SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) involves setting up your website so that search engines can rank your website as highly as possible on search engine results pages (SERPs). The higher your website's ranking, the more easily your potential customers will be able to find your store.

There are different SEO approaches. 

• Off Page SEO. Includes the following. 

• Backlinks, ie links from external websites that send potential customers to your website. However, remember that back links are ranked differently based on their quality as perceived by search engines. Set aside resources (time and otherwise) for developing high quality backlinks. Ideally, set backlink SEO goals for time periods and work towards getting them. 

• Seek after backlinks from sites that search engines consider relevant. If you sell cars, do not seek after links from kitchen gardening websites. One alternative is to request backlinks from your ecommerce store's product manufacturers.
• Request that backlinks use relevant keywords like 'XYZ, 12-speed blender' rather than 'click here'

• Use content marketing. Create compelling content (in written, infographic, spoken, video or other format) that truly adds value to your target market. Content marketing works simply because the content is so good that it will get shared. Engaging with well established bloggers or vloggers is an example of how you can generate high quality relevant backlinks. (See a sample letter of how to contact these influencers). NB. Although content is still the sine qua non for success, content is most effective (re engagement) when accompanied by infographics, ie some form of visual representation of written words.

• Welcome backlinks from social media (Facebook, Twitter, the average blog and so on) but their positive impact on search engine ranking is usually marginal. This is because they are 'nofollow' links. FYI, you can verify whether backlinks are higher quality 'follow' or 'nofollow' links by entering 'Control U' or 'Command U' to review the code of a webpage. A good 'follow' backlink looks like this <a href="https://www.yoursite.com">The ABC site</a>. However, 'nofollow' backlinks have an additional piece of code <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.yoursite.com">The ABC site</a>
• Know that backlinks from pages with numerous other links are generally less valuable than those from pages with fewer links

• Avoid paid backlinks. Search engines can identify websites whose only purpose is to provide backlinks over quality content. Consequently, search engines can penalize or even delist sites that rely on such low quality backlinks.

• Guest posts on well established, relevant websites. You make on external websites or blogs. Guest posts also help in generating high quality backlinks.
• Press releases. 

• On Page SEO. Includes the following. It is easier for new store owners to focus on this approach before off page SEO.

• Product title. See how to create the product title automatically in MS Excel for CSV product file uploads to Shopify

• URL (aka 'handle' in Shopify). See how to create the product page URL automatically in MS Excel for CSV product file uploads to Shopify 

• Product description 

• Meta description. FYI a meta description is different to the product description. It is usually unseen in the coding of the page. You may even use the description as a mini advertisement that potential leads will see on the SERP.  See how to create the meta description automatically in MS Excel for CSV product file uploads to Shopify. Example

• Order  [page title] today from [brand]. Free shipping and insurance on all our [brand] [product line] products. Order today and get a free [bonus - usually an add-on product]
• Always include the following elements within the product description.

• level 1 header, ie the largest header available. 

• vendor's name. This should already be in the title.
• SKU

• Alt image tag. Use the product title for this. To enter this detail automatically, you may either create formula in Excel for the CSV product upload file or use an app in Shopify like 'Alt Text' or 'SEO Image Optimizer by Booster apps'

--

--

• Long Tail keywords. These are highly detailed and specific keywords. They are best for targeting leads who are already very far into your sales funnel, most likely with buying intent. The details include as many of the following as character limits will allow and the relative importance of each element (*** very important, ** moderately important, * least important). For instance, character length for product titles and meta descriptions are 55 and 160 respectively. Needless to say, if you are paying for Google traffic, it is best to use long tail keywords. Besides it is less competitive and cheaper to do so.

• brand name / make ***. Examples: Canon

• key product-specific feature **.  Examples: color; size

• special name of the product (line)***. Examples: Corolla
• version **

• Stock Keeping Unit number / SKU ***. Ensure this code is the standard manufacturer code that your potential leads may be able to find and look for

• generic product type *. Example: 'hat'; 'bag' 

• Broad keywords. Refer to keywords that are best suited to potential leads that are yet not very far into your sales funnel. Such people may search merely out of curiosity and for general information.

When you have completed SEO preparations, create a free account on Google Webmaster Tools ( http://www.yoursite.com/sitemap.xml ). Then register the website to get Google to start crawling your site sooner than later.

--

--

CONTENT RELATED TO SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION / SEO

• CSV Product Upload: MS Excel tricks to automatically create complex SEO elements like the title and URL (aka 'handle') within minutes
• Use this great knowledge to improve Google Product Listing Ads / PLAs 
• Use this great knowledge to improve Craigslist ads