The importance of SEO for E-commerce Websites

We live in a world where knowledge has become so easily accessible that it is always on our fingertips. Pull our your phone or any computer device, connect to the internet and BAM! An entire world of knowledge is now available for you to ponder and explore.

The ability for search engines like Google to provide relevant, factual and credible information in a matter of milliseconds on just about anything you can think of is a truly remarkable technological achievement.

With millions and trillions of websites and pages upon pages of content available online filtering through to find information that is most credible to your search term wouldn’t be possible without search engine optimization (SEO).

Apart from Google’s futuristic AI software and advanced algorithms it is a website or business’s responsibility to ensure that everything posted online is done in a manner that ticks all the SEO boxes in order for you to appear on search results on Google and other search engines.

Organic Marketing

Search engine optimization is often referred to as organic marketing. This is because Google doesn’t charge any advertising fees if you are being ranked high due to credible, relevant and well-received content.

SEO is a long-term strategy that can reap heavy dividends to businesses as well as positively impact their bottom line. Search engine optimization is just like planting a seed and nurturing it until it bears fruit. Yes, it takes time and a lot of effort initially but the rewards in the long-term greatly outweigh the time and energy spent to set it all up.

Paid Marketing

The opposite of SEO is paid marketing which comes in the form of Google Ads. Here, a business can pay Google to be amongst the first few clicks on a particular keyword when searched in a certain geographical region. Every time someone clicks the Ad link Google charges X amounts of $ based on the value of the keyword and how high it is being ranked.

Paid marketing is highly suitable for building awareness and boosting sales. However, it can be extremely expensive and difficult to sustain over prolonged periods of time.

Why is SEO important?

No matter if you are selling a product, service or simply advertising yourself; search engine optimization is of the utmost importance. SEO essentially helps search engines know exactly what your business is all about and what type of keywords are most suited to your niche.

Think about it this way. If you went and donated a book to the library but instead of handing it in at the counter for proper registration and labeling you went and simply placed it in between two books on a random aisle. Even though the book is in the library because you didn’t tell the librarian about it no one knows it is there and no one will be able to find it.

SEO Strategies & Techniques

Telling Google and other search engines what your content is about through detailed meta tags, title tags, search descriptions, and keyword focused content will help Google put that information in front of those who are searching for it leading to increased traffic and higher ranking.

Making sure that your website has an excellent structure, clean URLs, zero error pages or technical glitches, as well as relevant and well-thought-out meta and title tags, are also integral to help your website rank higher.

Backlinking to other credible websites and having rich and unique content can help drive in traffic from many platforms without costing you any additional money. Think of quality backlinks as road signs leading to your shop. The more signs you have in strategic locations leading back to your shop the more likely and easy it is for you to find customers.

Paid vs. Organic

Many e-commerce websites often rely heavily on paid marketing to generate sale converting traffic to their website or landing pages. However, all successful e-commerce businesses also invest heavily in SEO. In almost every instance analytic reveal that the revenue derived from organic traffic far surpasses the revenue generated from paid ads for almost any type of e-commerce business, especially, in the long-run.

Ultimately, it’s best to combine all forms of marketing, as long as they’re profitable.

Woocommerce vs. Shopify

The two e-commerce giants Woocommerce and Shopify have invested millions of dollars and spent countless hours finetuning their websites SEO techniques and strategies to provide customers the very best when it comes to marketing and selling their products online.

Choosing between the two can be quite challenging but in most cases, Shopify is great for customers just starting out and wanting to have an all-in-one package. Customers can develop their website and online store-front as well as market their product or service through Shopify’s proprietary software.

Woocommerce is more for businesses or individuals that already have an existing website and want to simply add an online store to it.

Whereas Shopify is a great way to build a new store, and take advantage of their huge library of apps, designs and support. They also have a system which is better suited to a large volume of transactions and products, which can sometimes overwhelm a WordPress based Woocommerce site.

Regardless of which one you choose, optimizing your business content and product descriptions is vital in order to rank higher and convert more traffic.

Conclusion

The right SEO techniques and strategies can be invaluable for any e-commerce business. Relying solely on Google Ads or paid marketing is not just expensive it is also often unsustainable.

By following Google SEO guidelines and seeking the help and assistance of professional SEO experts can help take your e-commerce business to new heights.

Fill out the discovery form to get a free analysis, especially when looking for an SEO agency in London.