Nowadays, having an online store is only half the success — its effective positioning is also an important issue. How to get your website to the first places in the search results? What can you do to attract more customers? In the article, we will introduce the most important aspects of positioning an online store that will help you increase your visibility on the web. You will learn how to choose the right keywords, optimize the website and take care of valuable content. Learn proven methods and tools that will bring real results.
What is the SEO of an online store?
Online store positioning is a long-term process that aims to raise the position of key phrases in Google search results, which is expected to result in increased page visibility and higher organic traffic. To achieve these effects, it is necessary to carry out a number of specific actions.
- To begin with, the technical optimization of the site is one of the foundations. The technical optimization process mainly includes on-site activities (on site). Technical optimization improves the structure of the page, which makes it easier for Google robots to index it.
- The next step is to create valuable content that attracts users and increases the time spent on the site. However, the content should be optimized for SEO — rich in topics keywords and reaching the intention of searching users.
- You can not forget about obtaining backlinks (which is an element of off-site activities) that build the authority of the domain.
- Improvements erfahrung also plays its part by reducing the bounce rate.
It is also worth remembering that properly executed optimization activities bring intense traffic from SEO, which translates into increased revenue from conversions. With the right actions, the process of positioning an online store becomes one of the most effective forms of advertising on the web. SEO specialists, using the right SEO tools and strategies, are able to monitor and adapt SEO campaigns to Google's changing algorithms, which ensures long-lasting positioning effects.
However, one should not forget about the costs associated with the SEO process. Cooperation with SEO agency can be expensive, but the professionalism and experience of SEO experts often bring better results than self-positioning. Therefore, it is worth considering whether it is better to invest in the services of specialists or take up positioning on your own.
E-commerce SEO — choosing the right keywords
Choosing the right keywords is a fundamental piece of the puzzle called online store positioning, which begins with a thorough analysis of the needs and expectations of potential customers. Understanding what phrases are most important to them allows you to reach the right audience more effectively.
This process is supported by many tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, Ahrefs or Senuto. They allow you to identify and analyze relevant keywords and track their position. Thanks to them, we can determine precisely which phrases are the most valuable and what intentions are behind the search terms.
It is worth using different types of keywords to maximize the effectiveness of your SEO strategy, including:
- brand-name,
- short tail phrases,
- phrases of a long tail,
- transactional keywords,
- informative keywords,
- navigation keywords,
- seasonal keywords.
These keywords should be placed in strategic places on the page, such as titles, product descriptions, category descriptions, headings, content, and meta descriptions and meta tags. Such diversification allows for better adaptation of content to different user queries, which in turn increases the visibility of the store in search results.
Keyword selection is a process that requires regular analysis and optimization. User trends and behaviors are changing, so it is essential to constantly monitor and adjust your strategy.
When choosing keywords, we must not forget about the competition, which can often point us on the right path. Analyzing the activities of competing stores allows you to discover niche phrases that may be less besieged, but just as valuable. This gives you the opportunity to stand out from the rest and gain valuable organic traffic with relatively little cost and effort.
Choosing the right keywords is one of the foundations of effective positioning of an online store. With proper analysis, the use of a variety of phrases and regular optimization, you can significantly increase visibility and attract more potential customers.
Online store optimization
An important element of optimization is the selection of keywords, which must be precisely matched to the content of the website and the intentions of the users. It is worth remembering that not only the right keywords, but also their placement in the texts plays an important role. And what besides them?
Structure of the site
It is impossible to overestimate the importance of the structure of the site. Proper organization and hierarchy of content makes navigation easier for both users and search engine robots.
Within the page, you should take care of the logical arrangement of categories and subcategories, which helps to quickly find a given subpage. Friendly URLs that are understandable and readable are also an important factor.
Internal Linking
Internal linking is a technique used on web pages that involves creating hyperlinks between different pages or sections within the same site. The purpose of this type of linking is to facilitate navigation for users and to support indexing of content by search engines. Well-planned internal linking helps users quickly find information of interest to them, as well as keep it on the site longer, which can increase engagement and reduce bounce rates.
External links
You can not forget about external links, which also affect the position of the store in search results and to this day remain one of the main ranking factors.
When other, trusted sites link to a site, search engines can take it as a signal that the site is valuable and recommendable, which can affect its position in search results. However, it is worth making sure that external links lead to reliable sources, as linking to low-quality or inappropriate pages can negatively affect the reputation of the site and its position in search engine rankings.
Product Descriptions
It is also worth paying attention to product descriptions, which should be unique, engaging and rich in keywords. These descriptions must be not only informative, but also persuasive in order to attract the attention of potential customers and encourage them to buy. Well-optimized product descriptions can have a significant impact on conversion.
Category Descriptions
Well-written category descriptions help search engines understand what a page is about, which increases the chances of ranking higher in search results.
It is worth making sure that category descriptions are unique and at the same time rich in keywords that are relevant to a particular product group. It is important not to overdo the saturation of keywords so that the text remains natural and friendly to the recipient. It is also good to include in the description elements that distinguish a given product category, such as specific features, purchase benefits or examples of applications.
Page loading speed
Page loading speed is a factor that cannot be neglected. Pages that load quickly not only improve the user experience, but are also rated better by search engines. It is worth investing in code optimization, image compression and the use of caching tools to reduce loading time.
However, before proceeding with optimization, conducting an SEO audit is essential. Such an analysis allows you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the site and indicates areas for improvement. A comprehensive audit is carried out in order to carefully analyze all the relevant elements of the site and develop an optimization action plan.
Structural data
Structured data is organized information on a website that is stored in a way that allows search engines to easily understand it. Thanks to the use of special tags (such as schema.org), this data helps search engines better understand the content of the page and the context of the information presented on it. Examples of structured data include information about products, reviews, events, people, recipes, and more. When search engines recognize this data, they can display extended search results, so-called rich snippets, which can include additional information such as ratings, price, product availability or event duration.
The use of structured data is important for SEO because it increases the chances that a page will be displayed more prominently in search results, which can lead to a higher click-through rate (CTR).
The role of content in store positioning
Content marketing in the positioning of an online store affects visibility in search results, as well as builds trust and customer loyalty. Creating content that is unique and valuable, and responds to users' real needs (fulfills search intent) can significantly increase consumer demand.
SEO-optimized product descriptions, blogs, tutorials or articles can contain properly selected keywords that support the positioning of the store on specific phrases.
Content activities require constant adaptation of the strategy to the changing algorithms of the search engine. These algorithms are becoming more and more advanced, forcing online store owners to create content that brings real value to readers. In this way, the perceived authority and credibility of the store improves, which in turn increases the chances of better positions in the search results.
To achieve success, content activities must be thoughtful and varied. It is important to:
- provide users with the right amount of interesting and helpful information,
- to ensure that the content is always up to date and useful,
- try to fulfill the intention of searching users,
- adapt content strategies to changing market conditions and trends.
Thanks to such actions, it is possible not only to maintain a high position of the store in the search results, but also to build a long-term relationship with customers, which is invaluable in the context of loyalty and returns to the store.
SEO audit of an online store
Conducting an SEO audit of an online store is an indispensable step in the optimization process. With it, we can understand what terms are used by potential customers. An SEO audit involves an analysis of the content and structure of the page, and this allows you to identify areas that need improvement — from the uniqueness and quality of product descriptions, through the correct hierarchy, to the overall usability of the site.
When conducting an SEO audit, it is worth focusing on several areas:
- Content analysis — checking the uniqueness and quality of product descriptions.
- Page structure — Make sure the page hierarchy is logical and useful.
- Meta tags — optimization of titles, descriptions and keywords.
- Linking — analysis of internal and external links.
- URLs — check if they are search engine friendly.
- Charge Speed — Optimize charging times across devices.
- Mobile compatibility — make sure the website is responsive.
An important element of the audit is to check that the page is properly indexed by search engines. Page indexing depends on several factors, such as technical optimization and content quality. Pay close attention to meta tags, internal and external linking, as well as URLs. These aspects affect how search engines rate and index our page.
Page loading speed and compatibility with mobile devices are also important aspects that cannot be overlooked when creating an SEO audit of an online store. Users are increasingly using mobile devices to browse the internet, which is why the site needs to be responsive and load quickly across devices. User experience depends on many factors, but loading speed and responsiveness certainly fall into the category of the most important.
With a thorough SEO audit, we can identify and eliminate the weak points of our website, which translates into better visibility in search results and a better user experience. This in turn leads to more traffic to the site and potentially more customers.
Link building in e-commerce SEO
Link building significantly affects the visibility of the store's website. It is worth paying attention to various techniques that can help in obtaining valuable links to our store website. A properly built profile of external links will translate into higher positions in the search results, and thanks to this, potential customers will find our assortment more easily on the web.
Outreach (direct contact)
Outreach, or direct contact with website owners, bloggers or editors, is one of the popular methods of obtaining backlinks.
It consists of sending personalized messages with the proposal of collaboration or placing a link in their content. It is important that the offer is attractive and well suited to the recipient. It is also worth taking care of the high quality of the content that we offer for linking.
Platforms to buy links
Using platforms like WhitePress or Linkhouse is another way to get backlinks.
These are specialized sites that allow you to purchase links from different publishers. With them, you can easily find high authority sites that will be relevant to your industry and subject matter.
However, it is worth remembering that purchased links should be as natural as possible to avoid potential penalties from Google.
Natural links
Often backlinks appear naturally, without your direct intervention. To increase your chances of getting them, it's worth focusing on creating valuable, unique content that others will want to link to.
Guest Publications
Publishing guest articles on popular blogs or industry portals is a proven method of gaining backlinks. Thanks to it, you not only get a valuable link, but also the opportunity to reach a new audience. The key to success is choosing sites that have a good reputation and are thematically related to your industry.
The cost of positioning an online store
The cost of positioning an online store depends on many factors — including the competitiveness of the industry, the range of services and the specificity and size of the site. Effective positioning requires precise analysis, which includes an SEO audit of the store. As part of this process, keyword analysis is often carried out to determine which phrases will be most effective.
The basic SEO budget starts at around PLN 1600 net per month, and the upper limit can reach hundreds of thousands of zlotys; however, prices may vary depending on the agency and individual needs. The positioning of online stores is a process in which the cost is determined individually, based on a detailed analysis of the site and the characteristics of the business. However, before it comes to pricing, a free SEO audit is often offered, which allows you to better understand the requirements of a particular project.
Can store positioning be expensive? Definitely yes, but this investment can bring significant benefits in the form of increased visibility and traffic to the site.
How does positioning affect the success of the store?
The positioning of an online store has a huge impact on its success in e-commerce. When a store appears higher in search results, it increases visibility — which consequently leads to more traffic to the site. More traffic is simply an increase in visits, and this in turn can translate into increased sales.
Positioning, however, is a long process. It is not possible to achieve lasting results with a one-time action; it is necessary to carry out the SEO strategy consistently. This includes regularly adjusting the content and structure of the page to match the dynamically changing algorithms of search engines.
Increasing visibility in organic results also has other benefits. It improves the brand image, which builds trust and loyalty of customers. A store that is easily accessible and well visible is perceived as more reliable and professional.
In e-commerce, where competition is huge, positioning becomes the key to success. Good visibility in search engines can translate into more revenue, which is the goal of any entrepreneur operating in this industry.
Positioning your store in Google search
Positioning your store in Google search is not only an art, but also a science. To achieve high rankings, we need to understand how Google's algorithm works and what steps to take to make our site search engine friendly. The first stage is the previously described SEO audit, which is the first stage in planning a positioning strategy. With it, we can assess the condition of the online store and indicate errors that need to be eliminated.
Without proper analysis and selection of keywords, our site will have no chance of reaching a wide audience. Keywords are the foundation of e-commerce SEO; therefore, analyzing the competition and choosing the right phrases are essential. It is worth paying attention to those that are often searched for by potential customers, but at the same time are not very competitive - such words are called low hanging fruits.
Technical optimization of the site is the next step to success. Google's search engine algorithm pays attention to technical aspects such as page load speed, responsiveness and HTML code correctness. Pages that load slowly can discourage users, which negatively affects their position in search results. A technically optimized site is the basis for further action.
The content on the website is of great importance for SEO. Product descriptions, categories, as well as blog entries can significantly improve visibility in the search engine. The regular addition of valuable articles makes the site more attractive to both users and the Google algorithm.
Building a high-quality inbound link profile is also important. Links to our site from other reputable sites can significantly improve our ranking in Google. It is important that these links come from reliable sources and are thematically related to our industry.
Updates to the Google search algorithm can affect our positions in search results. Therefore, it is worthwhile to keep abreast of changes and adapt our activities to the new guidelines. Google's algorithm is dynamic and constantly evolving, which means that positioning strategies also need to be flexible and adapt to new trends.
Blog as an element of SEO strategy in e-commerce
Running a blog on the store page increases the saturation of content with keywords, which is indispensable in the fight for higher positions in the search results.
Regular publication of blog articles increases brand recognition, building its expert image. Thanks to this, the brand becomes more visible to users who are looking for information related to the products offered by the store. Online stores that blog post more traffic and more natural backlinks compared to those that don't have a blog.
When a blog is run on a schedule that takes into account customer profile, seasonality, trends and the most common user issues, it gains value for both customers and search engine algorithms.
Thanks to the skillful selection of keywords, the blog can effectively attract users at the stage of the purchase process. When a user finds valuable content, they are more likely to stay on the site longer and make a purchase. The blog can also help us to cover thematic keywords that would not be possible to use in the descriptions of categories or products.
Thus, running a blog is not only an element of SEO strategy, but also a tool for building long-term relationships with customers and increasing the effectiveness of marketing activities.
How to monitor the effects of SEO?
To effectively evaluate your actions, it is worth using various tools and techniques.
- Google Analytics is one of the basic tools that allows you to track the number of sessions, time spent on the site, conversion rate and rejections in the store. With this data we can identify which pages attract the most users and which activities bring the best results.
- On the other hand, Google Search Console offers insight into page indexing, search engine positions and searches for phrases that lead to our store. This allows us to monitor whether our actions bring the expected results in organic search results.
- For a more complete picture, it is also worth reaching for SEO tools such as Ahrefs, Senuto, or Semrush. They allow you to analyze the visibility of the page, phrases in search results and actions of competitors. Thanks to this, we can better understand how we compare with other players in the e-commerce industry.
Regular analysis of reports from these tools is extremely important. It allows you to draw conclusions and adapt your SEO strategy to changing market conditions. Thanks to this, we can better respond to changes in search engine algorithms and adapt our actions to current trends.
The integration of various tools, such as Google Analytics, Search Console and others, provides valuable information about the functioning of our store. This allows for a more comprehensive approach to monitoring the effects of positioning and making informed decisions about further development.
