Google’s Three Top Tips for Online Retailers

Three Top Tips for Online RetailersOnline retailers are constantly struggling to evolve, update their sites, and stay on top of the search engines. It’s important to pay attention to what the main industry players say, so when Google tells you what you can do to perform better in search engine rankings and boost your business, listen to them! It’s also important to be able to read between the lines and understand the general trends and future direction these tips point towards.

Here are three basic tips Google offers to online retailers to let them know what they’re looking for in a highly-ranked online retailer.

1. Align around a single customer on multiple platforms.


Rather than focusing on offering a unique experience on all platforms, find ways you can tie together your marketing message and your actions on different platforms. Each platform should offer you a unique chance to get the same kind of message across. For example, on YouTube, you can post clever, quirky ad campaigns, Twitter updates can link to YouTube ads and ask for interaction, and Facebook posts may share industry news and funny news stories in your field. The same customer is likely to look at your presence on all of these platforms to decide which one (or ones) to follow you on.

2. Connect user experiences across devices and understand them.


A user who is looking at your mobile site is likely looking for different pages than one on a desktop at home. If you’re developing a mobile site, make sure it’s easy to get to different pages such as your location page or a page with a contact number. Desktop versions of your site should include more general “about” information and in-depth articles and news to show your authority. Understanding what your customer wants and connecting them with that information is crucial. A user who is looking at your online store wants to know what you sell, whether the features will meet their needs, and how much they cost. They may also wonder about shipping times and prices, comparisons, and product reviews. Understand what your readers are looking for when they browse your sites.

3. Deliver what you promise at all times.


Sites that are evergreen (not tied to a specific date or time), deliver what a customer is looking for, and do so in a way that is intuitive will likely perform better on Google. Google wants to find sites that will help their search engine users, after all. They will rank you better if you deliver what you promise – no tricking them with “keyword stuffing” and other shady techniques. They constantly evolve and release updates to fight these tactics.

Online retailers would do well to listen to Google’s three tips for online retailers and pay attention to what the real message behind these tips is. The evolution of the web from a free-for-all to a network of relevant, useful information requires Google to focus on their users, what they’re truly looking for, and whether you are meeting those needs.

 

Chelsea Miller is a market researcher. Her articles mainly appear on business website blogs where she enjoys sharing her research. Visit the Lenstore website to see how they market to their customers through their website.