SEO Mistakes E-commerce Owners Make During Content Optimization

Today I read the X thread of Michal Barus. Here it is:

I did 200+ e-commerce audits over the past years

E-commerce owners make the same SEO mistakes when trying to optimise their online store for search engines

By understanding these common mistakes, you can avoid them and achieve better results

Here are some of the biggest…

— Michal Barus | DTC SEO (@webjuice_ie) April 7, 2024

I agree with all the points he specified since I spotted the same issues during audits, and that’s why I decided to publish his thread herein without any corrections, for your kind reference. Enjoy!

1. Ignoring Technical SEO - One common mistake is focusing only on keywords and content, while ignoring technical aspects of SEO. - This includes website speed, mobile optimization, SSL security, URL structure, site architecture, structured data, XML sitemaps, and more.
2. Copy-Paste Product Descriptions - Use the product descriptions straight from the manufacturer, but that’s a big no-no. It’s better to write your own – that way, you won’t run into problems with copying content that’s elsewhere on the web.
3. Not Optimizing Product Images - Not using a proper filename, optimise in WebP format, and not providing alternative text (alt tags). - You filename should be 3 words and variation of your main keyword.
4. Ignoring User Experience - If your site is hard to navigate, has a complex checkout process or is slow in loading, users are likely to leave, increasing your bounce rate and negatively affecting your rankings.
5. Sticking to Short, Generic Keywords - Using long-tail keywords can be a better strategy as they’re usually less competitive and more specific to what users are searching for.
6. No Blog or Content Plan - Start with the topical map for your website and cover everything from the bottom. If you’re not taking advantage of this, you’re leaving opportunities on the table.
7. Lack of Product Reviews - Product reviews not only influence buying decisions, but they also provide fresh, user-generated content, which search engines value.
8. Using Confusing URLs - If your page’s web address is full of random numbers and symbols, search engines will be just as confused as people. Best to keep them simple and relevant. - Use parent/child hierarchy so it’s easy to understand.
9. Not Implementing Schema Markup - Schema markup helps search engines understand your content better. It helps in getting rich snippets in search results which could improve your click-through rate. - Feed the SE with custom entities and knowledge panel, wiki, and wikidata.
10. Skipping Over Local SEO - If your store’s also got a physical location, you want to make sure that people searching nearby can find you. - Optimize you GMB on the maps and post weekly updates and daily GMB posts.

Just my 5 cents here… I passed all the mentioned issues and made several rounds of testing when I managed my store BOYS&GIRLS. I would especially like to pay attention to those store owners who use out-of-the-box e-commerce solutions such as Shopify, Magento, and WooCommerce, etc. Start doing technical SEO right away, from the moment of clean installation, and monitor technical parameters throughout the whole period of work. Be sure to follow all the above points and you are good to go!