E-commerce was a sleeping giant in the 2000s. Cut to 2024, it is a flourishing sector showing no signs of slowing down. The global e-commerce market will generate around $5.5 trillion in revenue and account for almost 23% of the global retail sector by the end of 2027. The e-commerce boom can be attributed to several factors including evolving consumer behaviours, growing internet penetration, and the entry of sophisticated tech startups. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic fuelled the demand, compelling even offline retailers to take proactive measures to stay relevant in the digital era.  

Today, there are around 645,300 e-commerce websites in Australia, so getting lost in the crowd is easy. E-commerce businesses must establish their online presence to ensure potential customers can find them across digital channels including search engines, social media platforms, and more.  

Setting up an online store isn’t enough to attract customers. You need to craft and implement effective e-commerce SEO strategies to reach a wider audience and get discovered online. So, how do you do that? 

This blog sheds light on some tried and tested e-commerce SEO strategies successful e-commerce businesses use worldwide.  

Let us first understand what we mean by e-commerce search engine optimisation (SEO) and why it is important.  

Understanding SEO for E-commerce Websites

If you are an experienced digital marketer, you know that SEO is a complex web of technicalities, strategy, timing, and other intricacies. SEO for e-commerce is no exception. Although the look and feel of an e-commerce website are important, it is equally crucial to optimise it from an SEO standpoint to rank higher across search engines.  

In short, the objective of e-commerce SEO strategies is to increase the site’s organic ranking for relevant search terms and make it discoverable for potential audiences. Why is this important? The answer is simple; more visibility means more customers, and more customers means more revenue.  

Now, let’s turn our attention to the most effective e-commerce SEO strategies.  

SEO Strategies to Optimise an E-commerce Website

Do you know what Coles, Target, Zara, eBay, and Amazon have in common apart from being successful brands? They all have a solid online presence thanks to their immaculate digital marketing knowledge and execution. Read on to learn what they are doing right.  

1. Get Your Keywords Right

It is easy to place your bets and focus on the most popular search terms used in your industry. Remember, you are not alone and your competitors think the same way. It is a good idea to think out of the box and turn your attention toward the buyer’s intent as well. The buyer intent allows you to understand WHY people are using specific terms in the search query.  

Use different keyword research tools including Google Keyword Planner, SEM Rush, and Ubersuggest to determine keyword intent. Additionally, look for keywords that are easier to rank and have less competition to boost your chances of ranking for those keywords.  

2. On-page Optimisation

Your on-page optimisation should be on point to attract new customers and increase conversions. Do not underestimate the power of writing captivating product descriptions, adding clear product images with alt tags, and encouraging your customers to write a reviews. It is very important to include relevant keywords in product descriptions and alt tags along with a compelling call-to-action (CTA) to drive engagement.  

3. Create a User-friendly Website

User experience (UX) is an important part of a customer’s buying journey on your e-commerce website. Let’s admit it, nobody likes to see cluttered pages filled with unwanted elements, unclear images, unpleasant colours, etc. Additionally, broken links, slow loading speeds, confusing navigation, and inconsistent styling can easily put off customers, resulting in cart abandonments and poor experiences. Create an aesthetically pleasing e-commerce website that is easy to navigate with clear CTAs to improve customer retention and overall stickiness of your e-commerce website.  

4. Use a Clear and Easy URL Structure 

Following the previous point’s theme, it is crucial to use a simple and easy-to-type URL structure to improve the overall user experience. While this may not seem like a big deal when creating an SEO strategy for e-commerce websites, in reality, a readable URL structure can improve user engagement and increase conversion rates.  

5. Delete Duplicate Content

Here is an important SEO tip for e-commerce business owners – avoid duplicate content at all costs. It is easy to take the easy route and duplicate content like product descriptions, customer reviews, and image texts to save time and effort. However, this approach will impact your e-commerce website’s SEO.  There are many ways to avoid duplicating content including adding a suffix to the URL, using unique product images on different pages, and using a content management system that allows you to add site-wide 301 redirects.   

6. Utilise Schema Markups

Adding schema markups allows you to improve your e-commerce store’s SEO as they provide more information regarding the content of your website. Have you noticed how Google shares small snippets when you enter a query in the search bar? These snippets are not available for websites without schema markups. Some of the most common types of schema include video schema, product schema, price schema, and review schema to name a few.  

7. Improve Loading Speed

Ask yourself how long are you willing to wait for a website to lead before you decide to leave. A recent study by Portent suggests that 0-4 seconds is an ideal loading time to ensure steady and improved conversion rates. It is also worth noting that the average loading time was 2.5 seconds on desktop and around 8 seconds on mobile in 2023. You should ideally aim to keep the loading times below 5 seconds to provide a seamless experience.  

You can improve your website’s loading speed by getting rid of unwanted scripts, images optimizations, compressing files, using only useful widgets, limiting the number of redirects, and using significant white space.  

Parting Notes 

With rising competition in the e-commerce space, one thing is clear; e-commerce players need to go above and beyond to stand out and reach their customers. These e-commerce SEO strategies will help you foray into the digital world and establish a solid online presence allowing you to reach a wider audience and eventually generate more revenue.  

You can build an in-house team to handle digital marketing or outsource it to an agency, depending on your needs and budget. Regardless of the approach you decide, it is crucial to monitor your efforts and align them with how your customers engage with your e-commerce website.  

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best tools for e-commerce SEO?  

Some of the best tools for e-commerce SEO include Google Search Console, SEMrush, Google Trends, Moz Pro, and Screaming Frog to name a few.  

How long does e-commerce SEO take?  

It may take anything between 1-2 months before you can start seeing the impact of your e-commerce SEO efforts.  

How is e-commerce SEO strategy different from normal SEO?  

While regular SEO primarily focuses on improving a website’s ranking and traffic, e-commerce SEO strategies aim to boost conversion rates, increase the number of orders, and drive revenue.  

How can I increase e-commerce sales with SEO?  

You can increase e-commerce sales with SEO by auditing your website, conducting keyword research considering search intent, optimising product descriptions and images, using internal linking, and simplifying your site’s architecture.Â