The Power of E-Commerce SEO and Why You Are Most Likely Doing It Wrong

When it comes to your online store, e-commerce SEO is essential to get right. It is one of the most powerful tools you can use for your business, so making sure you are using the right tools and practices is key to making your website stand out at the top of the search results page. This article will discuss e-commerce SEO and how you can make the most of it. 

What Is SEO?

Before we answer the question, “What is e-commerce SEO?”, it is important to have an understanding of both e-commerce and SEO as their own separate entities. Understanding SEO and how it can benefit an online business can provide a better understanding of the specifics of e-commerce search engine optimization. 

SEO stands for search engine optimization. At its core, it involves optimizing your website to rank higher on search engine results pages, or SERPs. Most online searchers will never click past the first page of search engine results, so ranking at the top offers you the best opportunity to be seen by potential customers, increase your conversion rate, and grow your profits. 

You can use a variety of tools to get to the top of the SERPs, such as paid advertisements. However, SEO focuses on organic optimization, or specific strategies that you do not pay for. These include tactics like keywords, backlinks, content writing, and more. 

What Is E-Commerce?

The other key element of understanding e-commerce SEO is having a strong understanding of what e-commerce is. E-commerce is the practice of buying and selling products online. It can take many different forms, depending on factors like business size and type. Each e-commerce site takes on a different shape based on the needs of the business and its consumers. Some common types of e-commerce formats and models that you may see include: 

Government to: 

• Business
• Consumer
• Government

Business to: 

• Business
• Consumer
• Government

Consumer to: 

• Business
• Consumer
• Government

There are many different pros to using an e-commerce site to sell your goods, including: 

• Lower cost of entry 
• Open 24/7 without the need for additional staffing
• Personalized shopping suggestions for each customer
• Lower overhead than traditional storefronts
• Fewer necessary permits (depending on location) 
• Wider audience reach 

Reaching a wider audience for your products is all about having the right tools on your side to attract more visitors to your website and products. This is where you can take advantage of SEO for e-commerce websites. Using SEO for your e-commerce platform can be an absolute game-changer when it comes to increasing your following and your profit. 

What Is E-Commerce SEO?

Now, after having a thorough understanding of both SEO and e-commerce as separate entities, it is important to discuss what specifically e-commerce seo is and how it can help your business. 

E-commerce SEO is a marketing technique that helps boost your e-commerce site to the top of the SERPs. Search engines like Google and Bing rank your webstore based on factors that drive organic traffic, such as those generated through proper SEO. 

There are four key components to any e-commerce and SEO strategy.

Content

Optimize your content with search terms you want to focus on, specifically by incorporating them into your headers, meta title, meta description, H1, and other relevant elements. 

Technical Setup

Make sure you are also focusing on optimizing the technical parts of your site, such as page speed, HTTPS, indexing, and more. 

User Experience

The better your user experience, the better your SEO. Make sure you are paying attention to what your users want and need, and respond accordingly. 

Link Building

Link building is a huge part of establishing yourself as an authority in your field, as it demonstrates your high-quality products and expertise. 

Common SEO for E-Commerce Mistakes

E-commerce search engine optimization is an incredibly powerful tool to help build your webstore. However, tools with such great power and so many benefits often come with easy mistakes. Here are just a few common mistakes that you may be making in your SEO journey. 

• Poor Website Structure – Poor site structure hampers site crawlers and leads to lower rankings. 

• Slow Page Loading Times – Slow page loading times can frustrate your users and cause them to leave your site too soon, which can harm your SEO. 

• Duplicate Content – When your site has duplicate content, it can affect your search results appearance and compromise your SEO integrity. 

• Missing or Improper Schema Markup – If you do not use schema markup properly, you can lose the opportunity for rich snippets and reduce search engines’ ability to understand your content. 

• Ignoring Analytics and Search Console Data – Without regularly monitoring your analytics and data from Google and other platforms, you miss out on the chance to gain insight and adjust your strategy accordingly. 

Best Practices for SEO for E-Commerce Website Optimization

Amid so many common e-commerce seo mistakes, what are some of the best practices that you can focus on to help build your online storefront’s conversions, clicks, and more? Here are some tips to push your SEO to the next level: 

• Find Keywords: Keywords are the driving force behind SEO. Doing research to find the right ones and properly implementing them can be a game-changer. 

• Write Long Product Descriptions: Effective product descriptions can be the difference between selling a product and not. Adding additional details to your descriptions helps you connect with more potential buyers. 

• Add Tags to Products: Tags are words and phrases associated with your products, similar to keywords. However, you can have as many tags as you want for each item.

Product Optimization for E-Commerce

Part of answering the question “What is e-commerce SEO?” involves reviewing all the different types of optimization that can be done on your site to help improve SEO. One way that you can significantly boost your e-commerce site’s SEO is through product optimization. 

Product optimization is a type of SEO that is focused on boosting your individual product pages. By using the right tags, keywords, and more, you can increase conversion rates and attract more customers simply by directing them to specific products. Your individual product pages can show up on the SERPs just like the main home page of your website, helping potential buyers find exactly what they’re looking for quickly. 

How To Keep Your E-Commerce Shop Successful

As we will discuss, SEO for e-commerce is one of the absolute best ways to keep your online store profitable and successful. However, there are other tools that you can use as well, all of which benefit your business. One of the best types of care you can give to your e-commerce website is through research; understanding your conversion rates, reach, SEO, and other key metrics can help inform you of where to make improvements or change your tactics to keep your website at the top of its game. Here are just a few free research tools that you can use for your e-commerce website to keep it functioning well: 

• Keyword Inspector: No SEO strategy is complete without the use of keywords. Keywords are one of the most important parts of any website’s success; this site can help you discover trending keywords and even suggest solutions for how to use them. 

• Google Trends/Keyword Planner: Google’s free tools can help you hear what you need to do for your website straight from one of the most popular search engines on the planet. 

• Marketplace Pulse: If you are looking for insights, tips, and trends, Marketplace Pulse may be perfect for you. The site uses data to illustrate the future of retail trends and give a bird’s-eye view of the market. 

E-Commerce Search Engine Optimization Services

So, what are some of the best ways to improve your e-commerce seo and make sure you are offering your business the best opportunity to thrive? If you are looking for a fool-proof plan, we suggest looking into an SEO agency to help you take your webstore to the next level. 

An SEO agency like SEO Design Chicago can help you with specialized elements of SEO, like technical SEO, which focuses on optimizing your website’s structure, speed, and functionality. They can also assist with improving on-page elements like your product descriptions, photos, and metadata. These are some of the best areas to focus on when looking to improve your site’s SEO. 

Additional SEO services provided by SEO Design Chicago include social media management, product tagging, PPC (pay-per-click) advertisements, and more. The right agency can offer you strong strategies, thorough analyses, and reliable experts to help you improve your e-commerce site’s rankings. 

Improve Your E-Commerce With SEO Design Chicago

When it comes to SEO for e-commerce website improvement, look no further than SEO Design Chicago. Our team of experts knows exactly how to analyze and expand on any SEO for e-commerce needs that you may have. From product descriptions to website speed, contact SEO Design Chicago today for the best in search engine optimization tailored to your e-commerce website.

FAQ: E-Commerce SEO

1. How long does it take to see results from e-commerce SEO efforts?

E-commerce SEO typically takes 3-6 months to show significant results, though some improvements like page speed optimization and technical fixes may provide immediate benefits. Product page optimization and keyword targeting usually show results within 6-8 weeks, while link building and content marketing efforts may take 4-6 months to impact rankings. The timeline depends on factors like your website’s current state, competition level, and the comprehensiveness of your SEO strategy. Consistency is key – continued optimization efforts will compound results over time.

2. What’s the difference between regular SEO and e-commerce SEO?

E-commerce SEO focuses specifically on optimizing online stores and product pages for search engines, while regular SEO applies to all types of websites. E-commerce SEO emphasizes product optimization, category page structure, schema markup for products, user experience for shopping, and conversion rate optimization. It also involves unique challenges like managing duplicate content across similar products, optimizing product descriptions, and implementing proper internal linking between categories and products. The ultimate goal shifts from just driving traffic to driving qualified traffic that converts into sales.

3. Should I focus on optimizing individual product pages or category pages first?

Start with category pages as they typically have higher search volume and can rank for broader keywords that drive more traffic. Category pages serve as landing pages for users searching for product types, not specific brands or models. Once your category pages are optimized, focus on your best-selling or highest-margin individual product pages. These pages should target long-tail keywords and specific product searches. A well-structured site with optimized category pages will also help individual product pages rank better through internal linking and site authority.

4. How important are product descriptions for e-commerce SEO?

Product descriptions are crucial for e-commerce SEO success. They provide opportunities to naturally incorporate relevant keywords, help search engines understand your products, and differentiate your content from competitors who may use manufacturer descriptions. Long, detailed product descriptions (300+ words for important products) tend to rank better than short descriptions. Focus on benefits rather than just features, include relevant keywords naturally, and write unique descriptions for each product to avoid duplicate content issues that can harm your rankings.

5. What are the most critical technical SEO issues for e-commerce websites?

The most critical technical issues include slow page loading speeds (aim for under 3 seconds), poor mobile optimization, missing or improper schema markup for products, duplicate content across similar products, broken internal links, and inadequate site structure. Also crucial are HTTPS security, proper URL structure, XML sitemaps for products and categories, and ensuring all product pages are properly indexed. These technical foundations must be solid before other SEO efforts can be truly effective.

6. How can I handle SEO for products that go out of stock or are discontinued?

For temporarily out-of-stock products, keep the pages live with clear messaging about availability and expected restock dates. For permanently discontinued products, implement 301 redirects to similar products or relevant category pages to preserve link equity and provide value to users. Avoid deleting product pages outright, as they may have built up authority and backlinks. Consider creating “alternative products” sections on discontinued product pages to guide users to similar items while maintaining SEO value.

7. Should I hire an e-commerce SEO agency or handle it in-house?

The decision depends on your budget, expertise, and business size. E-commerce SEO requires specialized knowledge of technical optimization, product optimization, and conversion rate optimization that many businesses lack in-house. An experienced agency can provide faster results, access to premium tools, and ongoing strategy adjustments based on algorithm changes. However, if you have the budget to hire experienced SEO professionals full-time and your e-commerce site is large enough to justify the cost, in-house can work. Many businesses find success starting with an agency to establish foundations, then moving some efforts in-house while maintaining agency support for advanced strategies.