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Retail eCommerce SEO Services: Inhouse vs SEO Agency vs eCommerce Provider

August 16, 2024 / 11 minute read / By Zoya Naeem

Helping you decide the best approach for SEO services to rank your retail website better on Google and increase site traffic.

Search engine rankings, Google specifically, can make or break your business.

And if your business does not appear on Google when your consumers search for what you are selling, it may as well not exist at all, unless you are only marketing to your existing, local customers.

When considering how to tackle your retail website SEO (search engine optimization), there are many options. Hiring the right SEO services provider can make all the difference.

In this article, we’ll discuss how you can use the power of SEO to make your store easier to find for people searching for your products or services online.

We’ll dive into:

Should You Hire an SEO Agency or Use Your eCommerce Provider’s SEO Services?
What You Must Do Before Hiring an SEO Agency?
How Much Time Will It Take to Deploy Your SEO Campaigns and Track Results?
How To Get It Done Right the First Time.

What is SEO and How to Use it to Rank Your Retail Business on Google?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is like a powerful searchlight that helps Google find your store in a huge sea of websites (the Internet). When people search for products or services you sell, you want your store to be the first they see.

That’s where SEO comes in. By following specific rules and guidelines you can improve your store’s visibility and improve your chances of ranking at the top of SERPs (search engine result pages).

Most people don’t look past the first page of Google or other search engines, so if your store isn’t there, you are missing out on potential business.

This is why mastering SEO is essential for attracting customers and boosting your sales.

Google SEO Ranking for Outdoor Sporting Goods

But are you equipped to handle effective SEO yourself? Or maybe you already are working with a 3rd party SEO vendor? Either way, you need to understand that SEO doesn’t automatically happen.

Your eCommerce store must follow the right practices and Google’s guidelines to ensure it matches what Google’s algorithm is looking for when conducting searches.

Pro Tip: Start with Local SEO on Google

When someone runs a query for a business or place near their location, Google shows local results in places like Maps and Search. To improve your business’s local rankings and appear in these results, use Google Business Profile. You can claim and update your business information, including your address, contact number, hours, and customer reviews. Keeping your profile updated with accurate and fresh information allows Google to make it easier for nearby customers to find and visit you.

Should you Hire an SEO Agency or does your eCommerce Provider Offer Integrated SEO Services?

Deciding how to manage your SEO strategy is crucial for your business’s online success. Whether it’s worth using your eCommerce provider’s SEO services (if they even offer it), hiring a 3rd party SEO agency or attempting to do it yourself, it all depends on a few key questions:

Do you have a solid understanding of SEO best practices to do SEO yourself?
Do you have the time to dedicate to this strategy each and every week?
Or, do you have the budget to outsource your SEO to a 3rd party?
How effective has your current SEO strategy been and how visible is your site?
Is your current SEO strategy and/or provider underperforming?

Usually, it’s worth hiring SEO services when:

You don’t have the time, resources, or skills to do it yourself.
You have allocated a certain budget to hire SEO services.
You aren’t delivering the results management wants from SEO.

Below is a quick comparison of two options for you to decide which might be the best fit for your business and the factors that are likely to influence your choice :

Factors	Using Your eComm Provider's SEO Services (Recommend)	Hiring an SEO Agency
Time	Your eCommerce Provider’s team implements the changes quickly without requiring extensive back-and-forth.	Third-party SEO agencies require time to audit the site and provide a list of recommended changes. You have to coordinate the implementation of changes with your eCommerce company, leading to prolonged back-and-forth processes.
Expertise	Your eCommerce provider has the right expertise to optimize your eCommerce store, which they developed. You benefit from highly specialized knowledge, ensuring the best possible SEO outcomes.	SEO agencies might have strong expertise in various industries but may not fully understand your eCommerce platform.
Results	You see quicker results and faster benefits since SEO improvements are implemented immediately.	Your project can take longer to complete, and delay the benefits, since each change has to be approved, implemented, reviewed, and revised.
Cost	Your eCommerce Provider’s SEO services are priced significantly below market average and any necessary changes are already included in the service fee. You save a lot of money, which can be reinvested in other business areas, enhancing overall profitability.(BIGGER savings!)	You pay higher rates- as third-party SEO services typically charge market rates, which are higher than integrated services. You pay extra costs for implementing changes suggested by the SEO agency. You are likely to incur higher expenses- reducing ROI.
Your Involvement (level of responsibilities	You don’t have to worry about the workload; in fact, you can focus on selling. Your eCommerce Provider will take full responsibility for SEO and the eCommerce platform- reducing conflicts and streamlining workflow.	You have to deal with delays, misunderstandings, and more work. You have to invest significant time and effort to ensure both parties are aligned with common goals.
Communication	You no longer need to mediate between vendors. Your eCommerce Provider handles all aspects of SEO internally, streamlining communication and collaboration.	You must act as the intermediary between the SEO agency and your eCommerce provider, managing communications and coordination.

Your choice depends on your budget, resources, and the complexity of your SEO needs. If your current strategy isn’t delivering the desired results, and you can afford it, outsourcing to an SEO agency or hiring the services of your eCommerce provider might be beneficial.

However, DIY SEO can be rewarding for those with the skills and time, but staying updated on the best practices is crucial for success.

Pro Tip:

When it comes to factors that can influence the timeline of your SEO campaigns, working with your eCommerce provider’s SEO services can really pay off. As they understand your platform inside and out, they can quickly adapt your strategy to keep up with the high competition in your industry, manage the quality of your backlinks, and keep up with Google’s algorithm updates, helping you achieve results as efficiently as possible.

Download Educational eBook: SEO 101: Launching a New Website is Only the First Step

What You Must Do Before Hiring a SEO Agency

Before you hire a SEO agency to increase your online visibility of your website, you should look at how much love Google is already sending your way. You want to take the following steps to ensure you’re making the best decision for your retail business:

1. Research and Verify the SEO Agency’s Credentials

It’s important that you do some digging into the agency’s background. Read through their case studies, look up reviews, and maybe even ask for references from their past clients. This will give you a good sense of whether they have delivered results before. You want to ensure you are working with a team that knows what they are doing.

2. Understand their SEO Approach

Beware of SEO agencies that promise quick fixes or instant results, as these tactics can harm your site’s reputation. You want to make sure that the agency uses ethical SEO practices that align with Google’s guidelines. SEO is a long-term game, and you want to play it smart.

3. Know Where Your Website Currently Stands with Google

Before bringing a SEO agency on board, take a moment to assess how your website is performing on Google. Tools like Google Search Console (GSC) and PageSpeed Insights can help you check your rankings and the health of your site, and troubleshoot any current issues. Knowing your starting point will actually help you and the SEO agency set realistic goals and create a work plan.

4. Run a Competitor Analysis

Got a competitor that’s crushing it with traffic? It’s always a good idea to get a sense of the competition you’re up against. You might want to look up who’s doing well in your industry and what they are doing right. This will give you valuable insights and help you understand the type of challenges you will need to tackle.

5. Set Clear SEO Goals

Be clear about what you want to achieve with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Whether it’s driving more traffic, boosting your site’s rankings, or increasing sales, having specific goals will guide the agency in creating a strategy that’s tailored to your needs. It will also make it easier for you to keep a tap on the progress and see if you are getting the real value for your money.

6. Request Regular Updates and Recurring One-on-one Meetings

You want to make sure that the agency provides frequent updates on its work and is transparent about the results it is achieving. This keeps everything transparent and lets you see what’s exactly being done. Plus, it helps you stay informed so you can make decisions based on data.

How Long will it Take to see SEO Results on my eCommerce Website?

There are several factors that influence the timeline for deploying an SEO campaign and seeing results.

As a retailer, you must understand that SEO is a long-term strategy; while some initial improvements might be noticeable within the first couple of months, significant rankings and increased traffic usually take longer.

Another important factor is how comprehensive your SEO strategy is. In some cases, you can make SEO improvements for a couple hundred dollars monthly, but to gain significant SEO advancements, the strategy and budget will typically be much more substantial as well. Most SEO services providers will offer multiple options, and at very different price points, to help you choose based on your budget, goals, and competitive strategy.

Here’s a timeline to give you a general idea:

Short-term SEO ( 2-3+ months)
You might see small improvements in website speed, mobile-friendliness, and minor keyword rankings. This is when you will start to see progress with your local SEO especially.
Medium-term SEO (3-6 months)
You could start seeing more noticeable improvements in rankings for less competitive keywords and increased organic traffic.
Long-term SEO (6+ months)
Consistent and ongoing efforts can lead to top rankings for competitive keywords, increased organic traffic, and improved conversion rates.

Pro Tip: Start with Local SEO on Google

SEO is an ongoing process, and continuous optimization and monitoring are essential for sustained success. In some highly competitive markets, your most competitive keywords can take even longer than 6 months. One of the challenges in SEO, is that there is no guarantee. If an agency is promising you page 1, number 1, that is typically a red flag to look elsewhere!

SEO Takes Time. Don’t Waste More Time with the Wrong Strategy

When considering which SEO strategy is best for your business, the most important aspect to remember is that it takes time and ongoing effort. It also changes as quickly as Google’s algorithm changes- which is all the time.

Determining your most effective go-forward SEO plan from the start, will ensure you are not wasting more time. Any SEO service is better than none- but when you can choose an SEO provider that already knows your website, and can implement the changes faster, you are going to have an immediate advantage.

At Celerant, our digital marketing team helps you with:

Professional SEO Services
With a dedicated team of SEO experts, we help you capture your site’s most relevant and qualified traffic from Google.
Personalized Email Marketing
Our eCommerce Digital Marketing Experts can help you reach your customers better with personalized email marketing, based on your customers past purchases and preferences.
Content Marketing Services
We can even offer our Content Marketing Services to help accelerate your SEO strategy by writing engaging content- from blogs, to product descriptions, and more.

Celerant's digital marketing services for your ecommerce

The past several years, your customers are shopping online more than even before, and your digital marketing strategy will determine the success of your retail business. Celerant’s team can heko ensure your eCommerce is more visible on Google, while also help you revamp your entire digital marketing strategy- from mobile marketing to AI content marketing.

Click below to learn how our digital marketing specialists can help you do all of that and stay ahead of your competition.

Explore SEO Services

Retail eCommerce SEO Services: Inhouse vs SEO Agency vs eCommerce Provider

Helping you decide the best approach for SEO services to rank your retail website better on Google and increase site traffic.

We’ll dive into:

What is SEO and How to Use it to Rank Your Retail Business on Google?

Pro Tip: Start with Local SEO on Google

Should you Hire an SEO Agency or does your eCommerce Provider Offer Integrated SEO Services?

Pro Tip:

What You Must Do Before Hiring a SEO Agency

1. Research and Verify the SEO Agency’s Credentials

2. Understand their SEO Approach

3. Know Where Your Website Currently Stands with Google

4. Run a Competitor Analysis

5. Set Clear SEO Goals

6. Request Regular Updates and Recurring One-on-one Meetings

How Long will it Take to see SEO Results on my eCommerce Website?

Here’s a timeline to give you a general idea:

Short-term SEO ( 2-3+ months)

Medium-term SEO (3-6 months)

Long-term SEO (6+ months)

Pro Tip: Start with Local SEO on Google

SEO Takes Time. Don’t Waste More Time with the Wrong Strategy

At Celerant, our digital marketing team helps you with:

Professional SEO Services

Personalized Email Marketing

Content Marketing Services

Retail Resources You May Be Interested In…

Wholesale vs Retail Pricing: What’s the Difference?

3 Ways Drop Shipping Can Increase Sales for Retailers

Three SEO Traps That SEO Agencies Don’t Want You to Know

About Celerant

Learning Center

Partners

Retail eCommerce SEO Services: Inhouse vs SEO Agency vs eCommerce Provider

Helping you decide the best approach for SEO services to rank your retail website better on Google and increase site traffic.

We’ll dive into:

What is SEO and How to Use it to Rank Your Retail Business on Google?

Should you Hire an SEO Agency or does your eCommerce Provider Offer Integrated SEO Services?

What You Must Do Before Hiring a SEO Agency

1. Research and Verify the SEO Agency’s Credentials

2. Understand their SEO Approach

3. Know Where Your Website Currently Stands with Google

4. Run a Competitor Analysis

5. Set Clear SEO Goals

6. Request Regular Updates and Recurring One-on-one Meetings

How Long will it Take to see SEO Results on my eCommerce Website?

Here’s a timeline to give you a general idea:

SEO Takes Time. Don’t Waste More Time with the Wrong Strategy

At Celerant, our digital marketing team helps you with:

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Retail Resources You May Be Interested In…

Wholesale vs Retail Pricing: What’s the Difference?

3 Ways Drop Shipping Can Increase Sales for Retailers

Three SEO Traps That SEO Agencies Don’t Want You to Know

About Celerant

Learning Center

Partners