In the fast-paced world of eCommerce, SEO plays a vital role in driving organic traffic and increasing visibility for online businesses.

However, navigating the complexities of eCommerce SEO can be challenging, especially when it comes to avoiding common mistakes that can hinder your website's performance and hinder your ability to attract potential customers. From neglecting keyword research to overlooking technical SEO aspects, these mistakes can have a detrimental impact on your online presence.

In this article, we will explore some of the most common eCommerce SEO mistakes and provide valuable insights on how to avoid them, ensuring that your website stands out in the competitive digital landscape and attracts the right audience for your products or services.

Not conducting keyword research

One of the most critical mistakes in eCommerce SEO is neglecting to conduct thorough keyword research. Keywords are the foundation of SEO, as they directly influence your website's visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). Failing to identify and target the right keywords can result in missed opportunities to connect with potential customers actively searching for products or services you offer.

Without proper keyword research, you risk optimising your website for irrelevant or low-volume keywords, which will not drive meaningful organic traffic. To avoid this mistake, invest time in comprehensive keyword research to identify relevant, high-volume keywords with moderate competition. By understanding the language and search intent of your target audience, you can optimise your eCommerce website effectively, increase its visibility, and attract quality organic traffic that converts into sales.

So, how do you get started with keyword research? You can use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush, which provide insights into search volume, competition and related keywords. Analysing competitors' keywords can offer valuable insights too. Considering long-tail keywords, which are more specific and have lower competition, can help target niche audiences.

While incorporating relevant and high-traffic keywords strategically is key to improving your search engine rankings, don’t underestimate the value of zero search volume keywords.

Poor site structure

Having a well-structured website is crucial for all businesses, and it is particularly important for ecommerce SEO. However, several common site structure mistakes can hinder SEO efforts. These include having an excessive number of categories, using generic URLs that lack descriptive keywords and having duplicate content across pages.

Improving site structure requires stepping back and looking at your full website picture. It is not just the content on your pages that should be optimised with keywords – it is also essential to use descriptive URLs that incorporate relevant keywords.

Creating a clear and intuitive navigation structure that helps users find products easily will go a long way to ensuring your website visitors explore your website for longer, increasing the chances of them finding and buying the product they’re after.

A canonical tag is an HTML element used to indicate the preferred version of a webpage when there are multiple versions of the same or similar content. Implementing canonical tags ensures search engines know which page is the main one out of this duplicate content.

Neglecting mobile optimisation

Mobile optimisation is paramount for eCommerce SEO due to the increasing number of users accessing websites through mobile devices.

To give users the best mobile experience, make sure you don’t fall into common mobile optimisation mistakes, such as not having a responsive design, slow loading times and unoptimised images or videos.

It is essential to use a responsive design that adapts to various screen sizes, optimises images and videos for mobile viewing and minimises page load times by compressing files and leveraging caching techniques.

Not integrating your Google Ads and SEO strategies

Another crucial mistake in eCommerce SEO is failing to collaborate closely with your Google Ads specialist. While SEO focuses on organic search results, aligning your efforts with your Google Ads campaigns can give you even better results. Your Google Ads specialist possesses valuable insights into keyword performance, ad copy effectiveness, and audience targeting. By working together, you can gain a deeper understanding of user behaviour, identify high-converting keywords, and optimise your website accordingly.

Integrating your Google Ads and SEO strategy also helps to maximise your marketing efforts and preserve your budget. While you’re waiting for the right keywords to rank higher, you can bid on those keywords through Google Ads to get more visibility in the SERPs. Once those keywords do rank, you can reduce your Google Ads budget or redirect it somewhere else.

By fostering a collaborative relationship with your Google Ads specialist, you can leverage their expertise and align your eCommerce marketing efforts to drive qualified traffic, increase conversions, and ultimately enhance the overall success of your online business.

Putting all your marketing eggs in the SEO basket

Focusing solely on SEO and neglecting other marketing channels can be a detrimental mistake. While SEO is crucial for organic visibility, relying solely on it can limit your reach and potential for growth. Neglecting other marketing channels means missing out on opportunities to expand your brand's presence, attract new customers, and diversify your traffic sources.

By incorporating additional marketing channels such as social media marketing, email marketing, influencer partnerships, and paid advertising, you can reach a broader audience and increase your chances of driving conversions. Each marketing channel offers unique advantages, such as social media's ability to engage and build relationships with customers or email marketing's ability to nurture leads and drive repeat purchases.

Grow your eCommerce store with SEO services

Having worked in the SEO teams of Officeworks and Kmart, our founder Remi Audette understands the intricacies of eCommerce SEO and the importance of avoiding these mistakes. With our eCommerce SEO services, you can optimise your eCommerce website, attract the right audience, and achieve long-term success in the competitive online marketplace. Contact us today to learn more about how we can elevate your eCommerce SEO strategy and propel your business forward.

Common eCommerce SEO mistakes and how to avoid them