Whether you’re utilizing SuiteCommerce or another ecommerce solution, some effective strategies can enhance your ecommerce site's SEO and boost the likelihood of your content being deemed valuable.
An essential aspect of attracting leads for nearly every ecommerce business is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO encompasses actions aimed at improving your organic ranking on search engines, primarily Google. Your organic ranking determines how prominently your page appears in the list of unpaid results. It's easy to see the importance of landing high on the first page when it comes to generating traffic. Consider how frequently you click on one of the initial results without scrolling through the full list - other users tend to do the same.
SEO is Challenging to Perfect
Mastering SEO can be tricky for three key reasons:
1. Google strives to deliver relevant information promptly.
This is the strength of this search engine - it excels at predicting the best answers to users' inquiries. Consequently, Google's algorithms are set up to identify high-quality content and distinguish it from less useful material, making it tough to achieve a high ranking on Google without genuinely valuable content. Crafting impactful, relevant content is no small feat.
2. Google keeps its algorithm confidential.
This confidentiality is partly to encourage content creators to develop quality material rather than merely trying to outsmart the algorithm. Of course, one could opt to pay Google to quickly ascend the search results - pay-per-click advertising is a substantial revenue stream for Google.
3. Google frequently updates its algorithm.
Techniques that were effective last year may not yield results this year. Be cautious of anyone who claims to have a quick fix or perfect formula for SEO; even if their solution currently works, there’s a strong possibility that Google will soon address that loophole. The best way to ensure your SEO remains relevant is to create content that visitors find valuable.
That said, whether you’re using SuiteCommerce or another ecommerce platform integrated with NetSuite, there are several actions you can take on your ecommerce site to enhance SEO and improve the chances of your content being recognized as valuable. Countless articles, products, and services are available online, yet many remain hidden gems.
As an ecommerce business, prioritizing visibility is crucial. Ignoring the following strategies for your SuiteCommerce site is akin to burying treasure, preventing potential seekers from discovering it. The following elements constitute On-Page SEO, focusing on what you can do while constructing a page on your website to help Google and other search engines acknowledge the valuable content you're offering.
Meta-descriptions and Page Titles
A meta-description is a brief piece of text (1-2 sentences) primarily constructed for Google rather than for visitors on your page. It allows you to explicitly inform Google about the page's content. Typically, Google displays this meta-description on the search result page directly beneath the link and page title. Without a description, Google has to guess the text that summarizes your page, which may not reflect your preferences. Offering a description ensures you maintain control.
The main function of the meta-description is to act as an engaging hook to attract potential visitors. It serves as advertising copy. As Michiel Heijmans from yoast.com explains in "How to Create the Right Meta Description," the goal is to prompt people to click on your page, especially those likely to convert into customers:
"Its purpose is simple: it needs to get someone searching with a search term on Google to click your link. In other words, meta descriptions are there to generate click-throughs from search engines."
An effective meta-description contributes primarily to boosting click rates rather than impacting SEO directly. Simply having a description does not influence your ranking, at least from the perspective of search engines. However, as Heijmans points out, higher click rates improve your ranking:
"Google uses click-through-rate (CTR) as a way of determining whether you're a relevant result. If more people click on your result, Google considers it a preferred result and will adjust your position in the rankings accordingly. Therefore, optimizing your meta descriptions and titles is essential."
Well-crafted descriptions yield more clicks, which enhances SEO ranking, leading to even further clicks, thus creating an ongoing cycle of improvement.
Optimizing Page Titles for SEO
Page titles are akin to meta-descriptions and may be even more critical for SEO. Titles explicitly inform Google what to portray as the highlighted text in the search result.
To extend our treasure analogy, the page title and meta-description represent the significant "X" on a treasure map along with the message declaring, "Seek your fortune here!"
The appeal of your page titles and meta-descriptions will directly affect your click rate, which largely dictates how many leads enter your sales funnel. Even advertisements require compelling titles and descriptions - simply paying for the ad places your link at the top of the list, but you still need to entice users to click it, all within about 155 characters. The SuiteAnswers article on SEO and Meta-descriptions emphasizes this point:
"As with any marketing content, the description should include a persuasive element encouraging the reader to take action, in this case, visit your site."
If you're unsure how to create impactful meta-descriptions, a recommended approach is to examine the meta-descriptions of high-ranking pages. Spend some time reviewing meta-descriptions of websites within your industry, particularly those of competitors ranking above you. While it's impossible to know definitively whether a certain page ranks higher due to its meta-description or other factors, these examples can inspire ideas for your own writing.
Adding Meta-descriptions in SuiteCommerce
You’ve recognized the significance of persuasive descriptions and refined them until they are captivating. Now, how do you add those meta-descriptions to your pages in NetSuite? You have two primary options: add them individually or in bulk through a CSV import. Individual additions are suitable for your homepage, landing pages (like the contact page), and facet pages (for instance, if your PLP showcases shoes, the facet page might display “men’s shoes”). For individual items, CSV import typically proves more efficient, saving time and effort.
To add descriptions or page titles for a homepage, landing page, or facet page, navigate to Site Management Tools (SMT) and select Edit in the toolbar for the specific page you want to improve.
For individual items, head to Lists > Accounting > Items. Within the Webstore subtab for that item, input the complete HTML code required in the Meta Tag HTML field, which may resemble:
If you have numerous items, you will likely prefer to bulk upload your meta-descriptions via CSV. There is an excellent guide on how to perform this import on developers.suitecommerce.com. Generally, the process involves preparing your CSV file and starting the import via Setup > Import/Export > Import CSV Records. When configuring your field mapping for the import, connect the field from your CSV containing the new meta-description to the Meta Tag field on the item record.
For businesses with a large inventory or those looking to launch their ecommerce site quickly, we've developed scripts to auto-populate the Meta Tag and Image Alt Tag fields based on various item field values. While these auto-generated tags may not always be flawless, they are significantly better than leaving those fields blank. These scripts work well in conjunction with a gradual manual reviewing process as your time permits.
Keyword Research
Before drafting your enticing descriptions and page titles, ensuring they'll appear in search results is essential! To maximize your page's visibility, engage in keyword research. This process involves examining the popularity of different potential search terms and phrases relevant to your product.
Start by compiling a list of all the searches you believe people may use to locate the type of product you sell. For example, if you offer powered toothbrushes, you would want to conduct keyword research on the following terms:
Powered toothbrush
Automatic toothbrush
Convenient toothbrush
Easy toothbrush
Lazy toothbrush
Motorized toothbrush
Toothbrush
Best toothbrushes
Dental health
Tooth care
Floss
Toothpaste
Mouthwash
Take your list and utilize a keyword research tool. Here are four popular tools to consider:
Ahrefs
Moz
Semrush
Google Search Console (free, with limited features)
These tools will provide data on your searched terms and suggest related phrases.
Pay attention to these three critical metrics:
Monthly search volume (the number of times someone searches for that term on Google)
Keyword difficulty (the level of competition you'll face organically)
Average cost per click (indicative of how much competitors are willing to pay for ads related to that term)
The key to maximizing your return: identify keywords with high search volume that remain underutilized by your competitors. This strategy works whether you're pursuing organic SEO or investing in ads.
Example Approach to Keyword Targeting
We utilize a multi-step strategy for keyword targeting. Following the steps outlined earlier, we start by employing a keyword research tool to pinpoint related keywords and search terms relevant to the topics we're writing about; in this instance, for SuiteCommerce.
Next, we discard any keywords with low search volume that are costly to run ads for.
If a keyword has low search volume but inexpensive ads, we go ahead and run those ads without investing too much effort in organic SEO.
Conversely, if the organic competition for a keyword is minimal and the search volume substantial, we focus on building off-page SEO (discussed later) for that specific keyword. We ensure our page title, meta-description, and the actual content all incorporate the targeted search keyword(s). During the 1-3 month period before our organic SEO efforts yield results, we may buy ads, planning to taper those ads as we achieve organic rankings.
For keywords with high organic competition, we analyze ad costs. Occasionally, cost-per-click may be low despite high organic competition - this can happen if there are related sites with content that isn't genuinely competitive. In such cases, we tend to purchase ads instead of concentrating on off-page SEO.
A two-platform advertising strategy can amplify your investment: pay for the initial click on Google, then opt for targeted Facebook ads (generally cheaper than Google ads) to reach users who clicked on the Google ad.
When both organic and ad competition is high, conducting a thorough cost-benefit analysis will help you assess the value of an average click. This type of analysis is valuable in general, but it becomes critical when considering significant marketing investments with less evident returns.
While the math is straightforward, data collection can be challenging. Ideally, your analysis should delve deeper, tracking the average conversion rate and transaction value associated with each keyword and ad, as variations in effectiveness are likely. Google Analytics can assist with this evaluation.
We would be remiss not to mention Tadpull here; they provide a powerful data collection and analytics platform offering insights into all your marketing initiatives, enabling detailed cost/benefit analysis and targeted marketing expenditures. Once you identify the most effective marketing strategies, you can concentrate your budget in those areas to watch your profits soar.
Aliases and Canonicalization in NetSuite
Visitors may access your website through multiple domains, such as http://www.mysite.com and http://mysite.com. This issue can arise if you have an alias domain (similar to having a new book cover while the original content remains unchanged). Search engines perceive each domain as distinct websites, leading to a division of your domain authority between them, which is inefficient. Having a single entry on page one of Google is far more advantageous than multiple listings on page three since split authority can harm your SEO. You can mitigate this issue and consolidate a domain’s authority by informing search engines of your preferred domain for accessing your site versus the aliases. This consolidation process is known as canonicalization. While aliases are useful, canonicalization ensures they don't detrimentally affect your SEO.
To canonicalize in NetSuite, navigate to Setup > SuiteCommerce Advanced > Setup Website > Edit > Domains subtab. Ensure your main URL is specified as the Primary Web Site URL.
Canonicalization is essential not just for domains, but also for individual web pages when there are various URLs available for accessing a single page.
There can be valid reasons for utilizing multiple URLs for the same page. For example, if you have an item with a URL fragment of pink-mens-shirts, and later decide to modify it to pink-shirt-men, creating a URL Component Alias on the item record can maintain the old link’s functionality by redirecting it to the new location (this requires the URL Components Alias feature to be enabled in your account).
Off-Page SEO
A key consideration for Google when determining search rankings is the number of other websites that link to your page. Each external link to your page is recognized by Google as a vote of confidence and an indicator of high-quality content. Google generally distinguishes between trustworthy sites and low-quality ones, so only links from reputable sources will boost your ranking. While there’s more complexity involved, the basic principle is straightforward.
What constitutes a reputable website in Google's eyes? One metric that attempts to gauge this is called Domain Authority. Domain Authority is a composite score based on various factors, including the number of domains linking to a site and overall link quantity. Tools like Moz provide free domain authority analysis.
While you'll certainly want your own Domain Authority to be high, it’s essential to ensure that sites linking to you also possess high Domain Authority. This concept functions similarly to social trust: if you want others to trust you, aim for endorsements from other reliable individuals. The more reputable entities that endorse you, the more likely Google will view you favorably.
Acquiring Backlinks for SEO
Generally, .gov and .edu sites command respect, but there are numerous others as well. If major websites like nytimes.com or forbes.com link back to your site, that bodes well for your credibility! Even links from social media platforms can impact your organic Google ranking.
So, what are the best ways to garner these backlinks, these endorsements of trust? We typically pursue a combination of four primary strategies that yield success. These methods include:
1. Create exceptional content that people want to share
Producing outstanding content that others feel compelled to share on their own platforms is crucial. This can include innovative products, informative articles, entertaining visuals, or various other forms of content. While curating remarkable content is paramount, it usually requires time to build up SEO momentum. The following three methods are designed to supplement this effort and provide a head start to your search rankings.
2. Compensate others for generating backlinks.
This approach can be effective, but it's important to thoroughly audit the backlinks created to ensure they come from sites with commendable Domain Authority. A good rule of thumb is to have only 1-2 backlinks from any single page; exceeding this number can raise Google's suspicions about your practices.
3. Offer to replace broken links with a link to your own site.
Webmasters often appreciate being informed about broken links on their sites, and providing a relevant replacement saves them effort. This tactic works well, especially for .edu sites, though it can be labor-intensive. There are browser extension tools available that help identify broken links, but actively researching suitable sites and contacting their webmasters can prove time-consuming. However, if you're seeking tasks for college interns, this method could be an excellent fit.
4. Engage in co-marketing or mutual guest-posting.
Participate in co-marketing or mutual guest-posting. This strategy basically involves a "I'll help you, and you help me" arrangement. For example, if you run a toothpaste business, partnering with a site selling dental floss can be beneficial. You write a guest article that gets posted on their blog, while they contribute an article for your site. Within your article, you can include one or two links leading back to your site, and vice versa. This co-marketing can enhance both parties' Domain Authorities while also generating genuine click-through traffic.
Regardless of the combination of off-page SEO tactics you employ, careful planning is vital. Achieving higher organic rankings typically requires 2-3 months of ongoing effort, meaning that if you anticipate launching a new website or product page in the coming weeks, now is the optimal time to initiate the SEO process.
