Why Your Online Store SEO is Failing—and How Australia’s Get More Traffic Can Help
Online store SEO is no easy task. In fact, search engine optimisation for e-commerce stores tends to be markedly harder than it is for blogs and more basic websites. There are several reasons for this added difficulty, from the higher quantity of pages to the fact that e-commerce pages tend to come and go as limited or seasonal products cycle in and out of your inventory.
Many of the reasons for the difficulty with SEO for online stores, though, tends to be self-inflicted. While there are some inherent hurdles with online store SEO that aren’t there with other types of websites, perhaps the biggest challenge with e-commerce sites is that they are also more likely to have potential pitfalls.
Common Errors with SEO Online Store Strategies
Indeed, if your online store isn’t seeing the kind of traffic and conversion rates that you want or need to continue growing your business, any number of errors could be at fault. Here are just a few of the factors that could be contributing to your lack of search engine traffic:
You copied and pasted the manufacturer descriptions rather than write your own – If your e-commerce site carries products from third-party manufacturers, then this strategy might seem like the best way to go. After all, writing original copy for dozens, hundreds or even thousands of third-party products is time-consuming and costly. It’s faster and cheaper just to use the manufacturer’s product descriptions.
The problem is that Google filters out pages with duplicate content, so if you are using manufacturer descriptions, your pages aren’t going to rank. Even if they did, manufacturer descriptions are rarely absorbing and almost never engage customers and encourage sales. In other words, you need unique content.
Some of your pages don’t have any product descriptions – You wouldn’t believe how many product pages across the web have no written content, period. Some site managers will create pages and upload photos, intending to ‘come back later’ to write content. Others will learn that having generic third-party product descriptions hurts their SEO and will just delete all those descriptions and not replace them with new text.
Whatever the reason, if you don’t have description text for your products, your online store SEO is going to suffer. Without text, there isn’t much for search engines to crawl, which means that your pages have virtually no chance of ranking on the first page of a Google search. The bottom line is that you need unique, original, keyword-targeted text for every single product in your store.
Your headings are weak – If you carry third-party products, you must assume that customers are going to be searching for specific brands and model numbers. In addition to more general product-related keywords, it’s important to highlight these specific details—preferably in your headings, page titles, URLs and meta descriptions. If search engines can pick up that information, it’s going to help the SEO for your online store.
Get Help with Your Online Store SEO in Australia
If you are looking for help with your online store SEO in Australia, give us a call at Get More Traffic today. Whether you need keyword research, original product descriptions, tweaks to your headings and metadata or other improvements, we can help. Call us on 1300 332 256 to learn more about our SEO for online store websites.
2017 Website Tips to Adopt and Avoid!
How did your website rate in 2016? Did you see the conversions you were looking for, or were people bouncing off your website faster than a kid who’s just found out it’s dinner time? Read our 2017 website tips to find out how your business can better stand out in the New Year!
Things To Consider:
Long-Scroll Layouts Vs Excess Tabs
Once upon a time websites contained lots of individual pages under different tabs and links, but these days you might have noticed a distinct shift away from this. Nowadays, your average website implements long-scrolling; where businesses will list multiple sections all on the one page. For example, instead of clicking on an ‘about us’ and then ‘awards’ tab, a website might choose to put all of this information on one landing page, under multiple headings.
And it really is a simpler process – particularly for those who are scrolling on their phones. Being able to keep scrolling down to see all the relevant information for that page, as opposed to getting lost in the depths of multiple tabs, is a much more user-friendly experience.
On that note, if you’re looking to test the user-friendliness of your website there are plenty of online service providers (such as those below) that can assist you with valuable feedback. Some may even provide a free trial as well! We recommend you give the following a try:
Reassure Customers with Numbers
Have you won a number of awards, or helped hundreds of local customers with their product needs? Don’t be shy of boasting your achievements – these figures can persuade a potential customer that you’re not just another average Joe. Show them why they should come to you!
Video, Video, Video
Yes, video content is a big deal, and if you don’t yet know it your business is likely suffering! Just like a picture can paint a thousand words, a video is even easier on the eye of your potential customer. For example, instead of filling your site with text heavy content about your product, try adding a video at the top that clearly demonstrates how the product works, and shows it being used by a real person (even better, add a testimonial of a customer who has used your service or product).
Things to Consider Avoiding:
Homepage Carousels
Although they add an interesting visual dimension to your website, carousel designs can actually reduce your SEO rankings; as they lack content that Google can crawl (unless each image is labeled). Likewise, slow loading times for high-res images can also be enough to drive people away before they’ve clicked any further. This is not to say that you should definitely steer clear of these types of ads, but it is important to weigh up if they are the right choice for you – after all, according to a 2013 study from Erik Runyon, only 1% of people actually click on a carousel ad.
When designing your website (or having it designed for you), put yourself in the shoes of a potential customer and ask yourself:
- Is it easy to find what I’m looking for?
- Could navigation be better?
- Are there too many tabs?
- Are the colours and fonts consistent?
- Do I have too much block text on each page?
- Does my layout look dated?
With just a few questions such as these, you’ll be on your way to creating a website that is functional, user-friendly, and unique to your product. If you need a hand with getting on the right track, give our web experts a call on 1300 332 256.
The best and worst features of Google ‘Allo’
“Allo mate!” It sounds like something that should be on a tourist ad – but no, this is just me and my imagination as I read over Google’s latest app development.
Currently in the testing phase, ‘Allo’ initially seems very similar to Whatsapp – although there are of course some notable differences. So far the reviews have been mixed, with some suggesting the app would be better bundled with ‘Google Duo,’ Google’s 1-to-1 voice call app. So with that said, let’s have a look at the great, the okay, and the not so great.
Thumbs up Features
Incognito Mode – With end-to-end encryption, you can chat privately with your contacts. Simply choose how long you want messages to stick around for, and when they should expire. You can also make sure your chats stay private from snoopy people sitting behind you on public transport by using the private notifications setting.
Google Assistant – Want to know the weather report for the weekend, the best local japanese restaurants, or simply need a reminder for an early wake up alarm? No problem! Just use the microphone button to ask a question, and Allo’s Assistant will give you an answer (or in the case of an early wake up, set your alarm).
allo google assistant
Image from Android Police
Individual message deletion – According to Ausdroid, Allo will allow users to delete individual messages from their chat stream. For example, let’s just say that your partner sends you an emergency text with their credit card details – you certainly don’t want those hanging around on your phone do you! With Allo, you can simply delete any messages as you feel fit. While this is certainly not a revolutionary idea by any means, it’s still one that is helpful. Just be aware, deleted messages will only disappear from your device.
Independent artist sticker packs – According to Allo, their app will offer users 3 sticker packs to get started (each containing 24 stickers), with the option to purchase more (in total there are 24 packs). Similar in part to some of the Hangout emoticons, you’ve got everything from the funny and cute, to the sassy and cheeky (such as ‘pudding the cry baby,’ ‘fun-der the sea,’ ‘worst day ever,’ and ‘talk to the hands’). Just be aware however, there are a few packs that are possibly NSFW – including ‘Julio the Bull,’ a bootylicious character who, let’s face it, is in no need of an ego boost! All stickers are designed by independant artists and studios from around the world.
Ink – as mentioned earlier, Allo will allow you to get creative by ‘inking’ photos (essentially, drawing and doodling on them).
Search Function – With Allo’s dedicated and extensive search function, you won’t have to worry about endlessly scrolling through your chats to find a specific text (as with Hangouts). Hallelujah for that!
Features that are a bit MEH
Smart Reply – According to Allo, this feature will allow your phone to automatically respond to pictures and text messages automatically – without you having to type a single word. Apparently, the app does this by learning over time what your response style is, and then adapting from there. For example, if your friend sends you a picture of their new puppy, Smart Reply might suggest that you respond with ‘aww how cute!’ or ‘Love!’ You then have the option to click on one of the suggested responses.
Personally, I think it’s a bit average. I mean, are we really so time poor that we’d rather a machine converse with our friends as opposed to us? I know I’d rather have a real conversation with my friends and family – and receive genuine responses from them – without the ‘help’ of automatic suggestions.
And let’s not even get started on what would happen if it automatically sent off an incorrect response!
Thumbs down Features
No cloud backup – According to Android Police, it seems that Allo does not have a dedicated backup or cloud function – something which seems rather strange. For some this could possibly be a killer, as once uninstalled, your chat history and one-one-one texts, along with images you’ve sent and videos you’ve received, are all gone.
However, given that the app is still in its testing phase there’s hope that perhaps this function will be fixed by the time the final app version is released (we really do hope so!).
No ability to play videos within the app – Unlike other mediums, users will need to play videos through a preferred media player
No trimming – If you’re hoping to trim that lengthy video before sending, it appears this won’t be an option sorry.
Auto-Wifi – Hoping to save data by limiting your auto downloads to Wifi only? Sorry, it seems this also isn’t a possibility yet.
As mentioned Allo is still in the testing phase – so there is still hope for change. What will stay or go however, remains unknown for now.
What are your thoughts on Allo? Do you think it will replace Hangouts or Whatsapp as your preferred app? Let us know!