As a mum, running an online store can be a great way to make money while still fulfilling your parental duties. It can give you the flexibility to process orders around school runs, work from home or remotely when you can, and build a business based on products you genuinely care about. Fortunately, eCommerce SEO and a few other tactics can improve your website’s visibility.
However, while all this sounds ideal, your venture will struggle if shoppers can’t find your store in the first place. This can be a real barrier to success for many mums. Not least because your store will invariably compete with major retailers, marketplaces, and countless smaller brands for attention.
Fortunately, there are plenty of tactics you can employ to improve your website’s visibility. Let’s explore how you can be found by more customers.
Why Is It Difficult for Some Online Stores to Get Found?
Search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo need to understand what your store sells before they can show its pages to relevant shoppers. Therefore, if your product pages contain little information, your category names are vague, or your website is slow, Google may struggle to determine where your store belongs in its results listings.
Competition is also another major factor, especially when dozens of businesses offer the same product. For instance, a handmade jewellery store may compete with national chains, Etsy sellers and other independent businesses. If you are a new store, it can be particularly difficult because you have fewer reviews, links, and established pages than competitors that have been operating for years.
That said, it does not mean a small store cannot rank. However, you will need to show Google why your pages deserve to appear above others for particular searches.
How Can eCommerce SEO Bring More Customers to Your Store?
SEO in eCommerce marketing is the process of improving an online shop’s performance so its product, category, and content pages appear more prominently in search results. Essentially, it connects your store with people who are actively searching for something you sell.
This traffic can be particularly valuable because the shopper is already interested in the product. For example, someone searching for “linen baby wraps Australia” may be much closer to buying than someone who happens to see a social media post.
What Is eCommerce SEO?
eCommerce SEO is the practice of optimising an online store to rank higher in search engine results. Effectively, it covers the words on your pages, your website’s structure, and its technical performance. It can include:
- Keyword research
- Product descriptions
- Category content
- Mobile usability
- Page speed
- Links from other websites
The goal of eCommerce SEO is to increase your website’s organic traffic, attract more shoppers looking for specific products, and drive more sales. All without paying for ads.
How Does eCommerce SEO differ from General SEO?
One of the main differences between an online store and a regular website is that the former may have hundreds or thousands of pages. This may include products, categories, filters and discontinued items. Most other business websites don’t have these.
Additionally, eCommerce SEO is needed because user search intent is often closely tied to sales. Therefore, pages need to be set up to encourage customers to make a purchase. Regular websites may have other intents to satisfy, such as finding more detailed information about a product, service, or issue.
How Can You Improve Your Product and Category Pages?
On your online store, each page should serve a distinct purpose. For instance, a product page should showcase an item and answer questions about it. A category page, on the other hand, should introduce a group of related products and help shoppers compare their options.
Product Page SEO: How To Improve Your Product Pages
Your product description is a valuable piece of real estate on every single product page, as it conveys a range of information to potential customers. This might include:
- What the product does
- What the benefits of the product are
- Who the item is designed for
- How it can be used
- What it is made from
In your product descriptions, include practical details such as measurements, care instructions, delivery information, and return information. Original descriptions also help set you apart from other retailers selling the same products.
Category Page SEO: How To Improve Your Category Pages
Shoppers often search for a product type online rather than a specific item. For instance, they may search for terms such as “wooden toys for toddlers” or “natural health courses for mums”.
For this reason, make sure you add a short introduction, useful filters (such as by price or alphabetical order) and links to related categories. Also, keep the layout tidy so products stay easy to browse. This will make it easier for customers to find your products when they need them.
Can Blog Content Help More Customers Find Your Products?
Blog articles can be an excellent way to reach people researching a product or problem but not yet ready to purchase. For example, a baby products store might publish guides on choosing a sleeping bag, preparing a nursery, or buying age-appropriate gifts.
These useful articles can introduce readers to your products without making them feel bombarded with a sales pitch.
When deciding what to write, draw inspiration from the questions your customers regularly ask you. Then produce content on buying guides, care instructions, comparisons, and gift ideas.
Choose topics connected to what you sell. Generally, a focused collection of relevant articles is more valuable than publishing random posts just to keep the blog active.
Why Are Customer Reviews Important for Online Stores?
Reviews are an important trust signal for any online store because they reassure new shoppers that other customers have been satisfied with your products and services.
Always ask your customers for feedback after their orders arrive. Then, if you receive a positive response, you can ask them to write a review. However, never pressure them to leave a positive rating.
If you do receive a negative review, it is not necessarily the end of the world. Responding thoughtfully can show potential customers that you take service seriously and that you try to resolve problems.
