5 SEO Ranking Mistakes Ecommerce Managers Make (And How to Avoid Them)

Are you an eCommerce manager frustrated that your new blog or product pages aren't ranking in search results? Sound familiar? It's a common headache, especially when you've poured time and effort into creating quality content. Many eCommerce managers face similar challenges, often making subtle but costly SEO mistakes that prevent their sites from achieving top rankings. This guide will help you identify these pitfalls and implement effective solutions to boost your search engine visibility and drive more organic traffic.

Why SEO Ranking Matters for Ecommerce

High rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs) translate to increased visibility, leading to more clicks, website visits, and ultimately, sales. Because the online marketplace is so competitive, organic search is a vital channel for acquiring new customers and driving revenue. Here's why:

• Approximately 70% of marketers say that SEO is more effective for lead generation than PPC. Source: HubSpot
• Organic search accounts for over 53% of all website traffic. Source: BrightEdge
• The first organic result on Google gets 27.6% of all clicks. Source: Backlinko

Failing to optimize your website for search engines means missing out on significant opportunities for growth. Understanding and correcting common SEO mistakes is the first step toward achieving higher rankings and maximizing your online potential.

Mistake #1: Ignoring Keyword Research and Targeting

One of the most fundamental SEO mistakes is neglecting keyword research. Many eCommerce managers think they know the keywords their customers use, but without proper research, they might be missing out on valuable opportunities. Keyword research involves identifying the terms and phrases your target audience uses when searching for products or services related to your business.

"I made a new blog, i picked really easy keywords, posted 4 articles. The first 3 days they all got good ranks (top 1-3), some with featured snippet and the next day all cannot be found (still indexed but cannot be found in the serp)." - Reddit User

This Redditor's experience highlights the importance of not only choosing relevant keywords but also understanding their competitiveness. Ranking for highly competitive keywords can be challenging, especially for new websites. Focusing on long-tail keywords (longer, more specific phrases) can be a more effective strategy for attracting qualified traffic.

The Fix:

1. Use Keyword Research Tools: Utilize tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Google Keyword Planner to identify relevant keywords with high search volume and lower competition. Pay attention to keyword difficulty scores and search trends.
2. Analyze Competitors: Identify the keywords your competitors are ranking for and analyze their content to understand how they're targeting those keywords.
3. Target Long-Tail Keywords: Incorporate long-tail keywords into your content. These phrases are more specific and often have less competition.
4. Optimize On-Page Elements: Ensure your target keywords are included in your page titles, meta descriptions, headings, image alt text, and body content.

Mistake #2: Neglecting On-Page SEO Optimization

On-page SEO involves optimizing individual web pages to improve their search engine rankings. This includes optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, image alt text, and internal linking. Many eCommerce managers overlook these crucial elements, hindering their website's ability to rank.

"I'm 'shadowban' from the serp on a new blog even with good keywords." - Reddit User

This user's struggle underscores the importance of a holistic SEO approach. Even with well-chosen keywords, neglecting on-page optimization can lead to poor rankings and reduced visibility.

The Fix:

1. Optimize Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: Create compelling and keyword-rich title tags and meta descriptions for each page. These elements appear in search results and influence click-through rates.
2. Use Header Tags (H1-H6): Structure your content logically using header tags to organize information and improve readability. Include your target keywords in your headings where appropriate.
3. Optimize Image Alt Text: Add descriptive alt text to all images. This helps search engines understand the context of the images and improves accessibility.
4. Implement Internal Linking: Link to other relevant pages on your website to improve site navigation and distribute link equity.

Mistake #3: Ignoring Technical SEO Issues

Technical SEO encompasses the behind-the-scenes aspects of your website that affect its ability to be crawled, indexed, and ranked by search engines. Common technical SEO issues include slow page speed, mobile-friendliness problems, broken links, and a poorly structured website. These issues can significantly impact your website's performance in search results.

The Fix:

1. Improve Page Speed: Optimize your website's loading speed by compressing images, minifying code, and leveraging browser caching. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify areas for improvement.
2. Ensure Mobile-Friendliness: Ensure your website is responsive and provides a seamless experience on all devices. Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing, so mobile-friendliness is crucial.
3. Fix Broken Links: Regularly check for broken links and fix them promptly. Broken links can negatively impact user experience and SEO.
4. Submit a Sitemap: Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console to help Google crawl and index your website effectively.

Mistake #4: Creating Thin or Low-Quality Content

Content quality matters as a critical ranking factor. Search engines prioritize websites that provide valuable, informative, and engaging content. Thin content (content with little substance) or low-quality content can harm your rankings. This includes content that is poorly written, lacks originality, or doesn't provide value to the reader.

The Fix:

1. Create High-Quality Content: Focus on creating informative, well-written, and engaging content that provides value to your target audience.
2. Conduct Thorough Research: Back up your claims with data, statistics, and credible sources. This builds trust and credibility with your audience.
3. Optimize for Readability: Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and visuals to break up the text and make it easy to read.
4. Avoid Keyword Stuffing: Don't overuse keywords in your content. Focus on creating natural, readable content that answers user queries.

Mistake #5: Neglecting Link Building and Off-Page SEO

While on-page SEO is essential, off-page SEO, particularly link building, plays a significant role in determining your website's authority and ranking. Link building involves acquiring backlinks from other websites. Backlinks are like votes of confidence, and the more high-quality backlinks you have, the higher your website's authority and ranking.

The Fix:

1. Create Linkable Content: Develop valuable content that others will want to link to, such as in-depth guides, infographics, and original research.
2. Guest Blogging: Write guest posts for other websites in your industry to reach new audiences and earn backlinks.
3. Reach Out to Influencers: Build relationships with influencers in your niche and ask them to share your content.
4. Monitor Your Backlinks: Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to monitor your backlinks and identify any potential issues.

Prevention Checklist for eCommerce Managers

Here's a checklist to help eCommerce managers avoid these common SEO mistakes:

• Keyword Research: Regularly conduct keyword research to identify the terms your target audience is using.
• On-Page Optimization: Optimize title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and image alt text.
• Technical SEO: Improve page speed, ensure mobile-friendliness, fix broken links, and submit a sitemap.
• Content Quality: Create high-quality, informative, and engaging content.
• Link Building: Actively build backlinks from reputable websites.

Pro Tip: Regularly audit your website's SEO performance and make adjustments as needed. SEO is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix.

Ultimately: Elevate Your Ecommerce SEO

By avoiding these common SEO mistakes, eCommerce managers can significantly improve their website's search engine rankings, drive more organic traffic, and ultimately, increase sales. Remember that SEO is an ongoing process that requires consistent effort and adaptation. Continuously monitor your website's performance, stay up-to-date with industry best practices, and make adjustments as needed to achieve long-term success.

If you're looking for a quick, efficient way to identify and fix your website's SEO issues, consider using an AI-powered conversion optimization audit. These tools can analyze hundreds of criteria and provide prioritized fixes and A/B testing ideas to help you optimize your website for conversions.

Actionable Takeaways:

• Prioritize Keyword Research: Invest time in thorough keyword research to understand what your customers are searching for.
• Optimize On-Page Elements: Pay close attention to title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and image alt text.
• Address Technical Issues: Improve page speed, ensure mobile-friendliness, and fix broken links.
• Create High-Quality Content: Focus on creating informative, engaging, and valuable content.
• Build High-Quality Backlinks: Actively build backlinks from reputable websites in your industry.