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Ecommerce SEO: How to Start Doing Keyword Research

94% of people go to a search engine as soon as they go online. This number includes potential customers who are looking for the very thing your eCommerce store offers.

You need SEO to ensure that these potential customers are led to your website, not to your competitor’s.

But how do you even start driving more traffic to your online store?

Not to worry.

In this blog post, we’re going to discuss all the ways you can upgrade your website’s SEO, so you can improve your organic traffic.

Let’s get started.

Why SEO is Important for Ecommerce Websites

SEO is the act of using strategies so your website ranks higher in search engine results pages.

When people hear about SEO, they often think of keywords, but it’s so much more than that. A ton of factors have a hand in improving search engine rankings. These factors include using the right keywords, link building, page speed, and so much more. They all come together to achieve the desired result.

SEO could do wonders for eCommerce stores. A recent study predicted that global retail eCommerce sales will reach $4.5 trillion by 2021. Another study stated that search engines drive 10 times more traffic to eCommerce sites than social media.

Combine both numbers, and a picture begins to emerge.

Yes, social media and paid ads could drive more traffic to your website. However, if you want to significantly improve your rankings and get more sales, you need to take SEO seriously.

How to Start Doing Keyword Research

Keyword research is where you determine which keywords to target based on a variety of factors. These factors include:

• Keyword Volume – This is how many people use a keyword in a given period.
• Keyword Difficulty – This is how difficult it is to rank for a keyword.
• User Intent – The reason why a user is searching for something.

Out of the three factors, user intent is the most important. Sure, you might find a keyword that receives a lot of volume and isn’t that difficult to target, but the user intent might be all wrong.

Let’s say two users search “photography for beginners” and “Canon G7X” on Google. Both keywords are related to cameras, but the users are looking for completely different things.

The user who entered “photography for beginners” is interested in learning photography and is looking for tips and resources. The second person already has a camera in mind and is most likely looking for the best deals online.

If you’re an eCommerce site, you want to attract the 2nd person, not the first one. This is why user intent is important.

You need to drive the right kind of traffic to your website. Increasing the traffic you receive will be useless if you’re attracting users who are looking for something different.

To get started, create a new Excel file or Google Sheet. List down keywords you think potential customers will use to find you. This list will be our jumping off point for our keyword research.

Google’s Related Searches

Every time you search for something on Google, the search engine always shows you related searches at the bottom of the page.

Let’s say you enter “canon G7X sydney” in Google. If scroll down, you’ll see related search terms that include “canon g7x mark ii australia,” “canon g7x mark ii jb hi fi,” “canon g7x mark ii afterpay” and more.

One keyword alone led you to over eight other keywords.

Amazon

If you sell physical products, Amazon is another excellent source of keyword ideas. Unlike Google, most people who go on Amazon are ready to make a purchase.

Go to Amazon.com. Type your keyword of choice, but don’t hit enter. While you’re typing, Amazon will automatically show you related keywords. List down the keywords. Rinse and repeat this process for the keywords in your initial list.

Keyword Difficulty and Keyword Volume

Now that you’ve created a substantial list, it’s time to narrow it down based on keyword volume and difficulty.

Previously, we learned that keyword difficulty is how difficult it is to rank for a specific keyword. Keyword volume is how many times that keyword is searched in a specific period.

Ideally, you want a keyword that receives a lot of traffic but has a low level of difficulty.

However, doing business online is more competitive than ever. Businesses are fighting to get the top spots in the search results for keywords that receive a huge amount of traffic.

Choosing the Right Keywords for Your Ecommerce Store

You can work around this by targeting long-tail keywords instead.

Before we proceed, let’s define two terms first.

• Short-tail keywords – These are quite general keywords and are composed of one or two words. The keyword “basketball” is an example of a short-tail keyword.
• Long-tail keywords – These are more specific keywords that are composed of three words or more. The keyword “how to play basketball” is an example of a long-tail keyword.

Most long-tail keywords get less traffic than short-tail keywords, but they can help you target potential customers instead of the general public.

Since short-tail keywords are composed of one word, they don’t tell you anything about the user intent behind the search. A user could be searching for information, want an answer to a question, or want to purchase something.

Long-tail keywords, on the other hand, clue you in on the thought process behind the search.

Let’s say you own a sporting goods store in Sydney. The keyword “how to play basketball” tells you that the user wants to learn how to play basketball. They want to know the rules and are looking for resources.

The keyword “buy a basketball near me” tells you right away the user is ready to make a purchase. They will most likely order online if they’re okay with the pricing.

Out of the two keywords, it’s pretty clear which one you need to target.

Conclusion

SEO is vital for a successful eCommerce store. Before you even attempt to implement an SEO strategy, make sure you’ve researched and chosen the right keywords to target.

Need help with SEO for your eCommerce site? Cornerstone Digital is an SEO agency in Sydney that can lead your ideal customer to your website. Call us on (02) 8211 0668 or email us at info@cornerstone-digital.com.au.

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Darlyn Herradura

A self-professed book and digital marketing nerd, Darlyn Herradura focuses on building trust between customers and businesses with the written word. She understands that creating valuable content is the best way to get found online and happily spends her time doing that.