SEO for Online Stores: Simply Optimize, Sell More

1. What is SEO?
2. Why is SEO important for online shops?
3. How long does SEO take for online shops?
4. How does SEO work for online shops?
5. What is the ideal website structure for online shops?
6. How to write SEO texts for an online shop?
7. How to find the right keywords for online shops?
8. Which SEO tools are suitable for online shops?
9. Conclusion: No SEO, no chance

What is SEO and why is it important for an online store? We start this article with these questions. You will also learn how online shop SEO works, how long it takes to see first results, and which measures will bring you SEO success.

We take a closer look at on-page and off-page optimization, how to find suitable keywords, and how to write really good SEO texts for your online store. Finally, there is support in finding the right SEO tool for you.

What is SEO?

SEO is the abbreviation for Search Engine Optimization. In this word is already hidden what lies behind it: the optimization for search engines. SEO is part of search engine marketing, which also includes SEA (Search Engine Advertising).

SEO measures are used to place websites as high as possible in the hit list of search engines - without paying for it. Therefore, the term organic is often used in the context of SEO.

Improving the placement in the organic search engine ranking makes websites more visible and therefore attracts more potential customers.

SEO measures that take place on the website are called on-page optimization. A central aspect here is keyword research. Measures that occur outside of this are part of off-page optimization. The main focus here is on building links.

Broadly speaking, search engine optimization can be broken down into three focus areas:

1. Onpage: The content must be high-quality and relevant to the target group.
2. Offpage: External and relevant links to a website indicate importance and trustworthiness.
3. Technical: The website loads quickly, is user-friendly, and well-structured.

There are many factors that influence the placement of a website in search results. Before taking any measures, an analysis of the current situation should always be carried out.

SEO segmentation into on-page, off-page, and technical by OMR Reviews.

Why is SEO important for online shops?

If you waive SEO, you waive money.

Many online shops in all colors and shapes want to sell their products over the internet. The prerequisite for selling online is to be found online. If you don't make your webshop visible through SEO, you will inevitably be overtaken by competitors. Visibility can only be achieved organically through appropriate SEO measures. Even if not clicked or bought directly, you increase your brand awareness at least.

Searching and comparing before buying

Many internet users use search engines to research and compare products before making a buying decision. According to a recent survey by the Search Engine Journal almost 30% of searchers click on the first organic hit. 15% click on the second organic hit, 11% on the third. The last organic hit on the first page only receives a click rate of 2.5%.

Google click rates per ranking position of the Top10 (Graphic: searchenginejournal.com)

Online trade is booming

The Federal Association of E-Commerce and Mail Order Business Germany e.V. announced that the share of e-commerce in the DACH-region is steadily increasing. In 2020, there was growth in e-commerce retailing of 14.6% in Germany. In Switzerland, even +27.9%, and in Austria +17.4%.

That means for you: The buyers are ready – is your online shop too?

SEO as a service

SEO is not only important for a good online shop ranking, but also helps to get the searchers to their destination as fast as possible – for example through a purchase. If you pay closer attention to the ranking factors, you will quickly realize: the better the user experience, the better the webshop ranking. So optimizing the online shop for SEO is also a service for potential customers.

If you want to sell online successfully without paid advertising, search engine optimization for your online shop is a must.

How long does SEO take for online shops?

The short answer: It depends. Often a time span of 4 to 6 months is mentioned until first successes show up. Many factors influence how quickly visible results can be recorded. If you are at the very beginning of your SEO journey, it will probably take longer until your webshop ranking improves.

Let's look at some of the ranking factors:

• Website design: Is the website well-structured and user-friendly?
• Meta Descriptions: Are the descriptions optimized and do they encourage searchers to click?
• Competition: How strong is it?
• Keyword strategy: Is there already a strategy being applied?
• Keyword competition: Are the keywords highly contested or is the competition low?
• Domain: Is it new or has it been around for a long time?
• Time: How much time is invested in the optimization?

How long it takes for SEO to work also depends on the goals. Is it about generating more traffic, ranking better, or building the brand?

All goals are linked, because in the end you want the best place in the search results. The way to the goal is different. It is important to know that search engine optimization is not a one-time thing. SEO is a process that needs time until the full potential unfolds. After about a year, you will achieve better results than after half a year.

If you want a concrete timeframe, you can have an so-called SEO audit done. An SEO audit checks how search-engine-friendly the website already is and where it needs to be optimized. Afterwards, a catalog of measures can be developed.

How does SEO work for online shops?

With the right SEO measures, you can generate long-term attention for your products. We will take a closer look at some of the measures here. Some of them can be implemented directly, others require more time and preparation.

SEO On-page optimizations for online shops

1. Meta title

The title appears in the search results as a link leading to the website. The more attractive the title, the more it will be clicked. Bring to the point with a maximum of 60 characters what potential customers will find on the page: short, stimulating, with focus keyword.

2. Meta Description

The meta description is the text that is displayed in the search results. Next to the title, it is decisive whether the link is clicked or not. The meta description should summarize the content of the page in about 160 characters and include a focus keyword. In the text, you can describe the product in more detail and mention special features.

SERP example from Zalando with meta title and meta description

3. URL

The URL should also be as short and precise as possible and contain relevant keywords. From the URL, website visitors should be able to tell what content to expect. Avoid special characters and complicated letter-number combinations.

In the above example, the URL is https://www.zalando.de/jeansrock-sale/.

4. Images

Pay attention to the image size. Upload the product photos in the size you need them in the online shop. This way you shorten the loading time. Save the image with a descriptive file name that contains a focus keyword and fill in the fields for the title and alternative text when uploading. Simply use the file name for this or a short description for the alternative text.

5. Keywords

Use keywords strategically:

• in the headline (H1)
• in subheadlines (H2, H3 ...)
• in the meta texts
• in the URL
• in the image texts
• at the beginning of a paragraph

SEO Off-page optimizations for online shops

1. Build backlinks

Backlinks are links that lead from other domains to yours. Google checks and evaluates not only what happens on your domain, but also whether other domains consider you trustworthy. Google values links to your domain as a vote of confidence.

There are many ways to get backlinks to your online store. The passive variant is to have a great offer and wait for others to actively share your content out of enthusiasm.

You can also become active yourself by networking, using online directories, and online PR.

2. Being active on blogs and forums

Comments on blogs and forums that are thematically related increase awareness of your own online store. The important thing here is to follow the rules, as links are often not allowed.

3. Collaborating with influencers

Find influencers in your niche whose community matches your target audience. With collaborations, you can leverage the reach and trust of influencers for your own online store.

Technical aspects in search engine optimization for online stores

1. Load time

Seconds decide whether visitors stay or go. This sounds very dramatic and it is. Internet users are very impatient. If a webpage takes too long to load, they simply click back. And Google punishes with a worse ranking.

But what is too long? Test it right away!

Simply enter the URL of the website at PageSpeedInsights from Google and see how the website performs.

You will immediately receive recommendation and diagnoses to improve the loading time, e.g., compress images; reduce unused code; compress CSS.

The mobile version of the website can be tested with the tool Mobile Website Speed Test. Especially on the go, when there is no fibre connection available, short loading time is even more important.

2. Duplicate Content

All content on your website should be unique. In this context, we often speak of unique content. Google checks whether content already exists on the net and punishes with a worse ranking if content is copied.

Duplicate content is differentiated between external and internal.

External duplicate content arises when the content also exists on another domain. In online shops, this could be manufacturer information, for example. This problem is solved by always creating individual product descriptions.

Internal duplicate content arises when there are the same contents on the same domain on different URLs.

In an online shop, this cannot always be avoided, e.g., by using filters, pagination, and product variants.

To prevent this, these URLs can be excluded from indexing by search engines. This can be done with the so-called canonical tag. What exactly this is and how it works, you can read in this canonical tag guide.

By excluding this, a lot of ranking potential is lost. It is also possible to allow certain filter URLs, if e.g., there is a lot of search for it or if they are the top sellers of the online shop.

3. Deleted product pages

If a product is temporarily unavailable, the page should not be deleted. If you delete this page, it loses its ranking. It is better to add a note when the product is expected to be back in stock.

If products permanently disappear from the assortment, you should also not delete this page completely. The reason for this is that backlinks will run into a void as soon as pages are deleted.

There are several approaches to solving this problem: Redirect to a successor product or a similar category; individual 404-error-page; do not delete product even though it is no longer available.

All options have pros and cons.

4. Safety with HTTPS

The majority of all websites have already converted to HTTPS. HTTPS stands for "Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure" and ensures encrypted data transmission.

Users are warned when they want to access a website that does not guarantee encrypted transmission. For Google, this is a negative signal that damages your ranking.

What is the ideal website structure for online shops?

A very important aspect for the search engine optimization of your online shop is the website structure. This helps both the search engine and your online shop visitors to find their way around your website. The design of the website structure includes different factors, which we will now discuss in more detail.

Website structure of an online store

A good website structure is characterized by easy navigation, a pleasant user experience, and easy crawling for search engines. Also the website's loading speed is improved through a good website structure, because a clear website structure requires less code, fewer server requests and therefore loads faster. The shorter, the better!

But what does the ideal website Design structure look like? The website of an online shop should be structured hierarchically. Starting with the homepage (also called start page), there are 2-3 more levels and finally the product pages.

This is what a well-structured website for online shops could look like:

Example of a good website structure for online shops

If you are setting up your website from scratch or revising it, it makes sense and is helpful to include researched keywords. If you have an online shop for women's clothing, you can, for example, use keyword research to determine whether to call your category "Tops" or "Uppers". Put yourself in the position of your customers to set up a logical structure for product categories. Be inspired by other websites and see what you like and what you want to do better.

Also other important information like shipping options, support, contact etc. should be easy to find. Classically, these can be found in the footer area of the website. Not to forget are legally mandatory website like imprint, data protection and terms and conditions which you can also place in the footer area of your online shop.

Menu structure of an online shop for web and mobile

Once the structure of your website is set, you create the menu next. The online shop's menu reflects the website structure. Keep the menu structure as simple as possible and only adds the essentials. It is user-friendly, if every page of the online shop is reached with a maximum of three clicks.

For a lot of content, side menus can help to find your way around (sub-)categories. A side menu of a category could, for example, be a own website, which represents the subcategories in a tiled form, which then subsequently lead to the products.

Another option is to let a submenu pop-up when visitors hover over the main menu point with the mouse.

Here are two examples:

Thalia uses the menu directly for product placement

Fressnapf combines drop-down menu and category tiles

For the mobile view, it is advisable to create a separate, slimmer menu. The desktop menu is often too overloaded in the smaller mobile view. Therefore, think about what is really necessary. It's worth looking and evaluating the mobile usage separately to optimize the menu navigation accordingly.

URL structure of an online shop as a guide for humans and search engine

Next, we will look at the URL structure, because it is closely connected to the website structure. From the URL, it should be possible to determine where users are located on the website. A well-thought-out URL structure helps visitors to your online store, even in large online stores, to get to the desired product with a few clicks and also to go back again.

Here is a simple example for a fictional online shop that sells smart devices:

www.smartworld.com is the start page. As categories there are tablets, smartphones, and smartwatches.

www.smartworld.com/smartwatches leads to further subcategories: kids smartwatches, seniors smartwatches, women's smartwatches, and men's smartwatches.

www.smartworld.com/smartwatches/womens-smartwatch leads to the products for women.

If you click on a product, the product details, even as the product name, will appear in the URL. If you want to go back to the overview, you can simply delete the part with the product name and you are one level higher again.

There is, as often, not the one perfect structure. It is helpful to analyze the behavior of visitors and to constantly optimize the online shop based on these data.

Are you starting from zero and don't have a web shop yet? Then check Reviews of shop systems and web shop software. You will find not only well-known providers like Shopify and WooCommerce , but also unique shop systems like e.g. Ecwid with a free tariff. In addition, we have written an article with the best shop systems for you, where you can get detailed information about shop systems as well as functions and prices of the individual tools.

How to write SEO texts for an online shop?

Good SEO texts are one of the most important ranking factors. But also the purchase decision of customers stands and falls with good category and product descriptions. For search engines, it's important to find the relevant keywords on your web pages. This is how the search engine first knows which search entry to display the website on. To support the search engine, write your main keyword into the main headline, the H1 tag. Use your keywords also in intermediate headings (H2, H3 ...) and in paragraphs preferably at the beginning. This structure helps the search engine in scanning your content.

So, we come back to keyword research at this point. You need to know what your potential customers are looking for. Use exactly these terms in your online shop texts.

SEO text for the category pages of an online shop

If you have several, very similar products, it is easier to set up and optimize category pages for SEO. This means that the category pages contain a comprehensive description of the respective product category and show all the corresponding products underneath.

As these category texts provide an overview of the corresponding products, don't use too specific keywords for them. For the category "women's skirts" customers search for example for "women skirt buy" and then land on the category page with the product overview. There the online shop visitors find the offered women's skirts: short, long, midi, pencil. Based on the search request, it becomes clear that the shoppers have not yet made a decision for a specific skirt.

When writing the text for the category description, it is important not to do keyword stuffing. This means that too many keywords should not be integrated or stringed together in the text, just to have some present. Instead, write SEO texts for your online shop that really help customers in their product search. After all, it is worth nothing to be found by search engines if customers don't stay and buy.

If you are still unclear about how to write good SEO texts in general, then read our step-by-step guide.

SEO text for the product pages of an online shop

The product description on the product pages should not be a copy-and-paste of the manufacturer's description. For one thing, these texts are not very appealing, and for another, duplicate content can be created in this way. Search engines don't like this at all! Offer your online shop visitors interesting SEO texts that leave no questions about the product unanswered. It is a good idea to include frequently asked questions.

Instead of listing product features, you should highlight the benefits of the product and describe its features. Ask yourself: "How can this product make your customers' lives better, more beautiful, easier?".

An example:

A computer has 64 GB of RAM.

What is the advantage for customers?

They have a lot of space for software and other files.

How does an appealing package sound?

"With a 64GB hard drive, you can store all your documents on one computer without having to worry about performance issues."

Which text is most attractive to your customers depends on your target group. A computer expert will probably not be delighted with this example text. Therefore, you should know the wishes and needs of your customers exactly.

Keywords are very precise in product descriptions. Potential customers know exactly what they are looking for. Based on the skirt example, the search query could be "black denim mini skirt".

The following content can be included in your product description:

• Properties associated with benefits
• Manufacturer information
• Instructions for product use
• Special features of the product

If you want more tips on how to create attractive product descriptions that sell, then read our article on that.

Call-to-Action in SEO text for an online shop

At the end of a category or product page comes the call to action. With the call to action, you call the online shop visitors to take action. The call-to-action is often a button with texts like "Buy now", "Add to cart", or "Order now". With this, you encourage visitors to become active.

There is no minimum length for your texts in the online shop to generate SEO success. The best advice: As much as necessary, as little as possible.

How to find the right keywords for online shops?

Finding the right keywords is crucial to success and strongly influences all subsequent SEO measures. The task is to find the search terms that potential customers type into the search engine when they want to buy something.

We will look at these four topics before you can determine the right keywords:

Four steps of a keyword search

Keyword research

You should do a keyword research for every webpage of your online shop. Your products in the online shop already provide many keyword ideas. Ultimately, it's about making the products from your online shop better found. Taking a look at your most successful competitors helps to get orientation.

Create a table to record all keywords. It's important that you keep track of which webpage should rank for which keyword. If you try to rank for the same keyword on several pages, these pages will compete with each other.

To make your work easier, there are keyword research tools. So you don't have to search for a long time, check out this list of keyword research tools.

Search volume of the keywords

In the next step you research the search volume for the individual keywords. The search volume shows the number of search queries within a certain period of time. Also note this in your table. Whether the search volume is high or not arises from the values for the individual topic set.

Relevance of the keywords

Since you can't and shouldn't optimize for all search terms, you now determine the relevance of the keywords for you. How well does the search term match the product and content?

Tip: Conduct a search in incognito mode and see which search results you get with the keyword. Does your page fit in with the search results?

You will find that the keyword with the highest search volume is not always the best.

Ranking chances of the keywords

In the last step before deciding on keywords, you check how high your chances are of ranking for the respective keywords and also note this in your table. Most keyword and SEO tools directly indicate how highly contested a keyword is and what the competition is. Some keyword research tools also provide you with a key figure that indicates the ranking difficulty level – these include, for example, KWFinder by Mangools or Ubersuggest. In the incognito search, you can already see whether large online shop competitors occupy the first places.

After you have come up with keyword ideas and have analyzed these for search volume, relevance, competition, and ranking chances, you now have all the important information to decide which keywords you want to use. All factors must be considered as a whole in this last step. High search volume combined with high relevance and good ranking chances is a very good combination.

Which SEO tools are suitable for online shops?

There is not the perfect SEO tool for your online shop. The selection is wide, from free to paid. OMR Reviews already has selected and user-rated SEO tools. Check them out first and test a few before you decide.

If you want to save time, you can jump straight to the article with the 8 best SEO tools.

Here are the top 5 SEO tools from OMR Reviews:

1. Seobility
2. Neuroflash
3. Google Search Console
4. Sistrix
5. Screaming Frog SEO Spider

The keyword data of the tools differ from each other, as they access different data sources. Values are also recorded and evaluated over different periods of time, averages are determined and rounded, different spellings are summarized. This results in not giving out exact values.

Here are a few tips on how to find the right tool for you:

1. Check how the search volume is generated. For seasonal data, monthly average values are important.
2. Find out which data is used. Not all SEO tools use sufficient German data.
3. Test SEO tools for usability. Do you feel comfortable with them?
4. Decide what functionality is important for you. More is not always better.

Conclusion: No SEO, no chance

SEO pays off if done right. The question is not whether SEO is worthwhile for your online shop, but where you start with SEO optimization. If you haven't started yet: Keyword Research! Your success depends on it. Only when you have this foundation should you continue with website optimization.

Here is a summary of the SEO steps in the suggested order:

1. Keyword research
2. Website structure
3. Onpage SEO, especially important: product and category pages
4. Technical SEO
5. Offpage SEO

And don't forget: SEO is a process. If you implement SEO measures patiently and strategically, your chances are good of appearing on the first page of Google soon.