexing, exploration robots primarily consider a site’s mobile version.

Using meta tags for maximum optimization

Meta tags have an impact on how a site will appear directly in search results and how it will be perceived by internet users. They must be well optimized. Indeed, they will make the first impression of your domain address. The goal here is to make the reader want to click to go to your page. As a result, a good meta tag helps to get better traffic and engagement for SEO. To make them successful, you must use relevant keywords that match the content and search intent. Write for users and use a friendly and conversational tone. Here, you will need to try several styles to see what works for your page and your audience.

Tracking and optimizing your store’s SEO

Tracking and optimizing your store’s SEO involves being able to assess the effectiveness of your SEO strategy, identify its flaws, and know how to remedy them. To do this, there are various tools provided by Google itself. Furthermore, you must stay up to date and be aware of the latest changes that search engines have made to their algorithms.

Using Google Analytics to track traffic and identify optimization opportunities

Google Analytics is a powerful and free tool (basic, as there is a premium version Google Analytics 360) that allows you to track your site’s campaign performance. It helps track traffic and identify optimization opportunities. In this process, there are several techniques, including analyzing trends and data patterns.

This involves examining performance reports (organic traffic, bounce rate, average session duration). The analyst can then check revealing patterns and correlations such as underperforming pages or keywords. They will then compare with competitors to identify gaps in the existing SEO strategy. They can then propose optimization opportunities and perform new tests to see what works and make adjustments accordingly.

Meaning and importance of Google algorithm updates

Google algorithm updates aim to improve the relevance and quality of search results for users. Indeed, a search engine’s primary goal is to provide reliable, useful, and accurate information to users. To achieve this, the search engine constantly optimizes its algorithms to better understand web content. They will then focus on content quality, user experience, and website security. Furthermore, it should be noted that these updates disrupt the SEO strategies we are already familiar with.

How to maintain and improve your store’s SEO on Google in the long term?

If you want to maintain and improve your store’s SEO in the long term, you need to focus on creating relevant and quality content. Optimizing the user experience should never be overlooked. This includes site response time, mobile platform support (mobile-friendly), security, and an easy-to-navigate structure. As described above, Google frequently updates its algorithms. Therefore, you must stay informed and know how to adapt to provide value to users.

Conclusion

Natural referencing is crucial for the long-term success of an online store. As we have seen, there are various proven techniques to attract more qualified traffic from Google. This can range from targeting keywords, meticulously optimizing content and metadata, and strategically linking internal/external links. We also discussed the use of Google My Business for local visibility. However, an effective SEO strategy does not stop there. It is imperative to regularly monitor Google Analytics data. You must also be responsive to algorithm updates and continually optimize your online presence. This way, you can maintain and improve your rank on Google.