Off Page SEO For Ecommerce Websites

E-commerce websites, despite their surge in popularity, can be incredibly challenging to optimize for search engines.

With intense competition, shifting algorithms, and evolving SEO strategies, e-commerce businesses need to leverage every opportunity to enhance their online visibility.

One critical, yet often overlooked, component of an e-commerce website's SEO strategy is off-page SEO. Off-page SEO refers to activities that are conducted outside the boundaries of your website that influence your rankings within search engine results pages (SERPs).

In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into off-page SEO strategies specifically tailored for e-commerce websites.

Link Building

Arguably the backbone of off-page SEO, link building is the practice of gaining links from external websites to your own.

But if you're reading this article, you already know that.

Let's see how you can win some of the best backlinks for your ecommerce store.

Influencer Partnerships

Consider partnering with influencers within your industry or product niche.

This can take the form of product reviews, guest posts, or sponsored content. For instance, if you're selling eco-friendly products, collaborating with an influencer focused on sustainable living can give you access to a relevant audience and earn you valuable backlinks.

Business Directories and Local Citations

If you have brick-and-mortar stores along with your e-commerce business, make sure you're listed in reputable online directories. Consistency is key here – your business’s Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) should be uniform across all listings.

Content Marketing

Creating and promoting original, high-quality content can earn you natural backlinks. These can range from blogs and guides to infographics and research studies. The key here is to provide value to your audience, encouraging them to share your content.

Competitor Backlink Analysis

Utilize SEO tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz to analyze where your competitors are gaining their backlinks. You might unearth opportunities where you can earn a link too.

Social Media Marketing

Social media platforms, if used correctly, can significantly boost your website's visibility, increase traffic, and enhance your search engine rankings.

Social Listening

Stay tuned to what your target audience is talking about on social media platforms. Monitor mentions of your brand, competitors, and keywords related to your products. This insight can help tailor your SEO strategy.

User-Generated Content (UGC)

Encourage customers to share their experiences with your products on their social media. This not only promotes your product but also instills trust with potential customers. And don't forget to engage with these posts. Engagement helps improve the reach and visibility of your content.

Brand and Product Promotion

Regularly promoting your products on social media platforms can increase website traffic, leading to higher search engine rankings. Remember to include links to your website in your social media profiles and posts.

Online Reviews and Ratings

Reviews and ratings significantly influence a consumer's purchase decision and can also impact search engine rankings.

Google My Business

If you have a physical store, maintaining a Google My Business listing is a must.

Google reviews can greatly impact local SEO and map rankings.

Encourage happy customers to leave reviews on Google and other popular review platforms relevant to your business.

Managing Reviews

Responding to negative reviews shows potential customers that you value customer feedback and are committed to resolving issues. Moreover, well-handled negative reviews can mitigate damage to your reputation and may even lead to higher rankings.

Product Reviews

Encourage customers to leave reviews on your product pages.

Reviews can generate fresh, user-generated content, which can help your product pages rank higher.

Plus, user reviews naturally include relevant keywords, helping your website rank better for long-tail keywords.

Guest Blogging

Guest blogging involves writing and publishing an article on someone else's website or blog. It's an excellent way to connect with new readers and get your name out, while also securing a backlink.

Engage with Relevant Blogs

Identify blogs that are relevant to your industry and propose a guest post. Make sure that the blog has a substantial amount of traffic and that the audience is likely to be interested in your products.

Provide Value

Your guest post should provide value to the host's audience. This could be in the form of informational content, unique insights, or actionable tips.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought by the affiliate's marketing efforts.

Collaborate with Relevant Affiliates

Identify and reach out to influencers, bloggers, or websites that are relevant to your products and propose an affiliate partnership.

Competitive Commission Structure

Create a commission structure that is competitive and attractive for your affiliates.

This will incentivize them to put in their best efforts to promote your products.

We love this strategy because it enables businesses to earn leads and links simultaneously.

PR and Outreach

Public relations (PR) involves managing your brand's perception and relationships with the public, customers, and stakeholders.

Press Releases

Distribute press releases about new product launches, major updates, or company news.

When picked up by media outlets, these can result in valuable backlinks and increased brand exposure.

Relationships with Journalists and Bloggers

Establish relationships with journalists and bloggers who write about your industry.

This could lead to media coverage, which can boost your brand's visibility and provide backlinks.

Forum Participation

Online forums are a great place to engage with communities, answer queries, and subtly promote your products.

Be Helpful and Genuine

Don't just use forums for self-promotion. Make sure you're providing value to the community. This could involve answering queries related to your product or industry.

Don't Spam

Ensure your promotional content doesn't come off as spam. Remember, the main goal is to provide value and build relationships, not to hard-sell your products.

I'll continue in the next part with video marketing, podcasting, and event sponsorships.

Why these strategies work?

Well, most SEO agencies don't realize what SEO is for. They sell you traffic, impressions or some other jargons and forget to talk about sales.

At Felicio, we ensure that you market your brand to the search engines and your customers the right way.

By using these strategies, you'll earn links and be able to promote your products at the same time.

If you want a detailed customized strategy for your ecommerce store, feel free to get in touch with us.