Selling Online? Here Are 4 Things You Need to Know About SEO. SEO is the kingmaker in the age of ecommerce. But a sound SEO strategy can do more than help you own keywords.
By Kimberly Zhang Edited by Dan Bova
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These days, startups live and die by the clicks they get. If your website isn't optimized for search, customers won't find you, much less buy from you.
But SEO, much like the internet it runs on, is constantly evolving. Keeping up with all the new rules, strategies and best practices can be a job in itself. If you're not in a position to hire an SEO expert, follow these expert tips to boost your position in the rankings.
1. Realize that SEO is about more than just keywords
While SEO does focus on keywords, traffic and how well your site is ranking, it's concerned with much more than that. SEO is about creating effective customer service funnels, sharing high-quality content and standing out among competitors.
Without a strong SEO strategy, your website will likely be lost in the lower depths of the search results. No matter how local your customer base is, or how high-quality your product, it's irrelevant if you're hidden from view. SEO has become a requirement for modern businesses to thrive, one that can make or break your company.
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To implement a good SEO strategy, start with your site's content. Is it easy to read, and does it answer the questions your audience is asking? Does it hold their attention? If your bounce rate and time on site metrics suggest the answer is "no," create high-quality content that does.
How fast does your site load? Does it contain relevant links and offer customer support? Despite the complexity of SEO algorithms, all of them focus on customer experience. A fast-loading site that answers visitors' questions and provides needed support will encourage them to linger.
Longer sessions and more visitors mean a higher rank in the search results. A higher rank brings in more traffic, which means more potential sales -- and the cycle continues.
2. Experiment relentlessly with SEO
Just as search ranking factors change, so do keyword values and search volumes. Early and ongoing adjustment is key.
Some agencies focus on on-page SEO, such as optimizing conversion-oriented pages for specific keywords. Others do off-site work, such as building backlinks from third-party publications.
Start with what you can control: your site. If not enough people are filling out your contact form, try placing it somewhere else on the page. If your traffic flow isn't going to where you want, relink your pages to make it easier. Revisit old blog posts and link them to new content.
If you're unsure where to begin, don't hesitate to ask your audience. Beyond the metrics you can find in SEMrush or Google Analytics, send out surveys to current customers. You can even have employees test your user experience and take notes.
With algorithms being updated regularly, keeping up with your website will prevent your page rank from being throttled. Not only will this result in higher SEO performance, but you'll enjoy more sales and visibility, too.
3. Invest in rich, helpful content
The more people see your site, the more important strong content becomes. Not only is your brand image at stake, but Google ranks sites by how well they satisfy a visitor's search intent.
When users do a web search, they're looking for someone to solve a problem or fill a need. If your site -- their first impression of your business -- doesn't do that, you risk losing them right away. Google will register the brief time they spent on your site and downgrade your ranking accordingly.
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One way to stop users in their tracks -- in a good way -- is by using video. Pages with video retain visitors an average of 2.6 times longer than those without. When they click an eye-catching video and watch it for a minute or so, that tells Google your page satisfied their search intent. As a result, it will rank you higher in its search results.
Even with excellent videos, though, too much of a good thing can backfire. If you add excessive videos to one page, you might confuse your customer or even slow down your website.
Remember, be kind to your visitors. Make what they're looking for easy to find, and create a good first impression with a great user experience. The SEO will follow.
4. Aim for the sweet spot
Some SEO strategies go after low-hanging fruit. Others play the long game, building enormous amounts of backlinks to own highly competitive terms. The sweet spot is low keyword difficulty, low competition, and high search volume.
Using tools like Google's Keyword Planner can help you find the right keywords and identify overlooked SEO opportunities. Comparing performance every month or quarter can give you valuable insights into what's working and what isn't.
Related: 10 Fundamentals to Understanding SEO
Short-tail keywords like "graphics cards" will have higher volume and more competition. Long-tail keywords like "best gaming computer graphics cards" will have less volume but less competition as well. You're looking for one like "fastest graphics cards," which has less competition than the former but more volume than the latter.
Again, ongoing experimentation is important. For example, there might be a boost in graphics card search volume around the holidays. Similarly, when a manufacturer launches a new card, a "name + graphics card" keyword might skyrocket.
With algorithms being updated regularly, keeping up with your website will prevent your page rank from being throttled. Not only will this result in higher SEO performance, but you'll enjoy more sales and visibility, too.
