Imagine you run an upstart ecommerce site. You are looking to hire a company capable of providing competent ecommerce SEO services. You start calling around, only to realize that every firm leads with the same question: do you sell on Amazon or not? What is the deal?
When it comes to ecommerce, one undeniable fact sticks out like a sore thumb: there is Amazon, and there is everything else. Amazon is to ecommerce what Google is to search engines. It dominates the ecommerce space to the extent that it is very difficult to make a go of it if you’re not selling on Amazon. Therefore, what Amazon does has a significant influence on ecommerce SEO.
When a Retailer Sells on Amazon
Retailers sell their wares on Amazon for obvious reasons. Amazon gives them access to the widest possible audience as well as a complete online infrastructure for selling. Where SEO is concerned, retailers need to work two separate angles.
The first angle is Amazon’s own on-site search engine. Retailers can’t afford to ignore it for the simple fact that the majority of online shopping experiences begin on the Amazon site, usually via the on-site search engine. Another way to put it is this: the majority of Amazon shoppers go right to the website without using an external search engine. They search for the products they want directly through the on-site engine.
The second angle relates to capturing the attention of those users who start the shopping experience on a search engine like Google or Bing. They do exist. And while they do not make up the bulk of Amazon shoppers, their volume is still significant. Ecommerce operators cannot afford to ignore them any more than they can ignore buyers who go right to Amazon from the get-go.
When a Retailer Doesn’t Sell on Amazon
Despite so many ecommerce retailers selling on Amazon, there are those who choose to sell on other sites. Some operate their own websites exclusively, avoiding Amazon altogether. Others utilize both options. They sell on Amazon but also through their own websites. How they approach SEO depends on where they sell.
An ecommerce operator choosing to avoid Amazon doesn’t have to worry about Amazon SEO. It is a complete non-factor. But that only means that a more aggressive effort is required with traditional SEO. The operator needs to drive traffic to his website, traffic that might otherwise find its way to Amazon.
What It All Means
So, why bring all of this up? What does it all mean to ecommerce operators? It means that they need to thoroughly understand ecommerce SEO or hire someone who does. Approaching ecommerce SEO haphazardly is not going to yield very positive results. It might ultimately end up becoming a money pit.
On the other hand, there are firms that offer ecommerce SEO services for both Amazon and non-Amazon sellers. Webtek Digital Marketing, out of Salt Lake City, UT, is one such firm. They cut their teeth on SEO. They know what it takes to rank well on Google, Bing, and Amazon’s on-site search engine.
Webtek says that ecommerce SEO relies heavily on keywords, just like traditional SEO. But those keywords are embedded in product descriptions and titles. They are utilized in online reviews. They are combined with strong images and other on-site components designed to drive traffic and convert visitors.
When it comes to ecommerce, there is Amazon and everything else. How an ecommerce operator approaches SEO depends heavily on whether he sells on Amazon. Needless to say, there is more to ecommerce SEO than meets the eye.