5 Ways to Make Your Online Store Visible to Search Engines

Written By: Nevena Popović

Any online store owner wants to get as many customers as possible. We know, we know, it’s easier said than done. You want your store to be visible to search engines, to spring up in people’s Google searches as often as possible. For that, you need to do some tweaks. In other words, you want to increase your page rank and, by doing so, increase the chances of your page being first on a list of search results. Below you can find the right advice, tips, and tricks, on making your store stand out and making it visible to search engines.

Implement keywords

First, let’s start with keywords. When a person wants to search for services and goods that you offer, they will type a certain phrase in Google’s search box. Keywords are terms that are most likely to lead to your page. There is some guesswork involved here, as is figuring out what you’re potential customers are thinking. However, there is also software that can figure out some keywords for you autonomously.

When using keywords, try to make them as natural as possible. Forcing a keyword into your content will mess with its flow, and will just make it sound awkward and clumsy. Also, putting too many keywords into your content will just lead to you getting penalized by Google’s algorithms. This is an art, as much as it is a science. Analytics and tracking software can definitely help you figure out if you’re on the right track.

This analytics software and keywords matter because you need to be specific at certain times. You need to know your audience. For example, if you’re operating in Australia, and you handle actual physical goods, you may want to have your analytics and keywords work in that direction.

Optimize for mobile

Ask around, see how many people prefer to use their mobile phones when browsing the internet. If you don’t have proper mobile functionality set up, people won’t give you the time of day. Browsing a non-mobile optimized website is a chore when you’re using your phone. It will also make you seem unprofessional and lazy since basically every serious website now has its own mobile version.

Tie your content with your audience

The content found on your website is the meat of your optimization efforts. These contain keywords and links that make you stand out, and that attract good Google algorithm optimization. Keep the content clear and concise. Have it be well written and relevant to the services and goods your online store deals in.

The content can also be in the form of videos and infographics. This variety of content can then attract more people to your site, increase your rank, and make you seem more serious. Remember, you need to know your audience, who your customer base is. Keeping with our Australia example from above, hiring a local company, like a Sydney SEO Agency, for example, can get you people who understand how the local market works. Of course, the wonderful thing about the internet is that “local” can encompass an entire country.

Work on your alt text and images

Understand that when you search, engines do not read images. What they do read, however, is the alt-text that you place on images. Since we’re talking about improving your online store visibility, we want you to leave no stone unturned.

So, here is what you need to do. Find the images that are on your website, and add an alt image that contains a short description or comment. Have that comment or encryption contain relevant keywords as well. Next, you want to optimize your images. Do you really need to have a maximum level quality image on your page? Perhaps what you really need is something smaller and less intrusive. This isn’t just a matter of laziness, but rather, your images influence the loading times of your website. The higher the size of the image, the greater the increase in load times. Try to find a healthy balance between image resolution, and speed.

Learn how to use links

Finally, we have links. There are three types – internal, inbound, and outbound. Internal links are links that tie pages within your own website.  Inbound links are links that lead to your page, fond within another website. Finally, outbound links are those that are within your own website, and that lead to other pages of somebody else’s website.

Now, by having links from trustworthy websites lead to your website, you will be considered “more trustworthy and serious” by Google’s algorithms. It will increase your ranking and will bring you more visitors.

Conclusion

There you have it folks, a couple of ways you can improve your store visibility. If you want to get your page ranking as high as possible, remember to use keywords properly. Then, think about the content you have, and how you implement keywords and links into said content. Remember to optimize your images and your site for mobile, stay thorough, and your visibility will increase in no time.

Author Bio

Nevena Popović is PPC and SEO strategist, with a passion for photography and design. When not working, she’s reading blogs and trying to comprehend the newest digital marketing trends (or watching YouTube… Definitely watching YouTube…)