Optimizing ecommerce sites is different from how Internet marketers handle web promotion for other types of websites such as blogs, forums, and directories. In order to succeed, you need to plan your optimization strategy well in advance. Research shows that over 10 percent of traffic is lost for every extra second a site takes to load. Additionally, more than 40 percent of shoppers visit different online stores without making a purchase. Product pages are a key part for ecommerce sites, so you need to optimize them for search engines."ecommerce-site"

Incorporate Images and Video

One of the easiest and most effective ways to optimize your product pages is to add images and videos. This way you will be able to provide your customers with all of the information they need to make a purchase. Search engines can not read images and videos, so it is important that you include alt tags. If the products you are selling require a bit more explanation that may be difficult to illustrate through words, adding videos is a great option.

Customize Meta Tags

The only way to offer information about your products to your customers before they land on your website is through meta tags. When creating the meta title and description, make sure you include calls to action and relevant keywords. Find the right call-to-action that fits your target audience. Keywords in your meta data help both the search engines and customers understand what the page is about.

Use Custom Product Descriptions

Writing unique content for your product pages will boost your authority online and help you achieve higher rankings in search engines for the targeted keywords. Nothing will kill your SEO faster than poorly written content.

Improve Your Link Structure

If you want to increase your visibility in search results, link directly from your homepage to the bestselling products. Use a tree-like link structure and choose your categories carefully. Add relevant keywords in the URL structure. Clear, descriptive URLs will also let customers know what they will find on your pages. You also need to focus on internal linking.

Use Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs are an excellent way to help your prospectors visualize where they are on your website and find your products easily. Although it can be difficult to create a breadcrumb for each product, these elements will improve user experience and enhance your SEO efforts while maximizing internal linking. Adding a breadcrumbs menu enables buyers to jump from one product or category to another.

Image credit: David Castillo Dominici