eCommerce SEO: Effective On-Page Optimization Tactics To Apply Right Now

On-page SEO lets you optimize your pages for relevant keywords and, in this way, increase your rankings and organic traffic. Most importantly, it helps your eCommerce site convert this traffic into leads and sales. Apart from optimizing your site for Google, on-page SEO will also maximize user experiences.

Here are a few effective on-page optimization tactics to use right now.

#1 Optimize URLs

Let’s take the example of this URL from Nike:

https://www.nike.com/t/air-max-270-react-womens-shoe-6KXPPH/AT6174-700

So, what’s wrong with it?

It’s annoyingly long, difficult to read, and messy. That’s something every eCommerce site owner should avoid. URLs are an immensely important part of your SEO strategy. They tell customers what your page is about and build trust with them.

Say you’re selling makeup and skincare products online. Your URL structure should look something like:

yourdomain.com/skincare (a category page) >

yourdomain.com/skincare/moisturizers (a subcategory page) >

yourdomain.com/skincare/moisturizers/night-cream (a sub-subcategory page) >

Advertisement

yourdomain.com/skincare/moisturizers/night-cream/garnier-yoghurt (a product page)

So, what should you do to make URLs both SEO- and user-friendly?

• Make them short, clear, and easily readable. They should be shorter than 2,083 characters.
• Make sure that the hierarchy between your pages and categories is clear.
• Optimizing URLs for your primary keywords is preferable, but never add them aggressively just for the sakes of SEO.
• Separate words with hyphens. Avoid any other characters, like underscores, numbers, or spaces.

#2 Write Powerful Product & Category Page Descriptions

It’s your visitors who buy your products, not search engines. That’s why you need to create unique category and product pages and optimize them to maximize user engagement and conversions.

For starters, include detailed and informative descriptions to any category or product page. Writing detailed descriptions for your category and product pages can boost your SEO in multiple ways. First, it’s an opportunity to include your keyword organically, without compromising user experiences. Second, it tells Google what your page is about. Finally, it informs users about your products and convinces them to purchase.

To stand out and convert, your product/category page descriptions need to be highly persuasive, creative and optimized. And, by that, I mean:

• Inserting your primary keyword into the description.
• Using conversational keywords, long-tail keywords, LSI phrases, and synonyms.
• Keeping user experiences in mind. Your descriptions should always be informative, easy-to-read, and well-written.
• Keeping your product/category page descriptions concise and simple.

#3 Create Magnetic Meta Descriptions & Title Tags

Your title tags and meta descriptions are the first things people will see when browsing the web. Precisely because of that, they need to grab searchers’ attention, engage them, inform them, and entice them to click on your link.

Now, the problem with eCommerce sites is that they have hundreds, if not thousands, of product and category pages. Therefore, writing unique meta tags may be too time-consuming and complicated. That’s why most of them rely on templates.

However, this approach won’t help you reap the potential of your meta descriptions and title tags. Take time to write unique tags for the most significant pages on your site. Those are the pages that already rank high in the SERPs for one keyword or more.

Next, use the templated optimization for the rest. But don’t use the same template over and over again. You should write authentic templates for each category, brand, and sub-category. As this is a time-consuming and complex process, you may want to outsource it to SEO professionals. Always choose to work with a white label SEO company that prioritizes quality content and user experiences over keywords.

#4 Optimize Title Tags

A title tag helps you stand out in the SERPs. It grabs people’s attention, attracts them, and elicits emotions. To optimize it, you should:

• Include a primary keyword.
• Where possible, include long-tail keyword variations, too.
• Include power words that evoke emotions in users and grab their attention.
• Have a clear call-to-action. Use power words like buy, purchase, learn, click, etc.
• Add your unique selling proposition, such as free shipping, discounts, free returns, fast delivery, etc.

#5 Optimize Meta Descriptions

The goal of a meta description is to tell a user what kind of content they can find on your page. It should build trust with them and motivate them to click on your link. That’s why your meta description should be:

• Optimized for your primary keyword, as well as for long-tail keyword variations.
• Short – it shouldn’t exceed 155 characters.
• Customer-oriented – it should explain what sets your product apart and how a customer will benefit from it.
• Convincing – insert a strong CTA.
• Effective – these 155 characters should be unique and memorable.
• Proofread – you want to build trust with your audiences right from the beginning. So, spelling mistakes are not going to help.

To get the most out of your meta descriptions and title tags, you should conduct split tests regularly and see what options generate the highest CTR.

#6 Use Schema Markup

The main role of Schema markup is to make your website content more effective in the SERPs. This way, you will grab searchers’ attention and boost their clicks. Namely, structured markup can increase your click-through rate by up to 30%.

First, you should add schema.org to your product pages. Schema markup makes your pages more informative in the SERPs. Searchers will see the product price, availability, and customer reviews.

On your product pages, you should use Product markup. You can add different information here, but the most significant ones are the product:

• name
• image
• description
• aggregate rating
• offers > price
• offers > price currency
• category
• color
• brand

You can mark your category pages up, too. Google says that you can mark up multiple products on the same page. However, if you mark one item up, you should mark up the rest, as well.

#7 Boost Browsing Experiences

Writing product/category descriptions is important, but there are a few more steps to take to boost user experiences.

Personalize Browsing Experiences

Statistics have already shown that customers are willing to wait more and even pay more for more personalized deals and offers.

Provide more personalized product recommendations by tracking your customers’ geolocation, product preferences, browsing habits, previous purchases. For example, if you search for a VR gaming headset on Amazon, the platform will also tell you what similar products people buy. It also shows the products that are frequently bought together.

You could also provide chatbot or quiz surveys to learn more about your customers and provide the right products for them. A quiz would ask your customers questions about their product preferences and needs and, based on their answers, recommend the right product. Include a CTA and point them directly to your product page to help them finalize the purchase.

Use AI to personalize user experiences. For example, Sephora’s Visual Artist app lets customers upload photos and apply makeup within the app before making a purchase.

Provide A Product Comparison Tool

The majority of your site visitors are still in the research phase. If you recommend to many deals and products, you may overwhelm them and drive them away. That’s where a free comparison tool may help. By letting customers compare your key products, you will help them make buying decisions faster.

Have An FAQ Page

Did you know that 40% of consumers prefer self-service over human contact? That’s why you need to have a comprehensive FAQ page that will feature your customers’ most frequent questions and straightforward answers to them.

Support Your Product & Category Pages With Unique Visuals

One of the main problems online shoppers face is that they cannot touch and feel your products. They rely on your product descriptions and images. That’s why you need to support your product descriptions with unique photos of your products. Take multiple shots and make your product photos as realistic as possible.

VR and AR technologies can help. For example, fashion brands could use 360-degree product photography, to let customers see the product from multiple angles.

The best thing about product photos is that you can repurpose it on other channels, such as your email newsletters, social networks, blog posts. You can even create Instagram shoppable posts and boost user satisfaction.

Conclusions

On-page SEO is critical for your eCommerce site’s performance. From the SEO viewpoint, it will boost your rankings, traffic, and organic CTR. Above all, it will maximize user experiences and sales.

And, I hope these tips will help you improve your on-page SEO strategy.

 

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