Set up your WooCommerce store and wait for customers to run to your website to buy from you? Unless you’ve already got a large community or are running paid ads, no one is going to find your website on their own.
Especially when searching for your product.
SEO helps your product be the first one users see when they go looking for it. Over time, you’ll be waking up to sales without having to lift a finger.
But first, we’ve got work to do. SEO optimization for WooCommerce isn’t a walk in the park, yet it’s not as challenging as you might think.
That’s why we’ve put together 15 of our best WooCommerce SEO tips to get you started.
Ready?
Product & Category Page Optimization
When it comes to bolstering your site’s SEO, start with your product and category pages.
Here’s what you need to know:
Target High-Intent Keywords
High-intent keywords improve your search rankings AND have a better chance of converting. They are specific search phrases indicating a user’s readiness to make a purchase.
Think about it: do you want to attract window shoppers or customers who are ready to buy? You can write top-of-the funnel content later on to target those who are not product-aware, but right now, you need to convert. These high-intent keywords are where those customers are.
Optimise for them and you’ll be converting in no time.
Sell with Product Meta Titles
First impressions do count, don’t they?
That’s exactly the purpose of your product meta titles.
They’re the first thing your customers see on the search engine results page (SERP) before they even click on your website. It’s like a mini-ad, giving the user one reason to click.
Use relevant keywords in product meta titles because Google uses these to help with ranking. Remember, your titles must not only be compelling but also descriptive of what you’re selling.
Write Unique Product Descriptions
Descriptions that aren’t only unique but also brim with valuable information can help sway users in your favour – and boost search rankings in the process.
Walk customers through your products, highlighting features that set you apart. Answer every possible question they could have. Make your produce the answer to their pain points.
Can’t fit them all on the page? Write blog posts and link to them.
Optimise Product Categories Pages
Your category pages should be the main focus of your SEO on-page work.
Whilst your individual products are targeting long-tail specific keywords (which will convert), your category pages capture broader queries.
Like “organic dog food”. Or “red knee-length dresses”.
Start by providing an introduction to your category with blog posts to support. Make sure the H1 is optimised well and you have enough internal links pointing to them (including navigation!).
Technical SEO & User Experience
Focusing on technical SEO isn’t just about appeasing search engines; it’s about improving user experience. Here, we’ll investigate a few crucial techniques that encompass both SEO and user-centric elements.
Enable Breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs offer a clean path, guiding users through your eCommerce site while also boosting its visibility on search engines.
You can use an SEO plugin like AIOSEO or Rank Math SEO to enable breadcrumbs for your WooCommerce products, improving internal linking and simplifying site navigation. Alternatively, ask your developer.
Use Clean and Descriptive Permalinks
Creating relevant permalinks that match your page’s content can boost user satisfaction and enhance your website’s search engine optimization. Ensure that your permalink format is concise and reflects the essence of your page accurately. This simple adjustment can have an impact on optimising your WordPress SEO configuration.
Optimise Website Speed
Speed is a significant factor in terms of both SEO and user experience. A study by Portent revealed that B2B websites that loaded in one second saw three times higher conversion rates than ones that took five seconds. Boost your website speed and your users and search rankings will reward you.
Make Your Site Mobile-Friendly
Google now indexes mobile-first. If your WooCommerce store is not mobile-friendly, Google may decide not to rank you – on both desktop and mobile.
Google has recently retired its Mobile Friendliness Test, but you can use Lighthouse for the same thing. Use to evaluate and improve your website’s performance.
Content & Backlinks
Do not overlook high-quality content and backlink strategies when it comes to your WooCommerce website. These are often the difference between ranking on pages 1 and 2.
Create informative blog content
Write blog content that offers your audience quality information that’s informative, engaging, and stacked with the right keywords.
Aim to produce long-form, detailed posts that investigate topics important to your eCommerce business.
Don’t shy away from sharing expert insights or familiar concepts with a fresh twist. You’ll not only grow a content-rich platform for your audience but Google will reward you with better rankings.
Trigger rich snippets with schema markup
Rich snippets are your secret weapon in the battle for higher SEO rankings. Think of them as your site’s glamorous CV, highlighting key information like ratings, prices and stock availability right there in the search results.
Schema markup helps search engines to effortlessly understand your page’s content. On the SERP, these features can make the difference between a click and not. And with the users knowing the price and features from the SERP, when they click, they’ll be more likely to convert.
Build high-quality backlinks
By garnering high-quality backlinks from leading, respected websites, you’ll support your own eCommerce site’s credibility and reputation. Each backlink acts as an endorsement in the eyes of the search engines, growing an increase in trust that translates into improved rankings.
There are multiple ways to build backlinks. To start, we recommended building foundational links – such as social media profiles, directory listings, and even guest blogging on other people’s sites. Don’t forget to sign up to review platforms like Trustpilot and get your customers to review you there!
Ongoing Management & Analysis
Remaining on top of your WooCommerce store’s SEO means continuously tracking, managing, and analysing performance while staying in tune with the latest trends. Here are some key methods to help you keep your site performing optimally.
Track Your SEO Performance
It can be challenging to gauge the progress of your campaigns without keeping tabs on your performance. Set up tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to collect data and evaluate how your website is performing over time. These tools also provide information on customer engagement with your site allowing you to adapt your strategies accordingly.
Utilise WooCommerce SEO Plugins
Automation can be key to effective SEO management. Plugins like Yoast SEO or the All-in-One SEO plugin simplify the process of site optimisation. These plugins provide an easy way to fill out necessary details that help kick-start your SEO efforts. They assist in creating SEO-friendly URL slugs, and meta descriptions, and even offer readability analysis to optimise your content effectively.
Monitor Broken Links
Having broken links on your website can really mess up how users navigate and even affect your search engine rankings. It’s important to check for and fix these broken links to make it easier for people to move around your site. No one likes to see a 404 page.
Stay Updated With Google Algorithm Changes
Staying ahead in the SEO game means adapting to the ever-evolving dynamics of search engine algorithms. Google frequently updates its algorithm, altering the way websites are ranked. By staying on top of these changes, you can ensure your strategies are adjusted accordingly and keep your WooCommerce site a step ahead of the competition.
Time to grow your SEO!
Optimising your WooCommerce doesn’t have to be hard. If you’ve got the time and energy to tweak, experiment, and analyse, you can do it yourself and watch your rankings climb.
However, if you’re busy running your store, bring in extra help! Whether it’s building an SEO team of your own, or outsourcing to an ecommerce SEO agency, it’s one way to grow without getting hands-on.
No matter your approach, WooCommerce is a great eCommerce platform. With a strong SEO foundation, you don’t have to worry about fixing big technical issues. Instead, you can focus on improving content and building backlinks – the key to SEO success.
So, what are you waiting for? Get optimising!
