We all know more traffic equals more sales, so how can you get more people to shop your WooCommerce site? There are several things you can do, along with using social media, paid advertising, etc.
Ranking a WooCommerce site takes time and effort, but we’ve put together ten tips to help you boost traffic and your site’s ranking in the search engines.
1). Improve the URL structure: if your site has long URLs, with all types of characters, the site can look unprofessional and even spammy. That’s a problem. Spammy sites can scare off users who want to avoid any type of scam or spam!
To adjust your site’s URL, consider adjusting permalinks to make them as simple (uncomplicated) as possible. And make sure your site pages and content are SEO optimized with specific keywords. Keep your URL structure simple and logical.
2). Stay away from duplicate content: duplicate content can hurt your site ranking in the search engines, in fact, it can actually demote your site in the rankings. To avoid these issues, consider making product descriptions and other content as unique as possible.
This especially applies to product descriptions. It can be challenging to write up product descriptions, so you might consider hiring a copywriter to help you, if you’re really having trouble with unique descriptions.
3). Use an SEO plugin: improving your site’s overall SEO can also be challenging, so consider using an on-page optimization plug-in. Both WooCommerce and WordPress are already SEO optimized, but a plugin can really make a difference with your SEO.
One of the best plugins to try is Yoast WooCommerce SEO. It’s a premium plugin, meaning you’ll have to pay for it, but it’s well worth the price. It offers features created especially for WooCommerce sites including:
- Easy creation of rich images for Pinterest
- Improving the sitemap, making it easier for search engines to crawl
- Adds more focus on keywords per each page of your site
- And even more
4). Optimise site images: high-quality images are a must on your site, but they must be optimized. For instance, large images can slow down your site’s loading speed. This can quickly put off site users, which makes them leave and increases your bounce rate. Plus a slow-loading site will effect the site’s ranking in the search engines.
To optimise your images:
a). Make sure the file size is reduced but ensure image quality stays high. You can try a plugin such as WP Smush to help with this process.
b). Make sure images are optimised for specific keywords. This process includes changing the filename, image title, and using SEO in your alt description to optimize the image for a specific keyword. One thing to keep in mind—always make sure the keywords apply to the image to make sure the image helps your site to rank higher.
5). Organise site structure: many WooCommerce sites are guilty of having a confusing structure for their sites. Site structure is important because it makes the site easier for search engines to crawl and improves your site users’ experience.
Site structure is the way your site is laid out and organised. Content and inventory should be easy to access and logically arranged. It should only take 3-4 clicks from the homepage to any other page on your site. In addition, it’s helpful to interlink content and product pages together. Keep the menu simple and avoid large menus with too many drop-down options, etc. as these can quickly confuse site users.
Be sure to use a plugin such as Broken Link Checker to help you find broken links on your site. Any time you’ve made changes to your URL structure, etc. it’s a good idea to check for broken links and fix them as soon as possible.
6). Consider using rich snippets: these help to approve your ranking in the search engines by adding additional HTML to your site pages. This has the effect of giving search engines more information on what your page is about. This also helps with your website’s click through rate (CTR), so you’ll have more people clicking through to your site overall. That’s a good thing!
You’ll find a wide variety of rich snippets to use, but the best are those that are specifically created for eCommerce sites.
7). Optimise headers and footers: be sure to optimise all page and product headlines on your site. Make sure the title includes your target keyword, which will increase your CTR. Search engines and site users will find it faster and easier to find your site.
There are some tools you can use to create great headlines:
- Emotional Headline Analyser
- CoSchedule Headline Analyser
- Inbound Now Idea Generator
8). Start a blog: have you thought about starting a blog? While this isn’t absolutely necessary, a WooCommerce site can benefit from a blog, and help your site to rank better in the search engines.
Creating blog content on a regular basis can take time and effort; however, this is time well spent, as it can not only encourage site users to return for more information, but your posts generate links and social media shares. You can help increase the ranking of products and other site pages.
It’s important to post regularly to see the benefits. Come up with a list of blog topics that revolve around products (how to use them, etc.), how-tos, case studies and more.
9). Use a quality webhost: the best hosting for your site is a host that specialises in hosting WooCommerce sites. These hosting platforms usually offer a platform that’s already optimised for WooCommerce. This goes a long way to improving your site’s performance and speed, which can also improve search engine ranking. Not only that, but you’ll have happier site visitors, too, which can lead to increased sales.
10). Make your store mobile-friendly: not only does Google say this is a requirement, but you’ll have happier customers, too. Sites that are mobile-friendly use responsive design, which makes it easier for customers to access the site on their preferred devices.
These days, people use a variety of devices to shop, including tablets, smartphones, etc. By using responsive design, your site will be mobile-friendly, providing your customers with a more enjoyable experience on the site. Not only that, but the search engines will also rank your site higher for being mobile-friendly.
We hope these tips help you to improve your WooCommerce site’s rankings with the search engines. Even more, we hope these SEO tips bring you more customers and increased sales!