If you are new to the world of e-commerce or digital marketing in general, you have likely heard of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). In a world where the majority of internet traffic relies on a series of written texts in the search box, SEO can be a decisive factor in the fate of your e-commerce business.
Why is Keyword Research Important in E-Commerce?
Every time someone searches, the search engine must decide which results to display from among hundreds of thousands of possible pages. It is up to the search engine algorithms to determine the best and most relevant results for each individual search. For this reason, it is important to select keywords carefully so that search engines can match and display your site in search results for the most relevant keywords.
Basics of Keyword Research in E-Commerce
Before you start doing keyword research for your online store, there are some basic terms you will encounter and need to know and understand.
Keywords
A keyword, in the context of SEO, is a specific word or phrase that serves as a shorthand for the content of a page or site. Keywords are part of the page’s metadata and help search engines match the page with the appropriate search query.
Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are simply keywords that contain three or more words. Long-tail keywords are important (hence their name) because they target people who are further along in the buying cycle and thus tend to have higher conversion rates.
Search Volume (Average Monthly Searches)
Search volume is typically measured by average monthly searches. This is the total number of searches each month for each specific search phrase (keyword). Ideally, you want to look for keywords with the highest search volume. Ranking high for search phrases with higher search volume means more potential traffic and conversion opportunities for you and your store.
Competition
Search volume is not the only thing you need to consider. Competition is equally important, if not more so. There is no point in trying to rank for specific keywords that you have no chance of ranking for. Competition refers to the difficulty of ranking for each particular keyword.
How to Conduct Keyword Research for Your E-Commerce SEO Strategy
Define Your Keyword Scope
There are many nuances between new stores and existing stores, so for the sake of brevity, I will assume you are working on a new website.
Finding Winning Subkeywords
To compete with giants in the field of e-commerce these days, especially if you are just starting out, you need to start with hyper-specialization – a niche within a niche, and sometimes even a niche within that niche.
Creating a Research Process
You can perform the above process about 10 to 15 times to build large lists of relevant phrases to work with. Even easier, you can manage most of these steps right within an SEO tool like Ahrefs.
Building a Topic Map
A topic map is a table that organizes relevant keywords together into smaller lists that all overlap under a representative topic.
Defining Different Content Types
It is helpful to deliberately plan the types of content you need to create to better target keywords. The most straightforward way to do this is by researching on Google. Create a chart for yourself using the keyword lists exported from Ahrefs as a starting point.
Creating a Content Calendar
After you finish defining your priority keyword list and assigning different content types, it’s time to create a calendar so you can publish this content and rank it for your targeted keywords.
Process
Keyword Research Defines Your Progress
Your search engine optimization efforts will only be as effective as your research process. Most e-commerce store owners, especially when they’re starting out and time-strapped, don’t have a defined process and don’t know how to create one.
How to Conduct Keyword Research for E-commerce?
Define your keyword scope. Find winning long-tail keywords. Create a research process. Build a topic map. Identify different types of content. Develop a content calendar.
What Are Keywords in E-commerce?
A keyword is a topic or idea that defines the content of your webpage. People type keywords into search engines to find specific content online.
Why is Keyword Research So Important for E-commerce Content?
Keyword research in e-commerce helps you understand search demand so you can create a high-impact SEO strategy for your store. It helps you identify the phrases to target in organic search and paid click (PPC) ads, and aids in informing Google about your store.
What is SEO in E-commerce?
SEO in e-commerce includes optimizing your online store for search engines. The goal is to rank your landing pages – whether it’s a product page, homepage, blog article, or category page – at the top of search results, based on what people are searching for.
Source: https://www.shopify.com/blog/keyword-research-strategy
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