The Difference Between a Standard
Website and E-commerce SEO Processes
Every website strives to reach the top of search engine results. However, the route to the top differs depending on the type of website. In particular, the optimisation strategies for a standard website and an e-commerce website vary dramatically. The role of an ecommerce SEO specialist is crucial to understanding and leveraging these differences to drive e-commerce success.
In this digital era, SEO is the heart and soul of online visibility. Every site owner yearns for that coveted spot on the first page of search engine results. While both standard and e-commerce websites require a sound SEO strategy, their processes, and goals differ significantly.
A standard website, for instance, primarily focuses on providing information about a company, person, or organisation. It’s the digital counterpart of a business card or a brochure. Its SEO strategy might involve optimising the content and meta tags to reflect the brand identity, mission, and services.
Local SEO plays a significant role here, as many standard websites aim to attract a local or regional audience. Keyword research focuses on two types of keywords: informational and navigational. These keywords target users who are looking for information or trying to find a website.
Conversely, an e-commerce website’s core objective is to sell products or services online. These sites may cater to a global audience, making the competition in search engine rankings fiercer. They require an ecommerce SEO specialist to unravel the intricacies of product optimization and secure a competitive edge.
The keyword strategy for an e-commerce site includes transactional keywords, which signal a user’s intent to make a purchase. These might include terms like “buy,” “order,” “discount,” or specific product names. Additionally, ecommerce SEO specialists focus on long-tail keywords to capture potential customers who are searching for specific, often niche, products.
E-commerce websites have more pages than other websites. These pages include product pages and category pages.
Optimising these pages can make SEO more complex. Moreover, these pages are frequently updated, removed, or added as inventory changes.
An ecommerce SEO specialist must continue to monitor and update the site’s SEO. This includes managing redirects for removed pages to prevent 404 errors. Additionally, they must optimise new pages when they are added.
Ecommerce SEO specialists use special strategies, like schema mark-up, to give search engines more precise details about a product. This includes its cost, availability, and reviews. This enhances the site’s visibility and can improve click-through rates by providing users with more information in search results.
Moreover, user experience is a significant factor in e-commerce SEO. The ecommerce SEO specialist must guarantee website usability. This includes making sure the website is easy to navigate, mobile-friendly, and has a fast and smooth checkout process. Site speed is another important aspect, as slow-loading sites not only harm rankings but can also deter customers.
In conclusion, SEO principles remain consistent across all types of websites. These principles include quality content, link building and on-page optimisation. However, the SEO processes for standard and e-commerce websites have notable distinctions. The latter, with its high-stakes global competition and unique user intents, demands the skills of an ecommerce SEO specialist.
Ecommerce SEO specialists can help ecommerce businesses succeed. They can do this by understanding and making use of the differences between online and traditional retail. This will help the business rank higher, draw in more potential customers, and lead to more sales.
Step-by-Step Guide
SEO Specialist
Step 1: Define Your Needs
Identify the specific SEO requirements of your e-commerce business. Are you starting from scratch, or do you have existing SEO that needs improvement? Your needs could range from on-page SEO, technical SEO, to content marketing. Clearly outlining your needs will make the subsequent selection process smoother.
Step 2: Research Potential Specialists
Begin your search for an ecommerce SEO specialist. Leverage professional networking sites, online SEO forums, and industry blogs. Look for those with experience in e-commerce, as the SEO needs for these sites are different from standard websites.
Step 3: Evaluate Their Expertise
Check their professional portfolio to assess their expertise and results. Have they successfully improved the search rankings of other e-commerce sites? A successful ecommerce SEO expert should be able to demonstrate their accomplishments. This includes an increase in website traffic, keyword rankings, and conversion rates.
Step 4: Testimonials and Reviews
Look for testimonials and reviews from previous clients. These can give you an insight into the specialist’s work ethic, reliability, and the results they have achieved for other businesses. Be cautious about specialists without any reviews or with many negative ones.
Step 5: Schedule Consultation
Contact your top picks for an initial consultation. This meeting allows you to gauge their understanding of your needs and their proposed approach. An ecommerce SEO specialist should provide you with a clear and actionable SEO strategy tailored to your e-commerce business.
Step 6: Discuss Pricing
Clarify the pricing structure. Ecommerce SEO specialists might charge on an hourly basis, per project, or on a monthly retainer basis. Ensure their pricing aligns with your budget without compromising the quality of service.
Follow these steps to increase your chances of finding an ecommerce SEO specialist. This specialist can improve the visibility of your site, attract more customers and boost sales for your e-commerce business.