As more businesses (and shoppers) make the switch to online retail, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) continues to become more critical to the success of Etailers. Having the right ecommerce solution can determine a business' SEO opportunity to be the needle that gets found in the online shopping haystack.
Online retailers have been finding ways to enhance search engine result rankings for more than a decade. But in the past five years, the importance of having a site that can be found on page one of search results has multiplied tremendously. Not only are more people shopping online than ever before, according to a study released by Jupiter Research in April 2008, online shoppers rarely look beyond the first page of results in any search.
While some sites choose to buy their way to the top through costly pay-per-click campaigns, landing on page one of search engine results organically provides maximum visibility, saves money and offers an implied credibility to one's business that can generate increased sales and consumer loyalty. So how do you get there?
There is no silver bullet when it comes to SEO results - it's a combination of doing as many things right as possible. The key is selecting an ecommerce platform with robust technology that offers a broad foundation on which your SEO campaign can be built.
Business owners need to do their homework on SEO up front, whether they plan to outsource their search optimization or not. Be an informed customer. Learn what SEO means in terms of content, site architecture and marketing tactics, and learn how it can improve business.
The first step is to research and compile a list of key search terms that potential customers for your businesses are entering into search engines the most. Whether you sell "appliances," "jewelry" or "furniture," these key words will tap into the psyche of what the consumer associates with your product or service.
Many retailers will be fighting for recognition with high-level search terms that describe a broad category of businesses, so Etailers should also look to "own" more descriptive search terms that differentiate their business from competitors, such as "stainless-steel kitchen appliances," "handmade beaded jewelry," or "teak wood patio furniture." Tapping into compelling differentiation can elevate smaller businesses in searches and set them apart from larger competitors.
By immersing themselves in SEO research, business owners will have a better understanding of how to implement strategies that will grow their business and what tools they will need to do it.
Online retailers who want to run successful SEO programs should select a smart ecommerce platform that has the built-in functionality to support as much SEO activity as possible. Having the tools to easily generate new content, write blogs, create links to external sites, monitor keyword searches and more gives businesses the power to begin climbing the search result ranks immediately.
There are many details in the architecture of a site that also impact SEO results, so look for a robust ecommerce solution that is built to be both retailer-friendly and data system-compatible. For example, many platforms support a large number of site pages to enhance your online presence in terms of size. But if those sub-pages become laden with URL variables that are nonsensical to the consumer and search engines, they won't be as SEO effective. Consider a URL that reads www.authenteak.com/Teak-Chairs/Gloster-Adirondack-Chair-GL.asp
versus one that reads www.myfurniturestore.com/?=1827309129857.
Also, search engines like Google will be more likely to "read" content on pages closest to the homepage, as the systems assume that information must be the most important. By having a platform that positions sub-pages higher up in your site architecture, businesses have more opportunity to feed search engines with optimized content.
Choosing a platform that is built from the ground up with SEO in mind can catapult your business ahead of competitors. As the state of ecommerce continues to change at a rapid pace, online retailers and their technology solution providers must remain nimble and innovative to continue to produce storefronts that can be found by shoppers who are spending money online today.
