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Step by Step Guide To Help You Optimize Your eCommerce SEO Strategy

Bassem Ghali is a 2-time winner of the Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year award and a digital marketing strategist with over 20 years of experience working with companies such as Canadian Tire, Vistaprint, Remax Canada, Alpha Laps, Xplornet, and Toronto Star.


How Does eCommerce SEO Work?

Thanks to the move towards online buying and selling, eCommerce stores are now becoming more popular than they ever were, and entrepreneurs are leveraging this opportunity to take their goods and services beyond boards. However, selling online is not as easy as many people think - it involves work. Not incorporating the right SEO plan into your eCommerce strategies is like opening a shop on a remote road where it'll be difficult for customers to locate. Buyers would hardly locate the store, making it harder for the merchant to make a sale. 

That said, SEO is the key to taking your online store to the face of your customers. eCommerce SEO is changing from what it used to be, and users now have to beat the increased SEO competition by performing strong keyword research, adding relevant keywords around their store, and incorporating the changing SEO rules into their business strategy. 

To help you understand how to refine your eCommerce SEO strategy, we've created this guide with the necessary steps needed to continually adapt to SEO changes while directing buyers to your store

Sure, we will explain the different strategies you can use to meet modern SEO demands, but it is also important to grasp the basics of SEO. 

In e-commerce, SEO generates site traffic by explaining everything about your store to search engines. As explained earlier, eCommerce SEO strategies include adding keywords throughout your store. Search engines typically interpret these Keywords to determine your store's relevance to search results. 

SEO used to be easier, as most owners could easily get their store to the first page of search engine results by simply incorporating Keywords with large search volumes throughout their store. However, things have changed as search engines now penalize the old practice of keyword stuffing. Today, store owners would need to be strategic about the placement of keywords to avoid penalties. However, despite the complexity of modern search algorithms, you can still leverage eCommerce SEO to drive traffic to your eCommerce store if you know what to do. 

To help, we'll review some important steps that you can use to create a solid SEO strategy for your eCommerce store.

1- Brainstorm Keyword Ideas

Whether you are building an eCommerce store or a service website, this is the first place to begin your optimization efforts. 

Brainstorming keywords involve writing out a list of all the Keywords you think buyers of your products usually search for. At this point, you don't need to focus so much on perfection. Think about the things that get people's attention to your business. 

Experts recommends that you channel your efforts into searching for keywords and key phrases that describe your products while showing what makes your business unique. 

Once you get your full list, the next stage would be strengthening the keywords so that they can make your store easier to find. A few strategies that you can use to achieve this include:
  • Testing your keywords on search engines
  • Opting for more long-tail keywords
 
Refining your keyword list would help you have clearer ideas of what buyers would most likely type when searching for your products.

2- Use Tools To Improve 

Writers and journalists do not just publish their articles after brainstorming. They usually need to run fact checks on their ideas before releasing them to the public. The same process applies to eCommerce stores and even optimizing for eCommerce SEO. After brainstorming your keywords, as pointed out above, you'll need to also check the frequency with which customers search your keywords. Fortunately, there are more tools than there ever was to check search volume, competitiveness, and difficulty of finding keywords. You'll want to use keywords with high search volumes, and there's no better way to do this than using available tools to vet your keyword ideas. 

Some of the most popular keyword tools that you can try today include:
  • Google keyword planner for showing the average search volume of keywords by time frame
  • Semrush for accessing competitors' websites to find which keywords draw traffic more.
  • Ahrefs for researching useful backlinks
  • Moz for finding relevant keyword suggestions.


Each of these tools comes with its unique advantages and disadvantages. Just pick one that suits your budget and needs.

3- Incorporate Keywords

You've not done all the work to be staring at the keywords. It's time to incorporate them into different parts of your online store. It's the incorporation of these keywords that search engines can associate your store with the keywords buyers are using to search for your products. 

Frequent and relevant use of your selected keywords can earn your site a higher ranking on search result pages. 

Some of the main parts of your eCommerce store where you should add keywords include: 
  • Title tags
  • Site URL
  • H1 Tag
  • Link text
  • Body content
  • Image tag
  • Meta description tags. 

The inclusion of keywords throughout your eCommerce store makes reaching your potential customers easier. Efficient keyword arrangements can make search engines label your store's information as relevant to customers' search. 

4- Measuring Your Keyword Success

Like in every other work, you'll want to know whether your efforts are successful or not. Thankfully, it's possible and even easy to know whether your eCommerce SEO efforts are yielding desired results. 

Here are useful steps you can use to check the success rate of your keywords. 
  • Set up Google search console
  • Link the search console to your already set Google analytic account. 
  • Go to Queries under Google analytics to check the performance of your keywords. 


The main goal of this step is to determine what part of your eCommerce SEO efforts is doing well and what part needs improvement.

Conclusion

There you have it, a step-by-step guide to help you optimize your eCommerce store using keywords. SEO doesn't have to be as difficult as you thought. We've laid these steps to be as simple as possible, so you can leverage them to rank your store higher, irrespective of your previous SEO knowledge. 

by Bassem Ghali 9 December 2024
Toronto's construction market is fiercely competitive. To stay ahead, you must keep up with the latest digital trends. One of the biggest game-changers recently is Google's AI Overviews. This new feature uses artificial intelligence to give people quick summaries of what they're searching for, which means they might need help to even click on individual results. So, how does this affect your construction business? It means you have to work even harder to stand out in search results. At Green Lotus, we help construction businesses like yours adapt to these changes and ensure you're still getting noticed by potential clients. We focus on making your website and content the best it can be, so even with AI in the mix, you come out on top. Deconstructing AI Overviews: How They Impact Your Construction Business AI Overviews represent Google's attempt to deliver quick and comprehensive answers to user queries directly on the search results page. This means that your online presence needs to be optimized not only for traditional SEO factors but also for these AI-powered summaries. Consider it a competition to become the "featured snippet" for various construction-related searches. If your business consistently provides the most relevant and authoritative information, you'll be well-positioned to capture valuable leads and drive business growth. Check our digital marketing services contractors, construction companies & SEO services home builders Content is King, Context is Queen, and Quality is the Kingdom: In-depth Content: Go beyond basic service descriptions. Toronto residents commonly encounter roofing difficulties, such as leaks and damaged shingles. To acquire confidence and demonstrate your competence, provide high-quality content that addresses these challenges and even more. A guide like "Navigating Your Roofing Options in Toronto" may appeal to your target audience. Alternatively, provide practical advice in an article such as "Top 5 Roofing Problems in Toronto and How to Prevent Them". Focusing on your audience's requirements allows you actually to connect with them. Keyword Optimization: Integrate relevant keywords naturally throughout your content. Use long-tail keywords that show the specific services you offer and the areas you serve. For example, if you provide "custom home building in North York," incorporate this phrase and related variations throughout your website and content. Schema Markup: Schema markup is like a translator between your website and Google's AI. It helps the algorithms understand the context of your content, making it more likely to be included in AI Overviews. Ensure your website uses schema markup to identify your services, location, customer reviews, and other essential information. Elevate Your Google Business Profile: Comprehensive and Accurate Information: Consider your Google Business Profile your digital storefront. It is frequently the first impression a potential consumer receives, so keeping it correct and current is essential. This includes ensuring that your company's name, address, and phone number are accurate. But don't stop there! Include your website, service areas, business hours, and any extra services you offer. A rich and accurate profile enables customers to easily find you and understand what your firm is all about. Visual Storytelling: A picture is worth a thousand words, and high-quality photos and videos can make all the difference in the world of online search. Showcase your completed projects, highlight your team's expertise, and give potential customers a visual tour of your capabilities. Customer Reviews as Social Proof: Encourage satisfied customers to leave detailed and positive reviews on your Google Business Profile. Positive reviews improve your local SEO and enhance your credibility and trustworthiness in AI Overviews. Consider implementing a system for collecting customer feedback and testimonials. Building a Robust Online Presence: Local Citations for Authority: Consider local citations virtual "votes of confidence" for your business. Ensure your business information is consistently listed across relevant online directories and platforms, including industry-specific directories, local business associations, and general online directories. Backlinks as Trust Signals: Boost your website's authority with high-quality backlinks. Think of backlinks as a much-needed vote of confidence from other websites. When reputable sites in the construction industry, such as suppliers, associations, or even local news outlets, link to yours, it signals to Google that your content is valuable. This increases your website's trustworthiness and improves its search ranking. Backlink development is essential for enhancing your website's search engine rankings. These "endorsements" indicate to Google that your content is trustworthy and deserving of promotion in search results. The better your website ranks, the easier it will be for potential clients to locate you. Social Media Engagement: Maintain an active and engaging presence on social media platforms relevant to your business. Share valuable content, engage with your followers, and join industry-related discussions. Social media signals fluctuate but might indirectly affect your SEO and increase your online presence. Harnessing the Power of AI and Automation: AI-Powered Tools for Efficiency: Digital marketing is evolving rapidly, and small businesses must stay ahead. AI-powered tools can help you streamline your efforts and uncover new opportunities. From content creation to social media management, AI offers valuable solutions. You can gain a competitive edge in your market by embracing these technologies. Sales Automation for Lead Nurturing: Use sales automation solutions to improve lead generation and customer relationship management procedures. This can help you generate more leads, build stronger relationships, and convert prospects into paying clients. Real-World Applications for Construction Businesses: Consider a Toronto-based construction company specializing in historic building restoration. By creating in-depth content on topics like "heritage home preservation techniques" or "restoring Victorian architecture in Ontario" and optimizing their Google Business Profile with relevant keywords, images, and customer reviews, they can increase their chances of being featured in AI Overviews for related searches.
Google's AI Overviews
by Bassem Ghali 14 October 2024
Artificial intelligence (AI), local search engine optimization (SEO), and digital marketing aren't just buzzwords anymore; they're how your small business may realize its digital potential. The rules have again altered thanks to Google's recent innovations in generative AI search. This technology doesn't just make it faster to find information; it also changes how you study, plan, and even come up with new ideas, which will help you get more leads and grow your business. What is Generative AI Search? Imagine asking Google a complex question like, "Find the best HVAC technicians in North York with at least ten years of experience and emergency service availability." With generative AI, you won't have to wade through pages of results; instead, you'll get a brief synopsis of the best possibilities with links to their websites that emphasize their salient qualities. This feature is used by Google's new Gemini model, which is designed to search, to give more complete and easy-to-use results. How Can Generative AI Benefit Your Small Business? For small business owners in Toronto, like contractors, plumbers, or cleaning services, generative AI search offers a wealth of opportunities: Enhanced Local SEO Want to show up in those helpful AI summaries? Generative AI helps you understand what your customers are searching for and how to optimize your website accordingly. Check our Local SEO Services! Streamlined Research Do you ever feel like there is too much information for you to handle, especially when it comes to the newest ways to get rid of pests or fix water damage? Getting water from a firehose is impossible! The most important information can be summed up by generative AI to help you quickly understand what you need without being too overloaded. It's kind of like your own CliffNotes for staying up to date in your area. Improved Decision-Making Sometimes we get stuck on a paper while we try to figure out how to sell our business or buy new tools in a way that gets us the most for our money. It can feel like putting together a puzzle that no one has all the pieces for! But what if you had a professional with you to help you sort through the choices and weigh the pros and cons? AI that can make things can do that. To have someone you can trust help you make smart business choices is like having a trusted guide. Boosted Productivity You can focus on other important things while creative AI plans things like team-building events or meal plans.
by Bassem Ghali 10 October 2024
Almost half (46%) of all Google searches are for local information, such as "near me" searches. Homeowners use their smartphones to find solutions for everything from leaky faucets to faulty wiring. For companies offering home services, roofing , electricians , plumbers and contracting like yours, local SEO is crucial to ensure that you are the top choice when urgent needs arise. This guide offers a simplified approach to local SEO, specifically designed for busy contractors or home service providers. We will avoid using complex language and provide practical strategies and real-world examples to help you attract local customers, convert leads, and dominate your service area. The Foundations of Local SEO Success Google My Business (GMB): Complete Your Profile: Include accurate and detailed information about your business. Verify Your Listing: Confirm your business's digital address with Google. Categorize Strategically: Select categories that precisely match your services. Encourage Reviews: Positive reviews build trust and credibility. Engage with GMB Posts: Share updates and offers to keep your profile active. NAP Citations: Ensure Consistency: Maintain identical Name, Address, and Phone number across all online platforms. Prioritize Quality: Focus on reputable directories and avoid spammy listings. On-Page Optimization: Keyword Research: Identify and incorporate relevant keywords into your website content. Optimize Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: Craft compelling descriptions that entice clicks. Create Localized Content: Develop pages targeting specific neighborhoods or areas you serve. Mobile-First Approach: Ensure your website is responsive and user-friendly on all devices. Optimize Website Speed: A fast-loading website improves user experience and search rankings. Link Building: Local Partnerships: Collaborate with complementary businesses for cross-promotion and link exchange. Community Engagement: Sponsor local events or participate in community forums to earn links and build goodwill. Guest Blogging: Share your expertise on relevant industry blogs to gain exposure and backlinks. Reviews and Reputation Management: Monitor Reviews: Actively respond to both positive and negative reviews. Address Concerns: Resolve issues raised in negative reviews to demonstrate customer commitment. Encourage Feedback: Make it easy for satisfied customers to leave positive reviews.
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