This is an article ‘How to earn more with SEO on Shopify’ by Marc Primo Warren
In today’s digital age, online stores are more than just a trend – they are everyone’s new version of a lemonade stand. Given this vast marketplace, Shopify stands out as one of the top platforms for building your online shop. Of course, creating a Shopify store is just the tip of a very deep iceberg. To really rake in profit numbers, there’s no question you’ll need to leverage the power of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Over the years, SEO has proven to be an indispensable component of business success. In the early days of the internet, a simple website was often enough to get noticed. As more and more businesses established an online presence, competition grew fiercer, and it became clear that just having a website wasn't enough. Websites needed to be discoverable. They needed to stand out in a sea of information.
Why SEO and Keywords Matter to Shopify Businesses
SEO is a powerful tool that can take your business from being a small fish in a big pond to becoming the king of the waters. That’s because SEO isn't just a buzzword any more than it is a necessity. As we moved into the era of e-commerce, this truth has held fast. With thousands of online stores vying for customer attention, SEO has become the magic key to visibility, enabling businesses to reach their customers right when they're looking for them.
When doing e-commerce on Shopify, SEO plays an important role no entrepreneur can ignore. For the first quarter of 2023, the platform’s Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) was $116 million, up 10% from the same period in 2021. Also, revenue from Shopify plan subscriptions was $382 million in the first quarter of 2023, up 11% from the same period the previous year.
So why do you need SEO?
It's simple: optimizing your pages increases your visibility. When customers search for products similar to yours, a well-optimized site is more likely to appear at the top of the search results. This means more traffic and, ultimately, more sales.
Everyone knows that keywords are right at the heart of every SEO campaign. Understanding and using the right set of high-performing keywords are essential to further increasing your visibility online.
Optimizing a User-friendly Site Architecture, Creating High-Quality Content, & Harnessing the Power of Keywords
To make the most out of SEO, you need to start by optimizing your Shopify store. This begins with ensuring you have a user-friendly site structure. Your customers should be able to navigate your site easily, finding what they want quickly.
A recent study by Amazon Web Services found that poor user experiences (UX) cost e-commerce companies 35% of their potential revenue. That’s why it’s very important to optimize your on-page SEO while also focusing on the content you present to your audiences. We can’t emphasize enough how ‘quality’ remains to be the king here. Your content should be engaging, informative, and valuable to your customers. It should also incorporate your chosen keywords naturally.
To harness the power of keywords, ensure that you put in the right focus and secondary sets of keywords from your product’s meta descriptions to your blog posts. Incorporating relevant keywords can significantly improve your store's search rankings considering that aside from the people you want to read your content, search engines like Google are also a significant audience.
Going Beyond Basics: Image Optimization, Mobile SEO, & Leveraging Social Media
Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned e-commerce merchant, taking your Shopify SEO to the next level should start by optimizing your pages, particularly the images on your landing pages. Since you’d be selling products, ensuring your images are high-quality with added alt-texts containing relevant keywords is essential if you want to increase their online visibility.
In today's world, mobile optimization is also crucial. Ensure your Shopify store is mobile-friendly, as a significant percentage of your customers are likely browsing on their smartphones. With that, it’s safe to say that businesses shouldn’t discount the power of social media. By sharing your content on various platforms, you can drive more traffic to your store, improving your SEO ranking in the process.
Importance of Analytics & Shopify SEO Tools to Use
Monitoring your progress is another critical aspect of SEO. Analytics provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your SEO strategies and highlight areas for improvement.
Let’s say you’re a handmade jewelry seller on Shopify and recently, you’ve noticed a decline in your organic traffic. Analytics can help you identify how your once high-performing keywords are no longer effective and that you should update your set of keywords. The same goes for your sales drop. Most analytic tools have the power to reveal real-time rates of cart abandonment or site spend time. By implementing a better abandoned cart recovery strategy, you can boost the frequency of more completed purchases in time.
These examples highlight the power of analytics in SEO. To leverage this power, you need the right tools, and Shopify offers a variety.
For keyword analysis, plugins like 'Plug in SEO' can be invaluable. This app identifies SEO issues and helps you optimize your store's visibility.
For link building, 'SEO Manager' is a great tool. It allows you to manage and optimize your store's internal and external links, and track and redirect 404 errors, contributing to a more robust SEO strategy.
In essence, using analytics and Shopify's SEO tools can significantly enhance your store's visibility and increase sales by allowing you to track your progress and make necessary adjustments.
Making SEO Work for You
In the world of e-commerce, SEO is your key to success. It may seem overwhelming at first, but with time, practice, and the right tools, you can optimize your Shopify store and boost your sales. Remember, the world of SEO is always evolving, so stay informed, stay adaptable, and watch your business grow!
With these tips, you're well on your way to earning more with SEO on Shopify. SEO isn't just a one-time effort; it's an ongoing process of optimization, measurement, and adjustment. But don't be intimidated by the journey. You won’t be alone and chances are high that Shopify's community of users and experts is always there to help you navigate any bumps along the way. You can also leverage the plethora of resources available online to learn more about SEO and stay updated on the latest trends and best practices.
For more essential SEO tips and tricks, visit www.marcprimowarren.com/marcprimowarrenseo.