SEO for webshops - help make your webstore findable

Ranking higher in search engines than competitors is crucial for any web shop. A lower ranking means missed visitors and orders. But how do you get higher in the search results? This blog provides 5 steps to a successful SEO strategy. You will have an effective SEO strategy for your e-commerce marketing.

Step 1. Keyword Research: The Basis of SEO

One of the first steps in SEO for web shops is keyword research, that is, researching relevant keywords. This process involves researching which keywords the target audience uses to find products that the webshop. This includes:

• Search volume: How often a particular keyword is used.
• Competition: How many other web shops target the same keyword.
• Relevance: How closely a keyword matches the products.

Optimize for buying keywords with high search volume and low difficulty score. This means that customers search a lot for the word, but it is not yet being written about/advertised on via Google. Avoid broad keywords with high competition. Tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and Ubersuggest can help tremendously with this. These tools provide insight into search volumes, trends, and competition for specific keywords. For example, below you can see an overview of the keywords “SEO for web shops” with the difficulty level and how much it costs to advertise on such a keyword.

Is your keyword research complete? Then it's time to subdivide the keywords. Keywords can be used not only for category and product pages, but also for blogs. Long-tail keywords, which are keywords consisting of multiple words, often have less competition but higher buying intent.

Prevent keyword cannibalization

Keyword cannibalization occurs when two or more pages on the same website compete for the same keywords in search results. Instead of one page achieving a strong position in search results, authority splinters across multiple pages. This often leads to lower rankings for all the pages involved. And that's called “keyword cannibalization.” It also causes:

• Weakened keyword rankings

When multiple pages on the site compete for the same keyword, you divide the value search engines assign to these pages. Instead of one strong page, you get multiple weak pages, so none of them perform well in search results.

• Wasted crawling and indexing

Search engines like Google crawl and index the site to include the content in their search results. If you have multiple pages that target the same keyword, the search engine wastes time and resources by crawling the same content multiple times. This can reduce the efficiency of indexing your site.

• Confusion for visitors

When visitors arrive at the site through search engines, they expect to find the most relevant information. If there are multiple pages targeting the same keyword, this can lead to confusion and a poor user experience. Visitors may not know which page contains the most valuable information.

• Lower Click-Through Rates (CTR).

When search engines display multiple pages in search results for the same keyword, it distributes clicks across those pages. Instead of one page having a high CTR (click-through rate), multiple pages get a lower CTR, which in turn can negatively impact rankings.

How do you prevent keyword cannibalization?

1. Perform a content audit

The first step to prevent keyword cannibalization is to conduct a thorough content audit of the website. Identify all pages that target the same keywords. To do this, use tools such as Google Search Console, Ahrefs or SEMrush.

2. Optimize the content strategy

After identifying the competing pages, is to decide which page should be the most important for each keyword. Optimize this page to provide the most valuable and comprehensive information. Other competing pages can be refocused on related but non-competing keywords.

3. Combine or remove duplicate content

When there are multiple pages with similar content, consider combining them into one comprehensive page. This increases the authority (strength) of the single page and eliminates competition between its own content. If necessary, remove irrelevant or outdated pages.

4. Use internal links smartly

Internal links are a powerful tool to help search engines understand which pages on the site are most important. Link from less important pages to the most important page for a particular keyword. This helps direct authority to the right page.

Step 2. On-Page SEO: Optimization of web pages.

After identifying the right keywords for the website, the next step is to integrate them effectively into the web pages. On-page SEO plays a crucial role in improving search engine rankings and increasing organic traffic to the site. Below we discuss some essential elements of on-page SEO that can be optimized.

Meta titles and descriptions.

Meta titles are one of the most important elements of on-page SEO. They appear as the clickable headline in search results and give both search engines and users an idea of your page's content.

Meta descriptions appear below the meta title in search results and provide a summary of the page's content. While meta descriptions are not a direct ranking factor, they do influence click rate (CTR).

Unique and engaging: Make sure each page has a unique meta title that is relevant to the content. This helps search engines better understand and rank the page.

Keywords: Integrate key keywords naturally into the meta title. This increases the likelihood that the page will be displayed when users search for these terms.

Relevance: Write descriptions that accurately reflect the content of the page and include the keywords.

CTA (call-to-action): Use compelling language and a clear call to action (CTA) to encourage users to click on the link.

What does a meta title and description look like?

What exactly must a meta title meet and what does it look like? You can find an example below.

What you see here is a meta title with "shorts" as the main keyword. The Meta title starts with this keyword. You'll also find this keyword in the Meta description. In the meta description you can immediately see what's in stock and how long the delivery time is. The idea is that customers click through to the website immediately, so a logical conclusion is a CTA, which in this case is "order now."

Meta titles should be no longer than 60 characters. If the title is longer, your title will be hyphenated with dots (...). And that's a waste. The meta description should be between 150-160 characters. Use the characters well. Shorter is also possible, but often you quickly reach 150 characters.

In the example you can see that use is made of showing the reviews. This can persuade a customer to click through to the website.

Tip: Use Mangools' SERP simulator. The simulator shows how your meta title and meta description will look in Google. This makes it visual.

Headers (H1, H2, H3, etc.)

Headers help to improve the structure of the page and make it easier for search engines and users to understand the content. Header are the titles of your intermediate headings. The main title is an H1, the rest are H2, H3, etc.

• H1: Each page should have one H1 tag that describes the main topic of the page and contains the main keyword.
• Subheaders (H2, H3, etc.): Use subheaders to divide the text into logical sections. This makes the content more readable and provides more opportunities to integrate secondary keywords.

Product descriptions

Unique and detailed product descriptions are essential for both SEO and user experience.

• Details: Write comprehensive descriptions that highlight all the key features and benefits of the product. This not only helps with SEO, but also with convincing potential customers.
• Keywords: Integrate key keywords naturally into descriptions. Avoid keyword stuffing (mentioning the keyword a lot for the sake of naming the keyword) as this can lead to poor user experience and penalties from search engines.

Finding it difficult to create your own product descriptions? There are a host of A.I. solutions that help create the most beautiful descriptions. We advise against copying product descriptions from the vendor 1-to-1. This creates duplicated content, which you will eventually be penalized by Google for.

Images

Images have a significant impact on the SEO of the page. Optimize them to improve both page load speed and search engine friendliness.

• File names: Use descriptive file names that contain keywords. For example, instead of "IMG1234.jpg," use "wooden-chair.jpg."
• ALT texts: ALT text helps search engines understand what is in an image. Make sure they are descriptive and contain relevant keywords. This is especially important for accessibility and image search.

Step 3. Technical SEO: The backbone of the website

Technical SEO is the foundation for the web shop's performance. It involves optimizing the technical aspects of the website, allowing search engines to crawl and index the site better. This results not only in a better user experience, but also in higher search engine rankings. Here are some crucial factors to consider for a technical SEO strategy.

Website speed

A fast load time is essential for both user experience and search engine rankings. Visitors have little patience for slow websites; if the pages load too long, they leave the site and go to the competition. Search engines, such as Google, use loading speed as one of the ranking factors, making a fast Web site more important than ever.

• Use Google PageSpeed Insights: This tool provides insight into how fast the Web site loads and suggests improvements.
• Limit the use of heavy images and scripts: Compression (resizing) of images and minimization of scripts can significantly reduce load times.
• Caching: Implementing caching makes pages load faster for returning visitors.

Below is a sample report from Google PageSpeeds. You can immediately see which part is profitable.

Mobile-friendliness

It is crucial that the web shop functions well on mobile devices. Google employs mobile-first indexing, which means that the mobile version of the site is the basis for how the site is indexed and ranked.

• Responsive design: Make sure the website has a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes and resolutions.
• Testing with Google's Mobile-Friendly Test: This tool shows how mobile-friendly the website is and provides recommendations for improvements.
• Using AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages): AMP helps improve loading speed on mobile devices, leading to a better user experience and higher rankings.

Security (HTTPS)

A secure website is important not only for protecting sensitive data, but also for visitor trust and search engine rankings. Using HTTPS instead of HTTP encrypts the data exchanged between the website and visitors, making it more secure. Thus, the landing pages you create in Reloadify are always SSL secured.

• SSL certificate: Make sure a valid SSL certificate is installed on the web shop. This is essential for obtaining HTTPS.
• Regular security updates: Keep the webshop up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates to minimize vulnerabilities.
• Security measures: Use tools and plugins that help monitor and improve website security.

Step 4. Content marketing: create valuable content

Content marketing is an indispensable part of an effective SEO strategy. It's not just about optimizing your product and category pages, but also about creating valuable content that appeals to your target audience. This can come in the form of blogs, videos, infographics, and more.

Build authority

Providing valuable and relevant information builds trust and authority. The authority of your shop determines how strong your website is compared to other websites. Do you have a strong authority? Then you will be ranked higher by Google. When consistent and informative content is published, both the public and search engines see you as a reliable source. This leads to higher search engine rankings and a stronger brand image.

How to build authority?

• In-depth articles: Write comprehensive articles that go deep into topics relevant to the target audience. Use data, research and case studies to support the points.
• Guides and how-to's: Create comprehensive guides and how-to articles that walk your customers step-by-step through processes.
• Guest blogs: Write guest blogs for well-known websites in your niche to showcase expertise and expand your reach.

For example, Winparts builds authority by writing a blog with a step-by-step guide on how to clean your interior:

Generating backlinks

Quality content is more likely to be shared and liked by others, which increases domain authority. Backlinks are an important ranking factor for search engines; the more quality backlinks there are, the better the website will perform in search results.

How to generate backlink:

• Unique Content: Create unique and original content that cannot be found elsewhere. This makes the content valuable and shareable.
• Infographics: Infographics are visually appealing and easily shareable forms of content. They can often be adopted by other websites with a link back to your shop. You can use an infographic in a blog, for example, to make your blog a little less static.
• Collaborations: Collaborate with influencers or other companies in the industry to create and promote joint content.

Drive engagement

Interesting and engaging content keeps visitors on the site longer, which contributes positively to rankings. Search engines pay attention to how long visitors stay on the site and how they interact with content. High engagement signals that the Web shop offers valuable information.

How to stimulate engagement?

• Visual content: Use videos, images and infographics to support textual content and make it more appealing.
• Interactivity: Add interactive elements, such as quizzes, polls, and comment sections, to actively engage audiences.
• Regular updates: Keep content fresh and up-to-date by regularly publishing new posts and revising old content.

Step 5. Link building: increase domain authority

Link building is a crucial part of a successful SEO strategy. The process revolves around getting external links to the website. Below are some effective link building strategies you can use to increase domain authority.

Guest blogging

Guest blogging is an excellent way to showcase your expertise while gaining valuable backlinks. By writing articles for other websites within the niche, you increase visibility and build authority.

Broken link building

Broken link building is a strategy where broken links (non-working link) on other websites are tracked down and suggested to replace them with links to one's own content. This helps website owners improve their user experience while you get valuable backlinks.

How does broken link building work?

• Identify broken links: Use tools such as Check My Links or Ahrefs to find broken links on relevant websites.
• Create relevant content: Make sure the content fits the topic of the broken link.
• Approach the website: Send an email to the website owner indicating the broken link and suggesting your content as a replacement.

Measuring and optimizing: the cycle of success

SEO is not a one-time task but an ongoing process of measuring, analyzing and optimizing. Use tools such as Google Analytics and Search Console to monitor the performance of SEO efforts. Pay attention to metrics such as organic traffic, bounce rate, and conversions to see where you can improve. It takes time and effort, but in the end, SEO pays off handsomely. Start webshop marketing today. Start with Reloadify and discover opportunities for revenue. Schedule a no-obligation demo today.