E-commerce SEO Agency
All ServicesAccording to Google, a huge 51% of shoppers use the search engine to research their online purchases.
SEO for Ecommerce has a unique appeal because, while all search optimisations will use overlapping tricks and techniques, the leads generated for Ecommerce sites will already be primed and qualified.
Of course, one of the key differences between SEO for Ecommerce versus SEO for other sites is simply the sheer breadth and variety of the products available. It might feel a little bit daunting to face an endless list of products with a view to keeping all your meta data in line.
Luckily, at Platform81, our expert SEO team is experienced in helping Ecommerce businesses with our E-commerce SEO services.
SEO: A refresher
In a nutshell, SEO allows websites to appear higher on search rankings, meaning greater visibility, a stronger likelihood of increased organic site visits, and – as a result – more customers.
Appearing high in the search engine results pages (SERPs) of the likes of Google is obviously vital for any site – after all, when was the last time you visited the second page of your search results?
However, the way we go about optimising Ecommerce sites for search isn’t necessarily identical to other kinds of websites.
Different kinds of keywords
Consider, for example, keyword research. This is a well-known facet of SEO, but keyword strategies in an Ecommerce context need to consider a range of factors that aren’t always applicable to other sites, including specific kinds of user intent and page category.
Ecommerce sites don’t want to attract people who are merely hunting for information, after all – they want to rank highly for people who are proactively looking to buy.
These different goals involve different kinds of search terms. For Ecommerce sites, our SEO specialists place a heavy emphasis on leveraging commercial keywords that show clear purchasing intent.
Optimising for product and category pages
Having established your target keywords, our expert team at Platform81 then work closely with you to map pertinent keywords to each page. This can be a long process in the world of Ecommerce, given that the best practice is to repeat this process for every product page, but the visibility rewards speak for themselves.
Of course, product pages aren’t the only kind of page to bear in mind for Ecommerce platforms – they’re introduced and accompanied by category pages, and each can involve different optimisation strategies.
Unlike product pages (which might contain, for example, a single product like “penguin-shaped slippers”), category pages (such as, for the sake of argument, “slippers”) can be understood as landing pages – which are considered more likely to turn organic traffic into out-and-out sales.
It’s certainly not difficult to imagine that [using the above example] more people are going to search for “slippers” than any penguin-based variations, so your category page needs to be optimised to reflect the broader search terms that will lead people to it – and, by extension, to your excellent product range.
Avoiding the trap of thin content
Our SEO experts will affirm that search terms are only part of the battle for Ecommerce SEO, which needs to pay close attention to how those terms are situated within your content.
Google’s current guidelines warn against “thin” content – that is, content with no real meaning, value, or originality. This is a common trap to fall into for product pages, in which it’s all too easy to start cutting, pasting, and duplicating product descriptions loaded with keywords but lacking in passion.
How can Platform81 help?
There’s an easy way to sidestep some of the common mistakes described above while taking full advantage of Ecommerce SEO optimisation: let Platform81 take the wheel.
Our experts understand that SEO isn’t a one-size-fits-all operation: Ecommerce is a unique discipline that requires the seasoned hand of experts like our SEO team here at Platform81.
It’s no wonder so many companies struggle with “thin” content: they lack the time, capacity, and expertise to produce meaningful, SEO-friendly forms of content that can turn any Ecommerce platform into a site brimming with new users and resulting sales.
By putting care and attention into factors like product and category page optimisation, our specialists can ensure that your site will be seen by more prospective shoppers primed and ready to purchase from your digital shelves.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is SEO for an e-commerce site different from regular SEO?
A: It’s a whole different ball game. With a standard website, you might be chasing rankings for a dozen or so key services. With e-commerce, you could have hundreds or even thousands of products, each one a potential doorway for customers. We focus on getting your category and product pages ranking, which involves a much more complex strategy around things like site structure, filtering, and tackling duplicate content issues that are common on online shops.
We have hundreds of products. Do you optimise every single one?
A: We approach it strategically. We don’t just start at A and work our way to Z. We kick things off by identifying your priority products and categories – the ones with the best margins, highest search demand, or best-selling potential. We focus our initial firepower there to get you the biggest wins, fast. Then we work through the rest in a structured way, making sure your whole catalogue is working harder for you.
What's more important: optimising category pages or product pages?
A: Both are massive, but they do different jobs. Your category pages are your digital shop aisles; they need to rank for broader search terms (like ‘men’s running trainers’). Your product pages are for the nitty-gritty, specific searches (like ‘Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40 size 10’). We build a strategy where they work together. Strong category pages provide authority, while well-optimised product pages close the deal.
How do you get our products to show up in Google's image search results?
A: With online shopping, people buy with their eyes, so image search is huge. We make sure your product images are not just high-quality, but also properly optimised. This means using descriptive file names, writing compelling ‘alt text’ that Google can read, and making sure the images are a sensible file size so they don’t slow your site down. It’s a simple thing that a lot of sites get wrong.
What do you do about out-of-stock products? Should we just delete the pages?
A: Hold your horses! Don’t just delete them. That page might have built up some serious SEO clout that you don’t want to lose. We’ll look at it case-by-case. If the product is coming back, we can leave the page up with a ‘notify me’ option. If it’s gone for good, we can redirect the URL to a similar product or the parent category page. This passes the SEO value on and stops customers from landing on a dead end.
How do you build links for an e-commerce site without it looking spammy?
A: We don’t go near spammy tactics. For e-commerce, it’s about earning genuine links that show Google your site is a trusted retailer. We do this by creating great content that people want to share – think buyer’s guides, comparison articles, or blog posts. We also look for opportunities with product reviewers, industry bloggers, and digital PR to get your brand and your products talked about in all the right places.
Our e-commerce platform says it's 'SEO-friendly'. Is that not enough?
A: It’s a great start, but it’s just the toolbox. Most modern platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce have good basic SEO features built-in, which is a massive help. But it’s how you use those tools that counts. The platform won’t do your keyword research, write compelling product descriptions, optimise your site structure, or build quality backlinks for you. That’s where the real graft comes in, and that’s where we get stuck in.
How long does it take to see more sales from your E-commerce SEO efforts?
A: SEO is a marathon, not a sprint, especially in the competitive world of e-commerce. You’ll likely see positive signals like better traffic and improved rankings within the first 3-6 months. Translating that into significant, measurable sales growth takes a bit longer as we build authority and trust with Google. We focus on building sustainable momentum that pays off in the long run.
How do you handle tricky technical SEO stuff like faceted navigation and duplicate content?
A: Ah, the technical gremlins of e-commerce! Faceted navigation (the filters for size, colour, brand, etc.) is brilliant for users but can create a real headache for Google by generating thousands of near-identical pages. We get under the bonnet to implement a proper strategy using things like canonical tags and robots.txt files to tell Google which pages to focus on and which to ignore. It’s all about keeping things clean and tidy for the search engines.
What KPIs do you track to measure the success of an E-commerce SEO campaign?
A: We look beyond just rankings. We focus on the metrics that actually put money in your till. The big ones are, of course, online sales and revenue from organic traffic. We also track things like conversion rate, average order value, and the visibility of your key categories and products in the search results. It’s all about showing you a proper return on your investment.
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