Welcome to the definitive guide on BigCommerce SEO essentials. If you’re running an online store on BigCommerce, you already know the platform offers a robust set of features to help you succeed. But are you making the most of its SEO capabilities?
Let’s take a deep look and explore how you can optimize your store for higher search rankings.
The Building Blocks of BigCommerce SEO
Before we get into the specifics, it’s crucial to understand the core elements that make up a solid BigCommerce SEO strategy. These are the foundational aspects that will set the stage for more advanced techniques:
On-page SEO: The basics
On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing individual pages on your website to make them more search engine-friendly and, therefore, rank higher in search results. While keywords are a significant part of this, on-page SEO is a multi-faceted approach that goes beyond inserting keywords into your content.
For instance, let’s say you’re selling artisanal candles. Keywords like “scented soy candles” are essential, but so are the other elements like header tags, image alt text, and internal linking. These all contribute to a page’s overall SEO value.
Also, the quality of the content itself is crucial. It should provide value to the reader, be well-structured, and be engaging enough to reduce bounce rates, which search engines take as a positive user engagement signal.
Off-page SEO: Building quality backlinks
Off-page SEO is enhancing your website’s authority and credibility in the eyes of search engines and users alike. While on-page SEO is what you do on your website, off-page SEO is what you do outside of it. And one of the most effective ways to boost your off-page SEO is through quality backlinks.
We’re talking quality backlinks from reputable websites. Think of these as endorsements from other sites that tell search engines, “Hey, this website knows what it’s talking about.” You can acquire these golden tickets by reaching out to industry blogs, participating in community forums, or even collaborating with influencers in your niche.
Another often overlooked aspect of off-page SEO is social signals. While not a direct ranking factor, a strong social media presence can amplify your content’s reach, leading to more opportunities for people to link back to your content.
Advanced BigCommerce SEO Essentials
The basics of SEO are just the starting point. But to really excel and outperform your competitors, you need to implement advanced BigCommerce SEO essentials. These are techniques that go beyond keyword optimization and meta descriptions, and into the very architecture of your site and how search engines perceive it.
Schema markup for enhanced SERP appearance
Schema markup is a type of code that you place on your website to help search engines provide more informative results for users. It’s a powerful SEO tool that can significantly enhance your visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs).
When you add this specialized code to your website, you provide search engines with specific information about your products, reviews, and even business hours. This enriched information appears as rich snippets in the SERPs, making your listings more eye-catching and informative, which can then lead to higher click-through rates.
Latent semantic indexing (LSI) keywords
Search engines have evolved to understand the context in which keywords are used, making LSI keywords an essential part of advanced SEO. These are terms and phrases that are closely related to your main keywords.
For example, if your primary keyword is “organic coffee,” LSI keywords could include “fair trade,” “Arabica beans,” and “cold brew.” Sprinkling these LSI keywords throughout your content helps search engines understand the depth and relevance of your pages.
Mobile SEO optimization
With the majority of searches now happening on mobile devices, optimizing your BigCommerce store for mobile has become a necessity. This process involves responsive design, fast loading times, and ensuring that all elements, including forms and CTAs, are easily accessible on smaller screens.
Content siloing
Content siloing involves structuring your website in a way that groups related information together to provide a more organized user experience. This not only helps users find what they’re looking for more easily but also enables search engines to identify the topical relationship between different pages, which enhances your site’s authority and relevance in specific subject areas in turn.
How to Monitor Your BigCommerce SEO Performance
You can’t improve what you can’t measure. That’s why it’s essential to keep an eye on key performance indicators (KPIs) to gauge the effectiveness of your BigCommerce SEO essentials.
Utilizing Google Analytics
Google Analytics is like your virtual eye into the behavior of your visitors. Beyond the basic metrics like organic traffic, bounce rate, and conversion rate, it lets you look much deeper to understand user behavior.
For instance, you can track the customer journey to see which pages are most effective at moving visitors toward a purchase. You can also set up goals to measure specific actions, such as filling out a contact form or completing a purchase.
You can fine-tune your BigCommerce SEO essentials so much better when you analyze this data and align your strategy with what’s actually driving results.
Regular Audits for Continuous Improvement
When it comes to SEO, complacency is your enemy. The digital world is dynamic, and what worked yesterday may not be effective tomorrow. This makes regular SEO audits crucial.
For site auditing, there are tools like Moz or Ahrefs that you can use to delve deeper than keyword rankings. These platforms offer features like backlink analysis, site crawl reports, and even competitor analysis.
When you conduct these audits, you can pinpoint specific areas where your site may be lacking and implement targeted strategies for improvement. Doing these ensures that your site is being continually optimized for better performance.
Why Choose Professionals for Your BigCommerce SEO?
You’re already busy running your store, managing inventory, and keeping customers happy. Why not leave the SEO to the experts? At Epic, we offer specialized digital marketing solutions that go beyond basic optimization.
Contact us today to discuss how we can help you achieve higher search rankings and drive more traffic to your store.
