Website visibility on Google is vital for eCommerce stores, as over half of all purchases start with a search. Appearing on the first page of Google’s search results can significantly impact your profits. However, with intense competition, achieving this goal might seem challenging.

When it comes to increasing your visibility on Google, there’s a lot to learn. In this article, we’ll cover the essentials of eCommerce search engine optimization (SEO), the impact of search engine visibility on your eCommerce site, and effective tactics to make your website more visible on Google.

Understanding Online Visibility for Ecommerce

Online visibility refers to how easily search engines can locate your content. With the rise of online commerce, maintaining a strong online presence has become crucial in today’s competitive eCommerce landscape. It’s no longer just about having a great website; your visibility must extend across the entire digital ecosystem.

Visibility is not solely about search engine rankings but also about ensuring that people are aware of your presence. Your content should be discoverable across various media platforms where your customers are active. To increase visibility, establish a regular posting schedule on social media and engage with users on blogs, forums, and review sites. This broader online presence leads to increased traffic and, ultimately, higher sales.

How to Improve Ecommerce Visibility on Google

1. Identify the Right Keywords

Every eCommerce site should have a list of keywords that can organically grow the business over time. However, the challenge lies in selecting the most effective keywords.

The eCommerce environment is unique because shoppers often focus on finding a specific product or service rather than searching for general information. User intent is a critical factor in keyword research for eCommerce websites.

Using tools like the SEO keyword generator by SE Ranking can help you identify the most valuable phrases for your SEO and PPC campaigns. These tools provide an analysis of key parameters, including keyword difficulty, search volume, and average price per click in Google Ads campaigns.

Expand your keyword list by exploring:

  • Related Keywords: Terms and phrases with similar page rankings as the analyzed keyword.
  • Similar Keywords: Keywords that share similar meanings to the primary keyword.
  • Low-Search Volume Keywords: Long-tail queries with specific intent that, while less frequently searched, can attract highly targeted traffic.

2. Ensure Product Page Crawlability and Indexing

Crawlability and indexing are critical for your eCommerce store’s search visibility. These factors tell Google what your store is about and what products you offer, guiding visitors to the pages they need.

Large eCommerce sites with numerous products often face challenges with web crawling and indexing due to complex navigation structures. To check if your important pages are indexed, use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console. This tool provides insights from a Googlebot’s perspective and highlights any issues encountered during site crawling. It also offers valuable information on the overall crawlability of your domain.

3. Optimize Your Page Load Speed

Page load speed significantly affects visitor behavior, as many shoppers abandon sites that take too long to load. Optimizing page load speed is essential for improving user satisfaction and reducing bounce rates.

Google also favors faster-loading websites, often ranking them higher in search results, particularly on mobile devices where users are less tolerant of slow speeds.

Start by identifying the pages that load slowly using Google Analytics under Behavior > Site Speed > Desktop Slowest and Mobile Slowest. Once identified, take steps to improve these pages, such as:

  • Image Optimization: Reduce image sizes to decrease load times.
  • Efficient Hosting: Ensure your hosting provider offers fast and reliable service.
  • Code Optimization: Remove unnecessary plugins, optimize JavaScript, and choose well-designed themes to reduce load times.

4. Upload Product Data to Google Merchant Center

Whether you sell on platforms like Amazon or Etsy or run your own eCommerce business, uploading product data to Google Merchant Center can enhance the visibility of your products in Google’s search results and Shopping ads.

Google Merchant Center serves as a hub for your product data, allowing you to submit information that Google can crawl and use in rich results and Shopping ads. This increases the relevance of your products in searches, bringing more qualified traffic to your site and potentially boosting sales.

5. Write Quality eCommerce Content to Meet Customer Needs

Visitors to your eCommerce website have specific goals, so your content should cater to various stages of the buyer’s journey. Quality eCommerce content provides valuable information throughout the shopping experience, from pre-purchase research to post-purchase support.

Consider focusing on:

  • Brand Story: Build trust by sharing your brand’s story, helping customers connect with who you are.
  • Product Reviews: Include customer reviews to provide insight into product quality and usability.
  • Informative Descriptions: Create detailed product descriptions with relevant keywords, metadata, and clear language to attract both search engines and customers.

6. Build Backlinks to Your eCommerce Site

Backlinks, or links from other websites to yours, are crucial for eCommerce SEO. They enhance your site’s authority, signaling to potential customers and search engines that your website is credible and noteworthy.

Effective link-building strategies involve creating high-quality content that other sites will want to link to, helping you reach your target audience and improve your search engine rankings.

7. Encourage and Publish Product Reviews

Product reviews are a valuable resource for shoppers, offering insights from other customers. High-quality reviews can help potential buyers decide whether a product is worth purchasing.

Focus on writing detailed, honest reviews that highlight the pros and cons, offer personal insights, and provide recommendations. Avoid sounding like a sales pitch—authenticity is key.

8. Launch a Paid Search Ads Campaign

Paid search ads are an effective way to increase brand visibility, expand your reach, and drive traffic to your site. By targeting relevant keywords and setting a budget, your ads will appear at the top of search engine results when potential customers are searching for products you offer.

A successful paid search ad strategy involves:

  • Creating a Campaign: Set up ad groups and ads in Google Ads, targeting your chosen keywords.
  • Setting Bids & Budget: Adjust bids for each keyword and allocate your budget to maximize results.
  • Evaluating Performance: Monitor and optimize your campaign based on performance data, adjusting keywords, bids, and ads as needed.

Conclusion

In the competitive world of eCommerce, getting found in search results is crucial for success. Visibility on Google is essential, as more than half of all purchases start with a search. Appearing on the first page of search results directly impacts your profitability.

To ensure customers find your site when searching for the products or services you offer, employ a comprehensive strategy that includes SEO, paid marketing, and the organic tactics discussed in this article. A well-rounded approach will increase your chances of reaching your target audience and driving more sales.