Starting a new website is an intimidating process. You want the site to look nice, but what’s the point in having a nice site if there’s no one visiting it? That’s why it’s important to put just as much effort into improving your site by using tools such as WooCommerce plugins and techniques to improve your search engine optimization (SEO).
There are different factors to consider, and it can be tough getting ahead of the competition, especially if they show up before you in search engines. Placement matters. For example, Advanced Web Ranking tracks the click through rates for websites, and they have clicked through rate data for August 2019.
This means that the click through rates for the first three spots on desktop are 33.25%, 16.63%, and 10.08% respectively. This means that if your site doesn’t appear in the first three results on Google, that your site has less than a 41% chance of getting clicked. Even worse, if your site isn’t in the top 10 results, all other sites combined have less than an 18% chance of being clicked with mobile searches having less than a 13% chance.
Some people may assume that they should stuff as many keywords as possible into their site, but this isn’t the best way to address the situation. This article will provide you with a checklist of items to improve your e-commerce SEO.
Improve and Test Your Website
The process isn’t over once you create your website. After you finish making it, you need to make sure that everything is working properly on your site. What if someone clicked one of your site’s links and it led to an error message? This might cause people to leave your website.
That’s why it’s important to take time to look through your website. The last thing you want is for your overall click through rate to drop because your website has too many errors and problems. By taking the time to check your website, you can iron out these problems and make sure that your site is ready for use.
There be mindful of these few things when checking your site. You will want to click on the links and make sure that they lead to the right place and don’t have any errors. The last thing someone wants to do is click on a link that says “laptop”, but then it takes them to a picture of a cat.
However, you can’t be the only one that tests your website. Just like with editing a paper, it’s easy to miss things if you’re the only one looking for problems and errors. Either hire some people to test out your site or find some volunteers. Make sure to have a variety of people test the website so that you can see what different age groups and types of people think of the site.
Feedback from people who test the site is valuable. They can identify usability issues that you might not have identified on your own. Make sure to consider what they say about it, and learn how to use that viewpoint to improve your website.
Check for Google’s Algorithm Updates
Some people forget that Google is more than a site, but a business that’s seeking to optimize their search engine. Because of this, Google constantly updates and changes its own search engine algorithm to bring the best and most relevant information to the results screen.
These changes can affect various websites, so it’s important to stay up to date on these changes to improve your own SEO. Moz does a great job of keeping track of Google’s current updates and changes. They post the most recent changes towards the top and also let the user know if the changes are confirmed.
Since SEO is constantly evolving and changing, businesses need to know what changes are happening in Google’s algorithm so that they can ensure that their site continues to optimize by adjusting their site based on those changes.
Identify the Right Keywords
Keywords are important for an effective site and improving your position in Google’s search engine. Sure, you can look up the most used keywords for your business, but that might not be the best choice. Neil Patel explains that going for “too broad or too competitive” keywords might cause problems for your website’s placement.
If you go for words that are too broad, then more sites will be competing for those words. For example, if your company sells computers and you use “computer” as a keyword, that’s not going to help your SEO. As of September 2019, searching computer on Google yields over seven billion results.
While the word computer is important for your specific business, focusing on it as your keyword won’t bring the results you want. You need to identify a word that’s more specific to your brand and company.
Competitive words are self-explanatory. If many companies use the same keywords on their websites, then it will be harder to rise to the top of Google’s search results. Not only that, but you’re likely to be beaten out by the biggest and most well-known companies if you take this approach.
Seek out keywords for your business that are specific enough without drawing in too much competition. It can be difficult to find the right keywords, but with enough effort and time, it can improve your SEO.
Use Anchor Texts
Anchor texts, also called hyperlinks, are powerful online tools to improve your SEO. If you don’t know what an anchor text is, have you ever come across a word or phrase on a website that is colored and underlined blue? If you click on it and it takes you to another website or web page, then it is an anchor text.
Anchor texts are common on the internet, because they provide information, proof, and sources for the website. By providing anchor texts to your own web pages, you can work with the Google’s algorithm to associate those pages of your website with those specific keywords and phrases.
If we go back to the computer example, you might mention a specific laptop on your website. You could turn that laptop’s name in the article into an anchor text, which would bring the user to a web page where they can purchase that laptop. This will help your SEO and also make it easier and more convenient to navigate your site. It provides a quality anchor text that also benefits the website.
Don’t overuse anchor texts, however, because Google’s algorithm detects this. Instead, focus on presenting high quality content on your website. Include anchor text as appropriate so that it looks professional but not overbearing. Finding that right balance is key to using anchor texts correctly.
Summary and Conclusion
While these four checklist items aren’t the only way to make SEO work well with your website, it’s an excellent starting point for those who are new to the process and looking to build up their e-commerce. Each one addresses a different area to help you improve your website’s SEO.
Improve and test your website to make sure that the website is ready for actual users and customers to use. It also helps you address any problems you might not have identified at first.
Check for Google’s algorithm updates, so you can keep yourself informed. Make sure to adjust your current SEO plans to fit the new updates.
Take the time to find the right keywords so you can increase your SEO by working with keywords that go for a narrower niche and have less competition.
Anchor texts will expand your SEO by connecting those keywords to your website.
Of course, there are different ways to approach each of these ideas and there’s always new ways that your company can find to improve your website and e-commerce. Keep in mind, however, that these checklist items are here to help you effectively work on your SEO on your new website.
Author Bio:
Kate Lynch is a digital marketing blogger who spends her entire day writing quality blogs. She is a passionate reader and loves to share quality content prevalent on the web with her friends and followers, keeping a keen eye on the latest trends and news in those industries. Follow her on twitter @IamKateLynch for more updates.
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