Reminder: what is the purpose of SEO?
If it is your first website or online store, you might not be familiar with SEO. In sum, SEO, which means Search Engine Optimization, is all the actions you take to ensure that your site appears as high as possible in the search results. But why is it important that Google likes your site? The answer is simple: the higher your online store is on search engines, the more chances you will have visitors and, consequently, get sales
Google indexes websites according to relevancy. This search engine uses many different criteria to index sites and presents them for those doing searches.
The General SEO of Your Website
Whether it is for your online store or your website, there are a few basic rules to respect to optimize your site for search engines. Please note that there are more than these four criteria regarding SEO; therefore, we invite you to read our blog articles on that topic.
A domain name related to your field of activities
A relevant domain name can help your SEO because it is somewhat one of your site's most important keywords. Your domain name should then be related to your field of activities. If possible, use the name of your business to increase your credibility.
Find the right keywords
Keywords are a little bit like the pillar of your SEO. It is thanks to them that Google will understand what your site is about and index it accordingly. This cannot be taken lightly, especially when many keywords can be very competitive.
Make tests on Google and tools like Ubersuggest to have keyword suggestions. Once you have found your main keywords, you will have to use them everywhere (titles, texts, descriptions, title tags, meta descriptions, etc.) on your online store, so Google understands that it is important words for your site.
You might need to be more specific in order to stand out. For example, there are more and more online stores that offer eco-friendly products. Find out what makes your business unique. In that case, you could specify that it is eco-friendly products made from bamboo or that they were made in a specific region.
→ 3 Tips to choose the right keywords for your website.
Complete the title tags and meta descriptions
As we mentioned earlier, we need to find your keywords at different places on your online store, especially in the title tags and meta descriptions of every webpage. When your online store appears on search engines, the displayed title is the title tag, and the description is the meta description.
You can customize these two elements directly on the WebSelf editor by clicking on the PAGES tab located left, and then on the page and SEO. A title tag should have approximately 50 characters, while the meta description should not have more than 200 characters.
Add backlinks to your online store
Last important point: the backlinks. Backlinks are simply links that lead to your website. The more there are credible and relevant sites that have a link to your online store, the more search engines will find it important.
But what can you do to have these links on other sites? First, do not forget to add a link to your online store on your social media. Then, if you are a member of an association, you can ask to add a backlink to your online store to look for partnerships.
The Search Engine Optimization of Your Online Store
When you create a product that you want to sell on your online store, this creates a new page automatically on your website. Add a title and a description to your product so it can be indexed on search engines.
On the WebSelf editor, click on the Shop module. Then, click on Catalog, and Products. You can find the SEO settings section at the bottom right of the product page. Add a title (title tag) and the description of your product (meta description). Once more, think about adding the most important keywords of your online store and avoid copying different content that already exists on your site.
Another important point: when you add a picture for your product, do not forget to add the ALT text by clicking on the three points icon located close to the Add a picture button. Write a short description of the image so Google can understand what is on that photo.
In conclusion, why not add a blog to your online store to increase the available content and your credibility as well? Tell yourself that each article you will add will be like another path to your website. You can also follow your statistics with tools like Google Analytics or Google Search Console.