Retail eCommerce SEO Services: Inhouse vs SEO Agency vs eCommerce Provider
Celerant Technology
Our mission is to help retailers maximize business growth and efficiency through innovative retail commerce software.
By Zoya Naeem
Helping you decide the best approach for SEO services to rank your retail website better on Google and increase site traffic.
Search engine rankings, Google specifically, can make or break your business.
And if your business does not appear on Google when your consumers search for what you are selling, it may as well not exist at all, unless you are only marketing to your existing, local customers.
When considering how to tackle your retail website SEO (search engine optimization), there are many options. Hiring the right SEO services provider can make all the difference.
In this article, we’ll discuss how you can use the power of SEO to make your store easier to find for people searching for your products or services online.
We’ll dive into:
What is SEO and How to Use it to Rank Your Retail Business on Google?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is like a powerful searchlight that helps Google find your store in a huge sea of websites (the Internet). When people search for products or services you sell, you want your store to be the first they see.
That’s where SEO comes in. By following specific rules and guidelines you can improve your store’s visibility and improve your chances of ranking at the top of SERPs (search engine result pages).
Most people don’t look past the first page of Google or other search engines, so if your store isn’t there, you are missing out on potential business.
This is why mastering SEO is essential for attracting customers and boosting your sales.
But are you equipped to handle effective SEO yourself? Or maybe you already are working with a 3rd party SEO vendor? Either way, you need to understand that SEO doesn’t automatically happen.
Your eCommerce store must follow the right practices and Google’s guidelines to ensure it matches what Google’s algorithm is looking for when conducting searches.
Pro Tip: Start with Local SEO on Google
When someone runs a query for a business or place near their location, Google shows local results in places like Maps and Search. To improve your business’s local rankings and appear in these results, use Google Business Profile. You can claim and update your business information, including your address, contact number, hours, and customer reviews. Keeping your profile updated with accurate and fresh information allows Google to make it easier for nearby customers to find and visit you.
Should you Hire an SEO Agency or does your eCommerce Provider Offer Integrated SEO Services?
Deciding how to manage your SEO strategy is crucial for your business’s online success. Whether it’s worth using your eCommerce provider’s SEO services (if they even offer it), hiring a 3rd party SEO agency or attempting to do it yourself, it all depends on a few key questions:
Usually, it’s worth hiring SEO services when:
Below is a quick comparison of two options for you to decide which might be the best fit for your business and the factors that are likely to influence your choice :
Your choice depends on your budget, resources, and the complexity of your SEO needs. If your current strategy isn’t delivering the desired results, and you can afford it, outsourcing to an SEO agency or hiring the services of your eCommerce provider might be beneficial.
However, DIY SEO can be rewarding for those with the skills and time, but staying updated on the best practices is crucial for success.
Pro Tip:
When it comes to factors that can influence the timeline of your SEO campaigns, working with your eCommerce provider’s SEO services can really pay off. As they understand your platform inside and out, they can quickly adapt your strategy to keep up with the high competition in your industry, manage the quality of your backlinks, and keep up with Google’s algorithm updates, helping you achieve results as efficiently as possible.
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Download Educational eBook: SEO 101: Launching a New Website is Only the First Step
What You Must Do Before Hiring a SEO Agency
Before you hire a SEO agency to increase your online visibility of your website, you should look at how much love Google is already sending your way. You want to take the following steps to ensure you’re making the best decision for your retail business:
1. Research and Verify the SEO Agency’s Credentials
It’s important that you do some digging into the agency’s background. Read through their case studies, look up reviews, and maybe even ask for references from their past clients. This will give you a good sense of whether they have delivered results before. You want to ensure you are working with a team that knows what they are doing.
2. Understand their SEO Approach
Beware of SEO agencies that promise quick fixes or instant results, as these tactics can harm your site’s reputation. You want to make sure that the agency uses ethical SEO practices that align with Google’s guidelines. SEO is a long-term game, and you want to play it smart.
3. Know Where Your Website Currently Stands with Google
Before bringing a SEO agency on board, take a moment to assess how your website is performing on Google. Tools like Google Search Console (GSC) and PageSpeed Insights can help you check your rankings and the health of your site, and troubleshoot any current issues. Knowing your starting point will actually help you and the SEO agency set realistic goals and create a work plan.
4. Run a Competitor Analysis
Got a competitor that’s crushing it with traffic? It’s always a good idea to get a sense of the competition you’re up against. You might want to look up who’s doing well in your industry and what they are doing right. This will give you valuable insights and help you understand the type of challenges you will need to tackle.
5. Set Clear SEO Goals
Be clear about what you want to achieve with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Whether it’s driving more traffic, boosting your site’s rankings, or increasing sales, having specific goals will guide the agency in creating a strategy that’s tailored to your needs. It will also make it easier for you to keep a tap on the progress and see if you are getting the real value for your money.
6. Request Regular Updates and Recurring One-on-one Meetings
You want to make sure that the agency provides frequent updates on its work and is transparent about the results it is achieving. This keeps everything transparent and lets you see what’s exactly being done. Plus, it helps you stay informed so you can make decisions based on data.
How Long will it Take to see SEO Results on my eCommerce Website?
There are several factors that influence the timeline for deploying an SEO campaign and seeing results.
As a retailer, you must understand that SEO is a long-term strategy; while some initial improvements might be noticeable within the first couple of months, significant rankings and increased traffic usually take longer.
Another important factor is how comprehensive your SEO strategy is. In some cases, you can make SEO improvements for a couple hundred dollars monthly, but to gain significant SEO advancements, the strategy and budget will typically be much more substantial as well. Most SEO services providers will offer multiple options, and at very different price points, to help you choose based on your budget, goals, and competitive strategy.
Here’s a timeline to give you a general idea:
Pro Tip: Start with Local SEO on Google
SEO is an ongoing process, and continuous optimization and monitoring are essential for sustained success. In some highly competitive markets, your most competitive keywords can take even longer than 6 months. One of the challenges in SEO, is that there is no guarantee. If an agency is promising you page 1, number 1, that is typically a red flag to look elsewhere!
SEO Takes Time. Don’t Waste More Time with the Wrong Strategy
When considering which SEO strategy is best for your business, the most important aspect to remember is that it takes time and ongoing effort. It also changes as quickly as Google’s algorithm changes- which is all the time.
Determining your most effective go-forward SEO plan from the start, will ensure you are not wasting more time. Any SEO service is better than none- but when you can choose an SEO provider that already knows your website, and can implement the changes faster, you are going to have an immediate advantage.
At Celerant, our digital marketing team helps you with:
The past several years, your customers are shopping online more than even before, and your digital marketing strategy will determine the success of your retail business. Celerant’s team can heko ensure your eCommerce is more visible on Google, while also help you revamp your entire digital marketing strategy- from mobile marketing to AI content marketing.
Click below to learn how our digital marketing specialists can help you do all of that and stay ahead of your competition.
Driving Retail Expansion through Advanced Technology | Chief Growth Officer at Celerant Technology
3moThis is such an important one. SEO itself already is such a long-term initiative. The more you can align your strategy, stay consistent and on track, the faster you can start to see results. Otherwise, the process takes even longer with much more time wasted.