eCommerce is one of the most saturated industries in the digital marketplace, however, where there is plenty of competition there is also high demand. Which means that if you position yourself well and perfect your website, you too can make your fortune!
In this article we’re going to share 5 awesome eCommerce website optimization tips for high-performance SEO. Want to attract and convert as many qualified leads as possible? Read on and find out how you can…
1. Optimise for speed!
Page load speed is one of the most important ranking factors in SEO these days. And that’s not to say that Google treats it as the most critical factor, but because it also influences the customer experience and your overall conversion rates – which is what the search giant truly cares about.
In other words, it is a critical optimization because it has such a wide ranging impact on a multitude of metrics. Bear with us …
So, how can you speed your website up? We’re paraphrasing here and you’ll have to conduct some further research on each point, however these will point you in the right direction:
- Optimise image and size format.
- Reduce content where possible.
- Consider using a CDN (content delivery network).
- Upgrade your hosting (preferably private server).
- Avoid render blocking scripts.
- Minify your CSS and JavaScript.
- Reduce HTTP requests.
- And so on.
If you commit to making the above optimizations and get your page load speed as low as possible, you’ll enjoy better rankings and higher conversions. In fact, websites that load faster than 2-seconds have the highest conversion rate in eCommerce. Coincidence?
2. Optimise your product pages with unique sales copy
This can feel like a towering impossibility if you have hundreds and hundreds of individual product pages, however you must write unique content for each – especially if you want each page to rank individually.
Duplicate content is not uncommon on eCommerce websites because business owners invariably get lazy and resent the idea of writing or paying for unique product descriptions, however, if you want optimal performance and conversions, you’ve got to put the time and effort in.
How does the saying go again? “If it were easy, would everyone do it?”
Exactly.
3. Optimise for mobile-first
Google isn’t interested in non-responsive websites and neither are 50% of your prospective customers. Similar to page load speed, the responsivity of your website will not only help to improve your SEO rankings, but it will also reduce bounce rate and bolster your conversions.
The fact is, more than 55% of web traffic comes from mobile devices and if your website cannot properly accommodate them you’ll be missing out on a wealth of prospective business.
With the greatest respect: there’s no excuse. You know what to do.
4. Upgrade your website sales copy and content
Written content plays a vital role in SEO – and can also help you convert those clicks into customers. You must regularly publish high-quality content on your blog, but also ensure that you upgrade the sales copy on your website as well:
- Attract more organic traffic.
- Establish trust.
- Boost rankings.
- Demonstrate industry authority.
5. Develop a world-class link-building strategy
This is not so much a website optimization, though it is a critical part of eCommerce SEO; develop a world-class link-building strategy. Your strategy should include:
- Guest blogging.
- Social media ads.
- Writing share-worthy content for social media.
- Regular press releases.
- Branded infographics.
- White papers and case studies.
If you consistently produce and share high-value content, you’ll increase the likelihood of other websites and marketers sharing, referencing and linking back to your content – thus creating strong links (which all contribute to your overall SEO standing).
Conclusion
SEO is, without question, the single most important aspect of online marketing. If you commit yourself to perfecting your website, improving the user experience, and developing a strong back-link profile, you’ll have a much greater chance at attracting highly qualified traffic to your website. And of course, the more you invest in quality content and UX-design, the greater the probability of that traffic converting into loyal, paying customers.