Imagine, if you will, that someone opens up a new store in a busy shopping center. It\u2019s a prime location, and they know they sell stuff that everyone\u2019s going to love. In fact, they\u2019re so confident in their store\u2019s success that they don\u2019t even advertise it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s no sign out front, the windows are tinted, and they make no effort at outreach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sounds pretty ridiculous, right? Yet you\u2019re pretty much doing the digital equivalent if you have an eCommerce storefront for which you haven\u2019t bothered to do search engine optimization. SEO is critical to success in digital retail – there\u2019s no getting around its importance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The good news is that it\u2019s not actually all that difficult to learn it, and learn how to use it to your advantage. Here are a few quick things you can do right now to give yourself a leg up. It\u2019s not everything, but it\u2019s enough for a solid foundation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, think about what people are looking for. What search queries bring them to your storefront? Use a tool like Google AdWords in conjunction with Google Search Console to examine words and phrases related to your products, as well as the most common phrases that bring people to your front door.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, incorporate those keywords into your product names and descriptions. Rather than keyword stuffing, think of how you would describe each product you sell. What makes that product unique, and how can you distinguish it from the competition?
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, instead of simply listing a product as \u2018black sweater,\u2019 you could create a listing like \u2018black men\u2019s polyester hoodie.\u2019
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just remember one thing while you\u2019re doing this. Value is more important than keywords. Your listings need to be well-written and accurate with high-quality photos – see to that first, add keywords later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chances are pretty high that if you\u2019re a small business, your primary audience is located in a particular region. Take advantage of that. Set up a Google My Business page with complete and accurate information about your business\u2019s name, location, and contact details, and make sure that information is present in some form on every page of your store.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You might even take things a bit further and serve different landing pages to people from different regions – or else offer a store locator if you\u2019ve any physical locations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google has made no secret of the fact that a website\u2019s mobile readiness is a ranking factor. Never mind the fact that the vast majority of people who shop online tend to do so on smartphones or tablets. What that means for you should be pretty obvious.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n