30 Fundamental SEO Points for an Ecommerce

Improve the SEO of your online store to increase conversions.

Keyword Research

Keyword research is the first thing you should do when building a website, logically including online stores. You need to identify the terms and phrases your potential customers use in relation to the products you offer. This way, search engines will show your page if they understand what you offer, to display the result to those looking for what you sell. There are many tools that help with this task, the most common being Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs. These tools can also help you identify high purchase intent and low competition keywords.

One technique that can help you at the start, depending on your SEO situation, is to include both generic and long-tail keywords that reflect the user’s specific intent. You should analyze your competition and establish your keyword strategy accordingly. It’s not enough to know the search volume of a word; you must analyze what’s convenient for you.

Generic long-tail keywords are those that use several words to form them. Statistical studies indicate that long-tail keywords formed by four words have a high potential to appear in search results.

Other tools that can help you with keyword identification tasks are:

• Ubersuggest, generates keyword ideas with data on search volume, competition, and cost per click.
• Moz Keyword Explorer, provides key metrics like keyword difficulty and estimated monthly volume.
• AnswerThePublic, visualizes common questions and phrases that users search for based on keywords.
• KWFinder, specialized in finding low-competition keywords with relevant search volumes.
• SpyFu, allows you to analyze competitors’ keywords and find opportunities.
• Soovle, aggregates search suggestions from multiple engines like Google, Bing, YouTube, Amazon, among others.
• Wordtracker, helps find popular and long-tail keywords, providing search volumes.
• Keywords Everywhere, browser extension that shows search volumes and CPC directly on Google.
• Keyword Surfer, another free Chrome extension that provides search volumes and keyword data directly in Google results.

Finally, when defining your site’s keyword structure, you need to keep in mind the concept of identity. Beyond a group of keywords, search engines must clearly identify what your site is about. This is done by building page by page. The clearer and more coherent the information you provide to search engines, the more successful you’ll be in appearing in search results.

Product Title Optimization

Titles are fundamental to SEO, and a logical and hierarchical structure will help a lot. Product titles should be clear, descriptive, and contain relevant keywords. This also helps search engines understand what the product is about and improves relevance in search results. Include details such as brand, main features, and product type. For example, instead of “Shoes,” use “Men’s black leather shoes – Brand XYZ.” As mentioned in the previous point, this should be based on keyword research.

Remember these two concepts that are sometimes confused but are entirely different and key in SEO: SEO title and H1.

SEO Title:

• Purpose: This is the title that appears in search engine results (SERP) on Google and other search engines, what you see in browsers in the search results pages.
• Visibility: It does not appear directly on the webpage, but rather in the browser tab and search results.
• SEO function: It is one of the most important elements for search engine ranking. It should contain the main keywords and be optimized to attract clicks.
• Recommended length: It is recommended to be between 50 and 60 characters to avoid it being cut off in search results.

H1 (Heading 1):

• Purpose: This is the main title that users see when they enter a webpage.
• Visibility: It appears within the page content, usually as the visible title at the top of the article or page. It could be in another part of the page under certain circumstances.
• SEO function: It is crucial for SEO; in addition, it organizes and structures the content within the page. It should clearly communicate what the content is about. There are no technical character limits here, so you can take advantage, without exaggerating, to help search engines better identify what you want to offer. In any case, monitor how the title displays on different sites and screen sizes to avoid it being cut off.
• Usage: There should only be one H1 per page, as it is the main heading.

Both are important for SEO, but they have different functions and must be properly optimized.

Unique Product Descriptions

Each product must have a unique and detailed description highlighting its features, benefits, and value. Avoid using generic descriptions provided by manufacturers, as this can result in duplicate content and negatively impact SEO. Original descriptions not only improve rankings but also increase conversions by providing customers with the information they need to make purchase decisions.

Friendly URLs

Clean and descriptive URLs are more user- and search-engine-friendly. Use keywords in the URLs and avoid special characters, numbers, or long strings. A URL like www.yoursite.com/black-leather-shoes is easier to understand and remember than www.yoursite.com/product12345. Today, keywords in URLs are not a significant factor for search engine ranking, but they remain important for users to understand the context by reading the URL.

Image Optimization

Product images must be optimized to improve load time and indexing. Heavy images slow down your site. One of the most important SEO ranking factors is site load speed. Use descriptive file names and ALT attributes that include relevant keywords. For example, instead of IMG1234.jpg, use black-leather-shoes.jpg. The ALT attribute should describe the image, like “Men’s black leather shoes.” Descriptive image tags are crucial for search engines to identify your site, and not including them, aside from losing the opportunity, will get you less attention in search results by ignoring these recommendations. The image context will help you a lot.

Site Loading Speed

As mentioned earlier, your site’s load speed is critical for user experience and search engine ranking. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to analyze and see how to improve your site’s speed. Optimize images, minimize CSS and JavaScript files, and consider using a content delivery network (CDN) to speed up loading. There are other tools to measure speed, such as: Pingdom Tools, WebPageTest, Lighthouse (Performance audit in Chrome DevTools, used by developers, which Google PageSpeed Insights is based on), etc.

It is also necessary to measure the server’s response speed because, although your site may be fast, the server may not be. Use tools like:

• Bitcatcha: Measures server response time from various points around the world, helping you check how quickly the server returns a response to requests.
• Pingdom Server Monitor: Monitors server availability and gives real-time response times, providing performance data.
• New Relic: Similar to the previous ones, analyzes server performance. Offers detailed results on how the server behaves under load and various requests simultaneously.
• KeyCDN Performance Test: Also measures server response time from multiple geographic locations, giving detailed information about server performance.

There are others.

Responsive Design

A responsive design ensures that your site looks and functions well on all devices, including mobiles and tablets. Nowadays, it is estimated that mobile browsing surpasses PC usage. Google and other search engines favor mobile-friendly websites, so a responsive design can improve your ranking in mobile search results. Evaluate the convenience of AMP versus specifically optimizing the site for mobile.

AMP is a system created by Google that minimizes the amount of code to display websites on small screens like mobile phones. A phone needs less information on screen to show the same thing you’d see on a PC. The AMP system often causes issues with code, even the most commonly used AMP handling plugins like WP AMP frequently have conflicts with page styles. Many experts choose not to use it and instead customize variations of the regular site pages to show on mobile. There are also other strategies that allow you to improve speed.

Internal Links

Internal links help distribute page authority across the site and facilitate navigation for users. Use internal links to connect related products, categories, and relevant content. This not only improves user experience but also helps search engines understand the structure and importance of your site’s pages. Here, it is essential to consider a logical website structure and think about your URLs’ depth levels so that the SEO power of these links isn’t lost. This is a concept that is handled in web architecture.

Reviews and Ratings for Online Stores

Product reviews and customer opinions greatly influence purchase decisions and enhance your site’s credibility. Additionally, reviews can include relevant keywords and generate fresh content, benefiting SEO. Make sure to display reviews and ratings prominently on product pages.

Schema Markup

Implementing structured data (Schema Markup) helps search engines better understand your site’s information, like prices, availability, and ratings. This can improve how your products are presented in search results and increase the click-through rate.

Blog and Valuable Content

Implement a blog on your site to attract additional traffic and improve domain authority by providing valuable content related to your products. Publish articles that address relevant topics, buying guides, and industry trends. Quality content can also generate inbound links and be shared on social media. It directly impacts SEO; use it to include many search terms with which they will find you. It also has an indirect impact. Having more people visit your site and navigate for as long as possible will indicate to search engines that your site is important.

Local SEO

If you have a physical store or offer services in specific areas, optimize your ecommerce for local searches. Create and optimize your Google My Business profile, include local information on your site, and use location-related keywords. This will help attract local customers and improve your visibility in searches in your area. Search engines will prioritize local stores.

Meta Description Optimization

Meta descriptions are text snippets that appear in search results beneath the title. Write compelling meta descriptions that include keywords and summarize the page content. Although they do not directly affect SEO rankings, well-written meta descriptions can increase the click-through rate. By increasing clicks, not only do you drive traffic to your site, but you also indirectly benefit SEO.

Use of Rich Snippets

Rich snippets are enriched fragments that display additional information in search results, such as prices, ratings, and availability. Implementing rich snippets through structured data can make your listing stand out and provide users with useful information at a glance.

Category and Subcategory Optimization

Category and subcategory pages should be optimized with relevant keywords and useful content. Ensure these pages are easily navigable and provide a clear description of the products they contain. This not only helps search engines understand the content but also improves the user experience.

Bounce Rate Reduction

The bounce rate is the percentage of users who leave your site after viewing only one page. To reduce it, improve site usability, provide relevant content, and ensure intuitive navigation. An attractive design and fast loading times can also help keep visitors on your site longer.

Today, with Google Analytics 4, which provides browsing metrics for Google, the most widely used browser in the West, these criteria are taken into account for determining the bounce rate:

• Session duration: The user has stayed on the website or app for at least 10 seconds.
• Page/screen views: The user has viewed at least two pages or screens.
• Conversion events: At least one conversion event has been recorded (a click has been made within your website).

Voice Search Optimization

With the increase in voice search devices, optimize your site for questions and conversational phrases. Include FAQs in your content and use natural language that reflects how people speak rather than how they write.

Backlink Strategy

High-quality backlinks can significantly improve your authority and ranking in search engines. Develop a strategy to obtain backlinks from relevant and authoritative sites in your industry. You can achieve this by creating quality content, collaborating with influencers, and sending press releases. For search engines, backlinks from authoritative sites are like strong recommendations, and they will improve your SEO.

Content Update

Keep your content updated and relevant. Search engines prefer fresh and recent content, so regularly update product descriptions, blog posts, and other site content. This also helps attract returning users and keeps the information up-to-date for visitors. Search engines recognize and reward the constant updating of content.

Custom 404 Error Pages

Create custom 404 error pages that offer alternative navigation and helpful options for users who land on a broken page. A well-designed 404 page can redirect visitors to relevant content or important pages on the site, reducing user frustration. However, avoid broken links at all costs.

User Experience (UX) Optimization

User experience impacts both SEO and conversions. Ensure your site is easy to navigate, with a clear interface and a straightforward purchase process. Optimize usability by conducting user testing and gathering feedback to continuously improve the experience.

Social Media Integration

Use social media to promote your products and drive traffic to your ecommerce site. Include share buttons on product pages and use social media to engage with your audience, share relevant content, and direct traffic to your site.

XML Sitemap

An XML sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website, helping search engines index your content. Generate and submit an XML sitemap to Google Search Console and other search tools to ensure that all pages are crawled and indexed. Keep an eye on your robots.txt file configuration.

Checkout Optimization

A simplified checkout process can reduce cart abandonment and improve conversions. Ensure that the checkout process is clear, secure, and fast. Offer multiple payment options and make it easy to track orders and access customer support. Show your customers that the payment process is secure.

Competitor Analysis

Conduct competitor analysis to identify what SEO strategies your competitors are using and how you can differentiate from them. Examine their keywords, content, and links to discover opportunities and improve your own strategy.

There are many tools for this task, and here are some suggestions:

• Semrush: One of the most comprehensive tools on the market, offering a wide range of functionalities, from keyword analysis and technical SEO to competitor analysis and online advertising.
• Ahrefs: Similar to Semrush, Ahrefs stands out for its powerful backlink database and its ability to track your competitors’ organic traffic.
• Moz: Another essential tool for SEO, Moz offers a set of tools to analyze your website’s visibility, domain authority, and keyword competition.
• SimilarWeb: Perfect for analyzing traffic from any website, SimilarWeb allows you to know the sources of traffic, the most popular pages, and direct competitors.
• SpyFu: Specialized in PPC, SpyFu allows you to analyze the keywords your competitors are using in their paid advertising campaigns.

Specialized Analysis Tools:

• BuzzSumo: Ideal for analyzing the most popular content in your niche and discovering current trends.
• Brandwatch: A social listening tool that allows you to monitor mentions of your brand and your competitors on social media.
• Google Trends: A free tool from Google that lets you see the popularity of search terms over time.
• BuiltWith: This tool allows you to see what technologies and tools your competitors are using on their websites.
• WhatRunsWhere: Specialized in display advertising, WhatRunsWhere allows you to see the ads your competitors are running on various websites.

Site Security

Website security is essential to protect customer information and build trust. Ensure your ecommerce site has an SSL certificate (HTTPS) to encrypt information and protect transactions. Security also influences user perception and search engine rankings. Identifying that your site has an HTTPS certificate is easy; a lock or secure sign will appear next to your URL in the browser. Other equally important factors can only be identified with an SEO audit, such as these: HSTS headers, X-Content-Type-Options, X-Frame-Options, Referrer-Policy. These latter are more specialized concepts.

Product Page Speed

Optimize the loading speed of product pages to prevent customers from getting frustrated and leaving the site. Ensure that images and other multimedia elements are compressed and that the site’s code is optimized for fast loading.

Duplicate Content Management

Avoid duplicate content on product pages by using canonical tags and other techniques.

Monitoring and Analysis

Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor site performance and adjust your SEO strategy based on the results.

Create a Hierarchical Title Structure

Earlier, we talked about the H1, an HTML tag that you include on each page of your website as a title, which is visible to users within the page. After the H1 come the title tags H2, H3, up to H6.

Create a logical structure of titles and subtitles for your content, and you will give more clarity to the search engines about your website.

Share it on social media if you think it could be useful to someone else:

Share it on social media if you think it might be useful to someone else: