Do Ecommerce Websites Need SEO? (Spoiler: Yes, Absolutely!)

If you’re running an Ecommerce website, you might think that SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) isn’t a priority in your digital marketing.

After all, people who buy things online want to see photos and videos of the products they’re buying, not read about them.

So you might think that SEO isn’t as important as web design or flashy photoshoots.

But that’s often a big mistake. And here’s why:

If your customers can’t find you online, they can’t buy from you.

It’s that simple.

And the lower you rank in search results, the harder it is for them to find you.

What good, then, is a beautiful and responsive Ecommerce site if your customers can’t even get to it?

SEO is the Way to Organic Search Visibility

When it comes to getting to the top of search results (without using paid ads), SEO has always been the way to go.

The same goes for Ecommerce websites.

If you want to make to rank highly for your product or service keywords and show up on the coveted page one of Google search results, then you need proper SEO for your site.

And by the looks of it, this fact isn’t changing anytime soon.

Google processes over 3.5 billion searches every day (Internet Live Stats), with most people using Google to search for things more than 3 times a day (Moz). That’s a big market.

Clearly, if you want your Ecommerce business to succeed and be visible online, then you need to optimise it for Google search.

Why is Ranking High on Search Results So Important?

It all comes down to one word: visibility.

If your Ecommerce website isn’t visible at the top of search results for your product or service keywords, then chances are your customers will never find your site.

But don’t just take our word for it.

These industry stats should be enough to convince you:

• 75% of users don’t scroll past the first page of search results.(Hubspot) When was the last time you scrolled past the first page after a search? (We also can’t remember!) If you’re in a highly competitive market, being on page one or page two can make all the difference between an awesome year or sales and getting left behind in the dust.

• 85% of consumers conduct online research before making a purchase online.(Salesforce) Today’s consumers are savvier than ever, and they almost always do their research online before making a purchase. Ranking highly on search results will help draw more potential customers to your site, even if they’re not ready to buy yet.

• 46% of product searches start on Google.(Moz) Although Amazon has recently overtaken Google as the top Ecommerce search engine, the fact is that almost half of online buyers out there still start their search with Google.

If there’s one thing to take away from these mind-blowing stats, it’s that ranking highly on Google search results will give your Ecommerce business the best chance to succeed.

And good SEO is the way to do that

Other Reasons Why SEO is Good for Ecommerce Websites

The great news is that investing in SEO provides more benefits than just better visibility in search results.

Here are the other benefits of SEO for Ecommerce websites:

• Increase brand awareness. A proper SEO campaign involves creating quality content onsite and offsite that will help increase your brand awareness and build your reputation among potential customers.

• Boost site traffic. Good SEO will boost traffic to your site, which can help increase your sales and convert more visitors into customers.

• Improved user experience. Conversion rate is an important ranking factor in Google search, so a good SEO campaign should have this covered. Improving your site’s user experience can increase your site’s conversion rate and get more people to click ‘buy’.

• Enjoy long-term benefits. Unlike pay-per-click and social media, SEO is a long game. Its benefits last longer and build up over time. This is why it’s often considered an investment rather than an expense. When you invest in good SEO, you can be confident you’re setting up your Ecommerce site for the long haul.

How to Get Started with SEO for Your Ecommerce Website

Getting started with SEO these days is far easier than it was years ago.

There are tons of information online and dozens (if not hundreds) of experts out there. But with so much information and tools to choose from, it’s also easier than ever to fall down a rabbit hole and get lost.

To help you get started on the right foot, here’s what we recommend you do:

1. Learn the fundamental SEO principles.

SEO has been around a long time, and it has changed a lot since it first started. Before starting your SEO journey, you need to know its fundamental principles and concepts. Here are some comprehensive guides we think will help:

• A Complete Guide to SEO: What You Need to Know in 2020 (Search Engine Journal)
• DIY SEO: A Basic 4‑Step Guide That Anyone Can Follow (Ahrefs)
• The Beginner’s Guide to SEO (Moz)

2. Get the right tools.

SEO can be very technical, and it requires a lot of tools to get the right data, stats, and information to plan your campaign. And although SEO specialists works differently and use different tools, there are many tools that have become standards in the industry.

Some of these include:

• Google Analytics
• Google Search Console
• Google Keywords Planner
• Ahrefs
• SEMRush
• Moz Pro
• Screaming Frog
• BuzzStream

Many SEO specialists use a mix of tools like these to make decisions and plan their campaigns accordingly. So make sure to find out what works best for your needs and budget.

3. Test, measure, and improve.

Although there are some techniques in SEO that have proven effective over time, there’s still a lot of trial and error in SEO.

No one outside of Google’s search team knows Google’s search algorithm exactly. Also, what works well in one industry may not be as effective for another.

So it’s important to experiment and keep a close eye on the results you’re getting. Always measure what you’re doing and make changes accordingly. Remember that SEO is a long game, and you often won’t see results immediately. But if you keep at it and do the right things, you can build momentum and keep heading in the right direction.

Work with Experts to Get the Best Results

Don’t have the time or the energy to improve your Ecommerce site’s SEO?

Your best bet is to work with SEO and digital marketing experts.

Working with qualified and proven SEO specialists will help you get better results faster and more cost effectively. Because if you don’t know what you’re doing (or if you work with people who don’t), then you’ll likely waste a lot of money and time trying to get things right. By working with qualified SEO specialists, you can achieve positive results sooner and get your Ecommerce site to the next level faster.