How To Run a SEO Audit for Your Ecommerce Store

Gaining visibility in organic search results is a key method for driving sustainable traffic to your ecommerce site. Although investing in pay-per-click ads through platforms like Google Ads can elevate your site to the top of the search results, these ads can become costly over time. Moreover, data on user behavior shows a significant preference for clicking on organic search results over paid advertisements.

To attract organic traffic to your ecommerce platform, you'll need to engage in ecommerce search engine optimization (SEO). This involves a systematic effort to ensure your website ranks well when search engines process user queries. Regular SEO audits are essential to understand how your website performs and to identify SEO aspects that need enhancement.

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According to Shopify SEO expert Kyle Risley, it is advisable for businesses that can afford it to conduct an annual or semiannual ecommerce SEO audit, which can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars based on your website's complexity and audit objectives. Regular SEO audits are crucial for improving your website’s visibility and attracting the ideal customer base to your store.

What is an Ecommerce SEO Audit?

An ecommerce SEO audit involves a detailed examination and evaluation of your online store's website to gauge its SEO efficacy. Businesses conduct these audits to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses and uncover opportunities to boost their rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs).

Kyle describes SEO audits as a form of digital spring cleaning for ecommerce sites, offering a chance for a deeper review of your website that you might not undertake daily. "Think of it like reviewing your financials periodically," he adds.

Ecommerce SEO Audit Checklist:

• Keyword Analysis

• On-Page SEO

• Technical SEO

• Content Quality

• Site Architecture and Structured Data

• Mobile Friendliness

• Internal and External Links

• User Experience (UX)

• Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

• Competitor Analysis

• Local SEO (if applicable)

• Category Pages

• Site Security (HTTPS)

• Schema Markup Implementation

• Product Image Optimization

• Social Media Integration

"Most ecommerce store operators likely use a CMS like Shopify," Kyle points out. Such systems generally optimize SEO automatically, though customization might be required to align with specific business needs. This is where an audit proves beneficial.

Key Elements of an Ecommerce SEO Audit:

• Keyword Analysis: A robust keyword strategy is central to any ecommerce SEO effort. Assess the relevance and effectiveness of the keywords used on your product and category pages, and throughout your website.

• On-Page SEO: Examine how well your web pages utilize SEO elements like title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and URLs. "Ensure your titles include your brand name," advises Kyle.

• Technical SEO: Identify technical barriers that could impede search engine indexing, such as slow site speed, lack of mobile responsiveness, and poor URL structure.

• Content Quality: Evaluate the uniqueness and quality of the content across your site, including product descriptions and blog posts. Avoid duplicating content which can confuse search engines and dilute your visibility.

• Site Architecture and Structured Data: Analyze your site structure, including your XML sitemap and internal linking strategy, and ensure you’re using structured data effectively.

• Mobile Friendliness: As ecommerce increasingly shifts to mobile, ensure your site is optimized for mobile users to capture this growing market segment.

Benefits of Conducting an Ecommerce SEO Audit:

Conducting an SEO audit can lead to improved search engine rankings, more targeted marketing efforts, richer content, and a website that focuses on customer needs.

By identifying and resolving SEO issues, an audit helps enhance your website’s visibility, allowing you to draw more organic traffic. This process often involves optimizing on-page elements and fixing technical SEO issues, thereby improving your site’s performance and alignment with search engine algorithms.

Moreover, an SEO audit can align your digital marketing strategies with your SEO goals, enhancing overall campaign effectiveness. "Informational content can significantly drive traffic," Kyle notes, emphasizing the importance of high-quality, relevant content that answers user queries effectively.

Ultimately, a thorough ecommerce SEO audit reorients your website to focus more on consumer needs, helping you address their questions comprehensively and improving their overall shopping experience.

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