Which ecommerce platform is best for SEO? It’s a question that weighs heavily on the minds of entrepreneurs building online businesses. The digital marketplace is a crowded space, so standing out requires more than just an attractive website. This is where SEO comes into play. Choosing the right platform can either make or break your online success.
A study from Search Engine Land found 53% of all website traffic comes from organic search. This means over half of potential customers find websites like yours through Google and other search engines. Your chosen platform needs to excel in SEO if you want these customers to find your online store. With so many options available, how can you decide?
Factors to Consider When Choosing Which ecommerce platform is best for SEO
Selecting the perfect ecommerce platform is like building a sports team. You need features that work together seamlessly toward a common goal. This goal is ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) and driving traffic to your site. Consider factors beyond just the platform’s design and ease of use. Here are a few factors that can impact your SEO strategy:
Website Speed
You have mere seconds to grab a visitor’s attention before they exit your site and return to the search results. Google’s research shows that as page load time goes from one second to three seconds, the probability of a visitor bouncing increases by 32%.
Losing one-third of your potential customers before they even see your products is not ideal. Look for ecommerce SEO platforms known for speed and offer optimization tools. For example, Shopify utilizes a global content delivery network (CDN). This helps deliver your website’s content faster to users around the world.
A CDN caches your content on servers closer to your website visitors. This reduces the time it takes for their browsers to load the content, meaning faster loading times, happier customers, and a better chance of ranking high in search results. This isn’t to say Shopify is the only option for speed. Research CDN capabilities and which platforms offer SSL certificates when comparing.
Mobile Responsiveness
In today’s world, mobile optimization is essential. Users are constantly on their smartphones, browsing, shopping, and comparing prices. If your online store looks clunky and awkward on mobile devices, you’re turning away potential customers.
Google prioritizes user-friendly websites that provide a great mobile experience and ranks them higher in mobile search results. Luckily, most reputable ecommerce platforms now have responsive templates that provide this. However, don’t assume all platforms are equal.
Always test out different templates on various devices. This ensures a smooth experience on all screen sizes. Thoroughly test out platforms before making any final decisions.
Blogging Capabilities
A well-written blog is an SEO powerhouse. Creating informative and engaging blog posts related to your products and niche helps your SEO efforts in many ways.
You attract more organic traffic to your site because people searching for information related to your niche are more likely to come across your ecommerce store. It also establishes yourself as an authority in your industry. By sharing insightful content, you position your brand as a trusted source, making customers more likely to buy from you.
Look for ecommerce platforms with built-in blogging features that are easy to use. Features like customizable URLs, meta tags, and meta descriptions can make a big difference. Two platforms with excellent blogging functionalities are Shopify and WooCommerce.
URL Structure
A website’s URL is much more than just an address. The words and slashes after a website’s domain name tell search engines what your page is all about. Customizable URLs allow you to control the words that describe your products, categories, and website pages to search engines.
Having customizable URLs can improve your visibility and your search engine rankings. Platforms that impose rigid or generic URL structures restrict your SEO efforts. When evaluating platforms, investigate their URL structure settings.
Seek out platforms enabling descriptive, keyword-rich URLs for products, categories, and the ability to add a txt file to your site. Doing this can boost SEO performance.
SEO-Specific Features and Plugins
Once you have chosen your platform, supercharge your SEO with some specialist help. SEO-specific features and plugins can help you achieve your SEO goals by tackling tasks that directly impact your visibility. Some of the features and plugins you may find useful include:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Customizable Meta Descriptions | Meta descriptions are snippets of text that appear under search results. Write compelling summaries in these descriptions that entice users to click through to your website. |
| XML Sitemap Generation | Sitemaps are roadmaps, helping search engine bots like Google crawls easily navigate and understand your website’s structure. Having an XML sitemap is like giving Google a VIP pass, allowing it to easily crawl and index all important pages and improve your visibility. |
| Canonical Tag Management | Duplicate content can hurt your rankings because it confuses search engines about which version of a page is the “original.” Canonical tags tell search engines which page to prioritize, preventing penalties and improving SEO clarity. |
Integrating With Other Marketing Tools
SEO doesn’t exist in isolation. It works best when combined with other aspects of your digital marketing ecosystem, like email campaigns, content marketing, and social media engagement.
Choosing an ecommerce platform that seamlessly integrates with your other marketing platforms is important for marketing success. Being able to transfer data between your online store and other platforms empowers your marketing to run smoothly. Before choosing a platform, evaluate whether the platform offers seamless integrations with your vital marketing tools.
Which Ecommerce Platform Comes Out On Top?
Most popular platforms nowadays come equipped with essential SEO features. When deciding on a platform, you might want to consider things like budget and scalability in addition to pure SEO capabilities.
If you see yourself expanding quickly and offering thousands of products, you might want to consider a platform like Magento (Adobe Commerce). It is specifically designed for large-scale ecommerce businesses. If you are starting small and looking for an affordable option with a gentler learning curve, then Shopify, with its variety of plans and user-friendly interface, might be a better choice.
Choosing an ecommerce platform is about finding a reliable teammate with strong SEO-friendly features. Finding the right one can help you grow your business over time.
FAQs About Which ecommerce platform is best for SEO
What are some SEO mistakes to avoid when choosing a platform?
Don’t let the excitement of launching your online store lead you to common SEO pitfalls. Sidestep these blunders to safeguard your store’s online visibility:
- Neglecting Site Speed Optimization: Optimize your site for swift loading times by choosing a platform offering options like CDN integrations.
- Ignoring Mobile Friendliness: Choose platforms and themes prioritizing a mobile-first approach for an exceptional browsing experience across devices.
- Overlooking URL Structure Customization: Customizable URLs are crucial. Avoid clunky URLs detrimental to user experience, and choose a platform that allows you to have clean URLs.
Do free ecommerce platforms have adequate SEO capabilities?
While free platforms may be enticing, they often come with limited SEO customization and control over your site’s optimization. If SEO is your top priority, paid plans offer more extensive customization and SEO tools. Investing in a paid plan can lead to improved rankings and increased visibility.
How can I improve my online store’s local SEO?
Local SEO is crucial for businesses with physical stores, as it allows them to attract customers searching for products “near me.”
Ecommerce platforms often provide features like Google Analytics and Google My Business integration. Utilize these SEO tools and engage with your local community. Create location-specific content on your blog that targets global keywords and terms related to neighborhoods or towns. This will put your business directly in front of local customers.
When asking yourself “Which ecommerce platform is best for SEO?”, there isn’t one simple answer. The best fit for you will depend on the individual needs and priorities of your business.
Google and other search engines are constantly updating their algorithms, so staying up-to-date with these changes will help you maintain a competitive edge in the dynamic world of e-commerce.
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