According to Statista, retail e-commerce sales amounted to approximately 4.9 trillion U.S. dollars worldwide last year. In the same year, it has been found that 58.4% of internet users shop online every week. Shopify also reports that according to companies, digital sales are almost equal to their physical stores’ revenue.
That’s a lot of opportunities your online store is potentially missing out on without the right marketing strategy. At the core, these numbers all point to the key to reaching your KPIs- consumer behavior. Organic patterns and journeys that need to be tapped into and redirected to your website. One of the benefits of eCommerce SEO is to generate higher, long-term, sustainable traffic streams for your online store.
To realize that dream, you have to stand at the intersection of consumer behavior and search engine optimization.
What should you know?
People are looking for your products and services
You just have to make them realize it. Start by creating a user persona or story based on a potential customer and map out how they would discover you. What would a person looking for what you’re selling, type in the Google search bar? Then build your content plan around that.
Determine closely related topics, industries, interests, and events to your brand then create content that highlights your offerings sandwiched in a relevant piece. It’s all about being where your consumers are looking for you. Oftentimes, they’re not where you think they are, so it helps to be everywhere relevant to stay relevant.
The more reliable and interesting pieces have higher exposure- this will organically bump your site up the search results. Imagine being on the first page of search results for your keywords, that’s just one of the many benefits of e-commerce SEO.
Consumers value authenticity and personality
The online market is so saturated that it can be a pain for users to comb through generic and unoriginal options. By setting yourself apart and defining your brand, you are giving them an oasis, a reason to stay and linger a little longer on your website!
That behavior boosts site ranking and credibility. In SEO world, that means more people are inclined and attracted to your site. Google then understands that users trust and believe what you have to say because they’re listening.
Give them more reasons to connect with your brand with witty copy and keyword-rich cornerstone content that can establish your website’s rank on search results. The key is to determine which set of keywords would give you the most traffic and use it all throughout your website on your best-performing pages and the like. This will be the foundation of your e-commerce SEO strategy.
Create hardworking content so you don’t have to be
A consistent stream of content built around a determined set of keywords is the legwork every online store needs. Not only will you ‘own’ these keywords, but you will also be able to identify your target audience after some time.
One of the many benefits of e-commerce SEO is the data that it will give you. From understanding who you’re reaching to Google Analytics’ customer journey mapping to know where users end up on your website and what got them there in the first place. The common denominator in all scenarios is understanding consumer behavior. Ultimately, one cannot exist without the other.
The ability to capture data also ensures constant iteration, meaning you’re not stuck with one strategy. SEO allows you to improve, experiment, and grow your market by seeing how different implications and positioning can affect your KPIs. Now you can market your site wholistically without neglecting organic reach.
