SEO for E-commerce: A guide to increasing organic traffic

For businesses engaged in e-commerce, organic visibility on search engines is not just an advantage, but a necessity.

In this article, we will explore the key strategies to improve your SEO for e-commerce. Something that is crucial for good organic traffic.

SEO is the art and science of making your website more visible to search engines.

The need for an effective SEO strategy is now more important than ever, with constantly changing algorithms and increased competition.

We will also demonstrate and showcase the success and benefits of these methods through a case study of XPLORA – a supplier of smartwatches designed for children.

Step 1 – Keyword Analysis

1. Define the target audience

Understanding the target audience is the foundation for effective keyword analysis.

In our example with XPLORA, the target audience is Norwegian parents looking for smartwatches for children.

To define this target audience in more detail, we can consider factors such as age, gender, interests, online behavior, and the most common challenges they face regarding children and technology.

2. Use of Keyword Tools

Keyword tools are essential for identifying which keywords and phrases the target audience uses when searching for products or information online. These tools provide valuable insights such as:

• Search volume: How often a specific keyword is searched each month.
• Competition: How difficult it is to rank for a given keyword.
• Related keywords: Other keywords related to the original keyword that may provide additional opportunities.

Examples of these tools are:

• Google Keyword Planner: A free tool that provides insights into keywords related to products and services. Useful for finding search volume and competition.
• SEMrush: A paid tool that offers detailed analysis of keywords, competitors’ SEO strategies, backlink analysis, and much more.

3. Analyze the competition

Understand what competitors are ranking for and which keywords they are targeting.

This can provide insights into market trends and help identify gaps in the market that your business can exploit.

For example, if competitors are heavily focusing on general “child safety technologies” but not specifically on “GPS functionality in smartwatches for children” (where there is less competition), this could be an opportunity to focus on this less competitive keyword.

Step 2 – Article structuring

A well-structured article is not only user-friendly but also plays an important role in how search engines perceive and rank your content.

Here is a deeper explanation of each point for structuring the article:

1. Use appropriate H1 to H6 tags

• H1 Tags: This is the most important heading and should be used for the title of the page or article. It should include the primary keyword and be engaging for the reader.
• H2 to H6 Tags: These are used for subheadings and help organize the content logically. H2 tags are used for main section titles, while H3-H6 are used for subsections. This helps search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of the content.

2. Short paragraphs

Short paragraphs make the text more accessible and easier to read, especially on mobile devices. Each paragraph should ideally contain 2-4 sentences and focus on a single point or idea. This also makes it easier for readers to scan through the text to find relevant information.

3. Include internal and external links

• Internal links: Link to other relevant pages or articles on your own website. This increases user engagement by encouraging readers to explore more content on your site.
• External links: Link to reliable and authoritative external sources to enhance the credibility of the information you provide. This can also help with your website’s SEO by showing search engines that your content is well-researched and supported by external sources.

4. Optimize for snippets

• Featured snippets: These are short excerpts that appear at the top of Google search results, providing direct answers to users’ questions. To optimize for snippets, include short, concise paragraphs or bullet points that directly answer common questions related to your topic.
• FAQ sections: Including a frequently asked questions section in the article can also increase the chances of being featured in snippets.

5. Include keywords naturally

Keywords should be integrated in a natural and reader-friendly way throughout the text. Overuse of keywords (known as “keyword stuffing“) can harm SEO and user experience. Keywords should be evenly distributed throughout the text, including in headings, the introduction, the main body, and the conclusion.

Implementation in articles

By applying these principles, you can create content that is both appealing to readers and optimized for search engines.

For example, in an article about “Smartwatches for Children” for XPLORA, you would start with an H1 title that includes the primary keyword.

The article would then be structured with H2 and H3 tags to define various sections like “Benefits of GPS in children’s smartwatches” or “How to choose the right smartwatch for your child.”

Short, informative paragraphs with internal links to other relevant product pages and external links to research studies or reviews would also be included.

Finally, use natural placements of keywords throughout the text to ensure SEO-friendliness.

Step 3 – Write an article

1. Start with a good title

• Include the main keyword: The title should capture the essence of the article and include the primary keyword for better SEO.
• Be creative and direct: A good title is both informative and engaging. It should give readers a clear idea of what to expect from the article while piquing their interest.
• Use strong words and specific numbers: Words like “Ultimate,” “Complete guide,” or “Top 10” can make the title more appealing.

2. Write content that solves problems

• Understand the needs of your audience: Know the most common problems or questions your target audience has. For an e-commerce site, this could relate to product selection, usage, or maintenance.
• Provide solutions and guidance: The article should provide valuable information that addresses these questions or problems. This establishes your site as an authority and trustworthy resource.
• Answer questions directly: Ensure that each paragraph or section is focused on answering a specific question or solving a specific problem.

3. Use visual elements

• Include images and videos: Visual elements make content more appealing and easy to digest. For example, demonstration videos for product usage or images highlighting products.
• Infographics: These are particularly effective for presenting data, statistics, or step-by-step guides in a visual and easily understandable way. Try using Datawrapper for creating charts and tables.
• Optimize for SEO: Ensure that all images and videos are optimized for SEO with relevant filenames, alt texts, and descriptions.

Step 4 – Technical SEO and Google Search Console

Basic technical SEO

• Mobile friendliness
  • Importance: With the increasing use of mobile devices, it’s crucial that your website works flawlessly on smartphones and tablets.
  • How to implement: Use responsive web design that automatically adjusts to the screen size. Ensure that buttons and links are easy to navigate on a touch screen, and that the text is readable without needing to zoom in.
  • Testing: Use Sitechecker’s Mobile-Friendly Test to assess the mobile friendliness of your website.
• Page speed
  • Importance: Fast-loading pages enhance user experience and are favored by search engines.
  • How to improve: Optimize images, minimize code (HTML, CSS, JavaScript), use browser caching, and consider a Content Delivery Network (CDN).
  • Analysis tool: PageSpeed Insights provides detailed recommendations for improving your website’s load time.
• Secure web connection (HTTPS)
  • Importance: HTTPS encrypts data between the user’s browser and the website, which is essential for user security.
  • Implementation: Obtain an SSL certificate and implement it on your server. Ensure that all traffic is redirected to the HTTPS version of your website.
  • Benefits: Increases user trust and can have a positive impact on search engine rankings.
• Clean URL structure
  • Importance: Clear, descriptive URLs are easier to understand for both users and search engines.
  • Best practices: Use short URLs that include keywords and describe the page’s content. Avoid long strings of numbers or letters that are meaningless.
  • Example: For a page about smartwatches for children, an optimal URL structure could be www.example.com/smartwatches-for-children.

Use of Google Search Console

• Monitor website performance
  • How to use: Google Search Console provides insights into how well your website is performing in search results. It includes information on which keywords are driving traffic to your site, as well as the site’s average position in search results.
  • Benefits: You can identify which pages are performing best and which keywords to focus more on.
• Identify technical issues
  • Reports: It provides reports detailing indexing issues and offers recommendations on how to resolve them.
  • Troubleshooting: Search Console can help identify and fix technical issues like crawl errors (pages that Googlebot can’t access) and security issues such as hacking or malware.
• Understand search analytics
  • Application: This information can be used to improve existing content, develop new content strategies, and better understand how users are finding your site.
  • Insights: Analyze which keywords are driving traffic to your website and how different pages are performing for these keywords.

Xplora with Maksimer

Maksimer og Xplora have collaborated for many years to improve XPLORA’s digital presence in Norway. By applying the steps above, along with some more advanced techniques, we have achieved excellent results together that have transformed XPLORA’s online presence.

Implementation of SEO strategies

• Keyword analysis and content optimization
  • We began with a thorough keyword analysis to understand how the Norwegian market searches for smartwatches for children. This led to the development of targeted and relevant content that addressed the specific needs and questions of our audience.
• Technical SEO and use of Google Search Console
  • Our approach included optimizing XPLORA’s website for mobile users, improving page speed, and ensuring a secure web connection. With Google Search Console, we monitored and enhanced the site’s performance, identified and resolved technical issues, and adjusted our strategy based on search analysis.
• Advanced SEO strategies
  • In addition to the basic principles, we implemented advanced SEO strategies to strengthen the website’s authority.

Achieved results

By following these methods, we at Maksimer have achieved significant improvements for XPLORA:

• increased visibility on Google by 95%
• ranking for 25% more keywords
• 22% more users from organic searches
• revenue from organic searches is up 64%
• doubled the conversion rate for xplora.no

Conclusion

By following these steps, your e-commerce business can improve its organic visibility and achieve better results in search engines.

For XPLORA, this led to enhanced visibility and user engagement in the Norwegian market.

A well-planned and executed SEO strategy is crucial for the success of any e-commerce business in today’s digital landscape.