Let’s say you are managing a web-based store, going head-to-head with a magnate like Jeff Bezos at Amazon’s early stages. Amazon is now a behemoth, commanding over 40% of all U.S. online purchases. To rival Bezos and dream large, you must look at Google. Another titan has six distinct platforms [ Google Search, Google Images, Google Lens, Google Shopping, Google Business Profile, and Google Maps ] for showcasing your products or services.
Online search is a game of rankings. For instance, 28.5% of people click the first Google result, while a mere 2.5% reach the tenth. Want to stay at the top to get your brand recognized? Start with Google Merchant Center. This no-cost tool lets sellers add product details and align the data to be search-engine friendly.
With Google’s recent November 2023 reviews update, the focus on review-based content has intensified, bringing forth new challenges and opportunities for ecommerce websites. This article explores the significance of SEO strategies tailored for ecommerce, providing insights into navigating the evolving reviews system and maximizing sales and conversions.
If you want to know more techniques to boost SEO for your website, read on. We’ll elaborate on how to do SEO for E-commerce websites and all aspects required to ramp up your website’s SEO.
Understanding the November 2023 Reviews Update
Google’s latest reviews update emphasizes continuous evaluation and adjustment for sites offering reviews-based content. Ecommerce websites, often reliant on user reviews to build trust and credibility, need to adapt swiftly. The update evaluates articles, blog posts, and standalone content focused on opinions and analysis, with assessments happening at the page level. For ecommerce platforms, this means a heightened emphasis on the quality and relevance of product reviews.
Impact on Ecommerce Traffic and Rankings
The update’s coinciding with Google’s core search algorithm update implies potential fluctuations in search traffic and rankings for ecommerce sites. To mitigate the impact, ecommerce businesses should ensure their review content aligns with Google’s evolving guidelines. Quick rebounds from ranking fluctuations are now possible with the shift to regular and incremental changes, offering ecommerce platforms a faster recovery mechanism.
Guidelines for Ecommerce Websites
Google advises ecommerce sites offering reviews to adhere closely to its quality guidelines. High-quality review content should be original, transparent, current, informative, and cover both the pros and cons of products. This update may prioritize these signals, making it essential for ecommerce websites to conduct a thorough audit of their review content using Google’s quality rater guidelines.
Scope and Language Considerations
As of now, the November 2023 Google Reviews update primarily affects reviews-based content in English. However, Google hints at potential expansion to other languages over time. Ecommerce businesses operating in multiple languages should keep a close eye on these developments to ensure comprehensive compliance with the evolving review system.
What are the strategies to excel in SEO for E-commerce websites?
To thrive in this new era of continuous evaluation, ecommerce websites should focus on diversifying their traffic sources. While optimizing review content according to Google’s guidelines is crucial, exploring additional channels, such as Google Ads, can provide a buffer during periods of ranking volatility.
To excel in SEO for E-commerce websites, it is essential to focus on optimizing product pages, improving site speed, and implementing effective keyword research and targeting techniques.
- Site URLs
Boosting SEO needs smart, steady URL structuring on your site. This means organizing them according to categories, subcategories, and so on. For instance, don’t form separate URLs for a product’s SKU number.
Take an example: if you’re selling red suitcases, a good URL for your dedicated page should be something like “https://mysitedomain.com/red-suitcases”. Avoid creating long, convoluted URLs that include multiple parameters, such as “https://mysitedomain.com/index.php?=11111=yja=?p=7654”
Also, specify product differences using URL factors such as “?key=value”. This lets Google crawlers distinguish different product versions, like color variants, price, brand, etc. This way, you won’t sideline your URLs as duplicate content by search engine bots.
- To The Point Content
For the best results, product descriptions should be composed of 300 to 800 words. If we’re talking about your best sellers, going over 1,000 words isn’t a bad idea. Also, try to include 3-5 hyperlinks to these important product details. Remember, brief descriptions might miss out on important search terms, which could decrease their visibility in appropriate searches.
Now, let’s talk about meta descriptions. They’re the initial text lines people see on Google, affecting their choice to tap on your link. In creating a meta description, think about your audience. If you use important keywords and have a straightforward call to action, you’ll bring more clicks to your site.
- Keyword Research
Getting your website noticed on search engines like Google involves keyword research. It’s about figuring out what your potential customers are searching for and tailoring your content to fit. Imagine what your customers might type into Google when searching for your product or service. With some possible search terms in mind, try free online tools.
These could be Ubersuggest, Google Keyword Planner, Semrush or KWFinder. These tools show how frequently these keywords are searched each month. With this information, you can make content that hits the right keywords. This will boost your website’s rank in search results.
- UX Design Cluttering
A well-designed UX improves customer retention rates. Hence, you are required to show maximum products with minimum cluttering of products. Now to do this, there are three ways to show many products on a site: pagination, load more, and infinite scroll. Pagination splits the products into pages with links to navigate. Load more lets users click to see more beyond the first set. Infinite scroll loads more as one scroll.
If using pagination, add tags to help search engines understand the pages. Give each page its own URL with “?page=n”. And if the site filters the same results, start using “noindex” to tell Google crawlers not to index all pages.
- Internal Linking Structure
external links are beneficial, connecting sites to share knowledge. They demonstrate relevance build networks. A blog should have at least five links that point to quality destinations like Wikipedia or high-ranking sites. This is helpful because relationships help show relevance through references, enhancing authority and rankings.
- Create and Optimize XML Sitemap
An XML sitemap helps search engines fully index a website. It lists all site URLs so engines can find and crawl pages faster. Sitemaps identify quality pages to improve search rankings potentially. To enable proper crawling, submit the map through the Search Console.
Fortunately, tools like Google XML Sitemaps and FandangoSEO simplify creating XML sitemaps. This helps in categorising pages into separate sitemaps and helps fix potential issues. You can manage the sitemaps by specifying preferred pages with canonical tags to manage duplicates effectively.
Conclusion
The November 2023 reviews update from Google necessitates a meticulous approach to review content, offering ecommerce websites both challenges and opportunities. By aligning with Google’s guidelines and leveraging strategic pivots, ecommerce platforms can navigate the dynamic SEO terrain and continue to thrive in the competitive online marketplace.
Implementing effective SEO can be crucial for E-commerce sites. Thorough keyword research and on-page optimisation help improve search visibility, drawing more qualified traffic. This enhanced traffic leads buyers to products they seek, increasing conversions and sales. Additionally, strong content strategies and technical SEO refine site structure and user experience. Dominate search engine rankings, captivate your audience with compelling content, and watch your business soar. Seize the opportunity with 6sMarketers – Where SEO excellence Meets E-commerce Success! Start optimising, and start thriving!
