One way to boost your visibility and ranking on search engines is with an eCommerce SEO audit. Learn all about eCommerce SEO audit, why it matters, how to do one, the tools you will use, and the typical SEO problems it uncovers. It’s time to optimize your eCommerce site for top visibility and success!
What is an eCommerce SEO Audit?
If you’re running an online store, you should definitely consider getting an eCommerce SEO audit. It’s like giving your website a thorough check-up to see how well it’s doing in terms of search engine optimization and figure out where you will make some improvements.
Audits are super important for online businesses like yours that want to boost their visibility, bring in more organic traffic, and score more conversions. Dig into key SEO indicators such as keyword rankings, site speed, backlinks, and any technical glitches to get valuable insights into what’s working and what needs a tune-up.
Following through on the recommendations that come out of the audit will make a real difference in your search engine rankings, which means more targeted traffic heading to your eCommerce site.
Why is an eCommerce SEO Audit Important?
Conducting an eCommerce SEO audit is important for your online store to step up its search engine game, boost rankings, and bring in the right kind of traffic to your website.
A deep dive into your SEO with an audit will give you some juicy insights into what your competitors are up to, where you will improve your keyword game, and how to make sure your website is a hit with users.
Keeping a regular eye on and tweaking your SEO performance will mean more conversions and more cash flow, necessary for keeping your business growing strong in the digital jungle.
What are the Steps to Perform an eCommerce SEO Audit?
Performing an eCommerce SEO audit involves several key steps. First, you need to dive into the world of keywords, analyzing them to understand what terms and phrases potential customers are using.
Next up, improving your metadata is necessary to assist search engines better grasp the content of your pages. You’ll also want to evaluate the user experience so visitors will easily navigate your site and find what they’re looking for. Don’t forget to check that your site is mobile-responsive since more and more users are browsing on their phones.
Identifying any technical issues is important for improving site speed and performance. And finally, analyzing your site structure is key to ensuring everything is organized correctly for search engine crawlers.
If you do not know how to audit your site, or you do not have time for it, reach out and purchase one of our affordable SEO packages. The Gold and VIP have pro SEO audits with accompanying video that will tell you all about your site and the options you have to improve ranking.
1. Keyword Analysis
Regarding your eCommerce SEO audit, don’t skip out on the keyword analysis – it’s a game-changer. Your main goal here is to find relevant, top-performing keywords that will amp up your website’s content and boost its on-page SEO.
To kick things off, you need to get into the minds of your target audience and figure out what they’re searching for. Use competitive analysis to uncover which keywords your rivals are ranking for and spot any missing pieces in your own strategy.
Once you’ve got your hands on that list of target keywords, the next step is to strategically sprinkle them throughout your website content, from meta tags to product descriptions to blog posts. Don’t forget to toss in some long-tail keywords and mix in some semantic variations – tricks will assist you cover more ground with search queries and level up your search visibility.
2. On-page Optimization Analysis
Regarding eCommerce websites, you need to make sure your on-page optimization game is strong. This means checking out the quality of your content, metadata, and overall user experience to make sure they’re top-notch for both search engines and users.
One major thing to look out for in your eCommerce SEO audits is how relevant your content is. Having rich, informative content that matches what your target audience is searching for is key to climbing up search engine rankings.
Don’t forget about your meta tags! Titles and descriptions play a big role in getting people to click through to your site from search engine results pages. And hey, having a website that’s easy to navigate with well-organized content helps search engines crawl your site better.
Oh, and speaking of users, you definitely want to speed things up. Faster page load times mean lower bounce rates and happier visitors. To level up your on-page elements for killer SEO performance, focus on creating top-notch content, optimizing meta tags, cleaning up your website structure, and speeding up page loads for a seamless user experience.
3. Technical SEO Analysis
When you dive into technical SEO analysis, you’re getting down to the nitty-gritty of your eCommerce website. Think site speed, structure, navigation – all behind-the-scenes elements that impact how search engines see and rank your site.
Focus on technical SEO during your eCommerce audits:
- Faster site speeds prevent visitors from bouncing off your site too soon.
- Clean up your URL structure to give search engines a good roadmap to your content, helping them index it better.
- Improve navigation.
- Make your site easily crawlable by search engine bots – implement basic on-page SEO.
4. Backlink Analysis
When you’re doing an eCommerce SEO audit, don’t forget about the importance of backlink analysis. This means looking closely at your website’s backlink profile, spotting valuable links, and figuring out how strong your overall site authority is.
Get a good idea of how your link building efforts are paying off and how backlinks are affecting your SEO rankings. High-quality backlinks are key to boosting your site’s credibility with search engines, which will lead to more organic traffic and better search rankings. Focus on natural link-building tactics to make sure your backlinks are earned legitimately and are helping to build up your site’s authority.
5. Competitor Analysis
When you’re diving into an eCommerce SEO audit, taking a peek at what your competitors are up to is key. Check out their online presence, where their organic traffic is coming from, their search rankings, and how they’re performing on search engine results pages. This helps you spot areas where you will up your game and get some strategic insights.
In the ever-changing world of eCommerce, doing a deep dive into your competitors is a must if you want to keep up. Thorough competitor analysis will uncover nuggets of gold about market gaps, customer behaviors, and upcoming trends.
Comparing yourself to your competitors helps you set realistic SEO goals and strategies. Understanding where you excel and where you fall short compared to others in your industry is important. Plus, using what you learn from your competitors will assist you fine-tune your keyword targeting, content optimization, and backlink strategies for a killer SEO campaign.
To really get the most out of competitor research, make sure you’re looking at their keywords, backlinks, content plans, and social media presence. Gathering all this juicy data will give you the insights you need to plan your SEO strategy like a pro.
In our video: 80/20 SEO Audit Transforms Websites in Just 10 MINUTES you can find an excellent example of the deep eCommerce SEO audit and you’ll learn how to do it yourself.
What Tools Will Be Used for an eCommerce SEO Audit?
You will use a variety of tools to conduct an eCommerce SEO audit. Tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Moz are your best friends for gathering important data and insights to optimize your site.
Google Analytics, a super popular tool, gives you the scoop on website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates. It’s like your personal detective to figure out how well your SEO strategies are performing.
Google Search Console is all about the nitty-gritty technical stuff, checking indexing status, mobile usability, and security issues. It helps you spot and fix any website errors that might be messing with your search engine visibility.
Regarding spying on your competition, doing keyword research, and auditing backlinks, SEMrush is your go-to tool. It’s like having a secret agent to assist you keep up with the competition and tweak your SEO game plan.
Ahrefs is a pro at analyzing backlinks, exploring sites, and tracking keywords. It gives you a solid platform to keep an eye on your site’s link profile and SEO performance.
Moz’s tool set, including Moz Pro and Moz Local, offers detailed site audits, rank tracking, and insights on local SEO. It’s basically giving you all the intel you need to craft a killer SEO strategy from top to bottom.
1. Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a powerful tool for tracking and analyzing your website performance metrics, user behavior, organic traffic sources, and conversion data, all important for eCommerce SEO audits.
This platform allows you to gain valuable insights into how visitors are interacting with your site, helping you make data-driven decisions to improve your overall SEO strategy. Setting up custom reports and goals lets you keep a close eye on user engagement metrics like bounce rate, session duration, and pages per session. Track conversion rates at different stages of your sales funnel to better understand where you will make improvements to drive more revenue.
When you use Google Analytics effectively in your eCommerce SEO audits, you will pinpoint optimizations for better online visibility and increased profitability.
2. Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a must-have tool for keeping an eye on your website’s indexing, spotting crawl errors, boosting your site’s visibility in search results, and making sure your eCommerce site is super crawlable and indexable.
With its search analytics feature, Google Search Console lets eCommerce businesses like yours dive deep into important stats like clicks, impressions, click-through rates, and average position. Insights give you a peek into how users interact with specific keywords and pages, guiding you to make smart, data-based choices to level up your SEO game.
Check out the Index Coverage report in Search Console for a detailed rundown of all the pages Google has indexed and any hiccups they faced during the crawling journey. This report helps you zap any indexing issues pronto, paving the way for a smoother search performance.
3. SEMrush
You need to check out SEMrush or Ahrefs – it’s like your personal SEO sidekick, equipped with everything from keyword research and competitor analysis to backlink audits and content optimization tools. For eCommerce businesses, SEMrush is a game-changer when it comes to SEO audits.
When you harness the power of SEMrush, you will dive deep into your competitors’ strategies and pinpoint areas where you will step up your game. Ahrefs and SEMrush’s backlink audit feature is your secret weapon for gauging the quality of your inbound links and boosting your overall SEO performance. With this all-in-one tool in your arsenal, eCommerce websites will fine-tune their SEO strategies to ramp up visibility and organic traffic.
Both tools are expensive, but they are worth every dollar. Semrush is $1200/year, and Ahrefs is $2400. All professional SEOs use Ahrefs.
4. Ahrefs
You need to check out Ahrefs, the ultimate SEO tool in your arsenal. It’s got everything – backlink analysis, site audits, keyword research, and competitive analysis. This tool is important for eCommerce SEO audits, especially for evaluating backlink profiles and site authority.
When you use Ahrefs for backlink analysis, you will dig deep into your backlinks to see their quality and diversity. You’ll spot any toxic links that could be dragging your site’s SEO down. Plus, the site audit feature in Ahrefs will assisteCommerce sites uncover pesky technical issues like broken links or slow loading speed that will mess with your search engine rankings.
With Ahrefs’ killer keyword research tools, online stores will uncover top-notch keywords with high search volumes and low competition. You will optimize your content for max visibility and traffic. And let’s not forget about Ahrefs’ competitor analysis – it’s your secret weapon for keeping tabs on your industry rivals and finding ways to outdo them.
5. Moz
You will take advantage of Moz’s suite of SEO tools to assistyou analyze your website’s performance, track security issues, monitor keyword rankings, and optimize on-page elements. Tools give you valuable insights for conducting thorough eCommerce SEO audits.
With the mentioned tools, you have the opportunity to dig deep into your online presence, spotting areas that need improvement and opportunities for growth. For example, by using Moz’s site performance analysis feature, you will pinpoint slow-loading pages or technical glitches that might be hurting your user experience and search engine rankings.
The site security checks from Moz will make sure your website is protected from potential cyber threats, which boosts consumer trust and data security. Moz’s on-page optimization tools give you the power to tweak meta tags, headings, and other elements to increase your visibility and relevance in search results.
What are the Common SEO Issues Found in an eCommerce SEO Audit?
During an eCommerce SEO audit, you might come across some common issues that crop up pretty often. Things like duplicate content, meta descriptions that are missing or not up to par, pages that take forever to load, broken links, and sites that don’t play nice on mobile will all mess with how well your website shows up in search results.
- Duplicate content is a big no-no because search engines get confused about which one to show, making your site less visible in searches. If your meta descriptions aren’t pulling their weight, people might not be too keen on clicking your links in search results, which will hurt your click-through rates.
- Slow loading pages are annoying for users so they leave, which in turn will drag down your search rankings.
- Broken links are a pain for users and will make your site look less legit.
- And if your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you risk turning away a lot of mobile users, which won’t do your SEO any favors.
1. Duplicate Content
In your eCommerce SEO audit, watch out for duplicate content issues that will pop up from having the same product descriptions, category pages, or repeated content all over your website.
When search engines can’t decide which version of your content to show in search results, it will knock your rankings down a notch and send your organic traffic on a downward spiral. So, it’s important to slap on some canonical tags to let search engines know which page version is your fave, gathering all ranking signals and squashing any duplicate content gremlins.
To stand out from the crowd and boost your SEO game, make sure your product descriptions are one-of-a-kind and catchy, and jazz up your category pages with unique content. Tidying up your site structure with clear hierarchies, breadcrumbs, and internal links will smooth out any duplication woes and give your users a better experience.
2. Missing or Poorly Written Meta Descriptions
If you overlook or write lackluster meta descriptions during an eCommerce SEO audit, you’re setting yourself up for a hit in click-through rates, search visibility, and user engagement. Crafting engaging meta descriptions is key to boosting your SEO performance.
Think of meta descriptions as your website’s elevator pitch. They’re a short summary that tells users what your page is all about and lures them to click. A well-optimized meta description entices users to visit your site and helps search engines grasp the content’s relevance, boosting your search rankings.
To nail your meta descriptions, focus on making them unique, descriptive, and relevant. Each meta description should accurately reflect the content on that specific page.
3. Slow Page Load Speed
If you’re running an eCommerce site, watch out for slow page load speed – it’s a big red flag in SEO audits. This will drive up bounce rates, lower user engagement, and even drop your search engine rankings, so you’ll want to ramp up your site speed ASAP.
When your pages take forever to load, you’ll see potential customers fleeing your site faster than you will say “checkout“. That means you’re missing out on sales and revenue. To keep visitors happy and sticking around, you’ve got to make speeding up page load times a top priority.
Try out some strategies like compressing images, using browser caching, minimizing CSS and JavaScript files, and tapping into content delivery networks (CDNs). Tweaks will make a big difference in how well your website performs. Reduce bounce rates and boost conversion rates to increase your profits.
4. Broken Links
Regarding your eCommerce SEO audit, don’t overlook the importance of identifying and fixing broken links. They’re important for maintaining a seamless user experience, improving site navigation, and keeping search engine crawlability and indexability in tip-top shape.
Picture this: You’re a visitor on an eCommerce website, trying to find the perfect product. But, oh no! You hit a broken link and get stuck. Frustrating, right? Broken links will really mess with a user’s experience, making it tough to navigate the site and find what they need. From a search engine’s point of view, broken links will mess up indexing and lower your visibility in search results. That’s not good for your site’s reputation and competitiveness in the online market.
To avoid this mess, make sure you have effective internal linking strategies in place and regularly check for broken links. Detect and fix issues for a smooth browsing experience for your users.
5. Poor Mobile Responsiveness
If you’re running an eCommerce website, watch out for poor mobile responsiveness – it will really throw a wrench in your search rankings, user engagement, and conversions. That’s why it’s important to focus on mobile optimization and responsive design when you’re doing your SEO audits.
Nowadays, more and more users are shopping online using their smartphones and tablets, so having a mobile-friendly site is a big deal for your SEO game plan. Sites that aren’t mobile-friendly risk scaring off potential buyers who’ll bounce away fast because of a bad user experience. To optimize for mobile, you need to make sure your site loads quickly, is easy to navigate, and has clear call-to-action buttons.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an eCommerce SEO audit?
An eCommerce SEO audit is a process of evaluating and analyzing an eCommerce website’s search engine optimization strategies, techniques, and overall performance. It helps identify areas for improvement and provides recommendations to increase website visibility and traffic from search engines.
Why is an eCommerce SEO audit important?
An eCommerce SEO audit is important because it helps identify any gaps or weaknesses in a website’s SEO strategy. It provides valuable insights into how search engines view the website and how it will be optimized to boost search engine positions and drive more traffic and sales.
How often should an eCommerce SEO audit be performed?
An eCommerce SEO audit should be performed at least once a year, or whenever there are significant changes to the website, such as a website redesign, new product launches, or major algorithm updates from search engines. Regular audits will also assistmonitor the effectiveness of SEO efforts and make necessary adjustments.
What are some key areas that an eCommerce SEO audit covers?
An eCommerce SEO audit typically covers on-page optimization, technical SEO, backlink analysis, content strategy, keyword research, and competitor analysis. It looks at website performance, user experience, and mobile optimization to ensure a holistic approach to SEO.
will I perform an eCommerce SEO audit myself?
While it is possible to perform an eCommerce SEO audit yourself, it is recommended to seek the assistof a professional SEO agency or consultant. They have the expertise, tools, and resources to conduct a thorough audit and provide recommendations that will improve your website’s search engine rankings and performance.
How long does an eCommerce SEO audit take?
The duration of an eCommerce SEO audit will vary depending on the size and complexity of the website. It will take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to complete. However, the time invested in conducting an SEO audit is worth it for the long-term benefits it will bring to your website’s SEO strategy and performance.
