E-commerce SEO Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Introduction

It’s almost no secret that in today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is essential for the success of any e-commerce business. It’s also no secret to any digital marketing agency, contemporary business person or entrepreneur, that one of the keys to establishing that online presence is search engine optimisation (SEO).

While these things may be clear, e-commerce SEO can be extremely complex, as it is certainly an ever-evolving field. So many businesses make critical mistakes that hinder their visibility in search engine rankings. In this blog post, we will explore some common e-commerce SEO mistakes while also providing actionable tips on how to fix them.

Ignoring Keyword Research

Keywords are the foundation of any successful SEO digital marketing strategy. Failing to conduct proper keyword research is a significant mistake made by many e-commerce businesses. By understanding what keywords your target audience is using to search for products or services, you can optimise your website and product pages accordingly.

Fix: To address the mistake of ignoring the importance and significance of thorough keyword research, start by identifying relevant keywords using tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Moz Keyword Explorer amongst many other options. Also, focus on long-tail keywords that are specific to your products or services.

Incorporate these keywords naturally into your product descriptions, meta titles, headings and image alt tags to improve your website’s visibility in search engine results. Following these suggestions will help your brand steer clear of issues which could arise by ignoring the importance and power of ongoing keyword research and also help keep your e-commerce website ranking competitively.

Poorly Optimised Product Descriptions

The next common mistake that we want to highlight is the mistake of having poorly optimised or duplicate product descriptions. E-commerce websites often rely on manufacturer-provided descriptions, resulting in duplicate content across multiple platforms.

While the strategy seems efficient, this is proven to not only hurt your search engine rankings but this scenario also fails the brand in that the descriptions do not provide unique and valuable information to potential customers. Genuine and unique content is accounted for in the more contemporary SEO ranking standards.

Fix: In order to stay clear of this problem in e-commerce SEO tactics, we suggest your brand create unique and engaging product descriptions that highlight the key features, benefits, and unique selling points of each product listed.

Also, optimise these descriptions with relevant keywords while ensuring they read naturally. And in addition to that, include user-generated content such as reviews and ratings, as they can enhance the credibility and uniqueness of your product pages.

Neglecting Mobile Optimisation

The next e-commerce SEO mistake we want to highlight exclusively deals with the mobile-based internet. With the increasing use of smartphones and tablets for online shopping, mobile optimisation is no longer an option but a necessity.

It would be a grave mistake for your brand to ignore mobile optimisation. Neglecting mobile optimisation could lead to issues such as poor user experience, high bounce rates, and lower search engine rankings.

Fix: We recommend your brand be intentional to not fall into the poor practice of neglecting mobile optimisation. We recommend adopting a responsive design approach that ensures your e-commerce website is mobile-friendly and adapts to different screen sizes.

Optimise page load times by compressing images, minifying CSS and JavaScript files, and utilising caching techniques. We also recommend conducting regular testing on various mobile devices in order to help ensure a smooth and seamless user experience. These issues should be addressed by your brand’s e-commerce development company.

Lack of Internal Linking

Internal linking is an essential aspect of SEO that is often overlooked in e-commerce websites. The fact is, proper internal linking can help search engines understand the structure of your website, improve navigation for users, and distribute link equity across your pages.

Fix: Identify key pages on your website that you want to rank higher in search engine results. This is where a partner company to help your brand achieve digital marketing excellence can help tremendously.

Upon identifying pages that you want to rank higher, on these pages include relevant and contextual links to other related product pages or supporting content. This practice helps search engines discover and index your pages more effectively, leading to improved rankings. As another good practice, ensure that anchor text for internal links is descriptive and relevant to the target page.

Inadequate Image Optimisation

By now, it is no secret that images play a vital role in the visual appeal of e-commerce websites. While this is true, it is also important to understand that images can also impact SEO.

Unfortunately, many e-commerce businesses neglect image optimisation. This poor practice most often leads to slow page load times and missed opportunities to rank in image search results. Inadequate image optimisation is totally avoidable.

Fix: In order to address this issue of inadequate image optimisation we suggest taking the following steps. We recommend you compress your images without sacrificing quality to reduce their file size.

We also recommend you use descriptive file names and alt tags that include relevant keywords to provide search engines with context. Lastly, at The Permalinks, we recommend your brand utilise structured data markup, like schema.org for instance, to enhance the visibility of your product images in search engine results.

Poor URL Structure

Having a poor URL structure is another avoidable pitfall that can hinder your e-commerce website’s maximum SEO potential. URLs that are excessively long, dynamic, or lack descriptive keywords can confuse search engines and users alike. This is never a good thing.

Fix: We recommend taking these steps to not fall into the dilemma of having a poorly structured URL. For one, opt for short, concise, and descriptive URLs that include relevant keywords.

We also recommend you use hyphens to separate words and ensure that your URLs accurately reflect the content of the page. Avoid using unnecessary parameters or session IDs that can make URLs appear dynamic.

Neglecting User Experience

User experience (UX) is yet another crucial factor in both SEO and overall customer satisfaction. Ignoring UX can lead to higher bounce rates, lower conversion rates, and ultimately poor search engine rankings.

Fix: In order to prioritise UX, we recommend the following. Start by improving your brand’s site navigation by implementing clear and intuitive menus, breadcrumbs, and internal search functionality.

As another step towards prioritising user experience, we recommend optimising page load times. You can do this by minimising server response time, leveraging browser caching, and optimising code.

Finally, we recommend you enhance readability and user engagement. You can do so by using readable fonts, appropriate font sizes, and proper formatting. Also, ensure your website is accessible and mobile-friendly, with easy-to-use forms and a streamlined checkout process.

Overlooking Local SEO

For e-commerce businesses with physical stores or local target markets, overlooking local SEO can be a costly mistake. Local SEO can dramatically help your brand by driving targeted traffic to your website from specific geographical locations.

Fix: We recommend paying attention to local SEO and creating a strategy to implement it into your overall brand marketing plan. You can accomplish this by optimising your website for local searches by including location-specific keywords in your content, meta tags, and URLs.

Your brand can also create and optimise a Google My Business listing, ensuring accurate and consistent business information, including address, phone number, and opening hours.

We also recommend that you encourage customers to leave reviews and respond to them promptly. Consider local link-building strategies, such as getting listed in local directories or partnering with local influencers.

Wrap-up and Summary

Implementing effective SEO strategies is crucial for e-commerce businesses looking to thrive in the digital landscape. By avoiding common SEO mistakes and implementing the fixes mentioned above, you can improve your e-commerce website’s visibility in search engine rankings, attract more organic traffic, and increase conversions.

Remember to regularly monitor your SEO performance, stay updated with industry trends, and adapt your strategies accordingly. With a strong SEO foundation, your e-commerce business can gain a competitive edge and achieve long-term success.