When we talk about SEO, we refer to all those actions that we take so that our website have more visits organically. These strategies are similar, but vary somewhat depending on the purpose of our website. A blog where you sell content is not the same, at a online store or E-commerce business, so it is important that you know the actions to take to apply SEO in your online store or e-commerce business. If your case is the last option, this article interests you.
If you are a business owner, whatever its turn, it is convenient that you start thinking about the advantages of also entering electronic commerce. It is not necessarily about replacing all your sales strategies with e-commerce, but about apply those strategies that allow you to add a competitive advantage to your businessas well as a new source of income. These new tactics differ from traditional marketing, and We commonly know them as SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or, translated into Spanish, Search Optimization.
But getting started is not an easy task, much less if we are few or not at all familiar with the current e-commerce techniques. If you are convinced that applying SEO strategies for your online business will bring you great profits, But you don't know where to start, don't feel bad, since many people around the world are going through the same thing as you. Luckily, here you can find a small manual to start this new project and grow your business without failing in the attempt. We put together the advice and instructions of the best experts on the subject, so that you can find the simplest and most effective way to achieve it.
How do I start applying SEO in my business?
SEO refers to all those actions that we carry out to ensure that our potential clients can easily find our store through web search engines such as Google or Bing. In this way, many more people will have access to our website and will be able to make simple and fast purchases, without the need for you to invest a large amount of money in advertising.
Here are two strategies you can follow to improve SEO on your website that is specifically designed for online sales or ecommerce.
Strategy 1: Internal SEO Audit
To know where you want to go you first have to know where you are. Ask yourself which aspects of your company's website that you could improve to make it much more customer-friendly. Carry out an internal SEO audit yourself, with which you can make sure that the SEO elements that we describe below are in order
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Do I have all the basic and quality services that an online store needs?
We are mainly talking about secure payment gateways and SSL security protocols. Google gives priority to those pages that offer its customers all the security system necessary to make a successful online purchase. In the same way, your bandwidth and your download speed must be acceptable, and the better they are, the higher you will appear in the results. It is essential that you have these aspects so that your page always appears in the first results
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How do my customers find me online?
Check where most of your visitors come from. They can be by links to social networks or by clicks in search engines. Even directly typing your URL. The purpose of good SEO is that many clients come through search engines. This is how organically, and without having to pay for any type of direct advertising, customers interested in your products will find you quickly.
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What are keywords and how to include them?
Keywords are those that your customers will type in search engines hoping to find a store that offers the products and services they are looking for. The important thing is to include them organically. Do not try to repeat this or that word too much, since Google may consider you a SPAM page. The trick is to include them in the most natural way possible, making sentences coherent and clear. You can also include keywords in your images or other multimedia files, you just have to learn to manage the metadata of your page.
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How easy and fast do my clients find me?
The first thing is to open the search engine of your choice and search for keywords that link to your page. It is recommended that you also include location, to filter searches to those that are in your area. You will see how periodically you go up in place in the search results. The truth is, you can't wait to show up in the first place overnight, but you can get better little by little.
Ask someone you trust to try find your page through a search engine, so that later he tells you his experience. This helps to see things in an objective way, finding key points for improvement. You can also ask him to go directly to your page and navigate through all the menus and sections. You may be surprised to find broken links or menus that do not work, which you had not noticed.
Strategy 2: Internal redesign of your website
- How you decide to receive payments is very important. We recommend that you research the different ways of receiving payments online and their advantages and disadvantages. Generally, those that offer the most security for you and your client are the most expensive, but they are worth it if you are looking to continue selling online, and they will give you a considerable competitive advantage.
- The design of your website is extremely important. It is not that it is extravagant, on the contrary. For online stores, the friendlier and easier to use, the better ranked they will be by search engines. Use drop-down menus and friendly colors, check that your links are working and check that there is a correct balance between quality and weight of the images you use.
- Make use of the tools you already have to reach more people through the internet. If you have a database of your customers, do not hesitate to sporadically send advertising, and tell them about your new online store to customers who come to your physical establishment. For it to work as an SEO strategy, you will have to include links to your website, either to the main one or to a section of special promotions.
- Also use all kinds of social networks and link them to your official websiteThis way you will reach more people and your online store will have a wider presence in the online market.
Other strategies that go hand in hand with SEO
If you consider that it is not yet time to present yourself as an online store, there are still other ways to be present in the cloud using SEO tools. You can start by managing social media accounts for your store, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and linking them with your own website that includes basic information about the company, such as location, hours, and even a small catalog. It will not only serve as a communication channel with your customers where you can announce promotions, discounts, offers or new products.
As well You can use them as an advertising tool to reach many more potential customers. In addition, it will bring you multiple benefits if you get your customers to click on your links from your social networks. Without a doubt it is a good step to take, and you will see that little by little and through more you feel familiar with the environment of online sales, you will be able to decide if you begin to have a stock available to manage online sales.
Advantages of including SEO strategies in your business
It is true that it requires a certain amount of work to incorporate SEO strategies into your online business., but the advantages that come with this are substantial and very profitable, some of them are.
- By appearing in the search results, you will be able to reach a much broader market, since you will go from covering the offer only within a local market, towards a national or even international one. Remember that being online, practically anyone in the world who has access to the internet can know your products, so your coverage can be expanded to where you want it.
- There are many aspects of managing SEO strategies that can save you money.. On the one hand, it is much more to invest in a professional SEO consultant who gives your page everything it needs so that Google or Bing considers it one of the best options, than to pay monthly for advertising.
- The time you invest in SEO strategies will pay off in the short and long term., since as long as you continue to meet Google's quality standards, your page will appear in the first results