10 key steps to reference your store on Google
For an online store, SEO means a lot. It can have a direct impact on traffic and conversion rates. It also enhances the credibility of a website and the reputation of a brand. Considering the level of competition currently present on the internet, SEO can only be a good thing for the website that knows how to leverage it properly. To do this, one must apply the correct SEO strategy. This strategy should take advantage of strong keywords, the optimization of 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 addressing data analysis and identifying opportunities for improving an SEO strategy.
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The importance of SEO for your online store
Knowing that 39% of e-commerce traffic comes from online searches, a business cannot bypass natural SEO if it hopes to thrive on the internet. SEO, or search engine optimization, encompasses a set of strategies aimed at helping a website that wishes to propel itself onto the best pages of search results (SERP). This approach allows one to gain better visibility and undeniable advantages in terms of competition.
Understanding the advantages of SEO on Google
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. Therefore, it is necessary to implement a solid search engine optimization strategy to leverage it.
This is an essential step for those looking to attract more internet users to their website. E-stores will particularly benefit from SEO, as it allows them to obtain more traffic and have more prospects. If SEO is done correctly, it brings more visibility and ultimately increases a company’s revenue.
Familiarizing yourself with the Google algorithm and its functioning
When trying to index a site, one cannot overlook the search engine that currently dominates the internet: Google. The latter employs algorithms for its functioning. These algorithms encompass a set of rules used by Google to rank websites in search results. We are talking about a complex system that retrieves page data, strives to understand what internet users want, and ranks pages based on their relevance and quality. The algorithms are thus a tool that Google relies on to catalog a page in search results when a user enters a query in the search bar.
Explanation of SEO competition in e-commerce
Every hour, millions of people conduct web searches. The vast majority do so to find the services or products they need. However, only a tiny fraction will go beyond the first page during their search. The biggest competitors will thus vie for the best spot on the first page. SEO is an effective way to achieve this. For an e-commerce business, competition is fierce on the web. To attract more customers, internet users must easily find goods and services without having to dig for hours on Google. Natural SEO allows one to surpass competitors and position oneself optimally for our product or service niche in a way that is easily identifiable by internet users.
Developing an effective SEO strategy
Creating an effective SEO strategy means optimizing every aspect of your website. Here, one must turn to e-commerce-focused SEO. It will bring improvements to your site (on-page SEO), but also externally to increase its visibility and reputation (off-page SEO). Both should allow one to achieve a high position on the first page of results for the keywords one wishes to rank for.
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 volume. A keyword searched many times can increase traffic to your site. But one must consider the second factor, which is competition. The more searches for a keyword, the more competition there is for it.
The best approach is to choose those with little competition or opt for more specific terms, commonly referred to as long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are longer, have less competition, and provide more qualified traffic. Relevance is also an important element, as it determines the keyword related to the product, service, or activity one offers.
And finally, there is the intent, which indicates what internet users are trying to find when they conduct a search. Is it for information, to find a retailer, or to make a purchase? An e-commerce store will prioritize commercial and transactional search intents.
Importance of Google My Business and good internal/external linking
A good SEO strategy also involves good internal and external linking. Internal linking is part of on-page SEO. It helps connect pages within the same site. The goal here is to facilitate navigation
for users and help search engines better understand our site. External linking, on the other hand, is a very important part of off-page SEO. It involves creating inbound links commonly referred to as backlinks. These come from other sites that will cite ours for a specific topic. Simply put, the more a domain name (site) is mentioned on other sites, the more its credibility will increase with Google. Notably, with its 40,000 queries every second, Google logs over 3 billion searches daily. Among these, half consist of local searches.
And this is where Google My Business and local SEO find their importance. They are free and allow businesses to manage how they are viewed in online tools like Google Maps. One can update the information in their Google business profile at any time. In other words, we control how our hours of operation, phone number, and other attributes appear online and on Google Maps. Potential customers can then contact us more easily, as our information is accessible at all times. To use Google My Business, one must create a business profile and log in. Next, you can go to the Google My Business site and start by clicking on “Manage” and completing the steps to create the profile.
How to optimize product listings for SEO?
Writing optimized titles and descriptions, proper use of images, and utilizing meta tags are important for the optimization of product listings.
How to write optimized titles and descriptions?
A good title must primarily remain natural and contain the 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 pose a question or answer it and should include the name of the page or the business/brand.
To write an optimized description, one must first think about what buyers are looking for and highlight the advantages 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, one can add calls to action. Finally, a major last detail, each description must be unique.
Importance of images and how to optimize them for SEO
Images assist in good web page SEO. They help achieve a good ranking on Google and ease reading for internet users. There are several methods for optimizing images for SEO. The first thing to know is that they should not slow down your site’s loading speed. They should therefore be of the right size and include keywords as well as alt text. This helps search engine spiders to index the content of an image. Don’t forget to make the photos mobile-friendly. Indeed, with the existence of Google’s mobile-first indexing, crawling bots primarily account for the mobile version of a site.
Using meta tags for maximum optimization
Meta tags impact how a site will appear directly in search results and how it will be perceived by internet users. Therefore, they must be well optimized. Indeed, they will make the first impression of your web address. The goal here is to entice the reader to click to visit your page. As a result, a good meta tag helps obtain better traffic and engagement for SEO. To achieve this correctly, it is necessary to use relevant keywords corresponding to the content and search intent. Write for users and use a friendly, conversational tone. Here, you should try various styles before knowing what works for your page and audience.
Monitoring and optimizing the SEO of your store
Monitoring and optimizing the SEO of one’s store involves being able to evaluate the effectiveness of one’s SEO strategy, identify its flaws, and know how to address them. To do this, there are various tools provided by Google itself. Additionally, one must stay updated 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 (at least its basic version, as there is a premium version, Google Analytics 360) that allows you to track the performance of your site’s campaign. It enables you to monitor traffic and identify optimization opportunities. In this process, there are several techniques, including trend and data pattern analysis.
This analysis involves examining performance reports (organic traffic, bounce rate, average session duration). The analyst can then check for revealing patterns and correlations such as underperforming pages or keywords. Afterward, they can make comparisons with competitors to identify gaps in the existing SEO strategy. Once this is completed, they can propose optimization opportunities and conduct new tests to see what works and adjust accordingly.
Meaning and importance of Google algorithm updates
Google’s algorithm updates aim to improve the relevance and quality of search results for users. In fact, the primary goal of a search engine is to provide reliable, useful, and accurate information for these users. To accomplish this result, the search engine continuously optimizes its algorithms so that they find a better way to understand web content more effectively. They will then focus on the quality of content, user experience, and website security. Furthermore, it should be noted that these updates disrupt established SEO strategies.
How to maintain and improve your store’s SEO on Google in the long term?
If one wishes to maintain and improve their store’s SEO in the long term, they must focus on creating relevant and quality content. Optimizing user experience should never be neglected. This includes site response time speed, mobile platform support (mobile-friendly), security, and easy navigation structure. And as mentioned above, Google frequently updates its algorithms. Therefore, it is essential to stay informed and adapt to provide value to users.
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Conclusion
Natural SEO is crucial for an online store to succeed in the long term. As we have seen, there are various proven techniques to attract more qualified traffic from Google. These can range from keyword targeting, meticulous content and metadata optimization, and strategic internal/external linking. 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 data from Google Analytics. Also, it is essential to be reactive to algorithm updates and continually optimize online presence. This way, one can maintain and improve their ranking on Google.
