Snynet Solution Logo
MON - SUN: 10 AM - 6 PM
+60 11 5624 8319

Blog

How to write effective e-commerce content to supercharge your SEO efforts

Image Description

Written content is the primary means by which e-commerce sites can engage their visitors directly. Unlike physical shops, an e-commerce store doesn’t have staff to highlight customers’ options or talk about different offers. Alongside imagery, written content is one of the few tools you have at your disposal to sell your products to an unconvinced site visitor.

It also happens to be one of the main tools at your disposal to get that visitor to your site in the first place, as written language is still a significant consideration in search engine ranking algorithms.

So, how can ecommerce content teams write in such a way that internet shoppers find the site in the first place, then decide to go on and make a purchase?

About the author

Ben Garry is a Content Specialist at Impression

Conversion-driven keyword research

Effective ecommerce content starts with keyword data. What are the phrases that your target audience is going to search to arrive at sites like yours?

Any number of tools can tell you roughly how many people are searching for different phrases each month, but adding conversion data to your research will help you focus on the areas that will provide the biggest return.

Looking into Google Ads data will help you to identify top converting terms that you can cherry-pick for your content optimization. Google Analytics is also a good way to identify pages with a high conversion rate so that you can focus your other research methods in the areas that will provide a return.

By focusing your research on areas with a proven track record of conversions, you’ll be more likely to see ranking improvements that lead to meaningful sales, and it will be much easier to justify your activity to other stakeholders.

Responding to search intent in e-commerce content strategies

Google has shifted the search engine landscape by incorporating search intent into its process of deciding what results to show a searcher. Search intent is what the searcher hopes to achieve at the end of their search, and can be broken into four very broad categories:

  • Transactional: the searcher wants to make a purchase, enquiry or other meaningful interaction
  • Informational: the searcher wants to find out more about a topic
  • Navigational: the searcher is using a search engine as a shortcut to a known destination

All three types of intent have a place in an ecommerce content strategy, but transactional searches are where there’s real money to be made.

A transactional keyword might be as obvious as “laptop for sale”, or it might have no clear purchase language, such as “mens trousers”. In both cases, Google identifies that the searcher wants to buy something and serves shopping ads and e-commerce stores in the results. When targeting keywords like these, you should write concise category pages and product descriptions that provide important pieces of commercial information.

Search intent isn’t always obvious. If I search “wine”, I get a map pack showing local shops and the top ranking page is Wikipedia. Google has decided that I’m not looking to make an online purchase as my first priority. If I have an ecommerce store that sells wine, I might decide to refine my keyword targeting and incorporate more specific terms in my pages, rather than going for the most general option, or I may decide to produce more informational content around wine to be seen as an authority on the topic. Ideally, I would do both!

When looking at the keywords you want to cover in your content, make sure you go beyond the surface. See what results search engines are displaying, and ensure that you’re attempting to compete by writing content that matches the same search intent. If you can’t match a keyword’s current search intent, you may need to redraft the content or focus on a different phrase.

Writing good content rather than 'SEO content'

Your written content is the equivalent of an assistant on a physical shop floor. How effective would a home furniture salesperson be if all they did was shout ‘chaise longe’ at you? At best you’d ignore them, at worst you’d leave immediately.

If such a situation seems ridiculous, why does it happen so often in e-commerce content written ‘for SEO’? The truth is, no content exists solely ‘for SEO’, not least because the distinction is barely relevant. Even if you think no one but Google will read your content, Google’s goal is to interpret text as a human would.

A human salesperson’s role is to help you decide between different products based on your requirements. They are there to make a large product range seem manageable and to smooth over any sticking points that might lead to you turning away from a purchase. E-commerce content should do the same.

On a category page, write content that helps new visitors to make sense of what you offer and make it clear just how easy an order from you is going to be. Write clearly, concisely and persuasively, hitting the selling points that matter for your brand and industry.

For product pages, showcase your expertise as a salesperson would. Talk through the key points of the product in as much detail as your customer is likely to need (typically, higher value products require more detail). In addition, make the process of ordering, payment and delivery as clear as possible so that the visitor doesn’t need to go anywhere else to have their questions answered.

SEO is not irrelevant in content writing. The keyword research I’ve already mentioned is meaningful and target phrases should be included in your copy. However, they should not be overused and your content should still read naturally. If in doubt, prioritize what you think a human reader would value.

What is Google's Expertise, Authority and Trust (EAT) and how does it affect your e-commerce site?

In recent years, the quality of website content has become increasingly important for search engine rankings. A number of Google’s core algorithm updates have rewarded sites that demonstrate expertise, authority and trust (EAT). EAT is particularly important for sites that deal with health or finances, which includes ecommerce sites that take payments.

Expertise refers to the quality of information a site provides and evidence that its information is legitimate. Indicators include well-researched informational content, the citation of sources and the presence of expert contributors.

Authority is the grounds on which a site can make its claims. For an ecommerce site, good reviews and high-quality links from other sources demonstrate that your information is legitimate and that others should pay attention.

Trust for an ecommerce site boils down to safe payments and delivering on its promises. Payment information, privacy policies and good reviews all help.

EAT is not a single metric that can be scored and used in rankings. Instead, it is a collective name for a wide range of small factors, some of which I’ve mentioned above. Product pages are a particularly good place to include valuable EAT information. Reviews, payment information, delivery information and product specifications all help to show your legitimacy. Supporting content, such as product guides and basic policy information, should also be included on the site and linked from relevant menus, products and category pages.

How to use internal linking on your website

Finally, good e-commerce content has an important role to play in website structure. Internal links help search engines to understand how different pages relate to one another and they help users to reach their intended destinations.

As a simple rule, whenever products and other categories are mentioned in your ecommerce content, use that mention as the anchor text for a corresponding link.

Think like a shop assistant once more. A link is your way of signposting other products and departments for your visitors to explore, in lieu of a physical staff member who can do so in person.

The additional benefit to doing this in your content is that a search engine will also see your links and understand more about those pages. The anchor text in a link is an important keyword signal, and linking to sub-categories from a category (for example, a headphones category linking to a wireless headphones sub-category) helps search engines to understand the hierarchy of a site and the keywords that one page should rank for over another, similar page.

Internal linking should be a consideration whenever you’re writing or editing ecommerce content. However, it is a particularly powerful tool if you’re struggling to get the right pages to rank for their target keywords. As much as it is important to write good ecommerce content, top SEO performance also requires an excellent technical setup. Good content is not a shortcut to organic search success, but it is a vital piece of the puzzle.

Date

01 Oct 2020

Sources

Share

Other Blog

  • Google Workspace tools are being exploited by hackers

    Cyberattackers are using Google Workspace tools to add a layer of credibility to their phishing campaigns.

    Read More

  • Will technology solve education inequality?

    As Harvard analyst, Deval Patrick, truthfully pointed out once: “When there’s inequity in learning, it’s usually baked into life.”

    The quality of education we receive as children and young adults directly impacts the quality of life we enjoy later. A good education allows us to work, develop and ultimately live a more secure and happier life. Receiving an inadequate education, on the other hand, can significantly hinder our personal development.

    About the author

    Hugo Aguirre is the development and education director of TBox.

    Luckily, there is a critical motor helping to equalize education quality, and it's called technology. The truth is that the positive impact of technology on educational quality depends on schools and educators understanding the digital divide and using that knowledge to bridge it. Let's dig a little deeper and find out when and why technology is helpful in teaching and learning.

    Factors contributing to unequal education

    At the macro level, the quality of education depends on many factors. Public education policy, unavailable resources, and the general level of education, including teacher training, are at the top of the list. However, if the inequality of a community is also reflected in its education system, technology alone will not bring about change. In an unequal society, technological developments and the use of advanced tools by a limited number of people will eventually increase inequalities.

    If we look at the differences between individual schools in the same district, there are also several conditions that influence education. Let’s take an example of the US, where the different pedagogical offerings vary across schools. Some schools lack the necessary technical infrastructure. Furthermore, the quality of libraries and access to various computer programs can change from institution to institution. In most cases, the more limited the access to modern learning methods, technological programs, and materials, the lower the quality of education.

    At the student level, the involvement of an educational community and family also affects education. Whether a child grows up in a motivating environment that supports learning processes and provides technological tools to foster learning will influence the child’s individual progress.

    Finally, teachers are critical to balance inequalities among children in school. Education depends first and foremost on the learning methods teachers use and how those encourage students to self-study. It also makes a difference whether teachers can give each child the support they need.

    How technology can decrease disparity

    While technology is not a panacea, technological tools positively impact education at schools and can support both learners and educators when used correctly. Technologies provide personal and private access to educational materials and enable more memorable and varied learning experiences. Not to mention: Being able to use a number of technologies is a skill itself.

    Technology as a teaching instrument

    Services such as animation, 3D printing, robotics, and learning applications provide access to a whole new universe of educational material. With the help of such software, educators can enable multi-faceted learning experiences, strengthen children's curiosity, and foster their ability to learn independently.

    When school content is theoretical and abstract, educators can give students access to video materials, colorful interactive graphics, and educational apps. Tools like robots attract attention and make complex concepts easier to understand. Using learning platforms such as Google Classroom allows children to follow their learning paths and seek additional materials to understand the content better. This material can compensate for the possible lack of support from teachers, peers, or family members.

    Technology improves students’ individual learning experiences

    Technology can make learning fun by using it in creative ways to enhance learning experiences. Google Meet and other digital meeting tools enable students from around the world to connect. For example, schools can design language classes as digital bilingual exchanges between students. Classes covering culture and history allow for virtual museum tours in the student's country. This sparks students' interest and creates a learning environment that motivates each student to continue learning.

    Personalized learning reduces differences between individual students

    Modern tools help address the knowledge gaps between children and young adults on an individual basis. By continuously collecting data, data-driven applications enable individualized and personalized education forms.

    Educators can assess each individual’s learning stage if they have access to data on children's progress when using apps and software tools. By tracking the learning path, they can determine what areas students are struggling with and whether their progress is commensurate with the time and effort spent.

    Technology to facilitate active learning methodologies

    Finally, technology enables active teaching methods that improve the overall quality of education. Active strategies are teaching ways that engage students in the subject matter through discussions, problem-solving, case studies, role plays, and other methods. Instead of receiving teacher-frontal classes, learners access tools that help them research problems, develop solutions, simulate circumstances, and design prototypes. These methods encourage using tools such as presentation software, video editing, infographics, and animation. By using them daily, students become proficient, already developing the most relevant skills for future jobs—as any job will require the use of software, machines, or applications at one point.

    An excellent example of a comprehensive learning project is high school students organizing a fundraiser dinner at their school. They have to design flyers and distribute them digitally, research how to write invitations, put together recipes, and calculate budgets using spreadsheets. Finally, the students will cook and execute the event in person and connect all the learning experiences.

    Exemplary methodologies are Problem-based learning, the STEAM method, and flipped classroom. Such student-focused classes trigger a student’s motivation to learn, their ability to self-learn, and accelerates learning speed and quality. According to Dale’s Cone of Experience, students remember 35% of what they see, but 90% of what they do when completing a task in practice.

    Technology as an instrument to train teachers

    A teacher's job is to constantly improve the quality of their teaching and adapt to new methods, modern tools, and up-to-date knowledge. With the help of data, educators can gain insights into student learning. Using digital conferencing tools like Google Meet can facilitate their professional development and provide better access to courses, materials, and workshops.

    What the future holds

    As a response to remote learning, schools and authorities worldwide have understood the necessity of providing students with tools that enable distance learning, virtual class, and digital access to learning resources.

    Educators have gained immense interest in integrating technology to improve teaching and educational equity. We are in the process of building a culture of change, better understanding the issues we face, and figuring out what tools can help us create equality.

    However, the danger is to fall into the trap of believing technology will solve education disparity by its sheer existence. The underlying methodology of why education is necessary and what improves its quality is vital. Meanwhile, technology is the most potent, available instrument that can help strengthen the quality of education.

    Read More

  • This weekend's top gaming laptop deals feature super cheap RTX graphics cards, plus more

    Save upwards of $400 or pick up an awesome cheap gaming laptop deal for as low as $649 in this weekend's top sales at Dell and Walmart.

    Read More

  • SolarWinds hack may have been a global attack

    Attack on SolarWinds may have had a far larger impact than initially feared, and originating in Eastern Europe.

    Read More

Find Out More About Us

Want to hire best people for your project? Look no further you came to the right place!

Contact Us