Every online store owner wants to see their e-commerce website at the top of the search results. Studies show that 75% of users never go past the first page, and if your products aren’t visible, your competitors are getting the clicks (and customers) instead. Higher rankings mean more organic traffic, which can lead to increased sales and growth. But with fierce competition in the digital marketplace, improving your website’s SEO ranking requires a strategic approach.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover 18 proven tips to boost your e-commerce site’s visibility on Google and other search engines. These methods have been tested and are trusted by SEO experts to drive better rankings in 2025. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
1. Start With Keyword Research and Analysis
Why it matters: Effective keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. By understanding what terms your potential customers are searching for, you can create content and product pages that directly address their needs.
Begin by brainstorming a list of relevant keywords related to your products and niche. Then use keyword research tools (like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs) to find search volumes, discover long-tail keywords, and gauge the competition for each term. Focus on long-tail keywords that indicate strong purchase intent — for example, “buy blue running shoes online” rather than just “shoes”. Long-tail queries may have a lower search volume, but they often convert better and are less competitive.
Analyse the keywords your competitors rank for as well. This can reveal keyword opportunities you might have missed. Organise your target keywords into groups (e.g., by product category or intent) to help plan which pages to optimise for which terms. By starting with thorough keyword analysis, you ensure every page of your e-commerce site is aligned with how real users search.
2. Research Your Competitors
Why it matters: Keeping an eye on your competition can provide insights into what works and what doesn’t in your industry’s SEO landscape. If rival online stores consistently outrank you, studying their approach can highlight areas for improvement on your own site.
Perform a competitor analysis by identifying your top online competitors (those who rank highly for your target keywords). Visit their websites and note their site structure, content strategy, and any unique features. Look at the keywords they target in their title tags, product descriptions, and blog content. Use SEO tools to examine their backlink profile – which quality websites are linking to them? Competitors’ backlinks can help you discover potential link opportunities for your own site.
Additionally, observe their on-page elements: How detailed are their product pages? Do they have buyer’s guides or Q&A sections that engage shoppers? By researching competitors, you can gather proven tactics. For example, if a competitor’s category page content seems to help them rank well, consider adding similar informative content to yours (in your own unique words). The goal isn’t to copy, but to learn and then do even better. Combining competitor insights with your unique value will give you an SEO edge.
3. Make Sure Your Website Architecture is Simple and Easy to Navigate
Why it matters: A clean, logical website architecture helps both users and search engines. Google’s crawlers can index your pages more effectively, and visitors can find products without frustration. A simple site structure also spreads “link equity” (ranking power from backlinks) efficiently across your site.
Structure your e-commerce site in a hierarchy that makes sense. Ideally, your pages should be accessible within a few clicks from the homepage. For example, a typical structure might be: Homepage > Category > Subcategory (if needed) > Product page. Use clear navigation menus and include a search bar so users can quickly find what they want. Implement breadcrumb navigation on your pages – this not only aids navigation but also provides additional internal links for search engines to follow.
Avoid deep nesting of pages or having orphan pages (pages not linked from anywhere on your site). Create an HTML sitemap or a well-organised menu that lists all main product categories. Simplicity is key: if your site is easy to navigate, shoppers will stay longer (reducing bounce rate), and search engines will reward you with better crawl coverage. A well-structured site forms the backbone of all other SEO efforts.
4. Create Unique Content
Why it matters: Content is king in SEO. For e-commerce sites, having unique and valuable content can set you apart from competitors who might be using boilerplate or manufacturer-provided descriptions. Unique content attracts both search engine attention and engages your customers.
Start by writing original product descriptions instead of copying manufacturers’ text. Highlight the features and benefits of each product in a way that speaks to your target audience. If multiple products are similar, ensure each description focuses on what makes that specific item special. Beyond product pages, consider adding a blog or resources section where you can publish guides, how-tos, and industry news relevant to your products. This kind of content can target informational keywords and bring in visitors who aren’t yet ready to buy but may convert later.
Include related entities and terms naturally in your writing. For example, if you sell coffee makers, a blog post on “How to Brew the Perfect Cup at Home” might mention related topics like coffee beans, roast types, or water temperature. This semantic richness helps search engines understand the breadth of your content. In short, aim to become an authority in your niche with content that is both unique and useful.
5. Avoid Thin and Duplicate Content
Why it matters: Thin content (pages with very little useful text) and duplicate content (identical or very similar content on multiple pages) can hurt your SEO. Google’s algorithms, such as Panda, are designed to filter out low-quality content from top results. Ensuring each page has substantial and unique content improves your site’s credibility and rankings.
Audit your site for any pages that might have thin or duplicate content. Common culprits include:
- Product pages with minimal info: If a product page only has a line or two of text, beef it up with more details, specs, usage tips, or customer reviews.
- Duplicate product descriptions: If the same product description is used across many products (perhaps for variations like colour or size), try to differentiate them or use a canonical tag (more on canonicals later) to tell Google which version is primary.
- Category pages with little content: Add a brief intro or buying guide at the top or bottom of category pages to give search engines some context about the products listed.
Remove or improve any duplicate content. For instance, if you have an old blog post that says almost the same thing as a newer one, consider merging them or updating one and deleting the other with a redirect. Use tools or Google Search Console to identify duplicate title tags or meta descriptions – they can hint at duplicate content issues on the site. By eliminating thin and duplicate content, you ensure every indexed page provides real value, which can boost your overall SEO performance.
6. Optimise Your Category Pages
Why it matters: Category pages often target broad keywords (like “Men’s Running Shoes” or “4K Televisions”) that can have high search volume. Optimising these pages can capture shoppers who are browsing rather than looking for a specific product. Well-optimised category pages can rank highly and funnel significant traffic to your products.
To optimise a category page:
- Title Tag & Meta Description: Include the category name and a compelling description with a call-to-action. For example, a meta description might say, “Shop the latest men’s running shoes. Discover top brands and get free shipping on orders over £50.”
- Header (H1): Use a clear H1 that includes the category keyword (e.g., “Men’s Running Shoes”). This tells both users and search engines what the page is about.
- Introductory Content: Write a short paragraph at the top of the page introducing the category. Mention what kinds of products are included, any popular brands, or buying tips. Keep it concise so it doesn’t push products too far down.
- SEO-Friendly Filters: If you allow filtering by size, colour, etc., ensure that filter pages don’t create separate indexable URLs with duplicate content. Use canonical tags or noindex meta tags for filtered results to avoid SEO issues.
- Internal Links: Within category descriptions or on sidebars, link to top products or relevant subcategories. For example, on a “Running Shoes” category page, you might link to a popular “Nike Air Zoom” product page or a subcategory for “Trail Running Shoes.”
By giving attention to category pages, you create an engaging section for users browsing a broad topic and also signal to Google that this page is a comprehensive hub for that subject. This can help your category pages outrank competitors in search results.
7. Make Sure Your Product Pages Are Also Optimised for Search Engines
Why it matters: Product pages are where conversions happen. They should be attractive to potential buyers, but they also need to be easily understood by search engines. An optimised product page can rank for product-specific searches and even appear in rich results (like rich snippets with reviews).
Key elements for product page SEO:
- Unique Product Title: Use the product name in the title tag and H1, and consider adding a brief descriptor. For example, “SuperBlend 5000 Blender – High-Speed 5-Speed Kitchen Blender”.
- Meta Description: Write a persuasive meta description highlighting key features or offers (free shipping, discounts) to improve click-through from search results.
- High-Quality Images with Alt Text: Include multiple photos of the product, and use descriptive alt text for each (e.g., alt=”SuperBlend 5000 High-Speed Blender in stainless steel”). Alt text helps with image search and accessibility.
- Detailed Description: Provide specifications, dimensions, materials, and any information a shopper might need. The more comprehensive, the better – answer common questions right on the page.
- Customer Reviews and Q&A: Enabling reviews adds fresh user-generated content and builds trust. If customers can ask questions, the Q&A content can also improve SEO with natural language queries.
- Related Products: Showcase related or recommended products. This not only helps with internal linking but can keep customers on your site longer exploring other options.
Remember to optimise the URL structure (short and containing the product name), and ensure the page loads quickly. By covering all these bases, your product pages become more likely to rank well and convert visitors into buyers.
8. Your Product Must Be High-Quality
Why it matters: While this tip goes beyond pure SEO tweaks, the quality of your product influences your SEO indirectly. High-quality products lead to satisfied customers, positive reviews, and repeat business – all of which send good signals to search engines about your site’s credibility and relevance.
Think about it: if your products are subpar, customers may leave negative reviews or return the items, potentially leading to negative feedback on your site or elsewhere. Poor customer satisfaction can result in lower overall ratings (which might show up in search results if you have review schema implemented). On the flip side, offering excellent products (and accurately representing them on your site) can lead to glowing reviews and word-of-mouth referrals that increase direct traffic and brand searches.
From an SEO perspective, brand searches and direct traffic are positive indicators. Google notices when people seek out your brand or when they click on your site and stick around because they found what they wanted. So always strive to offer products that meet or exceed expectations. Pair quality offerings with detailed, honest descriptions so customers know exactly what they’re getting. This builds trust, and trust ultimately contributes to better engagement metrics and SEO performance.
9. Add Internal Links Effectively
Why it matters: Internal linking helps distribute authority throughout your website and guides users to relevant content. It’s also one of the easiest ways to improve SEO that’s completely under your control. Smart internal links can increase the time visitors spend on your site and help search engines discover all your pages.
Link related pages together. For instance, if you have a blog post about “10 Summer Fashion Trends”, link from it to relevant product category pages or specific product pages (like summer dresses or sunglasses). Within product descriptions, you might mention and link to complementary products (“This camera pairs well with our photography lighting kit.”). Ensure your anchor text is descriptive and includes keywords naturally related to the target page – avoid generic links like “click here”.
Maintain a logical internal linking structure:
- Breadcrumbs: As mentioned earlier, breadcrumbs provide a consistent internal link trail (e.g., Home > Category > Product) which aids navigation and SEO.
- Related Products/Related Posts: Use these sections to suggest other content. If someone is looking at a smartphone, a “You might also like” section could link to phone cases or alternative phone models.
- Navigation Menus and Footers: Don’t neglect linking to key pages from your main menu or footer. The footer can be a good place to link to important pages like top categories, return policy, blog, etc., which ensures those pages get crawled frequently.
By adding internal links in an organic way (always ask, “Will this link help the user?”), you improve crawlability and keep users engaged. Just be careful not to overdo it – a page flooded with dozens of links can be overwhelming. Aim for a balance where every internal link serves a purpose.
10. Ensure Your Site is Perfectly Mobile-Responsive
Why it matters: More than half of all web traffic comes from mobile devices, and for e-commerce, many shoppers browse and purchase on their phones. Google also predominantly uses the mobile version of content for indexing (mobile-first indexing). A mobile-responsive site not only provides a better user experience but is essential for SEO.
Test how your website looks and functions on various screen sizes, from large desktops to smartphones. Your design should automatically adjust (responsive design) so that buttons are easily clickable, text is readable without zooming, and images fit nicely on smaller screens. Avoid formats that don’t work on mobile (like Flash, which is obsolete anyway) and ensure that any pop-ups or interstitials are mobile-friendly (Google penalises sites with intrusive pop-ups on mobile).
Site speed is especially critical on mobile – a slow site will frustrate users on the go. Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test and PageSpeed Insights tools to identify issues. Sometimes, simplifying your mobile design (less fancy animations, smaller images) can significantly improve load times. Remember, if mobile users have a hard time using your site, they’ll leave – leading to higher bounce rates which can hurt your rankings. Making your e-commerce site seamless on mobile devices is a must in 2025 and beyond.
11. Add Canonical Tags on Every Page
Why it matters: Canonical tags help prevent duplicate content issues by indicating the “preferred” version of a page when there are similar or duplicate pages on your site. E-commerce websites often have multiple URLs that show the same or similar content (for instance, a product listed in two different categories, or pages with URL parameters like sorting and filtering options). Without canonicals, Google might index duplicate pages and split your SEO juice between them.
A canonical tag is a snippet of code in the HTML <head> of a page that looks like: <link rel=”canonical” href=”https://www.yoursite.com/preferred-page-url” />. This tells search engines, “If you find this page or its duplicates, treat the URL in the href as the main one.”
Implementing canonical tags on all product and category pages is a best practice. For example, if your product can be accessed via multiple URLs, pick one as the canonical (usually the cleanest URL without parameters). Most modern e-commerce platforms or SEO plugins will let you set canonicals easily. Also, if you syndicate content (maybe your blog post is republished elsewhere), use a canonical pointing to the original article on your site.
By using canonical tags, you consolidate ranking signals to the main version of a page and avoid confusing search engines with duplicate content. This helps ensure your pages maintain maximum ranking power.
12. Add Product and Relevant Schema Markup
Why it matters: Schema markup (structured data) helps search engines better understand the information on your pages and can enable rich snippets in search results. For e-commerce sites, this can mean showing star ratings, price, availability, and other details directly on the Google results page – which can greatly increase click-through rates.
Implement schema types that are relevant to your site:
- Product Schema: Add structured data for product name, description, SKU, brand, price, currency, availability (in stock/out of stock), and more. This markup makes you eligible for rich snippets that display those details.
- Review Schema: If your products have reviews, use review or aggregateRating schema to show star ratings and average ratings. Seeing a 4.5★ rating in the search results can attract more clicks.
- Breadcrumb Schema: Mark up your breadcrumb navigation with schema. This can make Google display your breadcrumbs in the result (e.g., Home > Category > Product) instead of a full URL, which looks neat and provides context to users.
- Organization Schema: Include your business details (name, logo, contact info) via Organization schema on your site’s footer or about page. It’s not directly tied to ranking, but it contributes to your overall SEO health and brand presence.
- FAQ Schema: If you have an FAQ section on product pages or a Q&A section, marking it up with FAQ schema can sometimes get you an eye-catching dropdown in search results.
Using schema doesn’t directly boost your rankings, but it enhances your search listing appearance, which can lead to higher click-through rates (CTR). A higher CTR can indirectly improve your SEO as Google notices when more people click your result. In short, schema markup is a technical enhancement that can give you a competitive edge in the SERPs.
13. Create an XML Sitemap and Update It Regularly
Why it matters: An XML sitemap is like a roadmap of your website that you give to search engines. It lists all your important URLs so that search engine crawlers can find and index your pages more efficiently. For large e-commerce sites with many pages (products, categories, blog posts), a sitemap ensures nothing gets overlooked.
Generate an XML sitemap that includes all indexable pages of your website. Many CMS platforms and SEO plugins (like Yoast for WordPress or built-in features in Shopify) can create a sitemap for you automatically. Once you have a sitemap (usually accessible at yoursite.com/sitemap.xml), submit it to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. This tells search engines to reference your sitemap when crawling your site.
Make sure to update the sitemap whenever you add or remove significant pages (most modern tools handle this if set up correctly). For e-commerce, consider splitting your sitemap into multiple files if you have thousands of URLs (for example: one sitemap for products, one for categories, one for blog posts). This helps manage them more easily.
Regularly check your Google Search Console for any sitemap errors or indexing issues. If you discontinue products or change URLs, remember to remove those from the sitemap or update accordingly. By keeping an updated sitemap, you make the search engines’ job easier, which can lead to faster indexing and updates to your listings.
14. Optimise Your Site for Page Speed
Why it matters: Page speed has a direct impact on user experience and a confirmed influence on SEO. Slow-loading pages frustrate users, leading to higher bounce rates and lower conversion rates. Google has incorporated site speed (and more recently Core Web Vitals like loading, interactivity, and layout stability) into its ranking algorithms. A faster site can rank higher than a slower competitor, all else being equal.
To speed up your e-commerce site:
- Compress and Optimise Images: Large images are often the biggest culprit for slow pages. Use compressed image formats (like WebP) or compression tools, and only use images as large as needed for your design.
- Minify CSS and JavaScript: Remove unnecessary characters and spaces in code files to reduce their size. Also, try to defer or asynchronously load JavaScript not needed immediately, so it doesn’t block page rendering.
- Enable Browser Caching and Use a CDN: Caching allows returning visitors to load pages faster by storing some parts locally. A Content Delivery Network (CDN) serves your site’s static files (images, scripts, etc.) from servers closest to the user, speeding up delivery.
- Reduce Server Response Time: Choose a good hosting provider and ensure your backend (database, application) is optimised. Sometimes upgrading to a better server or optimising your database queries can shave off significant load time.
- Use Lazy Loading: Especially for pages with lots of images (like category pages or long blog posts), implement lazy loading so images load only when they come into the viewport, rather than all at once.
Regularly test your site with tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to see where you can improve. Even shaving off half a second can boost your engagement and SEO. For e-commerce, speed is money – faster pages mean happier shoppers and likely better search rankings.
15. Add Redirection If the Page Returns a 404 Error
Why it matters: Over time, e-commerce sites often accumulate broken links. Maybe you discontinued a product or changed a URL structure – if those old URLs are not properly redirected, visitors (and search engines) will hit 404 error pages. Too many 404s are bad for user experience and can waste the “SEO juice” from any backlinks pointing to those pages. Implementing redirects ensures you don’t lose traffic or ranking potential from broken links.
When you remove a product or page, always set up a 301 redirect from that URL to the most relevant alternative:
- If a product is no longer available, redirect to a similar product or the parent category page. For example, if “XYZ Running Shoe” is discontinued, redirect its page to the “Running Shoes” category or a newer model’s page.
- If you’ve reorganised your site structure or renamed URLs, map the old URLs to the new ones one-to-one.
- For any mistakenly created URLs or typos that got indexed, either redirect them or intentionally serve a helpful 404 page that guides users back to your site.
Use Google Search Console Coverage and Crawl Errors reports to identify any 404 pages that Google has encountered. Fix them by adding redirects. Also, update your internal links if they were pointing to those now-removed pages.
A custom 404 page is also a good practice – something that apologises for the missing page and offers links to popular products or a search box. But ultimately, preventing 404s via redirects is the ideal. This way, both users and search engines seamlessly find the content they need without hitting dead ends.
16. Ensure Your Site is SSL-Certified
Why it matters: Security is vital, especially for e-commerce sites that handle sensitive customer information like credit card details and personal data. An SSL certificate encrypts data between the user’s browser and your website, and visibly it changes your site protocol to HTTPS (with a padlock icon in the browser). Google has used HTTPS as a lightweight ranking signal since 2014, and browsers now flag non-HTTPS sites as “Not secure”, which can scare away visitors.
Getting an SSL certificate is usually straightforward – many hosts provide free SSL (via Let’s Encrypt) or you can purchase one for more advanced needs. Once installed, ensure that all pages on your site redirect to the HTTPS version (and update any hard-coded internal links to use https://). Mixed content (like an image or script still loading over http:// on an https:// page) can cause security warnings, so check for those and fix them.
Beyond the SEO boost and user trust, some features like HTTP/2 (which can improve site speed) or using modern progressive web apps require HTTPS. Essentially, there’s no good reason for an e-commerce site to not be SSL-certified today.
By ensuring your store is fully on HTTPS, you protect your customers and send the right trust signals to search engines and shoppers alike. It’s a foundational step for both SEO and general web best practices.
17. Prioritise Backlink Quality Over Quantity
Why it matters: Not all backlinks are created equal. One link from a reputable, high-authority website in your industry can be far more valuable than dozens of links from low-quality or unrelated sites. Google’s algorithm considers the quality of backlinks pointing to your site as a major ranking factor. In the context of e-commerce, earning high-quality backlinks can significantly boost your domain authority and rankings for competitive keywords.
Focus on building a natural and authoritative backlink profile:
- Create Link-Worthy Content: Publish useful resources like buying guides, infographics, or research that others might reference and link to. For example, a “Complete Guide to Choosing the Right Running Shoe” could earn links from fitness blogs or forums.
- Influencer & Partner Outreach: If you have brands or suppliers you work with, see if they will link to your site as a retailer. Collaborate with influencers or bloggers in your niche – perhaps they can review your product or feature it in a list, providing a backlink.
- Guest Posting: Contribute articles to reputable websites in your industry with a link back to your site (where appropriate). This not only gets you a backlink but also positions you as an authority.
- Avoid Spammy Practices: Steer clear of buying links or participating in link schemes. A sudden influx of low-quality links can do more harm than good. It’s better to have 10 good links than 100 bad ones.
Quality backlinks often take time and effort to acquire, but they’re worth it. Monitor your backlink profile using tools or Google Search Console’s “Links” report to see who’s linking to you. If you find toxic or completely irrelevant spam links, you might disavow them, but primarily focus on attracting good links. In the long run, a strong backlink profile will elevate all your pages in the search rankings.
18. Implement These Tips and Best Practices in Your Strategy
Why it matters: Knowing what to do is only half the battle – the other half is execution. SEO is not a one-time task but an ongoing process. Consistently applying these best practices and monitoring their impact will yield the best results for your e-commerce website.
Make a plan to implement the above tips systematically:
- Start with an SEO audit of your site (more on that below) to identify which areas need urgent attention.
- Tackle technical foundations like site architecture, mobile responsiveness, and SSL first, as these can affect all pages.
- Then work on content improvements: updating product and category content, removing duplicates, and adding new informative content.
- Set up a routine to monitor performance. Use Google Analytics to track organic traffic and conversions, and Google Search Console to watch for any crawl errors or warnings (like new 404s or mobile usability issues).
- Continue keyword research and content expansion as your site grows. SEO trends evolve, but focusing on user experience and quality content will always be in style.
By implementing these 18 tips, you’ll build a strong SEO foundation for your online store. Remember, patience is key – improvements in ranking and traffic can take a few weeks or months to become evident. Stay consistent, keep learning, and adjust your strategy as needed. Over time, you’ll likely see your e-commerce website climb the ranks, bringing you more organic traffic and sales.
How to Conduct an SEO Audit for Your E-Commerce Site?
Even with all these tips, it’s wise to periodically review your site’s overall SEO health. That’s where an SEO audit comes in. Conducting a thorough audit of your e-commerce site will help you catch any issues and opportunities you might have overlooked.
To perform an SEO audit:
- Technical Check: Examine your site’s crawlability and indexability. Ensure there are no blocking robots.txt directives, broken links, or server errors. Check that your XML sitemap is up-to-date and that you have no duplicate content issues (use tools to crawl your site).
- On-Page SEO Review: Audit your title tags, meta descriptions, and headings across the site. Are they unique, keyword-optimised, and compelling? Also, look at your content quality – are some pages thin or outdated?
- Site Performance: Test page speeds and mobile-friendliness. Core Web Vitals (like loading speed, interactivity, visual stability) should ideally be in the green.
- Off-Page & Backlinks: Analyze your backlink profile. Identify strong backlinks and any toxic ones. See how your domain authority stacks up against competitors.
- Analytics & Console Data: Dive into Google Analytics to see user behaviour (high bounce pages, exit pages) and Search Console for any errors (coverage issues, security issues, manual actions).
An SEO audit can be complex, but it provides a roadmap of what to fix. If you’re not sure where to start, check out our Complete SEO Audit guide, which walks you through each step in detail. Regular audits (for example, every 6-12 months) ensure your e-commerce site stays in peak SEO shape and adapts to any algorithm changes.
How to Fix Google Search Console Errors for Your Site?
Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool that is invaluable for website owners. It alerts you to a variety of issues that could affect your search performance. If you’re seeing errors or warnings in GSC, it’s important to address them promptly to maintain a healthy website.
Common GSC issues and how to fix them:
- 404 Not Found Errors: As discussed, fix these by adding 301 redirects to relevant URLs or restoring the missing pages if they were removed unintentionally.
- Coverage Issues: You might see errors like “Indexed, though blocked by robots.txt” or “Duplicate without user-selected canonical”. Investigate each—remove the block if the page should be indexed, or add/fix a canonical tag as needed.
- Mobile Usability Warnings: For example, text too small to read, clickable elements too close together, or content wider than the screen. Resolve these by adjusting your site’s mobile design (larger font sizes, adequate spacing, responsive layout adjustments).
- Core Web Vitals Issues: If GSC reports “LCP issue: longer than 4s” or other loading and stability issues, you’ll need to optimise your site speed (see tip #14 above for ideas like image compression and code optimisation).
For a step-by-step approach to resolve these and other GSC errors, refer to our guide on how to Fix Google Search Console Errors. It’s important to regularly check GSC (set up email alerts for new issues) so you can catch problems early. By keeping your Search Console clean of errors, you ensure that Google can crawl and index your site efficiently and that users get the best experience.
What E-Commerce Platform is Best for an Online Store?
Choosing the right e-commerce platform is a foundational decision that can impact your site’s SEO and performance. The “best” platform depends on your business needs, but you should consider how each platform supports SEO features, ease of use, and scalability.
Two of the most popular platforms are WooCommerce (a plugin for WordPress) and Shopify:
- WooCommerce: This platform is highly flexible and gives you great control, especially when it comes to SEO. With WooCommerce, you can use WordPress’s SEO plugins (like Yoast or Rank Math) to fine-tune every aspect of on-page SEO. It’s self-hosted, meaning you’ll handle your own hosting and maintenance, but that also means you have full control over site speed optimisation and customisation. If you value flexibility and control and don’t mind a bit of a learning curve, WooCommerce is excellent.
- Shopify: Shopify is a hosted solution, very user-friendly and quick to set up. It has robust e-commerce features out of the box and handles security and updates for you. SEO-wise, Shopify covers the basics well (it’s mobile-friendly, has SSL, allows meta tag editing, etc.), but it can be slightly less flexible than WooCommerce in terms of URL structures or certain advanced SEO tweaks. However, for most merchants, Shopify’s simplicity and reliability are a big plus.
There are other platforms too, like Magento (good for large enterprises needing heavy customisation), BigCommerce, Wix eCommerce, and more. Each has its pros and cons in terms of SEO. The key is to choose a platform that:
- allows you to edit meta tags and URLs,
- generates a clean site structure,
- supports plugins or apps for SEO enhancements (like schema markup, sitemap generation),
- and fits your technical comfort level.
We’ve compared two of the top choices in our WooCommerce vs Shopify article, which can help you weigh the benefits of each for SEO and overall business needs. Whichever platform you choose, remember that great content and solid SEO practices can be implemented on almost any platform — but starting with one that aligns with your goals will make the journey smoother.
How to Choose a Good SEO Company for E-Commerce SEO?
If you decide to enlist professional help for your e-commerce SEO, choosing the right agency or consultant is crucial. A good SEO company can significantly boost your rankings and online revenue, while a poor one could waste your money or even harm your site’s reputation with bad practices.
Here are some tips for finding a good e-commerce SEO partner:
- Experience and Track Record: Look for a company with proven experience in e-commerce SEO specifically. E-commerce can be more complex than standard websites (due to product variations, large site size, etc.), so you want experts who understand those nuances. Ask for case studies or examples of online stores they’ve helped.
- White-Hat Practices: Avoid any agency that promises unrealistically fast results or uses jargon like “secret sauce” without explaining their methods. You want a team that follows Google’s guidelines (no shady link schemes or keyword stuffing) because the last thing you need is a penalty.
- Services Offered: Good SEO isn’t just about meta tags. Does the company cover technical SEO, on-page optimisation, content creation, and link building? A holistic approach is usually the most effective.
- Communication and Reporting: They should be transparent, providing regular updates and reports on what they’ve done and how your rankings/traffic are improving. You should have a dedicated point of contact who is responsive to your questions.
- Custom Strategy: Beware of one-size-fits-all packages. The agency should be interested in your specific business goals and tailor their SEO strategy accordingly – whether that’s focusing on certain product lines, targeting a UK audience (using UK English keywords and local backlinks), etc.
For a deeper dive into this topic, check out our guide on Choose a Good SEO Company which lists more detailed pointers and red flags to watch out for. Taking the time to pick the right SEO partner will save you headaches down the road and set you up for long-term success.
Is Inflowen the Perfect E-Commerce SEO Agency for Your Business?
At Inflowen, we pride ourselves on being more than just an SEO service provider – we consider ourselves a partner in your business growth. Our expert SEO team has extensive experience with e-commerce SEO, having worked with online stores across various industries to achieve higher rankings, better traffic, and ultimately, more sales.
What makes Inflowen stand out as an e-commerce SEO agency?
- E-Commerce Expertise: We understand the intricacies of online retail. From optimising large product catalogues and handling seasonal swings in traffic to implementing an advanced schema for products, our experts have done it all.
- Proven Results: Our strategies are data-driven and tested. We’ve helped clients significantly increase their organic traffic and revenue, and we’re happy to share success stories relevant to your niche.
- Full-Service SEO: Our E-Commerce SEO Services encompass technical audits, on-page optimisation, content marketing, and high-quality link building. We tailor our approach to your site’s unique needs rather than using cookie-cutter solutions.
- UK-Based and Global Reach: Being a UK-based agency, we use UK English and have insight into the local market, yet our techniques work globally. Whether you’re targeting customers in Sheffield, Yorkshire, London or worldwide, we adapt the strategy to your audience.
- Transparent Reporting & Friendly Support: You’ll receive regular reports showing what we’ve done and how your website is progressing in the rankings. Our SEO specialist team is always just a call or email away – we believe in clear communication and educating our clients along the journey.
If you’re serious about elevating your e-commerce website’s performance on search engines, let’s talk. Our goal is to help your business not just rank higher, but also convert that traffic into loyal customers. Contact Inflowen today to learn how our bespoke e-commerce SEO solutions can drive growth for your online store. We’re ready to help you implement these proven tips and take your e-commerce SEO to the next level!
Tusar Ahmed is an SEO expert and owner of Inflowen, he simplifies the complexities of SEO, Local SEO, and keyword strategies into engaging, easy-to-understand content. With a friendly and casual approach, he crafts articles that not only inform but also inspire action. Tune into his writings for a fresh perspective on boosting your online visibility!