Two things that can hurt your sales this Holiday Season

Google Core Update Shakes Up Black Friday

Media Loses on Visibility Over Shopping Sites

As it does several times per year, Google launched a new Core Update last week and its effects are rocking the Holiday Shopping Season. We’ve never been given a lot of guidance on this topic, except for the article back in 2019 called What site owners should know about Google’s core updates, that had information about content quality evaluation and E-A-T – or Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

This particular update was launched a week before Black Friday and it shook up the SEO community. Amsive Digital researched this topic and the results are outstanding.

The results of the analysis conducted show – among other things – a decrease in visibility for big news sites, such as reuters.com, while the visibility for shopping and eCommerce sites such as Amazon, Walmart, eBay, etc., seriously increased. And just in time for Holiday shopping!

Another interesting thing to note is the declining visibility of the FDA site, after enjoying much of it last year with Covid-19 in full swing. According to the research, Google is currently giving more room for other health publishers and retailers, letting them rank better.

The update may have come at the right time for eCommerce and Shopping sites, but it’s important to remember this may be a short-term thing since it takes about a week or two for a full rollout.

Don’t delete the bad reviews

Speaking of the Holiday Season and Google, don’t delete bad reviews you might get for your customer service (not because you’re bad, but because – hopefully – you’ll have a lot of work and customers could wait longer for their presents 😉 ).

According to Google, you should value all reviews, for they can come in handy to potential customers when they’re honest and objective, and therefore – trustworthy.

Start with yourself – would you buy something if all the reviews were only good and not a single star was missing? Reply to your reviews, offer help and add more context and show potential customers you care.

Experts Agree: You Need SEO For Your eCom Business

You want to see your eCommerce business soar. There are so many popular digital marketing techniques, and you don’t want to waste your time using strategies that are inefficient. That raises a question: is SEO worth thinking about for online retailers?

 The answer is a resounding YES.

SEO is one of the greatest tools in web marketing, and it’s loved across the board. 57% of B2B (business-to-business) marketers say that SEO is the best strategy to generate leads – and they’re just one of many corners of the industry that praises SEO.

eCommerce sites have a particularly strong set of rewards to reap from SEO, including:

• an increase in brand visibility

• a high ROI

• an easy way to produce traffic

• …and so much more.

Read below to learn why SEO is so critical in the world of digital retail, and how your web-based store can benefit. 

Why SEO is the Industry Standard

SEO has been a staple in web marketing for years, and its popularity shows no signs of fading. That’s because it directly relates to how much mid-to-high intent traffic a site will generate – and in the world of digital retail, traffic with intent, equals sales.

Think about it: scoring high in SEO can land your site high among Google search results. This is a huge advantage for any eCom site. After all, 92% of consumer traffic goes towards websites that appear on the first page of a search query result.

So, if increasing targeted traffic is a priority, Google results are something you should care about.

What Will Happen If I Don’t Use SEO? 

You might choose to pass on the benefits of SEO, but your competitors won’t.

Imagine that your top competitor appears at the top on a Google search result page, and you’re stuck a page or two behind. Consumers are more likely to click on the higher search results – and without SEO, you’ll lose out on a ton of customers.

Besides, 39% of global eCommerce traffic comes from Google and other search engines. Clearly, SEO offers a huge advantage – so why not take it?

How Can SEO Benefit My eCom Site? 

1. It Helps Customers and Clients Find You

When people want to find a brand, product, or service, they use Google.

The numbers don’t lie: 93% of internet users begin their sessions with Google or another search engine. If they’re looking for something that aligns with your brand, SEO can make your site easy to find

2. The ROI is Fantastic

You want to make sure every dollar you spend on digital marketing counts. Fortunately, SEO gives you the highest bang for your buck.

In fact, nearly half of marketers said that organic search produced a better ROI than any other approach to marketing.

Unlike other forms of marketing, organic search generates a ton of free traffic. There’s no cost-per-click or any kind of similar charge that feels like a punishment.

Plus, the funding you do put into SEO – research or hiring an expert, for example – goes a long way.

READ MORE: Strengthen Your eCom With a Strategy That Includes Paid Ads and SEO

3. SEO Offers Long-Lasting Effects

Most other ad campaigns have an expiration date. As soon as you stop paying, traffic ends, and you’re back at square one.

SEO is evergreen – people are going to keep searching no matter what you do. Plus, SEO is something you can always add to and tweak to your liking.

4. Your Brand Will Establish Itself As Trustworthy

Put yourself in a consumer’s shoes. If you were searching for a particular product, the brands that show up a few pages back within the results might not seem as trustworthy. This has everything to do with SEO. 

Google rewards sites that it deems credible by ranking them higher in search results – and credibility is great for your brand’s reputation.

5. Local SEO Leads to Local Engagement 

SEO isn’t just for massive big box retailers. Small or local businesses should use this strategy too. That’s because developing an online presence can get you a real-life loyal customer base. 

Did you know that 97% of people use the internet to learn more about a local business?

There are plenty of ways to optimize your local business’ online presence. Start by searching your own business: are you happy with what you find? Does your top competitor come out looking better?

6. You’ll Increase Your Brand’s Awareness and Visibility

 SEO is about more than just the words that your site’s URL is attached to. People browse Google search results to view photos, read reviews, and learn quick bits of info. By ensuring that your site looks great among search results, you’ll take an important step in cementing your brand in people’s minds.

7. You’ll Gain a Competitive Edge 

No other marketing strategy gives you an opportunity to directly see how you compare to your competitors. Google search results are like a leader board, and all of your competitors want the #1 spot. Do you?

READ MORE: eCommerce and SEO: The Full Breakdown

Your eCommerce site deserves the chance to be seen by customers. SEO can help you achieve that. From a high ROI to impressive longevity, it’s not hard to see why web marketers still love SEO after all these years.