While we all know that maintaining a WordPress eCommerce website is easy, did you know that you could improve the SEO of your WordPress online store dramatically by making some minor adjustments to your website? The best thing is that you don’t need the help of your WordPress developer or SEO expert to do this job.
In this blog, we are going to talk about five such minor but effective tweaks:
#1 Image optimization
Because an eCommerce website may contain hundreds or even thousands of product images, it’s always a good idea to optimize those images for search engines.
When you use WordPress for eCommerce website development, you can always define keywords-oriented image names and their alt texts while uploading your product images through a media uploader.
#2 Speed optimization
It’s no longer a new thing for webmasters to learn that search engines like Google consider website loading speed when deciding their rankings on the search results pages. It is not only search engines but optimized webpage loading speed that is good for user experience.
Thankfully, suppose your eCommerce website has been developed using WordPress CMS. In that case, you can use several plugins like W3 Total Cache, which will help you optimize your product pages for speed, mainly when you use large-size images. This plugin offers several other great features to improve your website’s SEO. Please click here to view the list of all those features.
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#3 XML Sitemaps
An XML sitemap is an integral part of SEO for any eCommerce website because it helps search engine bots crawl all essential website pages quickly and effectively.
Since an eCommerce website may have hundreds of product pages, manually generating XML sitemaps could be difficult.
Some plugins, like Google XML Sitemaps, can generate sitemaps automatically for your WordPress eCommerce websites.
#4 Permalinks
The default WordPress permalink is not SEO-friendly. If you do not change that default setting, you are blogging with an unfriendly permalink structure.
Therefore, a permalink is the first thing you should change when you set up your eCommerce website using WordPress CMS.
You can find various permalink settings under WordPress dashboard > Settings > Permalink. A few suggested permalink structures are:
Onlinestore.com/Category/Post-name
Onlinestore.com/Postname (/%postname%/)
#5 Title & Description
The title and meta description for every product page are crucial for SEO because search engines look for keywords in these tags and display them on search results pages.
Optimizing titles and descriptions on all the web pages for targeted keywords can be challenging, but with WordPress, it’s child’s play.
By using a plugin like WordPress Yoast SEO, you can ensure that you are using the correct keywords while typing titles and descriptions. This plugin allows you to type in the focus keyword and then guides you through whether you are using optimized titles and descriptions.
In addition, WordPress Yoast SEO helps you optimize the content and URLs of your product pages for search engine optimization.
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Other functional SEO tasks for eCommerce SEO
Leveraging Schema Markup for eCommerce
Schema markup is a potent tool that can boost your products’ visibility in search engine results and enrich your listings.
By implementing structured data using schema markup, you provide search engines with valuable information about your products, such as prices, availability, ratings, and more. This enhances your chances of appearing in rich snippets and knowledge graphs, making your listings more appealing to users and potentially increasing click-through rates.
Utilizing schema markup improves your eCommerce SEO and offers a competitive edge in the crowded digital marketplace.
Consult a Singapore website developer to know more about integrating schema markup for your eCommerce store.
Mobile Optimization for eCommerce SEO
Mobile optimization has transitioned from optional to essential in the realm of eCommerce. As more users engage in mobile shopping, search engines prioritize mobile-friendly websites when determining rankings.
Responsive design, fast loading times, and intuitive navigation are essential for delivering an exceptional mobile experience.
Mobile optimization improves user satisfaction and positively influences search engine rankings, ensuring that your eCommerce site remains competitive and accessible to a wider audience.
Effective Keyword Research for eCommerce
Keyword research is the cornerstone of successful eCommerce SEO. Identifying the right keywords to target involves understanding search intent, competition, and relevance to your products.
Long-tail keywords and product-specific terms can connect you with potential customers actively looking for what you offer.
Tools like Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush can help you uncover valuable keywords and refine your content and product descriptions for optimal search visibility.
Content Marketing Strategies for eCommerce SEO
Content marketing is a powerful strategy to engage users, build brand authority, and enhance your eCommerce SEO.
Creating informative blog posts, product guides, and how-to articles provides value to your audience and generates opportunities for relevant keywords and internal linking.
High-quality content attracts organic traffic, encourages backlinks, and establishes your eCommerce brand as an industry leader, contributing to improved search engine rankings.
eCommerce SEO Analytics and Tracking
Effective eCommerce SEO relies on data-driven insights. Implementing analytics and tracking tools allows you to monitor the performance of your SEO efforts.
You can measure critical metrics such as organic traffic, bounce rates, conversion rates, and keyword rankings.
These insights enable you to assess the effectiveness of your strategies, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions to continually optimize your eCommerce website.