Top 10 E-commerce SEO Tips to Boost Your Store’s Traffic

Intro

Getting the much-needed traffic to your website is not the most exciting task. Many companies’ owners often struggle with this part. However, website traffic is important for the success and thriving of any online business. But that can only be true if the traffic you are getting is organic. Unfortunately, it is something you must do to achieve success.

The need for a strong online presence has increased since more people search on the internet before purchasing a product or service. So you will need to up your game. Applying SEO tips is the best way to get more traffic to your website. SEO has been shown to increase click-through rates and thus get profits. Taking the time to work on your site will pay off.

SEO should be the foundation for any marketing strategy regardless of the niche. The target is to appear on the first page of search engines. That will give you better traffic since most people don't go past the first page. A higher ranking means more clicks and traffic. Without further ado, here are the top 10 tips to boost traffic to your site.

1. Target Relevant Keywords

Most people ignore keyword searches even if it is one of the easiest strategies to implement. Those who go in this direction usually only put in a little effort. Using the right keywords makes a huge difference.

Whenever people search on Google there are certain keywords they use. So your goal is to understand what potential queries a customer may use. For each topic, carry out a detailed keyword search.

Keywords have to remain relevant to both the topic and your niche. Find the primary problems a customer has and that may help you understand the right keywords. Adding just the right amount of target keywords and phrases will boost your position on Google.

The best part is that you don't have to struggle. There are several tools, some free, that can help you figure out what keywords would be effective. Examples keyword finders include tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Ubersuggest or Long Tail Pro.

When using a keyword finder all you have to do is enter one Keyword and you will get more suggestions. All posts should have keywords.

2. Create Quality Content

The goal when creating content is not only to get readers to your site but keep them glued. The only way to achieve this is by producing quality and unique content.

Aside from keeping users on your website, quality content also gains you recognition from Google. Sites that offer top-notch information that is relevant to users appear on top of SEO rankings.

So what is quality content? It should be:

• easy to understand
• relevant to readers
• containing detailed information
• easy to share on social media

Another important thing that will elevate your content is the format. It has an impact on how long people stay on your website. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• focus on the introduction (it has to be short, long sentences may be confusing),
• use H2 and H3 headings to break the body into segments,
• add bulleted and numbered lists,
• create unique content that sets you apart from competitors
• write relatable text and add useful reliable data
• use a conversational tone to make copy user-friendly

Applying a personal touch such as experience helps you connect more to readers. Content that uses storytelling is also more engaging and keeps readers coming back to your website. Try to always provide a new perspective or unique content. Only provide content that is accurate.

3. Build on Titles & Meta Descriptions

The titles and meta descriptions of your content can have a huge impact on how much traffic you get. Whenever people search online, it is your meta description that will pop up first. So make sure to optimize this to get a higher ranking.

Meta descriptions that have keywords that people use when searching will appear on top of Google. Remember that the title has to have relevant keywords. It just doesn't have to be something interesting. Keep the description short and avoid using complex terms. It should be something most people can understand.

Optimizing the title means not only adding keywords or phrases but also keeping it less than 60 characters. Anything more than 60 characters will not be as effective. The description should be no more than 160 characters.

The description and title should contain both primary and secondary keywords if they are going to have an impact on search engines. Do not add your company name in the title or meta description.

4. Optimize Visuals

About 6 out of 10 people prefer visuals over written text. Adding images or any form of visual content is something that will bring more people to your website. You can optimize visual content with the following tips:

• Use images that are connected to the topic
• Make sure the size and format of the image are compatible with users' devices
• Use PNG for simple images and JPEG for more colorful ones
• Add logical URLs with appropriate descriptions
• Avoid adding large images as they may reduce browsing speed
• Check loading speed after optimizing images
• Check that each image has a short description
• See if the most important images has been placed at the top of a page
• Test your images on devices to have an idea of what readers see

URLs are an important part of adding visuals. It will help you generate more backlinks through searches. This in turn will push you up search engine rankings. Optimizing images also bring in organic traffic which means more user engagement.

Optimizing your images may take more effort but it is worth it in the long run. Even as you add visuals make sure your website remains friendly for visitors. Descriptions should have target keywords. Keeping the descriptions short will increase the loading speed of images on your website.

Always use quality images that match your topic. You can find free images using these tools:

• Flickr
• Canva
• Pixabay
• Unsplash
• Pexels

5. Add Internal Links

Interlinking between different pages is a great way to increase the value of other pages on your website. Use links to promote content on your website. If the link is relevant, it will lead to more traffic to other pages. Readers will always be willing to check out other pages knowing that you deliver relevant content, moreover 87% of shoppers go through some sort of research before making an online purchase

When linking, it can be from a home page to any other part of your website and vice versa. The direction depends on what your goal is and how a website is built. Do not concentrate solely on successful pages.

By linking to other pages, you give readers something that will keep them on your website for longer. Use successful pages to build trust from visitors.

6. Look at Your Competition

In this modern age having great products or services is not enough. You need to get people to visit your site and potentially push them through a sales funnel. With that said, the competition out there is intense.

So why not pick up a few tricks from your competitors? They are probably doing something that you may not be aware of. This could be the quality of content or how they optimize backlinks. Simply visit your competitors' websites and analyze the structure of content. Don't focus on one competitor. Instead, analyze at least 5. This gives you a broader view of how to improve your website.

Check out the monthly traffic and how many posts companies in your niche publish monthly. You can use Ahrefs to go through the most successful pages. Compare the traffic generated for the top pages. Also, look at the keywords used on the pages with the most traffic. You can also analyze the main source of traffic whether it's organic or through paid ads or social media.

Also, compare the best payment gateways that top businesses in your niche may be using. This helps you to come up with something equally pleasing to customers. The same goes for navigation and web design. While you should look at the competition, it should only be for inspiration. Make sure you add a personal touch that will make you stand out from everyone else. Brand your own way, use a logo maker for better branding identity that has a personal touch.

7. Work on URLs for Google

Short URLs are more effective. Using long URLs will negatively impact your SEO ranking. The URL is what helps search engines to understand what a topic is about. It also shows that a website is user-friendly.

Here are some tips on how to optimize URLs:

• Keep them between 30-60 characters
• Include a primary keyword
• It should be easy to read
• Keep it simple and avoid business jargon

Search engines don't like long URLs. They fail to process these and will push your website down the ranking on search results. When you optimize your URLs it helps google to understand your content. This helps you get a higher ranking.

8. Make Your Website Faster

Users easily walk away from any website that takes time to load. Apart from that, your website will be flagged and thus have a lower ranking if it is too slow. So your goal should be to remove anything that may affect the loading speed. It is one of the most important things about your website.

Things that may reduce how fast your website include using unnecessary plugins and large images. The target should be for your website to load within 1-2 seconds. Anything slower will discourage customers from proceeding.

There are free tools such as Google Pagespeed Insight that you can use to check the loading time of your website. It gives you a score from 0-100 on all devices. If the loading speed is too long, look for possible causes. Once you have removed these, test the speed again. Other things you can do to improve speed include:

• Reduce HTTP requests
• Compress images
• Reduce the number of redirects
• Remove unnecessary plugins

9. Optimize Backlinks

Backlinks from notable websites create trust. So how do you do this? The answer is link building. You need to find the right sites to build links from. Start by analyzing the competition. Check where they backlinks from and start from there.

Backlinks from other websites give your content value. It is a sign that you have valuable content. Having more backlinks makes you stand out. It shows visitors that you are an expert in your field.

Some tools can help you build links. An example is Backlink Gap Tool which helps you compare and find better linking opportunities. You will have a long list of options to choose from. Tracking backlinks helps you get the best reputable sites.

Another easy option is by creating guest posts. It has to be for outstanding websites. The only way it will be successful is if you create unique and relevant content for the hosting website.

If you have expert information, reach out to websites to offer a unique point of view. Directories also help you build on your traffic. It helps you to establish yourself as a credible source of information.

10. Perform a Website Audit

Most companies, once satisfied with their website, rarely go back to make changes or updates. Things are always changing and there is always something to improve. One way you can ensure that your website remains at the top is through a regular website audit.

An audit of your website helps you inspect and make sure that everything is working well. You can go through the navigation to make sure it is friendly for all devices. Also, look at your content and make updates where necessary.

Once you have figured out areas that need improvement it is time to get to work. Things that you can do to improve your website include:

• creating new content
• updating previous successful posts
• reusing old content
• making sure you are using HTTPS
• checking website speed
• testing your website on mobile devices

An Audit can also help you determine the type of traffic your website attracts. If it is not your target audience then it may be time to make changes. Another area to look at is social media. A poor presence on social media can also impact your ranking online. Look at all your social media accounts during an audit.

Carrying out regular audits creates room for improvement. With time you will gain more traffic and profits. Always keep an open mind and keep learning. It will help you create a trustworthy business and get the attention of more customers.

Final Thoughts

The only way to put your business at the top is by working on SEO. The search engine optimization helps you get more recognition and traffic to your website. With more traffic, you have more users to push through your sales channel and make more sales.

Optimizing your content helps you get more readers. Create content that is both unique and engaging to get customers to stay on your website for longer. Adding images increases the value of your posts and makes them more shareable.

Always add relevant keywords. Linking to other sources on your website and from notable companies helps you stand out. Another important thing is to perform a content audit and check the speed of your website. Applying the above measures helps you stand out from your competition.