10 tips for better SEO

So your online store only appears on the 20th page of Google results ? It’s not the end of the world if you follow our 10 tips. You’ll soon see your e-store move into pole position !

1. Register your e-store on the free directories

This first thing to do is to register with the directories. This might seem a little time-consuming but it is the best way to move your site up in the result rankings. So you’ll need to figure out which key words your site should use for the search engines. A description (from 500 to 1000 signs) will be required – make sure you adapt it to each directory.

2. Optimize your tags

Tags are bits of text present in the html code which are read and digested by Google and other search engines’ spider robots. They are used to define and categorize your site, and evaluate which search terms are relevant to your site.
Don’t forget the Title tag : the title of the page. It contains text which appears in blue in pages and Google results. It provides important information for the site visitor but also for the search engines. It should be written so as to encourage future visitors to click on your link. The title should be succinct (between 5 and 10 words, roughly 60 characters) and use your name and the key words for your business activity.
You should optimize each page of your site with its own title that includes the name of your company and a summary of the page contents.

3. Clear and original product titles

The product titles are a key factor for Google – it has the most weight and Google looks at them first. Your titles must include a detailed description of each product (brand, type of product, color, etc.). Along with the description, the product title is one of the key elements of your SEO. Make sure that none of your products have the same title.

4. Pay attention to your URL !

To be optimized, the URL must include intelligible names. It’s better to use a hyphen to space key words.
These key words are also important for Google. So avoid URLs with too many numbers or that are too long.

5. Create a blog

A blog is a very efficient way of producing content. And search engines love new content, which shows that the site is active. By inserting the right key words in your articles, you can perform miracles. And kill two birds with one stone, as this is also a good way to communicate with your customers.

6. Title your photos properly !

We don’t often consider photo titles but they’re a key element in SEO too. Google can’t see and analyze pictures, but it can read the titles of those pictures. Before putting up pictures on your site, give them titles. For example, « IPod Nano Red 8GB » will always be better read and analyzed than « image7 ». Think about it !

7. Adding content

We don’t say it often enough but Google and the other search engines are very hungry for new content. Write as much as you can on your site – you’ll make it more attractive and alive. You can do it by creating CMS pages that explain who you are and how you work, or your payment and delivery policies. Basically, there’s no limit here.
You can also put your key words in bold. Avoid making your text too dense, so give it space, highlight it, and organize it with bullet-points and tags.

8. Avoid duplicating content

When the same content is detected on 2 different URLs, Google sees it as duplicate content – doubled content that it judges as having little qualitative value. So you should try to avoid it if you don’t want to be penalized by the search engines.

9. Increase the number of hypertext links to your pages

Google’s PageRank helps the search engine to assess the relevance of a site or blog. Essentially, the higher your PageRank, the higher you’ll appear in the search results. To increase your ranking, there’s no real secret : you’ll just need to increase the number of hypertext links leading to your pages. So build links by forming partnerships with other stores/sites that can add a link to your site or products.

10. Track your progress on Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a very powerful statistical analysis tool that helps analyze and understand user visits to your site. By giving you precise information and cross-checking data, you can understand what interests your customers and adapt your site accordingly to generate even more traffic.
Google Analytics is a free tool which will show you the number of visitors, page views, referring site, and browsers used. It’s a genuine gold mine of information !
Start now by putting these tips into practice and watch your traffic increase ! And if you want to go even farther into SEO, don’t forget to check out our free and detailed guide (31 pages). So what are your tips for getting to Number 1 ?