SEO

What is SEO?

SEO (search engine optimization) is about making your online store more visible in the organic (unpaid) search results on Google and other search engines. The goal is to rank as high as possible for the search terms your potential customers use.

Organic traffic is often the most valuable source of traffic for online stores because it’s free (unlike ads) and because users are actively searching for what you offer.

The Three Pillars of SEO

Technical SEO

Technical SEO is about ensuring that Google can find, crawl, and understand your pages:

• Page Speed: Fast pages rank better. Google measures Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS) as a ranking factor. Note that INP replaced FID in March 2024 as the official responsiveness metric.
• Mobile Optimization: Google uses mobile-first indexing, so the mobile version of your store is the most important.
• XML sitemap: Helps Google find all your pages efficiently.
• HTTPS: An SSL certificate is a requirement for modern online stores and a ranking factor.
• Canonical URLs: Avoid duplicate content by specifying the preferred URL for each page.
• Structured data: JSON-LD markup provides Google with additional information about products, prices, and reviews.

On-page SEO

On-page SEO is about optimizing the content on your individual pages:

• Title tags: The most important on-page element. Should include your primary keyword and be under 60 characters.
• Meta descriptions: The description that appears in search results. Should be compelling and under 160 characters.
• Headings (H1, H2): Structure your content with headings that include relevant keywords.
• Product descriptions: Unique, detailed descriptions—never copy text from the supplier.
• Image alt text: Descriptive alt text helps Google understand images and improves visibility in image search.
• Internal links: Link between related products and categories to help Google understand your site structure.

Off-page SEO

Off-page SEO is about signals from other websites:

• Backlinks: Links from other sites to your online store are one of Google’s strongest ranking signals. Quality is more important than quantity.
• Reviews: Positive reviews on Trustpilot and Google My Business strengthen your credibility.
• Social proof: Mentions on social media and in the press provide indirect SEO value.

SEO in Shoporama

Shoporama has a number of built-in SEO features:

• Meta titles and descriptions: Can be set individually for products, categories, landing pages, and static pages.
• Canonical URLs: Automatically generated for products, categories, and landing pages to prevent duplicate content.
• XML sitemap: Generated automatically with proper prioritization and update frequency. Includes products, categories, landing pages, and blog posts.
• Image sitemap: A separate sitemap for product images for Google Image Search.
• robots.txt: Dynamically generated with correct rules.
• Structured data (JSON-LD): Automatic Product schema with price, availability, GTIN, brand, and reviews.
• Open Graph tags: Automatic generation of OG tags for sharing on social media.
• SEO-friendly URLs: Clean URLs with readable slugs on all pages.
• Noindex control: Option to set noindex on individual pages.
• Automatic redirects: When a URL changes, a 301 redirect is automatically created from the old URL.

SEO Strategy for Online Stores

A good SEO strategy for online stores typically focuses on:

1. Keyword analysis: Identify the search terms your customers use with tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush.
2. Category optimization: Category pages are often the most important for SEO because they rank for broad search terms (e.g., “running shoes” or “men’s jackets”).
3. Unique product content: Write unique descriptions; never copy from the supplier, as Google penalizes duplicate content.
4. Content marketing: Blog with guides, tips, and articles related to your products. This builds authority and attracts traffic from informational searches.
5. Link building: Build backlinks from relevant sites, industry media, and partners.

Measure your SEO efforts

• Google Search Console: A free tool that shows your keywords, rankings, clicks, and impressions.
• Google Analytics: Track organic traffic, conversions, and revenue from SEO.
• Ranktracker: Monitor your rankings for important keywords over time.