The digital landscape is evolving rapidly, and with it, so are the challenges ecommerce businesses face. While SEO remains a cornerstone of online success, getting it right is hard, and many companies don’t fully realise the benefits of their e-commerce SEO efforts.

The question on every e-commerce manager’s lips is: “Is my current SEO strategy driving enough revenue?” The answer may be tough to hear. The truth is, traditional SEO tactics are often no longer sufficient to guarantee success. To thrive in today’s competitive market, e-commerce businesses need a holistic approach – one that nurtures customers throughout the funnel rather than simply doing things because they think “Google will like it.”

The E-commerce Revenue Challenge

E-commerce businesses are grappling with a perfect storm of challenges: increased competition, algorithm updates, rising customer expectations, and economic uncertainty are all putting pressure on bottom lines.

Paid, social, and programmatic channels often have a clearer and easier-to-attribute ROI. It’s also not uncommon for conversions to be attributed to these channels when, in fact, they have been nurtured through SEO. The perils of last-click attribution are real and can result in budget being taken away from SEO and other areas under the mistaken belief that “if they clicked on an ad and then bought, that must be what drives the sale.”

The negative impacts of this myopic, bottom-of-the-funnel thinking won’t be felt immediately. SEO is a tactic that takes time to build momentum, and its effects can continue to be felt even after efforts have reduced or stopped. However, countless examples show brands failing to grow – or even shrinking – because they chase the click instead of nurturing the customer. This makes it more important than ever for e-commerce directors and SEO leads to be clear about SEO performance and how to maximise its value.

The Importance of an E-commerce SEO Strategy

To maximise e-commerce revenue, you need a comprehensive strategy that includes:

• Audience Understanding: Who is your audience? What do they search for? What tasks do they need to complete on your site? What makes your site the best place for them?
• Market Insight: Who are your actual competitors? What tactics do they use to win market share? How can you beat them and stay ahead?
• Technical SEO: Ensure the website is technically sound, able to highlight future issues, and easy to optimise.
• Content: Create high-quality content that addresses your audience’s needs and encourages conversions.

Deciding on the best approach can be overwhelming, as the wrong actions can result in significant drops in performance.

Where Brands Go Wrong with E-commerce SEO

If you want your e-commerce SEO efforts to yield meaningful revenue, you must avoid common pitfalls:

• Neglecting User Experience: A poor website experience can drive customers away, even if you rank well in search results. Your site must be fast, easy to use, provide the correct information, support user needs, and signpost users successfully to nurture conversions.
• Focusing Solely on Keywords: Keyword stuffing and neglecting content quality can harm your rankings and conversions. Forget about “SEO content.” Focus on creating the right content for your users. While it should naturally include your target terms, your primary concern should be the content’s value and relevance. Google rewards useful content.
• Ignoring Mobile Optimisation: With more searches happening on mobile devices, a non-mobile-friendly site is a significant disadvantage. Despite its importance, many brands still have poor mobile experiences. Focus on where your customers are and optimise for them – this means prioritising mobile-first optimisation.
• Reporting Issues: Without measuring ROI and tracking key metrics, it’s impossible to determine your SEO efforts’ effectiveness. With other channels offering clearer attribution modelling and ROI, it’s essential to set yourself up for success. Be clear about your goals and how you report and communicate achievements.
• Misunderstanding the Customer Journey: Failing to understand how your audience considers a purchase or where they are digitally can lead to missed opportunities. Examine first and last interactions, as well as touchpoints along the way. Have content that answers their concerns, reassures them, and positions you as a trusted solution provider. These searches may involve fewer interactions (spread across many queries) and be harder to attribute revenue to, but they are where your brand can stand out.

At Organic, we’ve been working with some of the largest e-commerce brands in the UK for over a decade. Our successes have helped these brands grow year over year while navigating challenging market conditions.

That’s where Search That Sells comes in. Our proven methodology and expertise can help you optimise your e-commerce SEO and drive significant revenue growth. Over the years, we’ve refined our approach for e-commerce brands into a tried-and-tested methodology.

Search That Sells Includes:

• Tailored Strategies: We work closely with your brand to understand your unique challenges, goals, and target audience. This allows us to create a customised SEO strategy that aligns with your needs.
• Proven Expertise: With experience working with brands like Argos, Sainsbury’s, and Decathlon, we understand the complexities of e-commerce SEO.
• Collaborative Approach: We seamlessly integrate with your internal team, leveraging their expertise to ensure a smooth implementation process.
• Overcoming Challenges: From navigating legacy tech stacks to working with limited resources, we’ve tackled a wide range of challenges to deliver results for our clients.

By combining SEO, UX, and paid advertising into a cohesive strategy, we can help you overcome the challenges of e-commerce, achieve sustainable growth, and get the revenue you deserve.

Ready to take your online sales to the next level? Contact us today for a free consultation.