Table of content
Table of Contents
For anyone running an online shop, carrying out an ecommerce seo audit is a crucial step in ensuring that your online shop is performing well. The seo audit of an ecommerce site will enable you to identify the errors that are preventing you from achieving higher rankings in the search results, but also what is working well on your shop and enabling you to attract traffic and make sales. So if you’re looking for a way to improve your ecommerce website, take a note of our complete checklist on how to carry out a seo audit for ecommerce stores.
Key benefits of performing an ecommerce SEO audit:
- Improved rankings
- Better user experience
- Increased sales
- Competitive advantage
- Better conversion rates
What is Ecommerce SEO ?
Ecommerce SEO( Search Engine Optimisation) is the process of improving your online shop through organic referencing strategies in order to make it more visible in search results, thereby increasing traffic and sales. Seo for ecommerce shops differs from traditional seo because it is more complex, with numerous pages to improve and content to update.
What is an eCommerce SEO audit?
An eCommerce SEO audit is like a detailed check-up for an online store’s website to see how well it’s doing in terms of search engine visibility. Just like a mechanic inspects a car to find what’s working well and what needs fixing, an SEO audit for an ecommerce store looks at different parts of the website—like its speed, mobile-friendliness, keyword use, and content quality. The goal is to spot areas where the website is performing well and where improvements can be made, so the site can rank higher in search engine results, attract more visitors, and boost sales.
Imagine it like this: Think of your online store as a retail shop in a busy mall. An SEO audit is like a professional coming in to check how easy it is for customers to find your shop (like finding directions or signboards), how smoothly they can browse your products (like the layout and displays), and whether there are any obstacles (like a broken door or confusing aisles). By fixing these issues, more customers are likely to come in and shop.
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How do I audit an eCommerce store?
To perform a seo audit of your ecommerce website, there are 3 key points that need to be audited:
- On-page performance analysis
- Off-page performance analysis
- Technical performance analysis
Let’s look at each of these key points in detail.
On-Page SEO Audit for eCommerce
The seo on page audit of an ecommerce site consists of analysing its content. Here are the points you need to analyse:
Keywords analysis
- Review Existing Keyword Targeting: Identify the current keywords and assess performance.
- Keyword Gaps: Find missing keyword opportunities by analysing competitors’ keyword strategies.
- LSI Keywords: Implement related terms that search engines associate with your main keywords to improve relevance.
Content analysis
- Optimise Product Pages: Ensure proper use of keywords, meta tags, and alt text for images.
- Content Quality: Eliminate duplicate content and improve product descriptions to align with user search intent.
- Internal Linking Strategy: Build a strong internal linking structure to improve crawlability and user navigation.
- Schema Markup Implementation: Use structured data for rich snippets (e.g., price, availability) to enhance visibility in SERPs.
- Category Page Optimization: Optimise category pages with appropriate meta tags, keyword usage, and content hierarchy.
Technical SEO Audit for eCommerce
The technical SEO audit for an ecommerce store consists of analysing all the technical aspects of the website. Unlike on-page seo, it is on the “back-end” that the audit will be carried out and the changes that will follow. Your visitors won’t see them (but they will feel the improvements), but the search engines will! Here are the points you need to audit:
- Check Crawlability: Use tools like Google Search Console to ensure search engines can crawl and index important pages.
- Evaluate Core Web Vitals: Analyse loading speed, interactivity, and stability using Google’s PageSpeed Insights.
- Optimise URL Structure: Ensure SEO-friendly URLs for product and category pages.
- Robots.txt and XML Sitemaps: Guide crawlers to important pages and block irrelevant ones.
- Mobile Optimization: Ensure mobile-friendliness with a focus on responsive design and mobile-first indexing.
- Check Response Codes (200, 404, 301): Fix broken links, misconfigured redirects, and server issues.
- HTTPS Security: Ensure the site uses HTTPS to protect sensitive data and improve rankings.
User Experience (UX) and Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
- Site Navigation and Crawl Depth: Ensure visitors can easily navigate the site within 3-4 clicks.
- Site Search Optimization: Verify internal search functionality is working correctly without creating indexable search results.
- Page Load Speed: Optimise site speed, especially for mobile, to reduce bounce rates.
- Conversion Rate Tracking: Use Google Analytics to analyse high-converting pages and replicate best practices.
Off-Page SEO Audit for eCommerce
An off-page SEO audit is an analysis of all the actions external to your ecommerce shop aimed at improving its reputation and positioning in search results. Here are the points to analyse:
- Backlink Analysis: Evaluate the quality and quantity of backlinks using tools like semrush or Majestic.
- Competitor Link Gap Analysis: Identify competitor backlinks you can replicate.
- Brand Mentions and Reviews: Ensure proper online reputation management, encouraging customer reviews and user-generated content.
Conclusion
Ecommerce seo audit is a key element of your ecommerce shop’s marketing strategy. Seo audit for ecommerce stores is a key element in the marketing strategy of your ecommerce shop. It’s what allows you to analyse what’s going well and what’s not in your ecommerce shop. Thanks to this audit, which includes the technical, on-page and off-page aspects, you’ll be able to implement actions to improve the performance of your ecommerce website.
FAQs: Common Questions about eCommerce SEO Audit
How often should I perform an audit for my eCommerce website?
You can perform an ecommerce seo audit once a month.
What is the difference between a technical SEO audit and an on-page SEO audit?
The difference between the technical seo audit and the on-page seo audit is that for the technical audit, you are going to analyse all the elements in the backend of your ecommerce site, such as indexing and loading speed. Whereas for the on-page audit you are going to analyse the quality of the content, the keywords, etc.
How long does an ecommerce SEO audit take?
This depends on the number of pages in your ecommerce shop. It can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour or more!
