{"id":15448,"date":"2022-09-20T11:58:16","date_gmt":"2022-09-20T11:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/ecommerce-guide\/keyword-research-for-ecommerce\/"},"modified":"2022-09-20T11:58:16","modified_gmt":"2022-09-20T11:58:16","slug":"how-to-effectively-perform-keyword-research-for-ecommerce-via-sejournal-maddyosman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/?p=15448","title":{"rendered":"How To Effectively Perform Keyword Research For Ecommerce via @sejournal, @MaddyOsman"},"content":{"rendered":"

Keyword research<\/a> is an essential component of any ecommerce SEO strategy.<\/p>\n

It gives direction regarding what to optimize for and reveals vital information on how to grow your online business.<\/p>\n

It also helps you understand the landscape and the search terms customers are using to find your website online \u2013 which can be used to uncover new opportunities.<\/p>\n

By understanding which keywords Google ranks for, you can get closer to the top of the search engine results pages<\/a> (SERPs), leading to increased visibility, visits, and conversion rates.<\/p>\n

In this guide, we\u2019ll discuss how to perform keyword research for ecommerce.<\/p>\n

Keyword Research For Ecommerce 101<\/h2>\n

Before getting started on ecommerce keyword research, it\u2019s important to understand the various factors that go into choosing the best keywords.<\/p>\n

Here are a few important considerations:<\/p>\n

Search Volume<\/h3>\n

Search volume<\/a> (or average monthly searches) refers to the total number of searches each month for a particular keyword search phrase.<\/p>\n

You want to target keywords with high monthly search volumes since that means many users are searching for that given term.<\/p>\n

That said, high search volume might also indicate high competition for ranking. If your content is of significant quality and you attract backlinks, you can absolutely target these bigger terms. But it may take longer and be more difficult.<\/p>\n

Note that there\u2019s no \u201cmagic number\u201d to aim for, as the right search volume will depend on your website. A basic rule of thumb for choosing keywords is that anything over 20 monthly searches is worth at least considering, as long as that term signals a qualified lead.<\/p>\n

There are several free <\/a>keyword research tools<\/a> that you can use to determine search volume, though this author swears by the paid tool Ahrefs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Keyword Difficulty<\/h3>\n

Keyword difficulty<\/a>, also known as search engine optimization (SEO) difficulty or keyword competition, is a score between zero and 100 that estimates how difficult it would be to rank on Google for your given keyword.<\/p>\n

A higher keyword difficulty score means that it will be hard to compete with existing search results. Ultimately, it comes down to your website\u2019s quality and reputation, as well as the content you create for each target keyword.<\/p>\n

Ahrefs provides a useful tool for determining where you stand, interpreting authority signals as \u201cdomain rating\u201d based on your existing backlinks.<\/p>\n

\"ScreenshotScreenshot from Ahrefs, August 2022<\/em><\/span>\"Screenshot<\/div>\n

In general, for a new website, you\u2019ll want to stay on the lower end of keyword difficulty.<\/p>\n

Like the now-defunct Klout score, it becomes exponentially harder to develop the relevant search for terms as their difficulty approaches 100.<\/p>\n

Search Relevance<\/h3>\n

Search relevance measures how closely the search query relates to the search results.<\/p>\n

You can find a keyword with a high search volume. But if it returns results that don\u2019t describe what you have on the page or what you\u2019re selling, then you\u2019re unlikely to achieve any meaningful goals or conversions.<\/p>\n

For context, getting 10 qualified prospects from an organic search is worth more than 1,000 visitors who bounced immediately because they couldn\u2019t find what they were looking for on your page.<\/p>\n

How To Do Keyword Research For Ecommerce<\/h2>\n

1. Determine Where You Rank In Relevant Search<\/h3>\n

Before making informed decisions regarding keyword strategy, you must establish benchmarks. Doing that can guide your efforts around creating new content versus updating old content.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve already started building your ecommerce website and have attempted to incorporate SEO keywords, make sure you\u2019re also using some type of keyword ranking tracker to determine where you stand in a relevant search.<\/p>\n

Again, Ahrefs can accomplish this task for you alongside other already-mentioned functions with its Rank Tracker feature.<\/p>\n

But you can also rely on free data readily available by connecting your website to Google Search Console<\/a> (GSC).<\/p>\n

Suggested Tool: Google Search Console<\/strong><\/p>\n

Google Search Console monitors your overall site health and performance relative to Google search.<\/p>\n

It tracks keywords your website is already ranking for, so you can determine where you stand and which keywords are worth optimizing or targeting. Use the information to improve content.<\/p>\n

\"DashboardScreenshot from Google Search Console, August 2022<\/em><\/span>\"Dashboard<\/div>\n

2. Consider Search Intent<\/h3>\n

Search intent is now key in attracting target customers to your website.<\/p>\n

Google\u2019s old algorithm prioritized keyword placement and the number of backlinks pointing to your website. That\u2019s why most keyword research advice recommends using long-tail keywords.<\/p>\n

But with the prevalence of low-quality backlinks and keyword-stuffed articles, Google\u2019s algorithm changed to prioritize semantics, intent, and relevance \u2013 and keyword research strategies changed along with it.<\/p>\n

But some SEOs may still disregard search intent, which is one of the biggest SEO mistakes<\/a> you can make. Ignoring search intent causes webpages to rank for the wrong keywords or attract the wrong target audience. Both represent missed opportunities and wasted money.<\/p>\n

Although expert SEOs each have their own ways of categorizing intent, according to Think With Google<\/a>, there are four types of search intent<\/a>:<\/p>\n