Google, Bing and other search engines handle billions of searches every day. You want to use Search Engine Optimisation to rank the highest as you can. If you rank well in their search results, your website traffic will increase significantly with the best kind of visitors; people looking for your products ready to buy..
So what can you do to be found at the top of the search listings?
As of May 30th Google have officially started converting all Google Places listings to the new format: Google+ Local. Google+ Local provides a geographic search within Google+ itself (the new tab can be found between circles and games).
This change furthers Google’s push to integrate its products heavily with Google+, although it will undoubtedly leave some users and business owners confused. Here are our 3 Key learning points regarding the change: Continue reading
The removal of third party reviews from Google places pages has had quite an impact on local SEO. Previously people had many reviews sucked in from other directories and review sites like Trip Advisor, Yelp etc. which helped push their listings up the search engine rankings. Now that these have been stripped out and only reviews from other Google users show many are finding that their Google places pages have slipped down the rankings and are appearing lower down the page on search results.
The way to remedy this is to use your Google places page to improve your visibility and help build your reputation. Below are 5 tips to help you optimize your page and push it back up the search rankings.
Whilst we would not claim the WSI-eMarketing Google Places listing is perfect by any means, it may give you a feel for what a fully completed listing, with customer feedback looks like! And to prove it works for SEO via local search too, through a mixture of having an active listing AND gaining regular customer feedback, we now rank position No.1 for Social Media and Reputation Management in the county of South Gloucestershire
Since the removal of third party review have you seen your Google places page drop down the search engine rankings? If so, what steps did you take to turn this around and were they successful? Share your experiences with our readers.
Off-Page Optimization
Offsite optimization is all about acquiring quality inbound keyword links. It is best to get links from high ranking websites and web pages, but internal repeating links within your own website also count. Here’s how to improve off-page SEO:
Just starting out as an online retailer with a few products to sell? Selling thousands of products online for many years now? Either way, make sure your eCommerce site is optimized for the search engines so you are most visible to your potential customers.
WSI can help optimize your eCommerce site for higher page rankings, better conversions and increased sales. Contact WSI eMarketing to drive greater search engine traffic and more conversions (sales) on your eCommerce website.
Online sales need online visibility!
If your business relies on an eCommerce site, then you know it’s important to appear in the organic search results ahead of your competitors; especially if your competitors are selling the same products online. Having top rankings for an eCommerce website is crucial for long term success in the online marketing world.
On-Page Optimisation
Optimising an eCommerce site isn’t that different than optimising any other type of web site. To make a page rank well in the organic search results, it needs a good title tag (that includes the keywords you’re targeting); and good content on the page that includes the appropriate keywords. Here are some more tips for on-page optimisation:
Online shoppers are using search engines to compare product features and prices, and if your eCommerce site isn’t positioned in the top search engine results, you’re missing out on a lot of potential online sales!
Is your e-commerce site struggling to rank? Did you find this article useful? Let us know. Comment Below!
Stay tuned until next week for part two: Off-Page optimisation, or contact your WSI eMarketing consultant today to find out how WSI can help optimize your eCommerce site for higher page rankings, better conversions and increased sales.
Your website marketing activities are geared to getting a qualified audience to your product pages, where typically the action you want to persuade a shopper to make is to click the ‘Add to Basket’ button. As such, your product pages are key to successfully converting visitors into customers.
In the first of this two part article we touched on the following ways to improve your product pages:
In the second article we look at adopting best practice techniques, online technologies and purchase procedures that all work together in achieving the ‘perfect’ product page.
8. Clever Sub-navigation = Better Informed Shoppers
Provide shoppers with a generous amount of product information using tabbed product details. Including a simple but effective sub-navigation tool enables your customers to get a greater level of product detail without having to leave the page.
9. Encourage User Reviews
Publishing user reviews is a great technique for not only presenting the strengths of each product in a very practical way, but also presenting your store as a trustworthy e-tailer enabling shoppers to make informed decisions.
10. Realise the Power of Video
Becoming more mainstream – and for good reason – video is an excellent way to demonstrate a product, review its performance or simply wax lyrical about the best selling points.
11. Share Product Insights – and Your Expertise
Product demonstrations, by video or slideshow are a great way to help your shoppers make an educated decision while at the same time build trust with the buyer as you present yourself as someone who ‘knows their stuff’.
12. Feature Media Reviews
Continuing on this theme, seek out popular media reviewers and publish or link to their product presentations.
13. Remove the Risk
One of the biggest obstacles to overcome with online shoppers is the perceived risk of making that first purchase with an unknown online entity. Publishing a clear and up front warranty, shipping terms and returns policy from your product pages is a great way to put minds at rest.
14. Enable Social Sharing
Last but by no means least, make it easy for shoppers to share your pages across social media sites. People are always keen to tell friends and family of a great purchase or an outstanding shopping experience, so make it easy for them by including ‘like’ buttons and visible social share buttons.
In conclusion, your product pages are key to successfully converting visitors into customers, so time spent honing them is time well spent. If you would like to review the effectiveness of your product pages, please call 01454 261111.