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What Retailers Need to Know About Google Rankings
January 12, 2021 / 7 minute read / By Zoya Naeem
Blog
SEO matters now more than ever, especially with the rise in online shopping.
The easier it is for customers to find your retail business on the internet, the higher your chances of growing. Google website rankings have long been crucial in the digital world, but they’re becoming even more vital for small retail businesses. This is because people are increasingly turning to online shopping and searching for local stores online, before visiting stores in person.
Improving your Google keyword rankings might sound complex, but here are some straightforward steps you can take right away that won’t eat up much of your time:
If you don’t have one, sign up. It takes only a few seconds. Google provides plenty of free tools to help you track and improve your website’s performance, like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Google My Business, Google Shopping, Google Reviews, and YouTube. But you’ll need a Google account to login and get access to all of these free tools.
Make sure your business is listed on Google by creating what is called a ‘Google My Business’ (GMB) account. Not only does this help people find your store and get directions, but you can also share your business hours, add pictures, and link to your website. Google My Business also enables Google Reviews and provides a map to your store once your physical address is verified. All of which makes it even easier for your customers to find you.
Be sure to be aware of your Google reviews and respond to all of them- even the negative ones! Also, an important step is to encourage your happy customers to go to Google and leave you a positive review. There is nothing wrong with asking your customers to post a review for your business- it will have a major impact on your GMB profile.
Spend a couple of minutes ensuring your website is easy to navigate, both on desktop and mobile devices. Put yourself in the user’s shoes. If required, update your website menu. Websites that are user-friendly, respond well to mobile devices and move fast with instant load times, have a better chance of ranking higher on Google searches.
Boost your online presence further by mastering 7 Digital Marketing Techniques Every Retailer Needs To Know. Implementing these techniques alongside optimizing your website navigation can significantly enhance your online visibility and engagement with potential customers.
Keep your site fresh with relevant information. It could be as simple as updating business hours or revising your web pages, blogs, products, and descriptions to match your audience’s needs. Remember, people who search on Google are Google’s customers, and Google aims to provide them with useful information. Google is always looking for fresh, new content, so the more you can consistently update your website with this new content, the more relevance Google will give your website, resulting in higher search results when your potential customers search.
At the very least, use the power of social. Create accounts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Even if you don’t actively engage, secure your social media URLs, with your company name, to prevent others from taking them. After setting up your profile with your logo, banner, and an ‘about us’ section, share content from your website with a link back to the relevant page.
By following these basic steps, you’re laying a strong foundation for better Google rankings without diving into overly complicated strategies.
Once you’ve mastered the basics, it’s time to think long-term. Short term and local SEO tends to be the easier goal and where you can typically see the fastest results, after about 3 months. The more challenging aspect is your long-term, more global SEO as it is called. This is where you want to find new customers via Google search engine based on product keywords, and this can take 6 months or even more time. The best approach to attaining and then sustaining this more global success? Embracing a professional SEO strategy.
Inconsistent SEO efforts might yield occasional results, but they won’t provide consistent audience growth and increased traffic. Riding the SEO ‘rollercoaster’ can even harm your business in the long run. To truly succeed, you need to be strategic and stay one step ahead of your competitors.
If a third-party company built your eCommerce site, consider checking if they offer SEO services. They have an in-depth understanding of your site’s structure and are already acquainted with your business.
Celerant, as an eCommerce SaaS Retail Software provider, goes the extra mile by offering SEO services to its retail clients through an in-house digital marketing team. What sets us apart is our commitment to providing a robust, ongoing SEO strategy. We aim to boost your website traffic, increase conversions, and drive both online and in-store sales.
Related: Piragis Outfitters Quadrupled Online Sales as a Result of Celerant’s SEO
In the world of online business, understanding the fundamentals of Google search and keyword rankings for your website is essential.
By setting up a Google account, optimizing your website’s navigation and content, listing your business on Google My Business, and leveraging social media, you’re laying a strong foundation for better online visibility.
However, to truly thrive in the digital landscape, a long-term SEO strategy is important. Celerant offers comprehensive solutions, from mobile point of sale to digital marketing services, enabling businesses to capture the surge in online sales.
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