BigCommerce SEO

Intro

BigCommerce is a powerful platform for building online stores, offering extensive features and flexibility. But even with a top-tier platform, your store won’t succeed if potential customers can’t find it. That’s where search engine optimization (SEO) comes into play. By optimizing your BigCommerce store for search engines, you can attract more organic traffic and drive higher sales.

Incorporating SEO tools like Ranktracker allows you to supercharge your efforts with in-depth keyword research, rank tracking, and performance monitoring. This article will guide you through essential BigCommerce SEO strategies and show how Ranktracker can help you stay ahead of the competition.

Why SEO is Crucial for BigCommerce Stores

SEO ensures your BigCommerce store ranks well in search engine results, making it easier for customers to discover your products. While BigCommerce provides various built-in SEO features, using advanced tools like Ranktracker enables you to optimize more effectively, measure success, and adjust strategies based on data.

Key BigCommerce SEO Strategies (and How Ranktracker Can Help)

1. Optimize Product Pages

Product pages are the cornerstone of your BigCommerce store. To improve your rankings, these pages must be optimized with relevant keywords and designed to deliver a great user experience.

Product page optimization tips:

• Product Titles: Use clear, descriptive titles that include target keywords. With Ranktracker’s Keyword Finder, you can identify the most effective keywords for your products. For example, instead of a generic title like “Blue Sneakers,” opt for something like “Men’s Blue Leather Sneakers – Comfortable & Stylish.”

• Product Descriptions: Write unique, keyword-rich descriptions that highlight the product’s features and benefits. Ranktracker helps you discover secondary keywords that can be naturally included to boost your visibility without overstuffing.

• Image Alt Text: Add descriptive alt text to every product image. Use Ranktracker to find relevant keywords to include in your alt text, improving your chances of appearing in Google Image search results.

2. Perform Keyword Research with Ranktracker

Keyword research is critical for driving relevant traffic to your BigCommerce store. Ranktracker can help you identify high-traffic, low-competition keywords that align with your product offerings.

How Ranktracker enhances keyword research:

• Discover Valuable Keywords: Use Ranktracker’s Keyword Finder to uncover high-value keywords that your target audience is searching for. For instance, if you sell eco-friendly clothing, you can find keywords like “sustainable fashion for women” that resonate with your customers.

• Monitor Keyword Performance: After optimizing your product pages with targeted keywords, use Ranktracker’s Rank Tracking feature to monitor your rankings and adjust your strategy as needed based on real-time data.

3. Create SEO-Friendly URLs

Search engines and users both prefer clean, descriptive URLs. BigCommerce allows you to customize your URLs, and using Ranktracker’s keyword insights ensures they are optimized for maximum SEO value.

Tips for optimizing URLs:

• Keep URLs Short and Descriptive: Instead of “yourstore.com/product12345,” customize your URL to “yourstore.com/blue-leather-sneakers.” Ranktracker can help you identify the best keywords to include in your URLs for optimal SEO performance.

• Use Keywords Naturally: Incorporate primary keywords in your URLs without overstuffing. Ranktracker’s Keyword Finder ensures you’re selecting the right keywords to boost visibility.

4. Improve Site Speed

Site speed plays a crucial role in both SEO and user experience. A slow site can increase bounce rates and hurt your rankings, so optimizing speed should be a priority.

How Ranktracker supports site speed optimization:

• Monitor Speed’s Impact on SEO: While Ranktracker doesn’t directly improve speed, it helps you track how changes in site speed affect your rankings. For instance, if you compress images or minimize code, use Ranktracker’s Rank Tracking tool to see if these improvements result in better rankings and more traffic.

5. Leverage BigCommerce’s Built-In SEO Features

BigCommerce provides a range of built-in SEO features, from customizable meta tags to auto-generated sitemaps. By combining these tools with Ranktracker’s insights, you can fine-tune your optimization efforts for even better results.

How to maximize BigCommerce’s SEO features with Ranktracker:

• Meta Titles and Descriptions: Ensure every product and category page has a unique meta title and description. With Ranktracker’s SERP Checker, you can analyze how your meta tags compare to competitors and refine them for better results.

• Auto-Generated Sitemaps: BigCommerce generates sitemaps that help search engines crawl and index your site. Use Ranktracker’s Site Audit tool to check for crawl errors or broken links that may impact your SEO.

6. Create High-Quality Content

Content marketing is one of the best ways to target a broader range of keywords and attract more traffic to your BigCommerce store. Blog posts, guides, and FAQs are excellent ways to capture organic traffic.

How Ranktracker enhances your content strategy:

• Find Content Opportunities: Use Ranktracker to identify long-tail keywords that your competitors may not be targeting. Creating content around these keywords—such as “how to style eco-friendly clothing”—can drive more traffic to your store.

• Track Content Performance: After publishing content, use Ranktracker’s Rank Tracking tool to monitor how well it ranks for your target keywords and make adjustments if needed.

7. Build High-Quality Backlinks

Backlinks from reputable sites are one of the most important signals that search engines use to determine a site’s authority. Ranktracker can help you identify backlink opportunities and monitor your backlink profile.

How Ranktracker helps with backlinks:

• Analyze Competitor Backlinks: Use Ranktracker’s Backlink Checker to see where your competitors are earning backlinks. This can help you discover opportunities for your own outreach, such as guest blogging or partnerships.

• Monitor Your Backlink Profile: With Ranktracker, you can keep track of the quality and quantity of backlinks to your store, ensuring you’re building a strong link profile that positively impacts your SEO.

8. Optimize for Mobile

With the majority of online shoppers browsing on mobile devices, mobile optimization is crucial for your BigCommerce store’s SEO performance. Google also uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it primarily evaluates the mobile version of your site when determining rankings.

Mobile optimization strategies:

• Responsive Design: Ensure your BigCommerce store is mobile-friendly, with a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes. Ranktracker’s Site Audit tool can help identify mobile-specific issues that could hurt your rankings.

• Monitor Mobile Rankings: Use Ranktracker to track how your mobile site is performing in search results and identify areas for improvement.

9. Track and Monitor SEO Performance with Ranktracker

SEO is a long-term game, and continuous monitoring is crucial to understanding what’s working and what needs to be adjusted. Ranktracker’s comprehensive suite of tools helps you keep track of your SEO performance, allowing you to make data-driven decisions.

Key metrics to track with Ranktracker:

• Keyword Rankings: Track how your targeted keywords are performing with Ranktracker’s Rank Tracking tool. This allows you to see which strategies are driving results and which areas need improvement.

• Backlink Profile: Use Ranktracker to monitor your backlinks and ensure your store is receiving high-quality links that boost your authority.

• Competitor Analysis: Stay ahead of the competition by using Ranktracker’s Competitor Analysis feature to see how your competitors are ranking for shared keywords and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Final Thoughts

Optimizing your BigCommerce store for SEO is essential for driving organic traffic and boosting sales. By leveraging BigCommerce’s built-in tools and combining them with Ranktracker’s advanced SEO features, you can create a comprehensive strategy that delivers long-term results. From keyword research and content creation to tracking performance and monitoring backlinks, Ranktracker ensures your SEO efforts are always on the right track.

Start using Ranktracker today to enhance your BigCommerce store’s SEO and watch your rankings and traffic soar.