Did you know that over 43% of all eCommerce traffic comes from organic search?
If your store isn’t optimized for search engines, you’re missing out on nearly half of your potential customers. That’s why knowing and applying eCommerce SEO best practices is so important. eCommerce SEO puts your products in front of people who are already searching for them, bringing in more visibility, traffic, and revenue to your eCommerce site.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about eCommerce SEO, including what it is, its benefits, and the best practices to implement. From optimizing product titles and descriptions to building backlinks and improving site speed, we’ll break down strategies that can make a real difference for your store.
The eCommerce SEO best practices we will share in this article will help you attract more visitors, improve your search rankings, and grow your business.
What is eCommerce SEO?
eCommerce SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of optimizing your online store so it appears higher in search engine results when customers search for products or services you offer.
Unlike paid ads, which cease driving traffic once your budget is exhausted, eCommerce SEO generates consistent, long-term organic traffic from search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yandex.
Benefits of eCommerce SEO
Now that we’ve covered what eCommerce SEO is, let’s look at some of the biggest benefits it brings to your online store.
Increased Visibility and Traffic: Optimizing your online store helps it appear at the top of search results when shoppers are actively looking for products you sell. This improved visibility leads to a consistent flow of qualified visitors who are already interested in what you offer.
Cost-Effective Marketing: Paid ads can generate quick traffic, but the moment you stop funding them, the results disappear. SEO, on the other hand, is a long-term investment. Once your store secures high rankings, you can attract consistent organic traffic without continually investing in advertising campaigns. This makes eCommerce SEO one of the most cost-efficient ways to grow your business over time.
Better User Experience: Good SEO involves optimizing site speed, mobile responsiveness, and navigation. These improvements not only help search engines but also make your store easier and more enjoyable for customers to browse and shop.
Brand Authority and Trust: Websites that rank high in search engines are often seen as more credible and trustworthy. Over time, consistent visibility in search results can position your brand as a leader in your niche.
eCommerce SEO Best Practices
To boost your online store’s visibility and attract more qualified buyers, it’s important to follow proven eCommerce SEO best practices.
Here are 12 strategies along with the tips to help you implement them on your website.
1. Conduct Keyword Research for Products and Categories
Every successful eCommerce SEO strategy starts with keyword research. Keywords are the search terms potential customers type into Google, Bing, or other search engines when looking for products. If you don’t know what your customers are searching for, you risk optimizing your store for the wrong phrases or worse, for terms that never bring buyers.
Instead of chasing broad, highly competitive keywords like “shoes” or “bags,” focus on specific, buyer-intent keywords that clearly show purchase interest.
For example, someone searching for “shoes” may just be browsing. Someone searching for “buy men’s leather shoes online” is ready to make a purchase.
By targeting these long-tail, intent-driven keywords, you not only attract more qualified visitors but also reduce competition.
Below are proven strategies to help you conduct keyword research effectively:
Use Keyword Research Tools: Platforms like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and Semrush are excellent for uncovering keywords. They show you search volume (how many people search a term) and keyword difficulty (how hard it is to rank for it).
Analyze Competitor Keywords: Examine successful online stores in your niche and identify the keywords they rank for. This can uncover hidden opportunities you might have missed.
Group and Assign Keywords by Page Type: Once you’ve collected your list of keywords, the next step is to organize them according to page type. This prevents confusion, ensures clarity, and avoids a common SEO mistake called keyword cannibalization, when multiple pages compete for the same keyword, confusing search engines and lowering your chances of ranking.
2. Optimize Product Titles and Descriptions
Product titles and descriptions are some of the most powerful elements in eCommerce SEO. They don’t just tell customers what you’re selling; they also inform search engines about the content of your page. When optimized correctly, they can increase your chances of ranking higher, attracting clicks, and converting visitors into buyers.
Think of your product title as the headline that grabs attention in search results, while your description provides the details that convince shoppers to add the item to their cart.
Here are some effective ways to optimize product titles and descriptions:
Include Keywords Naturally: When writing product titles and descriptions, ensure that you use your target keyword in a way that feels natural and clear.
For example, instead of a vague title like “Shelves Stand 2468”, a more effective option would be “Aojezor Corner Shelves Stand, Fit For Small Spaces And Corner Storage.” This approach not only helps search engines understand what the page is about but also makes the product more appealing and instantly recognizable to shoppers.
Write Unique, Original Descriptions: Always create unique descriptions for your products. Copying and pasting manufacturer text may seem convenient, but it can harm SEO, as search engines often flag duplicate content across multiple websites. Instead, write compelling descriptions that match your brand’s tone and speak directly to your customers.
Focus on Benefits, Not Just Features: When writing product descriptions, go beyond listing features like “100% leather” or “15-inch strap.” Instead, explain why those features matter, such as “durable leather that lasts for years” or “a strap designed for all-day comfort.” Highlighting the benefits helps shoppers see how the product improves their lives, making them more likely to make a purchase.
Keep It Readable: Make your product descriptions easy to scan and understand. Use short sentences and simple words so customers don’t get lost in jargon. Break long blocks of text into smaller sections or bullet points, allowing shoppers to quickly skim the page while still catching the most important details.
3. Use SEO-Friendly URLs
Your store’s URLs play a huge role in how both search engines and customers understand your content. A clean, descriptive URL can make your site look more trustworthy and improve your chances of ranking higher in search results. On the other hand, long, messy URLs with numbers, random characters, or tracking parameters can confuse users and make it harder for search engines to index your pages.
Think of your URLs as the roadmap for both search engines and your shoppers. If a customer sees a link like yourstore.com/mens-leather-shoes, they instantly know what to expect. Compare that to yourstore.com/product?id=2468&ref=xyz, which doesn’t provide any context. Search engines feel the same way; they prefer URLs that clearly describe the page’s content.
Below are some tips on creating SEO-friendly URLs:
Keep Them Short and Clear: Short URLs are easier for both users and search engines to read and remember. Short, descriptive URLs improve click-through rates and make your site look more professional.
Include Your Target Keyword: Incorporating your main keyword into the URL helps search engines understand the page’s content and can boost your rankings.
Avoid Unnecessary Words or Characters: Remove filler words like “the,” “and,” or any special symbols that don’t add value. Avoid numbers or random strings that don’t relate to the content. Clean URLs are easier to share, copy, and remember, which can indirectly improve SEO by encouraging more clicks and links.
Stay Consistent Across Your Site: Use a uniform structure for all product and category pages. For example, if your product pages follow the format yourstore.com/product-name, ensure that all new products adhere to the same pattern.
4. Improve Site Architecture and Navigation
A well-organized site structure is essential for both user experience and SEO. When customers can easily navigate your store, they are more likely to find what they want, spend more time on your site, and complete purchases. At the same time, a clear structure enables search engines to crawl your site efficiently, helping them understand which pages are important and how they relate to one another.
Here are some tips to improve your site architecture and navigation:
Use a Hierarchical Structure: Organize your store in a logical flow, such as Home > Category > Subcategory > Product, to make navigation intuitive for visitors.
For example, a product page might follow the path: Home > Women’s Accessories > Leather Handbags > Black Leather Shoulder Bag. This type of hierarchy not only helps customers understand their location on your site but also enhances search engines’ ability to crawl and index your content effectively.
Add Internal Links: Connect related products, categories, and relevant blog posts to create a web of links within your site. For example, on a product page for a handbag, you could link to a “matching wallets” category or a blog post on “How to Style Leather Handbags.”
Create and Submit a Sitemap: A sitemap is a file that lists all the important pages on your website. Submitting it to Google Search Console and other search engines ensures that crawlers are aware of all your content. Ensure that your sitemap is updated regularly, particularly when adding new products, categories, or blog posts, so that search engines can index your latest pages promptly.
5. Optimize for Mobile Shopping
Last year, around 57% of global eCommerce sales were made on smartphones, and this figure is projected to rise to 59% this year. With mobile devices driving the majority of online purchases, ensuring your store is mobile-friendly is no longer optional.
Here are a few practical steps to make sure your store delivers an excellent mobile experience:
Use a Responsive Theme: Select a WordPress theme or eCommerce template that automatically adapts to various screen sizes and devices. This ensures your site looks great on desktops, tablets, and smartphones without needing separate designs.
Test Your Site for Mobile-Friendliness: Use platforms like Google’s mobile usability report to check whether your site is easy to use on smaller screens. Fix any issues, such as buttons that are too close together, text that’s hard to read, or images that don’t resize properly.
Optimize Images for Speed: Large, uncompressed images slow down mobile browsing. Use image compression plugins or built-in features in your eCommerce platform to reduce file sizes without sacrificing quality. Faster load times enhance the user experience and positively impact your SEO.
Limit Intrusive Pop-Ups: Pop-ups can be particularly frustrating on mobile devices, often covering the entire screen and driving customers away. Keep them minimal, easy to close, and use them only where absolutely necessary, such as exit-intent offers.
6. Improve Page Speed and Core Web Vitals
In eCommerce, every second counts. Research shows that a 1-second delay in page load time can reduce conversions by up to 7%, and more than half of visitors will leave if a page takes longer than 3 seconds to load.
For online stores, this means that slow-loading product pages not only frustrate shoppers but also lower your visibility in search results. On the other hand, a fast, stable site signals to both customers and search engines that your store delivers a high-quality experience, which can boost rankings and sales.
Here are the steps to improve your site speed and Core Web Vitals:
Compress Images Before Uploading: High-quality images are crucial for product pages, but unoptimized ones can slow down your site. Use compression platforms like TinyPNG or ShortPixel to reduce file size without sacrificing quality.
Leverage Caching Plugins: Caching stores static versions of your pages so they load faster for returning visitors. Options like WP Rocket or built-in caching from hosting providers can make a big difference.
Enable Lazy Loading: This ensures that images below the fold only load when the user scrolls into view, reducing initial load times.
Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN stores copies of your site on servers worldwide, delivering content from the location closest to the shopper. This reduces latency and ensures faster load times globally.
By focusing on page speed and Core Web Vitals, you’re not only improving SEO but also creating a smoother shopping experience that keeps customers browsing longer and encourages them to complete more purchases.
7. Use High-Quality Product Images and Alt Text
Product images play a major role in conversions because shoppers can’t physically touch or try items online. High-quality visuals help build trust and give customers the confidence to make informed purchasing decisions. At the same time, search engines rely on image optimization, especially alt text, to understand what each image represents and to display them in image search results. This creates another opportunity for your products to be discovered.
Here are practical ways to implement this:
Use High-Resolution Images With Optimized File Sizes: High-quality visuals help build trust and increase the likelihood of a purchase. However, large image files can slow down your site, hurting both user experience and SEO. Use image compression tools to reduce file size without losing clarity. This ensures your pages load quickly while still providing the crisp, professional images shoppers expect.”
Add Descriptive Alt Text With Keywords: Alt text should describe the image in plain language while naturally including relevant keywords. For example, instead of “bag”, write “black leather handbag for women with adjustable strap.”
Showcase Multiple Angles and Variations: Provide several product images—front, back, side, and lifestyle shots to give shoppers a full view. This not only improves conversions but also signals completeness and relevance to search engines.
Keep Filenames Descriptive: Instead of uploading something generic like IMG_1234.jpg, rename your files to include meaningful keywords, such as womens-black-leather-handbag.jpg. Search engines read filenames to understand better what the image represents, which can improve your chances of appearing in image search results.
8. Create Engaging Blog Content
A blog is one of the most effective ways to attract potential customers who aren’t yet ready to buy but are actively searching for information.
By publishing helpful, engaging, and SEO-friendly content, you can answer their questions, build trust, and guide them toward your products. Content marketing not only improves your search engine rankings but also establishes your store as an authority in your niche.
Think of your blog as a magnet: while product pages target people with buying intent, blog posts attract those at the top of the funnel, people who are still researching. Over time, these readers become more familiar with your brand, which increases the likelihood of them becoming paying customers.
Practical steps to implement this effectively:
Write Posts That Answer Customer Questions: Identify common concerns or interests your buyers have. For example, if you sell sports shoes, you could publish articles like “How to Choose the Right Running Shoes for Beginners” or “Best Shoes for Marathon Training.” This type of content naturally attracts organic traffic from people searching those queries.
Target Informational Keywords: While product pages focus on transactional keywords like “buy men’s running shoes”, your blog should target informational ones like “best running shoes for flat feet”. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to identify these opportunities.
Link Blog Posts to Product Pages: Within each blog, include natural links to relevant products or categories that align with the content. For instance, in a post about “How to Care for Leather Handbags,” you can link to your handbag collection. This not only drives traffic to product pages but also passes SEO value through internal linking.
Mix Formats for Engagement: Don’t stick to text only; use product photos, infographics, how-to guides, and even videos. Multimedia-rich posts keep readers engaged longer, which is a positive SEO signal.
Post Consistently: A blog with fresh, updated content tells search engines your site is active and relevant. Even one post per week can make a massive difference over time.
9. Leverage User-Generated Content (Reviews & Ratings)
Customer reviews and ratings are one of the most powerful forms of content you can have on your eCommerce store. They not only build trust with potential buyers but also help your product pages rank higher in search engines by adding fresh, keyword-rich text written in your customers’ own words.
Think of reviews as social proof: while your product descriptions highlight features and benefits, reviews give real-life validation from people who have actually bought and used your products. Over time, these reviews improve conversions, add credibility, and keep your store content fresh.
Steps to implement this:
Enable Reviews and Ratings on Products: Ensure that each product page includes an option for customers to leave reviews and provide star ratings. This encourages buyers to share their experiences, creating a library of organic content tied directly to your store.
Encourage Customers to Leave Feedback: Send automated follow-up emails asking buyers to leave a review after they have made a purchase. A gentle reminder often makes all the difference in getting more responses.
Showcase Reviews Prominently: Display ratings at the top of product pages and detailed feedback lower on the page. Highlighting positive reviews can reassure new visitors and influence buying decisions.
Tip: Don’t shy away from a few less-than-perfect reviews. A mix of feedback appears authentic and provides an opportunity to demonstrate excellent customer service when responding publicly.
10. Implement Technical SEO
Technical SEO refers to all the behind-the-scenes optimizations that ensure your eCommerce store is accessible, fast, and error-free for both users and search engines. Think of it as building an excellent foundation; without it, your SEO efforts may not deliver the results you want.
Here’s how to get it right:
Set Up Canonical Tags: Duplicate content is a common issue in online stores, especially when the same product appears in multiple categories or with different filter options. Canonical tags tell search engines which version of a page is the “main” one, helping you avoid duplicate content penalties.
Use Product Schema Markup: Schema markup provides additional context to your product pages, enabling search engines to display rich snippets in search results. For example, adding structured data for price, availability, and ratings can make your listings more eye-catching, which improves click-through rates.
Fix Broken Links and Crawl Errors: Broken links frustrate users and waste search engine crawl budget. Regularly scan your site to identify 404 errors and fix them by updating or redirecting links.
Optimize for Mobile and Site Speed: Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing, so your site must load quickly and display well on all devices. Compress images, enable caching, and consider a CDN if you serve international customers. (Refer back to point 6 on Core Web Vitals for more speed tips.)
Monitor Site Health with SEO Tools: Use Google Search Console to track indexing status, submit sitemaps, and fix coverage issues. Pair this with CrawlWP to get SEO insights and reports directly from your WordPress dashboard. Together, they help ensure your site stays crawlable and index-friendly.
11. Build Backlinks from Relevant Sources
Backlinks are one of the most important signals search engines use to determine the authority and trustworthiness of your site. Think of them as votes of confidence from other websites.
The more high-quality, relevant links you have pointing to your store, the more likely your pages are to rank higher in search results. However, not all backlinks are created equal; quality matters far more than quantity.
Here’s how to build relevant backlinks for your eCommerce store:
Reach Out to Bloggers and Influencers: Collaborate with bloggers in your niche to review your products or feature your store in their content. For example, if you sell running shoes, consider getting fitness bloggers to try them and write about their experiences. These backlinks not only drive traffic but also add credibility.
Write Guest Posts: Offer valuable content on reputable blogs or publications in your industry. Include a natural link back to your store or a relevant product page. This helps you reach a broader audience and establishes your expertise, while also boosting your SEO.
Get Listed in Relevant Directories: Being featured in trusted online directories for your niche adds authoritative links and can drive referral traffic. Look for local business directories, industry-specific listings, or curated eCommerce marketplaces.
12. Track Performance and Continuously Improve
SEO is not a set-it-and-forget-it task; your store’s performance changes over time, and search engines continually update their algorithms. To maintain and improve your rankings, it’s essential to monitor performance, analyze results, and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Think of it as a cycle: track > analyze > optimize > repeat.
Track Rankings and Traffic: Use platforms like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Bing Webmaster Tools to monitor how visitors find your store, which pages are performing best, and where your traffic comes from. Monitor both overall traffic and specific product or category pages to identify which keywords are driving conversions.
Monitor Conversions from Organic Traffic: Traffic alone isn’t enough. Focus on how well organic visitors are converting into customers. Track key metrics such as add-to-cart rates, completed purchases, and bounce rates. This helps identify which pages may require better content, more compelling calls to action, or an improved user experience.
Update Content Regularly: Over time, product descriptions, category pages, and blog posts can become outdated. Refresh them with new keywords, updated information, and current trends. Even minor updates can signal to search engines that your site is active and relevant, boosting your SEO.
Leverage CrawlWP: CrawlWP helps you track whether your updated pages and new content are being indexed across Google, Bing, Yandex, Naver, Yep, and Seznam.cz.
If a page isn’t indexed, you can resubmit it instantly, either individually or in bulk, directly from the SEO indexing page. It also tracks and reports your website SEO performance.
By applying these eCommerce SEO best practices, you’ll position your store for higher search rankings, more organic traffic, and ultimately, more sales.
Take Your eCommerce SEO to the Next Level.
We hope this article helped you understand eCommerce SEO best practices. From optimizing product titles and descriptions to earning quality backlinks and improving site speed, each action helps boost your ecommerce store’s visibility, rankings, and conversions.
Remember, SEO isn’t a one-time task; it’s an ongoing process that requires consistent monitoring, updates, and refinement. By implementing the strategies we’ve shared, you’ll create a store that both search engines favor and customers trust.
CrawlWP makes this easier by helping you track indexing status, monitor keyword performance, and ensure your content stays discoverable. With real-time insights and actionable data, you’ll always know where your store stands and how to improve.
Start applying these best practices today, and watch your store grow steadily in traffic, authority, and revenue.