13 E-commerce SEO Best Practices to Rank Higher on Search Engines

The visitor is the lifeline of an eCommerce website. 

Without them, there is no meaning in having a website for your business. But how do you bring organic traffic to your website? Only the best e-commerce SEO practice can bring organic traffic. These practices include proper competitor analysis, keyword research, writing quality content, site speed, and proper link building.. 

One wrong move can hinder your progress.

However, doing all these tasks isn’t an easy job. So, let’s work together to avoid these pitfalls and propel your website to the top of search results.

What is E-commerce SEO?

E-commerce SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is optimizing an online store to improve its visibility in search engine results pages. It involves various strategies and techniques aimed at increasing organic traffic.

Why is eCommerce SEO Important?

Did you know that 96.55% of web pages on the Internet receive no traffic from Google? Only 33% of e-commerce websites meet the Google Core web vitals benchmark.

You’re not the only guy who wants to rank your website on the first page of SERPs. Millions of competitors want the same. Google gets 6.3 million search requests per minute.

Only ten websites get the chance to sit on the top. 

Google’s ranking algorithm uses a 200-complex set of signals to determine the best results. Those who utilized this ranking algorithm effectively are the lucky ones. 

Because people rarely visit websites on the second, third, or subsequent pages, they receive only 0.63% of total clicks. 

However, if you can rank your website on the first page, you’ll get 27.6% of total clicks alone. 

Additionally, SEO is a more sustainable and cost-effective way to drive traffic compared to paid advertising. Once you’ve optimized your website and content, you can enjoy the benefits for a long time.

Here is an image that shows the difference in the number of clicks a website gets according to its SERP’s position. 

So, the higher you rank, the more clicks you get. 

That means you get more organic traffic and ultimately increase sales. But first of all, you need to follow the best e-commerce SEO practices. 

Surprisingly, more than half of the e-commerce websites don’t maintain basic SEO. 

And the rest who maintain SEO strategies don’t do it correctly. That’s why only a few can stand out. 

Top 13 E-commerce SEO Best Practices to Drive Organic Traffic & Make Sales 

Top 13 E-commerce SEO Best Practices to Drive Organic Traffic & Make Sales 

To rank your website in the first position on the SERP, you must use different yet effective SEO strategies. Prioritizing only one factor (for example, improving loading time) won’t yield the results. 

It’d be best if you worked with all the aspects of your e-commerce website’s SEO. Here are the most essential e-commerce SEO practices to follow: 

1. Keyword Research

E-commerce keyword research is the first step in building an effective SEO strategy. It helps you find the words people use when searching for products like yours.

So, how do you start your keyword research?

Understand Your Niche

To start, understand your business. Let’s say you sell baby products. Who are your customers? Are they new parents or caregivers? What do they need? Are they looking for products or advice?

Knowing your customers helps you find the best words to use. These words will help people find your online store.

Brainstorm Seed Keywords

Seed keywords are like the first ideas for your online store’s search strategy. They are simple words that describe your products.

For example, if you sell organic skincare, some seed keywords might be:

     

      • Organic face cream

      • Natural body lotion

      • Herbal shampoo

    These basic words will help you find more specific keywords later.

    Use Keyword Research Tools

    There are tools that can help you find more keywords. These tools look at many keywords at once. Some popular tools are Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Ubersuggest. But you can also use Google’s free keyword planner.

    Let’s say you want to find more keywords for “natural body lotio.”. The Google keyword planner might show you words like:

       

        • organic body lotion

        • natural body moisturizer

        • best natural body lotion

      Here’s the outcome for the KW natural body lotion provided by Google keyword planner.

      Take Suggestions from Google Autocomplete Predictions

      When you start typing a search query in Google, it’ll show you autocomplete predictions. These suggestions are based on popular searches related to your query. This feature can be a valuable source of keyword ideas. 

      For example, when you start typing “Organic face cream,” Google will suggest related searches like this: 

      These suggestions can provide valuable insights into what users are searching for and help you identify additional relevant keywords.

      You’ll also find more suggestions at the bottom of the search results page. This will give you a clear-cut idea about your KW. 

      Mark on Long-Tail Keywords

      Long-tail keywords are groups of three or more words. They help you find customers who are really interested in what you sell.

      For example, instead of just a “mountain bike,” you could use the “best mountain bike for under $500.” This tells you exactly what the customer wants.

      While there are fewer searches for long-tail keywords, the customers who do search are more likely to buy something. It’s like fishing with a smaller net but catching bigger fish.

      Analyze Search Volume and Competition

      Keywords with many searches can bring more people to your store. You should look for keywords with at least 100 searches per month. But more searches also mean more competition.

      To rank well, you need keywords that not many other stores use. So, it’s important to find popular keywords that are not too hard to rank for. This will help you get noticed without too much effort.

      Assess Keyword Difficulty

      Keyword difficulty measures how hard it’ll be to rank for a specific keyword. 

      Tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush provide this metric. Prioritize keywords with lower difficulty scores, especially if your website is new or has lower domain authority.

      Pro Tip: Over 14% of the time, search queries include question keywords. So don’t forget to choose question-based keywords. 

      2. Build a Keyword Map

      After a thorough keyword research, organize each keyword on a specific page on your website. This helps ensure that your content is targeted and avoids keyword cannibalization.

      3. Create Quality Content

      Content is the king of e-commerce marketing. Ultimately, your content will decide whether your website ranks higher or not. Google prioritizes user-friendly content. 

      High-quality content is more likely to engage users, encouraging them to spend more time on your website. This reduces bounce rates and indicates to search engines that your content is relevant and valuable.

      Include target keywords naturally throughout the content and in headings. Titles should be catchy and include primary keywords.  

      Use headings (H1, H2, etc.) to organize content logically. Break up text with bullet points and short paragraphs to improve readability.

      Most importantly, ensure your content meets the search intent. Intent can be informational, navigational, or transactional. Provide everything that users are looking for when they search using specific keywords.

      4. Write Engaging Product Descriptions

      Product descriptions play a vital role in both user experience and SEO. 87% of buyers do not want to purchase if they don’t see detailed product descriptions. Informative descriptions can increase conversion rates and search engine rankings.

      So, focus on providing detailed information about your product. Try to keep your product description a minimum of 300-600 words. Descriptive product information can persuade customers to buy.

      Explain how your product helps the customer. You can use bullet points, short paragraphs, and subheadings to make it easier for readers. Identify relevant keywords and include them naturally. 

      Google doesn’t rank copy content. So don’t just copy-paste descriptions from suppliers or manufacturers. Answer common questions and concerns that customers might have about the product.

      Pro Tip: Create a narrative around the product, its origin, or its uses. Narrative product description can boost your conversion rate upto 2,706%.

      5. Meta Description Optimization

      A meta description is an HTML tag that provides a summary of your page’s content. This snippet is usually displayed below the page title in search results. It’s like telling the searcher I am the page you’re looking for. 

      First of all, try to write a unique meta description. Don’t use any meta-description generators. However, most of the time (62.78%)google rewrites your meta description and shows whatever it wants.

      But that doesn’t mean writing unique ones is a waste of time. If you target high-traffic KW, there is a chance your meta description will show as you wrote it. 

      To create an effective meta description, keep it short, ideally between 155 and 160 characters. 

      Use an active voice to make it engaging and actionable. Include the focus keyword naturally to increase the chances of your page being displayed for relevant searches.

      Add a touch of urgency.  A call to action like “Learn More” or “Download Now” can nudge users towards your site. Highlight the value of your page. What makes your page stand out? 

      Mention exclusive content, free Shipping, special offers, or expert insights.

      6. Utilize Heading Tags Strategically

      Heading tags are key elements of SEO and web design. 

      They enhance search rankings and user experience and provide semantic signals to search engines to understand the structure and key points of your content.

      Generally, HTML supports <h1> to <h6> heading tags. The H1 tag represents the primary topic of your page. For e-commerce, this often means the product name or main category.

      However, using multiple H1 tags is technically allowed. But they can confuse search engines and users. So it’s best to use only one H1 tag per page. 

      Use H2 tags for the main sections of the content. For example, on a product page, H2 tags can be used for “Product Description,” “Specifications,” “Customer Reviews,” etc.

      And the remaining tags, <h4> to <h6,> are used for subsections within H2 sections. 

      You must include primary keywords in the H1 and H2 tags to signal the main topic to search engines because 85% of top-position search results have focus keywords in their title tags. 

      Ensure that each page has a unique H1 tag that accurately describes its content. Also, follow a consistent format and style throughout your page. For example, the same font and sentence case.

      Example of a well-structured product page:

      <h1>Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra</h1>

      <h2>Product Description</h2>

      <h3>Features</h3>

      <h3>Benefits</h3>

      <h2>Specifications</h2>

      <h2>Customer Reviews</h2>

      <h2>Related Products</h2>

      Golden Tips: Keep the H1 titles short within 62-65 characters. Otherwise, Google can’t show your title properly to searchers.  

      7. Optimize Your Images

      images are very important for online stores. They help customers understand your products and can also help your website rank higher in search results. Search engines even have separate search results for images.

      Here are some best practices for optimizing your images:

      Use Descriptive File Names

      Rename your image files to something descriptive and relevant to the content. Instead of using a generic name like IMG_1234.jpg, use a name like red-running-shoes.jpg.

      Choose the Right File Format 

      There are tons of formats available. However, Google only supports SVG, GIF, JPEG, WebP, PNG and BMP. But most used for are JPEG and PNG. 

         

          • JPEG: Best for photographs and images with many colors. It provides a good balance between image quality and file size.

          • PNG: Ideal for images with transparent backgrounds or images that need high quality.

        These sizes significantly affect website loading time. Here is a short table about it: 

        Image Format Load Time File Size
        BMP 311 msec 1900 KB
        JPG 47 msec 91.5 KB
        PNG 156 msec 552 KB
        GIF 89 msec 265 KB

        Use Unique Images

        Search engines favor unique content, and unique images can help differentiate your site from competitors. 

        If you use the same stock photo used by other websites, it’s indicated as duplicate content, which can lower your SEO ranking. You can check whether your images are duplicates or not by using the tool Tineye. 

        To avoid this problem, you can use a good camera to take clear, high-resolution images of your products. 

        You can also buy images from sites like Freepik and Pixel or edit them using image editing software. 

        Add Seo Friendly Alt Text

        Alt texts are short descriptions of your images to provide better context to SERP crawlers. In cases where an image fails to load, the alt text provides a textual description of what the image represents.

        Check this example of good and bad alt text per Google’s:

        So, add alt text to your images. Describe the image content accurately and clearly. 

        For example, instead of “shoes,” use “pair of red running shoes.” Naturally, integrate keywords if possible. Avoid keyword stuffing; keep it relevant. 

        You can write as much as you need to describe the image. However, completing your image alt text within 150 characters is advisable because many search engine robots stop reading alt text at 150 characters.

        Use Image Sitemaps

        Create and submit an image sitemap to help search engines discover your images. This can enhance the chance of your images appearing in image search results.

        Pro Tip: Keep your image size under 100 kB and try to use JPEG format for better results. 

        8. Create SEO-Friendly URLs

        Page URL is another big SEO factor for your e-commerce site. Search engines can guess what the webpage is about by reading the URL. To make your page URL SEO friendly, you can: 

        Keep URLs Short and Simple but Descriptive

        Shorter URLs are easier to read and share. Aim for URLs under 75 characters. Make sure your URLs give users a clear idea about the page. 

        For example, www.example.com/product/blue-widget is better than www.example.com/product/12345.

        Include Primary Keywords

        Putting the primary keywords in the URL is the most important part of URL optimization. This helps search engines understand the topic and improves visibility. However, don’t overuse keywords. Keyword stuffing can lower your page rank. 

        Use Hyphens Instead of Underscores 

        To enhance the readability, you can use hyphens ­ between words. But don’t use underscores (_). Hyphens are recognized as spaces between words, while underscores are recognized as words connecting with other words. 

        Use Lowercase Letters

        URLs are case-sensitive, and using lowercase letters consistently helps prevent potential issues with duplicate content.

        Pro Tip: Avoid using special characters like &, %, $, @, and others. They can complicate URLs and affect their readability and indexing.

        9. Improve Your Site Loading Speed

        Search engines consider your page speed as a ranking factor. Almost  40% of users are more likely to abandon a site if it takes too long ( >3 seconds) to load.

        Fast-loading web pages can boost up to 7% more conversion and reduce bounce rate by up to  35%. The ideal page load time should be between 0-2 seconds.

        To achieve this feat, you must:

           

            • Compress the image size. You can do this by using different tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim. 

            • Compressing heavy HTML, Javascript, and CSS files.

            • Deactivate unnecessary plugins that may be slowing down your site.

            • Limit Redirect Chains. Each redirect increases loading time, so keep them to a minimum.

            • Limit the number of HTTP requests.

          Pro Tip: To start working on your site speed, check your current page loading time. Google PageSpeed Insights is the perfect tool for that.

          10. Add Schema Markup

          Schema markup is HTML code that you add to show features like your product’s stock, prices, and reviews. 

          According to research, 72.6% of top-ranking pages in search results use Schema markup. It can increase your page visibility up to  36.6%.

          When buyers can see this type of information in search results, they can make informed decisions before visiting your page. Don’t worry it won’t lower your traffic. 

          Displaying customer reviews and ratings will build trust and encourage purchases. You can manually add schema markup directly to your HTML. You can also use different plugins and extensions to implement schema markup without manual coding.

          11. Make Your Site Mobile-Friendly

          Do you know 60.61% of people use mobile phones when they search for something on the internet? Websites which do not have a mobile-friendly design have a 60% bounce rate.

          So, there is a need to make your e-commerce website mobile-friendly as soon as possible. But how will you do it? Here it is: 

          Simple and Clear Design

             

              • Easy-to-find menus: Use simple menus that are easy to see and use on small screens. The “hamburger” menu (three horizontal lines) is popular for this.

              • Big buttons: Make sure buttons are large enough to be easily tapped with a finger.

              • Clear and simple layout: Avoid clutter and keep the design clean and easy to understand.

            Fast Loading Times

               

                • Smaller images: Use smaller image files that load quickly.

                • Faster website code: Make sure the code that runs your store is efficient.

                • Prioritize content: Load the most important information first so customers can start seeing things right away.

              Easy to Read

                 

                  • Larger text: Use text that is easy to read, even on small screens.

                  • Good contrast: Make sure the text color is easy to see against the background color.

                  • Consistent fonts: Use fonts that are clear and easy to read.

                Smooth Navigation

                   

                    • Easy scrolling: Make sure the page scrolls smoothly without any jerks or jumps.

                    • Tappable links: Ensure links are big enough to be easily tapped.

                    • Clear calls to action: Make it easy for customers to buy things or learn more.

                  Testing and Improvement

                     

                      • Check on different phones: See how your store looks and works on different types of phones.

                      • Ask for feedback: Get input from customers about what they like and don’t like.

                      • Keep improving: Make changes based on what you learn to keep your store getting better.

                    Pro Tip: To determine how responsive your site is on mobile devices, run mobile usability testing. You can use tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test for that. 

                    12. Link Building/Backlink

                    Link building is one of the oldest e-commerce SEO practices. When other sites link to your site in their content as a reference, it’s called a backlink. 

                    Pages ranked on Google’s first page have three times more backlinks than other pages. 

                    A higher number of backlinks means a trustworthy source to the Google algorithm. Google uses the relevancy and number of links to judge your website’s credibility. 

                    New websites have few backlinks, which makes them less authoritative in Google’s eyes. However, with time, you can fix this problem. 

                    Here’s how to improve your link-building strategy: 

                    Create Quality Content

                    Focus on producing high-quality content. This will give you backlinks from different sites automatically. Try to write over 3000 words for each content. Content with over 3000 receives more backlinks than less than 3000 words. 

                    Guest Posts

                    This is the most popular way to receive backlinks from other sites. You can find articles from other relevant sites in your industry. In return, you get a backlink to your site.

                    Broken Link

                    Find broken links on other websites and suggest your content as a replacement. Tools like Check My Links can help you find these opportunities.

                    13. Page Indexing

                    Page indexing is a fundamental aspect of your SEO strategy. It’s the process where search engines discover, analyze, and store web pages in their database. Let’s make it easier for you. 

                    Suppose Google search is a library catalog. Websites are books. Google’s index is the list of all the books in the library. If your website isn’t on the list (indexed), no one will find it through Google Search.

                    So, how does your website rank if nobody can find your website? You need to index your page on Google. To check if our page is indexed or not, write site:yourwebsite.com.

                    E-commerce SEO Mistakes to Avoid Pitfalls

                    Ranking your e-commerce site is a harder and lengthy process. A simple mistake can ruin all of your hard work and hamper your site’s performance. So, if you don’t want to be a fool, avoid these common e-commerce SEO mistakes:

                    E-commerce SEO Mistakes to Avoid Pitfalls

                    Thin Product Description

                    Search engines like informative and valuable content. Avoid thin descriptions that repeat manufacturer specifications. 

                    Write unique, detailed product descriptions that answer customer questions and include relevant keywords.

                    Duplicate Content

                    Copying product descriptions from manufacturers is a very common mistake people make when writing. 

                    Search engines hate seeing the same content on multiple pages. It confuses them and lowers your website’s ranking potential. 

                    This can happen with redundant category pages or similar product descriptions.

                    So, write unique and compelling product descriptions. Use canonical tags to manage duplicate content.

                    Keyword Stuffing

                    Overloading your content with keywords will not rank your page higher. This can lead to a poor user experience and potential search engine penalties.

                    Don’t use keywords forcefully if they do not fit; use them naturally. Aim for a keyword density of 1-2%.

                    Poor Internal Linking

                    Internal linking helps search engines understand your website’s structure and the relationships between pages. Linking relevant pages to each other improves user navigation and overall SEO. 

                    However, if you do this improperly, the ocan’tte will happen. So, create a logical internal linking structure and link-related products, categories, and content. 

                    This will help users navigate your site and help search engines understand your site’s structure.

                    Forgetting to Add Alt Text

                    Without alt text, search engines cannot understand the content of your images. This can negatively affect your SEO. 

                    Additionally, it impacts accessibility for users with visual impairments.

                    So, always add descriptive alt text to your images. Include relevant keywords where appropriate.

                    Generic Anchor Text

                    Anchor text is the clickable text you see in a hyperlink.  Using generic text like “click here” doesn’t provide much value. Instead, use descriptive anchor text that tells users what the linked page is about.

                    Poor Site Structure

                     A poorly structured site can confuse both users and search engines. Create a clear and logical hierarchy for your product categories and subcategories.

                    Use breadcrumb navigation to help users and search engines understand the relationship between pages.

                    Not Using Analytics

                    Without analytics tools, you won’t be able to track your website’s performance. It gives insights into your website traffic, user behavior, audience demographics, site speed,  content performance, and more.

                    These data give you an idea about areas for improvement and help you make informed decisions.

                    Best E-commerce SEO Tools You Must Try

                    So far, we’ve discussed the different SEO practices and common mistakes to avoid during your SEO strategy. Now, we’ll show you some magic tools that make your job easier and more accurate.

                    Dashboa

                    Dashboa is an AI-based digital marketing data analysis automation tool. No other tools can analyze data and provide insight into competitor websites like Dashboa.

                    This tool helps you find the most relevant keywords for your site to rank. It crawls your competitors and gives data-driven suggestions to improve your SEO ranking. 

                    Ahrefs

                    Ahrefs is an all-in-one SEO tool with various features, including keyword research, competitor analysis, and rank tracking. It’s a great option for businesses that want a comprehensive SEO solution.

                    Semrush

                    It’s a popular SEO tool for Google ad optimization, competitor analysis, and conducting KW research. Semrush is a complete package for digital marketers who want to see their website in the top position. 

                    Moz

                    Moz is a well-established SEO toolset known for its beginner-friendliness and domain authority score. It offers a good balance of keyword research and link-building guidance. 

                    It provides valuable insights into website health and includes a limited free plan to get you started.

                    Ubersuggest 

                    Ubersuggest is a budget-friendly SEO tool that provides a solid foundation for keyword research and competitor analysis. It offers keyword suggestions, search volume data, and competition levels. 

                    How Do You Measure SEO Success in an E-commerce Environment?

                    So, you’ve implemented all the SEO factors you know on your e-commerce website. But how do you know they work well and can bring positive results? 

                    Continuous monitoring of the following helps you to measure your SEO practice success. 

                    How Do You Measure SEO Success in an E-commerce Environment?

                    Organic Traffic

                    Organic traffic means how many visitors come to your site through search engines. This is a core indicator of your SEO success. Compare your current traffic with the traffic for the last 2-3 months. 

                    If you see your organic traffic increase more than before, it’s a green signal that you’re on the right path. 

                    Conversion Rate from Organic Traffic

                    Traffic is worthless without conversion. Conversion means the percentage of visitors who take a desired action on your site. The ideal conversion rate for an e-commerce website should be between 2% and 5%. 

                    A higher conversion rate from organic traffic suggests that your site is doing well. To see how your SEO works, compare the previous average order value and conversation rate with your current situation. 

                    Revenue from Organic Traffic

                    Calculate the revenue generated from visitors who found your site through organic search. This metric directly ties your SEO efforts to business outcomes. An increase in revenue from organic traffic is a strong indicator of successful SEO.

                    Bounce Rate

                    Evaluate your site’s bounce rate. A low bounce rate generally indicates engaging content and a positive user experience. 

                    Cart Abandonment Rate

                    It’s the percentage of visitors who add items to their cart but don’t complete the purchase. And it’s not a good sign if your site has a high cart abandonment rate. 

                    It’s a warning that something is not right. So, analyze the reasons for abandonment to optimize your checkout process.

                    Conclusions

                    There’s no shortcut or magic formula to instantly rank your e-commerce store. However, understanding and applying effective e-commerce SEO best practices can significantly boost your visibility and sales.

                    We’ve covered the basics of keyword research, product optimization, image optimization, and mobile-friendliness. Remember, these are just the starting point. SEO is a continuous process that requires ongoing attention and adaptation.

                    Remember: SEO is about providing value to your customers. Focus on creating high-quality content, optimizing your website for user experience, and building trust with your audience.

                    Keep up with the latest SEO trends, experiment with different strategies, and analyze your results to stay ahead of the competition. 

                    FAQs

                    How long does e-commerce SEO take?

                    SEO is a lengthy process.  It takes time to see results, anywhere from a few months to even a year. Because it depends on how competitive your market is and what keywords you’re targeting.

                    Is e-commerce SEO different?

                    Yes, e-commerce SEO does differ a bit from traditional SEO. While both aim for better search ranking, they have slightly different priorities.

                    How do I optimize my eCommerce website for SEO?

                    To optimize your eCommerce website for SEO, focus on keyword research, optimize product descriptions and meta tags, and improve site speed. Ensure your site is mobile-friendly, use structured data, and regularly update content. 

                    What is the main difference between e-commerce e and traditional keyword research? 

                    There are slight differences between traditional and e-commerce keyword research. Traditional websites only focus on informational keywords. Users search these keywords for explanations, answers, and guides. However, the e-commerce key should be a mix of both commercial and informational keywords. 

                    Can I build an eCommerce website on my own?

                    Yes, you can build an e-commerce website on your own. However, you need good SEO knowledge and the right implementation of all the SEO factors.