How To Run an Ecommerce SEO Audit for Your Online Store (2024)?

Search engine ranking is the foundation for attracting organic traffic and driving sales. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a process that improves your overall ranking in the SERP.

A well-defined e-commerce SEO audit strategy serves as the key to unlocking organic growth and outperforming competitors in the e-commerce arena.

This comprehensive guide empowers you with the knowledge and step-by-step process required to conduct a thorough e-commerce SEO audit in 2024.

Establishing the Foundation: Goals and Tools

Before embarking on the core aspects of the audit, it’s critical to establish your objectives and gather the necessary tools.

Objectives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Commence the process by outlining your specific goals for the e-commerce SEO services audit. Here are some illustrative examples:

• Achieve a quantifiable increase (X%) in organic traffic derived from search engines within a designated timeframe (Y).
• Elevate rankings for meticulously targeted keywords directly related to your product offerings.
• Enhance the website’s user experience (UX) to demonstrably reduce bounce rates and augment conversion rates.
• Identify and rectify technical SEO issues that might be impeding search engine crawling and indexing.

Once you have established your goals, it’s vital to define key performance indicators (KPIs) to meticulously track your progress. These metrics will serve as the benchmark for measuring the effectiveness of the SEO improvements you implement. Common KPIs for e-commerce SEO audits include the following:

• Organic traffic
• Conversion rate
• Average order value
• Bounce rate
• Time spent on site
• Keyword rankings

Essential SEO Tools for Your Audit

An array of free and premium tools can empower you to conduct a comprehensive e-commerce SEO audit. Here are a few indispensable options:

• Google Search Console: This complimentary tool offered by Google furnishes valuable insights into your website’s search performance, crawling errors, and opportunities for improvement.
• Google Analytics: Another free Google tool, Analytics offers a treasure trove of data on your website traffic, user behavior, and conversion metrics.
• Keyword Research Tools: Tools such as Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz empower you to identify relevant keywords with high search volume and comparatively low competition.
• Website Crawling Tools: Screaming Frog or Siteliner can meticulously crawl your website to pinpoint technical SEO issues like broken links, missing title tags, and duplicate content.
• Page Speed Insights: This free tool from Google evaluates your website’s loading speed on desktop and mobile devices.

Keyword Research and Analysis

Keyword research constitutes the bedrock of any successful SEO strategy. Here’s a professional approach to keyword research within the context of your e-commerce SEO audit:

• Identify Seed Keywords: Initiate the process by brainstorming broad keywords directly related to your products and niche.
• Leverage Free and Paid Keyword Research Tools: Utilize tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to unearth relevant long-tail keywords with high search volume and lower competition.
• Analyze Competitor Keywords: Meticulously research the keywords your competitors are ranking for and consider incorporating relevant terms into your strategy.
• Prioritize Keywords: Categorize your keywords based on search volume, competition level, and pertinence to your product offerings.

On-page SEO Optimization

On-page SEO optimization encompasses optimizing the various elements on each webpage of your online store to enhance its ranking and user experience. Here are the crucial aspects to consider:

• Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: Craft compelling and informative title tags (under 60 characters) and meta descriptions (around 160 characters) that precisely encapsulate the content of each webpage and incorporate your target keywords naturally.
• Headings (H1, H2, etc.): When organizing the content of your product pages and blog, use headings that are clear and succinct. Include your goal keywords in the headings to increase readability and SEO.
• Product Descriptions: Compose engaging and informative product descriptions that provide comprehensive details, specifications, and benefits of your products. Don’t forget to weave in your target keywords organically.
• Image Optimization: Use descriptive file names that contain pertinent keywords, resize product images for quicker download times, and add alt tags with keyword-rich captions to enhance your product photographs.

Technical SEO Audit

Technical SEO focuses on the underlying technical aspects of your website that influence search engine crawling, indexing, and overall ranking. Here are the key areas to scrutinize during your e-commerce SEO audit:

• Mobile-Friendliness: In the mobile-first world of today, it is critical to ensure your website provides an excellent user experience on all devices, especially tablets and smartphones. You may evaluate the mobile responsiveness of your website with tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
• Website Speed: The user experience and SEO performance of a website can be severely hampered by slow loading times. To find areas for improvement and to increase the loading speed of your website, use tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights.
• Site Security (HTTPS): Building client trust and improving search engine rankings both depend on having a secure website with an SSL certificate that protects user data.
• Structured Data Implementation: Implementing schema markup provides search engines with richer information about your products, potentially enhancing your search result snippets and click-through rates.
• Crawl Errors and Indexing Issues: To find technical problems like broken links, 404 errors, and duplicate content, use website crawling tools. To guarantee smooth search engine crawling and indexing, take care of these problems.

Content Quality and User Experience (UX)

The creation of useful, high-quality content that meets the needs of your target audience is essential to e-commerce SEO. In addition to improving the user experience, compelling content offers chances for relevant keywords to naturally appear in it. Here’s how to optimize content and UX within your e-commerce SEO audit:

• Create Informative Blog Content: Provide insightful blog posts that respond to the concerns, questions, and pain points of your target audience. You may use this material as a pillar to draw in organic visitors and position yourself as an authority in your industry.
• Optimize Category Pages: Improve search engine ranking for larger product categories by adding useful descriptions and pertinent keywords to your category pages. This will help users navigate your site more effectively.

Read more: SEO for E-Commerce: Top Tips to Boost Your Conversions

Conclusion

You can turn your e-commerce store into an efficient SEO machine by carefully following these steps and making use of the knowledge gained from this extensive guide. This can drive conversions, attract organic traffic, and ultimately result in a dominant search engine ranking within your industry. Keep in mind that an effective SEO strategy is an investment in your online business’s long-term development and success.