The Challenges of E-Commerce SEO

28 April 2021

SEO is an essential part of running any business with an online presence (which, in this day and age, all businesses should have). Think of SEO like a bright sign with flashing lights, telling people passing by that your business is here and draws them inside to check it out.

However, some businesses will find implementing SEO to boost their site’s rankings easier than others will.

Especially when it comes to businesses in the e-commerce sector, SEO can be quite a challenge. Even if you’ve been researching how to improve SEO for your company, you may not be able to find resources that apply to e-commerce companies.

Playing By Google’s Rules

The goal of any business with an online presence is to rank high enough on Google’s Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) to be seen by customers. Although this is a challenge for any business, E-commerce businesses will find it especially difficult.

This is because Google prefers websites that rank high on their E-A-T scale, which measures sites based on Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. In other words, Google prefers informational websites over commercial ones and rewards those that highlight genuine knowledge and don’t appear to be trying to make quick money. This criterion is part of Google’s method of quality control.

As an e-commerce business, your website lies in the YMYL (Your Money Your Life) category. This category encompasses websites whose content can affect the reader’s financial, physical, and medical wellbeing. Because the stakes are higher, the scrutiny is higher as well.

YMYL websites with misleading or inaccurate information can trick users into making an uninformed decision, causing them harm. Your e-commerce business fits into this category by allowing customers to make purchasing decisions that can cause them financial harm.

Managing A High Volume of Content

Most e-commerce sites offer listings of hundreds if not thousands of physical and digital products. Product listings are not necessarily written with the utmost care, but Google still parses them like it does any other text on your site, and therefore measures them with its E-A-T criteria.

This can be an issue because, due to the sheer number of product descriptions required, many e-commerce sites rely on automation to update these listings. While automated services can be helpful in some regards, they can also lead to typos, grammatical errors, dead links, inaccurate information, and other mistakes. All of these issues can be detected by Google, lowering your website’s E-A-T score.

Although time-consuming, your best option would be to hire someone whose job is going through every listing individually to update and correct any errors, making sure it meets Google’s standards.

Bouncebacks Based On Loading Time

Your website’s bounce rate is the percentage of users who visit briefly and then leave using the back button or by clicking on an external link without browsing other pages on the same site. While one reason for high bounce rates can be a dull or outdated website, this issue can also be caused by poor hosting.

E-commerce sites often have lots of buttons, listings, and pop-ups. Pages aren’t simple and include many elements. Having so many processes that must run simply to present a page can result in extended load times for users. Unfortunately, most people online are impatient. If your site doesn’t load as quickly as visitors think it should, they’re likely to leave without browsing, let alone making a purchase.

The Google algorithm sees the high bounce rate as a sign that people find no value in your website, so it lowers your ranking and sends fewer people your way, resulting in fewer purchases and reduced revenue. Fortunately, fixing this issue can be fairly straightforward. Either make your website’s landing page (the first page that loads for visitors) simpler to avoid long wait times, or contact your website hosting service and look into upgrading to more powerful servers.

User Reviews

User reviews are a great and almost guaranteed resource for building your E-A-T levels. Google prefers sites that let users review products, as this creates a sense of social credibility and allows people to share feedback, building trust. The more positive reviews your products have, the more Google will boost your website up the SERP.

However, too many negative reviews have the exact opposite effect, hurting your website’s ranking. You can avoid negative reviews using a review posting tool that allows you to read submitted reviews before they are posted.

Knowing Where to Start

When faced with the challenge of implementing SEO as an e-commerce business, deciding where to start can be overwhelming. Google doesn’t give you a gold star for trying, and starting multiple SEO strategies only to quit them midway can even flag your site as suspicious in Google’s eyes.

One way you can get started properly is by using Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to identify SEO opportunities. You can use this particular tool to analyze what competitors are doing in terms of SEO and piggyback off it, or implement a skyscraper method where you do what they’re doing but better. Or you can use it to analyze your own site to find new competitors or broken backlinks. Site Explorer also provides keyword research, backlink profiles, PPC campaigns, and more.

Still, a great tool is only useful in the hands of someone who knows how to operate it. Having dedicated SEO experts focused on boosting your site can have better results in the long run. SEO strategies are multi-faceted, and high-quality approaches are time-consuming.

Staying Up to Date

Google’s algorithms are constantly changing, meaning your SEO strategy needs to change with them. As the owner of an e-commerce company, you’ll need to be particularly flexible and adaptable. Just like posting only a few times on your site and still expecting increasing returns is a flawed strategy, undertaking a half-baked SEO strategy will hurt you more in the long run. Having experts on your marketing team allows you to smoothly ride all SEO waves and grow your website.

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Content Rally

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

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5 Types of Digital Marketing

Marketing is an ever-changing aspect of a business. In the past decade, we’ve seen how modern technology has completely revolutionized the way businesses promote and sell their products and services. In fact, a 2013 study conducted by Adobe noted that 76 percent of people think that marketing has changed more in the past two years than it did the entire 50 years before. This is even more pronounced today as the Internet becomes more pervasive. Indeed, the Internet is a game-changing technology with a tremendous impact on modern marketing. Alongside its ubiquity is the rise of online marketing, which many consider having replaced traditional marketing channels, such as TV, radio, and print ads. More and more businesses now adopt this form of marketing. Statista projected that global spending on digital marketing would reach 306 billion dollars in 2020 and account for the majority of marketing efforts. But while digital marketing has enabled businesses to reach their target audience more readily, the rapidly changing technology and marketing trends have brought in some confusion, especially for businesses that are not well-versed with online marketing. Today, there are numerous digital marketing trends available to marketers and brands. Each of these methods has its unique uses, as well as, pros and cons. For many businesses, deciding on which digital marketing strategy to take is not easy. To help you choose the best direction, an expert from a digital marketing agency, Warroom Inc., explains to us the top five time-proven and tested digital marketing types. Email Marketing: Email marketing is a time-tested type of online marketing. This has been around far longer than other digital marketing techniques. While there have been many changes in the way this campaign is done, it remains very useful. With this strategy, marketers have full control of the message. Email marketing is different from the regular emails you send to a boss or a friend. Marketers use available data regarding a user to come up with carefully crafted and targeted messages based on the recipient’s position in the sales funnel. These emails can range from informational email to product update email to welcome email and many other types. Email marketing not only gets your message across. You can also gather relevant information about your target audience through emails. With this data, you can come up with a more calibrated and more successful marketing campaigns. Content Marketing: Content marketing is considered the foundation of all other types of digital marketing. With content marketing, you need to regularly produce relevant and interesting contents such as social media posts, videos, articles, blogs, and other creative. Quality content is crucial in bringing across your message and keeping your audience engaged. Content marketing is a tricky endeavor. There are a lot of things to consider such as grammar and spelling, effective use of keywords, proper messaging, use of graphics, persuasiveness, etc. Keeping the content relevant, unique and fresh is also crucial in a successful content marketing campaign. Social Media Marketing: According to the 2018 Global Digital suite of reports from We Are Social and Hootsuite, there are 3 billion social media users worldwide. This makes social media a very effective platform for advertising and promoting your brand to consumers. Since users are hooked to social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter on a 24/7 basis, it makes it a perfect place to market and sell your products and services. Aside from the millions of users connected to social networking sites, it is also a cost-effective digital marketing strategy, especially when you’re able to hit the right buttons. The proper use of social media marketing techniques can help ensure that you’re reaching the right audience and get them to use your brand. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Marketing: SEO Marketing is an essential marketing tool that every business needs. The goal of this marketing campaign is to increase your website’s visibility by placing it on top of search engines, such as Google and Bing. For example, if a user is looking for a dog grooming kit, you want to place your brand on the first page of Google’s result. You need to know what customers are searching for (keyword research) and optimizing your website around those keywords (keyword optimization). This helps boost traffic to your site. Link Building: Among the earliest digital marketing trends, link building can help increase the number and quality of inbound links to your website. This can help improve page views and visits, and ultimately, website or webpage ranking. If you want your product to be easily searchable in search engines, then you need to implement link building strategies. These are just five of the many types of digital marketing out there. Each of these techniques has its own uses that can help you promote and advertise your business. Read Also: Essentials For Digital Marketing The Importance Of SEO Based Digital Marketing Services 7 Proven Marketing Tactics To Increase Your ROI In 2018

The Best Ways To Market Your Small Business Online In 2024: A Guide

As we step into 2024, the digital landscape for marketing a small business continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Navigating this dynamic world can be daunting, yet small business owners need to stay ahead of the curve. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the most effective online marketing strategies tailored for small businesses in 2024. From leveraging social media platforms to exploring emerging digital trends, we’ll provide you with actionable insights and tips to enhance your online presence and connect with your audience. Whether you’re a startup or an established business looking to expand your digital footprint, these strategies will help you maximize your online marketing potential and drive your business forward. Harnessing The Power Of Social Media: Beyond The Basics Social media remains a powerhouse for small business marketing, but it’s no longer just about having a presence – it’s about strategic engagement. Businesses should focus on platforms where their target audience is most active and tailor content to suit each platform’s unique environment. Interactive and visually appealing content, such as live videos, stories, and AR filters, can significantly boost engagement. Additionally, leveraging social media analytics tools for insights into customer behavior and preferences is crucial. By creating a strong, authentic brand voice and engaging directly with customers through comments and messages, businesses can build a loyal community, turning followers into customers. WhatsApp Marketing: Connecting with Customers On A Personal Level WhatsApp marketing continues to stand out as a highly effective tool for small businesses, especially when leveraging advanced WhatsApp marketing software. This software enables businesses to automate and streamline their communication, making it easier to manage large volumes of messages and maintain personal connections with customers. Features like automated responses, chatbots, and broadcast lists allow for efficient and personalized communication at scale. Businesses can use these tools to send timely updates, promotional messages, and personalized greetings, enhancing customer engagement. Additionally, WhatsApp marketing software often includes analytics capabilities, helping businesses to track engagement and refine their strategies. By utilizing this software, small businesses can maximize the impact of their WhatsApp marketing efforts, fostering stronger customer relationships and loyalty. Email Marketing: Personalized Way Of Marketing A Small Business Email marketing continues to be a vital tool for small businesses, with personalization at its core. Crafting personalized emails that resonate with your audience can significantly increase open rates and conversions. Segmenting your email list based on customer behavior and preferences allows for more targeted and relevant messaging. Automation tools can help in sending timely and personalized emails triggered by specific actions, like welcoming new subscribers or following up on abandoned carts. Moreover, integrating interactive elements such as polls, surveys, and clickable CTAs can enhance user engagement. A well-executed email marketing strategy not only drives sales but also strengthens customer relationships. Leveraging SEO For Long-Term Success Search Engine Optimization (SEO) remains a fundamental aspect of online marketing for small businesses. A strong SEO strategy ensures your business appears prominently in search results, driving organic traffic to your website. Focus on optimizing your website with relevant keywords, quality content, and a mobile-friendly design. Regularly updating your blog with informative and engaging content can establish your business as an industry authority. Local SEO is especially crucial for small businesses, so ensure your local listings are up-to-date and you’re leveraging location-based keywords. Remember, SEO is a long-term strategy; consistent efforts and staying updated with Google’s algorithm changes are key to success. Video Marketing: The Era Of Authentic Storytelling Video marketing continues to dominate in 2023, with a shift towards authentic storytelling. Customers crave genuine, relatable content, making it essential for small businesses to create videos that resonate on a personal level. Focus on producing high-quality, informative, and entertaining videos that showcase your brand’s personality and values. Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok offer vast audiences for diverse video content, from educational how-tos and product demos to behind-the-scenes glimpses and customer testimonials. Live streaming also presents an opportunity for real-time engagement. With the increasing accessibility of video production tools, businesses of any size can harness the power of video marketing to captivate and connect with their audience. Influencer Collaborations: Leveraging Credibility And Reach In 2023, influencer marketing continues to thrive, offering small businesses a chance to leverage the credibility and reach of popular online personalities. Working alongside influencers who align with the values of your brand and resonate with your prospective audience can largely amplify your marketing message. These collaborations can range from sponsored posts and product reviews to joint live streams and giveaways. It’s not just about the number of followers; micro-influencers with a highly engaged audience can often offer more value. The authenticity and trust that influencers have cultivated with their followers can lead to increased brand awareness and loyalty, driving both traffic and conversions for small businesses. It takes marketing a small business to another level. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising: Maximizing ROI Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising remains a vital part of online marketing strategies, especially for small businesses looking for measurable ROI. Platforms like Google Ads and social media ads offer targeted advertising options to reach potential customers based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. The key to successful PPC is creating compelling ad copy, choosing the right keywords, and continuously optimizing based on performance data. Utilize A/B testing to determine which ads perform best and adjust your strategy accordingly. PPC can drive immediate traffic and conversions, but it requires careful budget management and ongoing analysis to ensure you’re getting the most out of your investment. Mobile Optimization: Catering To The On-The-Go Consumer Mobile optimization is no longer optional for small businesses – it’s essential. With the majority of online interactions occurring on mobile devices, ensuring your website and content are mobile-friendly is crucial. This includes responsive web design, fast loading times, and easy navigation. Mobile optimization extends to all aspects of your online presence, from emails being easily readable on mobile devices to ensure your social media content is engaging on smaller screens. Additionally, consider mobile-specific strategies like SMS marketing or mobile apps to further engage your mobile audience. Catering to the on-the-go consumer can significantly enhance user experience and increase engagement and conversions. Final Thoughts In the ever-evolving world of online marketing, making data-driven decisions is key to success in 2024. Utilizing analytics tools to track and analyze your marketing efforts is essential in understanding what works and what doesn’t. Regularly review metrics such as website traffic, conversion rates, engagement rates, and ROI across all your marketing channels. This data allows you to refine your strategies, allocate your budget more effectively, and personalize your marketing efforts. Staying agile and responsive to data trends can help you stay ahead of the competition. In a landscape inundated with information, the ability to decipher and utilize this data effectively can make a significant difference in the success of your small business’s online marketing efforts. Read Also: Optimize Your Small Business Revenue by Taking These Steps Basic Small Business Tips for Noobs Who Want to Start a Venture in 2020 How to Empower Your Small Business through Digital Marketing?

Why Email Marketing is the BEST Digital Marketing Outreach in Singapore

Times have changed. Commerce no longer waits for customers to head into a brick-and-mortar store, but instead takes on a proactive approach. Marketers must rely on various tools to reach out to their consumers, create sales channels, and generate revenue. Gone are the days when newspaper ads and billboards took center stage; with technology, digital marketing outreach becomes a necessity as it can reach a considerable amount of users in the shortest amount of time. Marketers often ask us about the most effective platform they should first choose, and our answer always goes back to good old email marketing. Singaporeans are so comfortable with technology, and the majority of the technologically-savvy generation will check their emails at least once a day. Even though it’s one of the most traditional methods, it’s still used frequently because it simply works. Here’s the tricky part: email marketing has to be implemented correctly. Use it right, and it’ll become an incredibly powerful tool. Use it wrong, and you’ll risk turning away customers, both potential and returning ones. Unconvinced? We’ll give you two reasons why email marketing is the best digital marketing outreach, and how you should use it effectively. Whether you’re on a limited budget or hiring a digital marketing agency in Singapore, it’s important to understand email marketing so you can use it to your advantage, especially after your lead generation agency has delivered new prospects for your business. 1. Email marketing provides endless possibilities. Like we’ve mentioned, email marketing may be one of the oldest forms of digital marketing, yet marketers in most industries still use it today as it’s efficient and cost-effective. It involves sending emails to a target audience’s inbox and gives companies a chance to promote their product or service, create brand loyalty, deliver value to consumers; the possibilities are endless. Since there are so many ways to use email marketing, there is no reason for you to stick to one type. As sending the same emails too frequently may turn consumers away, you should find the right balance to keep your readers interested and hopefully increase sales. Here are two different types of marketing emails that you can send out to engage your subscribers. Welcome emails are usually the first email a subscriber receives after giving you their email address. As it’s the first connection, it’s essential to not only introduce your brand but also make it a memorable one. There are several ways you can do this: you can either share with them more about your brand’s story, invite them to connect via other means (such as social media) or get to know more about them (such as asking for their birthdays). Since the purpose of welcome emails is to increase your engagement with your subscribers, an excellent way to start would be to give them a gift, either a trial or discount code. Informational emails are a series of emails sent to users to keep them engaged with your brand. There are several ways you can do this, depending on your brand. If sales are your priority, you can send out targeted emails informing your subscribers of promotions, discount codes, and holiday sales. If you’re providing software, and your main goal is to increase brand awareness, you can release a series of tips and tutorials on how to make the best out of it. There are so many ways you can continuously engage your subscribers, but remember to keep a steady pace; you want to provide your readers with value, not flood them with dozens of emails. As there are so many ways to use email marketing, if you’re hiring a digital marketing agency in Singapore, be sure to let them know what you’re trying to achieve. Different goals require different types of emails, and your agency needs to know what you need before they can help you get the results you want. Email marketing lets you personalize your engagement. Although every business has a buyer persona, it may not always be the same. As a brand, you may have a range of audiences that differ based on age, gender, and other demographics. The best way to reach out to different audiences is to cater to them differently, and email marketing helps you do so by segmenting your audiences into categories. The idea is to tailor various emails that will resonate with each audience segment and provide them with something exciting and of value. If you use email marketing correctly, you can not only address your subscribers by name but also provide them with something that they want. For example, you can email your VIP members about an exclusive event or reach out to your teen audience about a back-to-school sale. By targeting each segment differently, you can increase the effectiveness of your emails. This is extremely important as an email can only be successful if your subscribers open it, read it, and appreciate it. We can go on and on about how effective email marketing can be, but the best way for you to find out is to try it yourself. If you’re confused and not sure where to begin, now’s a good time to ask for help. Reach out to a digital marketing agency in Singapore, let them know what you need, and they’ll help you achieve it. Read Also: Why Every Business Holder Should Start Using The Drip Marketing Campaign Snov.Io Review: The Missing Piece Of The Marketing Outreach Strategy Puzzle