Whether you’re a seasoned eCommerce entrepreneur or just starting your digital journey, understanding the benefits of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) can be a game-changer for your online store.
The truth is that far too many eCommerce stores rely on paid advertising or eCommerce email marketing to sell their products. While PPC ads and email marketing are essential ways of attracting customers to your store and generating revenue, SEO offers a range of advantages that make it a necessary addition to your marketing mix.
What Is Search Engine Optimisation For eCommerce?
eCommerce SEO, or eCommerce Search Engine Optimization, is the process of optimising online stores to increase their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). In other words, it’s a way to get your eCom store ranking higher on Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines people use to find products.
The goal of eCommerce SEO is to ensure your products and services are prominently displayed to users searching for relevant keywords. For example, if you sell dog beds, you want your products to display in the SERPs when someone types “dog bed” into Google.
Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on content and general website optimisation, eCommerce SEO hones in on product listings, categories, and other elements specific to online stores. It’s about making your products accessible and attractive to potential customers, driving organic traffic, and ultimately boosting sales.
What Are The Main Benefits Of SEO For eCommerce Stores?
1. Get Free Organic Traffic to Your Website
One of the most compelling benefits of eCommerce SEO is the ability to attract free organic traffic to your website. If your product shows up organically in Google, for example, you don’t have to pay when someone clicks on the link (unlike you do with Google ads).
While other marketing strategies often require ongoing investments, well-optimised content can continue driving visitors to your online store without direct costs per click. So by ranking higher in search results, you’ll enjoy a consistent flow of potential customers without continuously increasing your budget.
2. Elevate Brand Awareness And Visibility
Imagine your online store being the first thing potential customers see when they search for a product or service you offer. eCommerce SEO can make this a reality. Appearing on the first page of search results not only drives traffic but also builds brand recognition and trust.
Let’s say you sell vacuum cleaners, and every time someone searches anything to do with vacuum cleaners – whether it’s for spare parts, to buy a new one, or to repair their existing vacuum – your website shows up. They’ll start to recognise your brand and realise that you’re an expert in the industry, making them more likely to buy from you in the future.
3. Drive Traffic Across All Funnel Stages
SEO doesn’t just mean your eCommerce products will show up higher in the SERPs – it can help you bring in potential customers at every stage of their buying journey. If you have people who are researching products but aren’t ready to buy, you can write helpful blog content that gives them guidance and builds trust.
Using SEO content writing, you can produce articles for everyone – from people who have only just learned about your product’s existence, right up to those who are ready to whip out their credit cards. If your blog content is written by a clever conversion-focused copywriter, you can use it to nurture people across every stage of your marketing funnel and turn them into paying customers.
4. Boost Content Relevance And Value
Effective SEO isn’t limited to product pages alone. Optimising informative content such as guides and how-to articles can provide significant traffic boosts at minimal cost. By understanding what your audience searches for and tailoring content accordingly, you position your store as a valuable resource, enhancing customer engagement and retention.
You can also create helpful free resources that enhance customer enjoyment. For example, if you sell sit stand desks, you could publish guidelines on how to set up an ergonomic workstation. Or if you sold coffee beans, you could publish a list of recipes for different beverages customers can make using your coffee. All of this content will add value to your customers, as well as increase your topical relevance and boost your rankings further up the SERPs.
5. Expand Remarketing Opportunities
SEO lays the groundwork for effective remarketing campaigns for your eCommerce store. Once users land on your site via organic search (or other channels), your paid search team can deploy remarketing cookies.
These cookies enable you to reconnect with users as they continue their online journeys, providing passive exposure to your brand and influencing future purchasing decisions. For example, you can show banner ads to people who have either visited or purchased something from your website before, increasing the chance of a repeat visit – and repeat sale.
6. Unlock The Long Tail Advantage
If you don’t do any SEO, you may still gain some organic visibility for your main keywords without realising – but you won’t be able to identify longtail keywords that provide more opportunities to sell your products. And harnessing the power of long-tail keywords can be a game changer.
While these specific phrases individually drive fewer searches, they collectively constitute a substantial portion of organic traffic. A well-structured eCommerce site, organised hierarchically, can efficiently target these long-tail queries, driving highly relevant traffic and improving conversion rates.
7. Maximise ROI And Long-Term Growth
SEO is an investment in your eCommerce store’s future. Unlike temporary advertising campaigns, SEO keeps delivering value long after initial efforts.
Improved rankings, quality content, and a user-friendly site contribute to sustained growth and performance. The cumulative effects of SEO projects can pay dividends for months or even years after you’ve optimised your website, driving long-term growth for your business.
8. Gain A Competitive Advantage
In an ultra-competitive landscape like eCommerce, standing out is very difficult. Especially when there are so many other online stores that sell similar products.
A robust SEO strategy can give you a significant edge by ranking you higher in search results, helping you to attract more clicks, more visitors, and ultimately, more conversions. The increased visibility and reputation you’ll gain as an authoritative source in your industry will make customers more likely to buy your products than someone else’s.
Summing Up
In the world of eCommerce, adapting to the digital landscape is paramount. Incorporating SEO into your strategy isn’t just a choice; it’s a necessity. From increasing brand visibility to driving consistent traffic and enhancing user experiences, the benefits of eCommerce SEO are undeniable. If you’d like some help with your on-page SEO strategy or need some blog posts written, check out our SEO copywriting services.