A well-optimized eCommerce website is essential for businesses selling products, enabling them to access a vast and diverse audience. Looking at an eCommerce SEO case study might also come in handy to show what drives conversion and growth.
Establishing an online store is an opportunity to tap into the rapid expansion of the global eCommerce industry. Online purchases surged from $1.3 trillion in 2014 to $5.7 trillion in 2022, and according to Statista, this figure is projected to reach a staggering $8 trillion by 2026 [1]. At the same time, Forbes says that approximately 24% of retail purchases are also projected to occur online [2].
The popularity of online shopping is undeniable, and research indicates that this trend is more than just a fad. Customers are likely to continue turning to the Internet for their retail needs.
Transitioning to an e-commerce model is a smart long-term investment for businesses looking to expand.
What is eCommerce SEO, and what is its role in online businesses?
eCommerce SEO is the art of attracting natural traffic from search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. The main goal is to ensure that your product pages appear within the top ten results of organic search listings.
To achieve this, it’s crucial to have a well-designed and optimized website with high-quality content. When your site ranks higher in search engines, especially Google, it becomes more visible to potential customers, driving more traffic to your online store.
It focuses on fine-tuning your website to attract leads and generate conversions easier. However, it’s more complex than just adding keywords, writing blog posts, and getting backlinks, as it is for content-focused websites. For successful eCommerce SEO, you must grasp how search engines operate and what they value.
Understanding eCommerce SEO, following search engine guidelines, comprehending buyer intent, and implementing appropriate strategies is crucial for online success. Aligning your eCommerce site with these principles can enhance visibility, attract more customers, and increase your chances of success in the online marketplace.
eCommerce SEO case studies
Now, we delve into real-life case studies that show eCommerce SEO’s power in driving remarkable success for various online businesses.
Each case study offers a unique glimpse into the strategies and tactics deployed to optimize eCommerce websites, leading to substantial improvements in search rankings, organic traffic, and business growth.
eCommerce SEO case study 1: From 0 to $460k
This eCommerce SEO case study demonstrates the impressive journey of an online business that achieved over $460k in revenue through strategic eCommerce SEO efforts.
They carefully chose an SEO-friendly eCommerce platform to establish a strong foundation, opting for a custom Laravel/PHP website tailored to their needs.
The eCommerce SEO strategy was built upon comprehensive keyword research, utilizing keyword mapping to organize target keywords into relevant categories or silos. This also helped optimize individual product pages and larger page sets for better search engine rankings and topical relevance. Additionally, the site’s architecture was designed with internal linking to create silos, strengthening its overall website structure.
They then focused on link building to gain site authority and overcome fierce competition. They gradually built backlinks from relevant and high-authority websites, diversifying their link targets and anchor texts to avoid Google penalties. Once their authority had been built, they saw significant organic search traffic and revenue growth.
As the site encountered traffic plateaus, they adapted and experimented with various SEO tactics to break through these barriers. Strategies included revamping content for contextual internal linking, launching new silos with fresh content, leveraging guest posting, HARO link building, and digital PR to acquire high-quality backlinks from reputable sources.
They also focused on improving user experience, and technical SEO remained evident, contributing to reduced bounce rates and increased conversions. These eCommerce SEO strategies successfully propelled the site’s remarkable revenue growth [3].
eCommerce SEO case study 2: Reversing downward trend to 100% growth
An eCommerce business encountered a downturn in traffic despite seasonal fluctuations, experiencing over a 30% decline in organic search traffic year on year.
A comprehensive SEO audit was conducted to identify areas for improvement and potential opportunities. The subsequent implementation of a clear SEO strategy focused on technical enhancements, on-page optimization, content creation, and link building.
The SEO audit revealed several critical areas that needed attention, including under-optimized category pages, a lack of supportive content, and a hidden category containing discontinued products. With a concrete strategy, keyword research covered their entire market, allowing for relevant page mapping and prioritization based on ranking potential and commercial value.
Keywords previously ranking for content pages were shifted to category pages, streamlining the product discovery process and boosting conversion rates. Additionally, discontinued products were redirected to relevant categories, ensuring link authority was utilized optimally.
The eCommerce business expanded its reach by creating new sub-categories based on long-tail keyword opportunities, supported by optimized content and internal linking for improved visibility. Consistent content creation, ranging from bottom-of-the-funnel to higher funnel pieces, strengthened site relevance and facilitated rapid ranking improvements.
The results were remarkable. Within three months, the traffic decline showed signs of reversal. Over the course of 12 months, they achieved over 100% year-on-year growth. The company secured page 1 rankings for highly competitive keywords [4].
eCommerce SEO case study 3: 400% increase in monthly revenue
In this remarkable success story, an eCommerce website selling health supplements achieved impressive growth and overcame challenges to dominate the search engine results pages.
The website faced challenges because of several issues across content, technical aspects, and off-page SEO. These challenges included suboptimal on-page elements, keyword cannibalization between core landing pages, lack of authoritative content, weak internal linking, and poor-quality backlinks from irrelevant domains. Consequently, the site struggled to rank for important transactional keywords and needed more topical authority.
A comprehensive plan was made to solve these challenges; it consisted of five crucial steps.
On-page elements
The first step was to optimize on-page elements to ensure the basics were in place. This included adding missing H1 headings and image alt text and eliminating duplicate page titles. Properly optimized on-page elements also helped search engines understand the web page’s content and improved the chances of ranking for target keywords.
Keyword cannibalization
Step two was fixing keyword cannibalization. Keyword cannibalization is where multiple pages compete for the same keywords, which can negatively impact search rankings. To address this issue, they employed various strategies such as canonical tags, merging similar pages, de-optimizing undesired pages, deleting redundant pages, and adding noindex tags where applicable.
Long-form content targeting specific long-tail keywords
They then created in-depth, long-form content targeting specific long-tail keywords to enhance the site’s topical authority and keyword visibility. They identified relevant long-tail keyword opportunities by conducting extensive keyword research, using tools like Ahrefs, and planned content creation accordingly. That was step three.
Internal linking strategy
A strategic internal linking strategy was also developed to make content more accessible to users and search engines. Internal links were also used to guide visitors to core sales pages, and anchor texts were carefully chosen to optimize relevance and user experience. That made it step four.
Building authority
Lastly, in step five, building authority was critical for outperforming competitors. To achieve this, they implemented a link-building strategy focused on securing high-quality backlinks from niche-relevant websites. Analyzing competitors’ backlink profiles also identified potential link opportunities to strengthen the website’s authority.
The results of these efforts were outstanding. Throughout the campaign, the eCommerce website’s organic traffic increased significantly, soaring from 5,033 to an impressive 17,129 visitors per month. Moreover, the website’s sales revenue skyrocketed from $17,122 to $92,119 monthly.
The website now ranks for a remarkable 347 keywords within the top 10 search results positions, a substantial leap from the mere 110 keywords it ranked for a year ago [5].
Best practices based on an eCommerce SEO case study
SEO is significant as it improves your chances of ranking higher in a search engine’s standard search results and enhances your visibility in various other SERP features. By implementing effective on-page and off-page SEO techniques, you also increase the likelihood of appearing in rich snippets, knowledge graphs, and other valuable search result features, ultimately driving more traffic to your online store.
Keyword optimization
Ensure proper placement of relevant keywords in page titles, meta descriptions, headings, and content to effectively communicate the page’s content to search engines.
eCommerce keyword research differs significantly from traditional SEO because of the unique nature of online retail and consumer behavior. Unlike traditional SEO, which may focus on informational keywords, eCommerce keyword research revolves around identifying search terms with strong commercial intent.
These keywords are transaction-oriented and indicate that users are actively looking to make a purchase. It also heavily emphasizes product-centric keywords, including specific product names, model numbers, sizes, colors, and other attributes, to align with the online store’s products or services.
Keyword mapping
One standout approach is conducting thorough keyword research backed by keyword mapping. By identifying a comprehensive pool of relevant keywords and organizing them into well-defined categories, these businesses effectively structure their content to target specific search queries. This approach also enhances their chances of ranking for diverse keywords, driving targeted organic traffic to their websites.
Well-structure silos
Next involves creating a strong website architecture through internal linking. eCommerce websites that establish well-structured silos and interlink their pages effectively bolster their topical relevance in search engines’ eyes. This improves SEO and enhances user navigation and overall user experience.
Schema markup
When you search on Google, you may have noticed that some results have more information than others. This extra information is called a rich snippet, and it is made possible through a process called Schema markup. Schema markup also involves adding special HTML tags to your website’s code to embed additional details. There are two types of Schema markup: JSON-LD and microdata.
High-quality content
High-quality content is essential for successful eCommerce SEO. This involves creating captivating and informative product descriptions, category pages, and blog posts. This also improves search engine rankings and aids users in making well-informed buying decisions.
Engaging content also encourages users to spend more time on the website, reducing bounce rates and signaling to search engines that the site offers valuable information.
URL structure
An optimized URL structure will result in better search visibility and user experience. Create clean, user-friendly URLs with relevant keywords to provide search engines and visitors with clear context.
A well-structured URL also makes it easier for search engines to understand the page’s content and purpose, contributing to higher rankings.
Mobile responsiveness
With the increasing use of mobile devices for online activities, including shopping, optimizing your eCommerce website for mobile users is essential.
A mobile-responsive website also adapts and adjusts its layout, design, and content to fit different screen sizes, providing a seamless and user-friendly experience for visitors using smartphones and tablets.
A key reason why mobile responsiveness is important for eCommerce SEO success is its impact on search engine rankings. Search engines like Google consider mobile-friendliness a ranking factor. Websites not optimized for mobile devices may be penalized in search results. On the other hand, mobile-friendly sites are more likely to rank higher. This gives them an edge over competitors in mobile search results.
Page loading speed
Enhancing page loading times through image compression, browser caching, and server optimization ensures a faster and smoother browsing experience.
A website that loads quickly reduces bounce rates, improves user satisfaction, and also signals to search engines that the site is efficient and user-friendly, leading to better search rankings and increased organic traffic.
High-quality backlinks from other domains
Having links is crucial for search engine rankings as they indicate content quality. Google has improved its ability to detect artificial linking patterns. Link building is obtaining top-notch links to boost search engine rankings.
Focus on authority-building through high-quality backlinks from relevant domains. eCommerce websites seek niche-relevant websites to secure backlinks, enhancing their authority in their respective industries. This also improves their rankings in search results and establishes trust and credibility among their target audience.
Why an eCommerce SEO case study matters
The case studies presented in this article shed light on the tremendous significance of eCommerce SEO for achieving online success. As the digital landscape becomes increasingly competitive, investing in SEO strategies tailored to eCommerce businesses is no longer optional but essential for growth and profitability.
The case studies highlighted how eCommerce SEO could improve organic traffic, revenue, keyword rankings, and overall business performance. From leveraging effective keyword research and content strategies to building high-quality backlinks and optimizing user experience, successful eCommerce businesses demonstrated a holistic approach to SEO that yields impressive results.
Adopting and implementing eCommerce SEO best practices is vital if you want your eCommerce business to thrive. Whether you are just starting your eCommerce journey or looking to enhance the performance of an existing online store, Twibi is also here to help.
Reach out to Twibi today and let our team of digital marketing experts guide you on the path to eCommerce success. Contact us now and take the first step towards achieving unparalleled growth in your eCommerce venture.
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