Three simple letters, “SEO,” often elicit very varied reactions from entrepreneurs. Some think SEO is simple and only requires a few hours a week. Many find the marketing jargon complicated. Others expect immediate outcomes and get disappointed.
SEO is challenging, no doubt! But it is also a multi-layered concept that keeps changing radically (sometimes as frequently as within months). That is why, if you have no prior SEO experience, it’s unlikely that you’ll get effective results if you try to manage SEO using the tips you find on the web. One solution is to hire SEO virtual assistants.
An eCommerce SEO virtual assistant is a skilled and experienced resource who can dedicatedly help your eStore perform better organically. Read on to learn how hiring SEO virtual assistants are suitable for your business.
SEO: The Concept & Importance
SEO, an abbreviation of search engine optimization, is a technical terminology that encompasses everything you do to improve your search engine rankings. SEO is crucial because, according to a study, the first five organic results on the first page alone receive approximately 68% of all clicks.
After that, with each following position, the percentage of clicks decreases. Therefore, the likelihood of a user visiting your site decreases as you go up the search results list. In other words, search engine optimization is frequently the deciding factor in prospects for leads and customers.
However, SEO is insufficient to rank well – you must draw in the intended audience. This entails picking key terms (search phrases) that draw in your target audience and retaining them on your website with relevant content and a positive user experience.
For all these processes, you can get assistance from eCommerce SEO experts. Hiring an SEO virtual assistant is a cost-effective and scalable solution. Their considerable expertise in the field makes them understand the difficulties firms confront.
They work with you to create a plan that enables you to compete with businesses of different sizes. Moreover, complete all the duties required for you to rank highly on search engines. Onsite SEO and offsite SEO are the two main categories to which these tasks belong. Let’s discuss this in detail.
#Onsite SEO [Search Engine Optimization]
Onsite SEO, as the term implies, refers to activities on your website. The majority of people believe that including keywords in content constitutes onsite SEO. While this is a component, onsite SEO encompasses much more.
#1. Keyword Research
The possible options for keywords are almost endless. Your VA will narrow the list to high-quality keywords that attract the most targeted traffic. At the same time, the virtual assistant will avoid keywords that are very specific to avoid a potential audience that is too limited.
There are many search term possibilities. Your VA will whittle the list down to the best possible keywords to attract potential visitors. At the same time, eCommerce SEO specialists will avoid extremely niche phrases to prevent reaching an audience that is too small.
#2. Website Structure
To ensure the correct website layout, your SEO virtual assistant will arrange the pages on your website into a logical hierarchy and classify them into distinct categories.
This makes it easier for users to explore your website, ensures they get what they are searching for, and keeps them there for longer.
Additionally, search engines care about website layout because it reveals what your site is about and which pages on related subjects are the most crucial (and, therefore, should rank high).
#3. Usability & UX
When determining rankings, search engines also consider usability and user experience. To convince the search engine, say Google, that visitors like spending time on your site, you need to have high-quality content that keeps readers on your site for as long as possible and entices them to visit more pages.
To make sure this occurs, an SEO virtual assistant will make changes to your site by enhancing navigation and style, speeding up load times, and ensuring the site runs properly on all types of devices and screen sizes.
#4. Content Optimization
Your digital content will need to be optimized if you generate it independently of an SEO professional. Your SEO VA will thoroughly analyze the entire website to ensure that each page has the appropriate keywords (search terms) and metadata.
Virtual assistants will also include links (inbound & outbound) and may alter headers to improve click-through rates. Lastly, your SEO VA will ensure the content connects with your intended audience (as opposed to users in general).
#5. Metadata
A portion of onsite SEO is hidden from end users. For instance, search engines can better grasp the content of pages by using the metadata included in the HTML on those pages.
Your eCommerce SEO professionals will guarantee every page has the essential meta tags, such as meta content type, title, meta description, and viewport.
If your website is older than 15 years, it can still contain meta tags that merely take up space rather than serve any use. Your SEO virtual assistants will eliminate these, improving your search engine rankings.
Offsite SEO [Search Engine Optimization]
The cornerstone of offsite SEO is the building of links. Unfortunately, link building is partially out of your hands because you need other people to decide to include links to your site in the content. However, eCommerce SEO professionals will know several techniques to enhance your link-building efforts.
#1. Online Directories
Utilizing online directories is one method of link building. These serve as a platform to list businesses to draw in local clients and users looking for goods and services in your specialized niche, making them the current counterpart of an outdated phone book.
An eCommerce SEO specialist will identify the best directories for your company based on variables like relevancy, domain authority, and the quantity of information you are permitted to contribute to the listings.
#2. Guest Blogging
Guest blogging, or writing posts to be published on someone else’s blog rather than your site, is another excellent link-building strategy. Links to your website should be present in the posts (related service pages, blog posts, or products).
Doing this helps attract the interest of a diverse target audience—a new group of readers. Moreover, there is a considerable probability that you will increase visibility for your company if you can publish a guest blog on a website with more authority than yours.
An eCommerce SEO professional can assist you in numerous ways with the link-building strategy: guest blogging:
- Identifying possibilities and connecting with blog owners
- Writing blog posts
- Proofreading write-ups for accuracy and to ensure that it adheres to the blog’s guidelines
#3. Broken Link Building
The replacement of broken links is another excellent link-building strategy. This method entails looking for outbound links relevant to your niche but no more extended function.
After that, you can create content related to the broken link and get in touch with the website’s owner to offer your content as a substitute.
The issue with this link-building tactic is that it can take too long to be effective. However, an SEO virtual assistant with comprehensive knowledge of current broken link-building best practices can make this strategy successful.
#4. Competitor Analysis
eCommerce virtual assistants can examine how your rivals are using SEO to determine how you stack up and identify areas for improvement.
If you have many direct competitors, this is one of the most challenging components of an SEO plan and takes a lot of effort. However, it’s worthwhile because it will have a lasting impact on your plan.
#5. SEO Reports
Search engine optimization has the drawback that it takes time to see results, and you need proof that hiring an eCommerce SEO VA was a wise decision. Reports from a skilled VA will demonstrate how your plan produces quantifiable outcomes.
Also, they’ll be aware that you might only understand the fundamental terms and ideas in marketing. These VAs can strike a mix between making reports easy to understand and including enough information to demonstrate that your plan is effective.
Such reports include-
- Performance
- Conversions
- Traffic
- Return on Investment
Take Your Business To New Success Heights Through SEO
The solution is search engine optimization, paired with a knowledgeable virtual assistant adept at using SEO technologies to help your business attract new clients who will eventually convert to leads.
We hope you found this helpful write-up and better understood the advantages of having an eCommerce SEO specialist on your team.