Ecommerce keyword research: Strategies, tools, and tips

Venturing into ecommerce means diving headfirst into the realm of search engine optimization (SEO), with keyword research at the helm of this journey. This seemingly simple yet powerful strategy forms the nucleus around which your online visibility and organic traffic revolve. By understanding and implementing effective keyword research, you can turn search engines into powerful allies, driving potential customers to your store. Whether you're a seasoned seller or just launching your business into the online marketplace, keeping your SEO game on point is non-negotiable.

In this comprehensive how-to guide, we'll unearth the importance of keyword research for ecommerce and equip you with actionable strategies to thrive in the competitive online marketplace. From understanding search intent, optimizing long-tail keywords, and competitor analysis to utilizing top-performing research tools, every aspect of keyword expertise will be highlighted.

• Keyword research is essential for ecommerce success, guiding potential customers to your online store and helping to understand customer needs through their search phrases, thereby increasing visibility, traffic, and engagement.

• Success in ecommerce requires understanding the search intent of potential customers, which includes informational, navigational, transactional, and commercial investigation intents. Aligning keywords with user intent improves discoverability and engagement, leading to more sales.

• Long-tail keywords are specific, less competitive, and align well with voice search, making them crucial for ecommerce SEO.

• Effective keyword strategies include researching niche keywords, analyzing competitors' search rankings, adopting unique keywords, and regularly updating keyword strategies to stay relevant. Tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, and SEMrush can aid in this process.

As an ecommerce business owner, you're essentially operating in a virtual marketplace that teems with potential customers. But amidst this bustling crowd, how do you ensure your digital storefront is easy to find? Using keyword research. 

Keyword research serves as a powerful tool to guide interested buyers to your online store. It is essentially a technique to identify and analyze the specific terms or phrases people are typing into their search engines. 

Understanding these phrases gives you a glimpse into the minds of your potential customers—what are they looking for, what phrases do they use, and more importantly, how can you cater to their needs through your product offerings? 

The more visible your products are on leading search engines, the more traffic and prospective customer engagement you can expect. One of the best ways to achieve this is by strategically aligning your product listings with the exact terms potential customers are searching for. 

A well-crafted listing, with strategically placed keywords, can create a strong impression of your brand, promising a solution to your customers' needs and nudging their purchase decision in your favor.

For success in the highly competitive ecommerce landscape, simply focusing on popular keywords isn't enough. It's essential to understand the search intent of your potential customers to create a keyword strategy that leads to genuine engagement and conversions. 

Search intent, also called user intent, is about understanding what a user is looking for when they type a query on a search engine. It’s about the 'why' behind the 'what.' Understanding search intent enables you to align your keywords with the needs of the users, helping your products to become more discoverable to the right audience. 

Search intent typically falls into four categories: 

1. Informational: Users search for information, such as 'How to design a t-shirt.'

2. Navigational: Users are trying to locate a specific website, such as 'Gelato's print on demand platform.'

3. Transactional: Users want to buy something, like 'Order custom apparel online.'

4. Commercial investigation: Users are researching their options before making a purchase. For instance, 'Which is the best print on demand service?'

Long-tail keywords are more extended and specific keyword phrases that visitors are likely to use when they’re closer to the point of purchase. They're called "long-tail" because if you plot the frequency of keywords against their popularity, it forms a curve that tapers toward the end, resembling a long tail. While these keywords don't fetch high search volumes individually, cumulatively, they account for a significant chunk of search traffic.

Long-tail keywords are less competitive than broad, high-volume ones, offering a greater chance for higher search engine rankings and increased visibility. They cater to users with specific needs, enhancing the likelihood of meeting these needs and improving conversion rates.

High-impact keywords are vital for ecommerce SEO success, as they're actively used by your target customers and likely to drive conversions. Here are some powerful strategies you can employ to find these high-impact keywords that can push your products to the top of search engine rankings.

1. Identify the keywords in your niche

Take a deep dive into your overall topic to create a 'universe' of potential keywords. Learn about your broad categories as well as the minute details. Then, aim for success by honing in on niche keywords. These are specific, less competitive terms within your industry that can provide an edge in your SEO performance.

2. Research your competitors' search rankings

Scoping out your competitors' search rankings is vital. This strategy allows you to identify which keywords they are successfully ranking for and could potentially be applied to your ecommerce business. Consider using tools like Google Analytics, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to analyze competitor keyword usage, seeking inspiration without directly copying their tactics.

3. Find keywords to win

Adopt keywords that set you apart. These are terms your competitors might miss, but potential customers use. Procure them from market research, customer feedback, or simply brainstorming. Additionally, you can apply keyword variations and synonyms to widen your net and capture a greater range of search queries.

4. Create a keyword research process

Optimizing your online store with the right keywords isn't something you do once and forget. It is an ongoing task because new keywords continue to appear, consumer sentiments and requirements change, and your competitors also adapt their strategies accordingly. So, make a list of topics that are important to your business, identify a list of keywords for each topic, understand how searchers are targeting these keywords, and gather insights from a bit of competitive keyword research. With your list of keywords, implement keyword optimization tactics into your site copy and meta tags.

5. Create a topic map

Think of a topic map as a visual representation of your ecommerce store's content landscape. It's like a blueprint that gives you an overview of your target keywords and their related content - capturing the main topics, subtopics, and related keywords. Creating a topic map is a strategic move that will vastly streamline your keyword research, helping you uncover high-impact keywords, create powerful, optimized descriptions for your products, and boost your SERPs.

6. Identify the different content types

When performing ecommerce keyword research, it’s crucial to understand that different types of content require different types of keywords. This is where the knowledge of your unique 'keyword universe' comes into play. Depending on whether you’re creating blog pages, product descriptions, or landing pages, your keyword strategy should vary accordingly. Ultimately, the trick is to align your content marketing with the search intent of your potential customers, drive organic traffic to rank higher on search engine results pages, and convert visitors into customers.

When it comes to ecommerce keyword research, there are plenty of tools available to ease the process and yield useful results. Let's look at some of these tools below:

1. Google Search Console

This free tool from Google is a goldmine of insights into how your site appears in search results and how users interact with it. Beyond tracking your site’s performance, it gives you keyword data, revealing the search terms that lead people to your site. Using this data, you can optimize your content to improve your ecommerce SEO.

2. Google Keyword Planner

It's free, easy to use, and provides a wealth of information. With it, you can see how often certain search terms are used and how those search volumes change over time. This tool can also help you find new keyword ideas that are especially useful for trending terms.

3. Ahrefs

Known for its sophisticated databases and intuitive user interfaces, Ahrefs offers detailed keyword reports, competitor analysis, and backlink checking. Its keyword generator can be useful for ecommerce businesses, letting you uncover valuable long-tail keywords with lower competition.

4. Helium10

This comprehensive, all-in-one software suite designed for Amazon and ecommerce sellers not only helps with keyword research but also offers competitors' product rankings and inventory tracking. Besides, its Magnet feature is particularly valuable for finding high-volume, low-competition keywords.

5. SEMrush

This keyword research tool offers an integrated solution that focuses not only on keyword research but also on competitor intelligence, site audits, and content optimization. Its robust keyword magic tool allows you to explore niches, find semantic keywords, and gather question-based queries.

6. KWFinder

This is an excellent tool for keyword difficulty analysis. With KWFinder, you can dig into long-tail keywords with low SEO difficulty, which is ideal for new or smaller ecommerce businesses seeking to cement their SEO foothold.

Analyzing your competitors and their SEO strategies is a vital aspect that can help you unravel your industry's untapped potential. Adopting a methodical approach to competitor analysis can aid you in discovering profitable keywords that you may not have thought of initially. Your competitors are attempting to attract the same audience and secure the same sales that you are. By studying their strategies, you can learn from their successes and avoid their mistakes, setting you up for a run at the top search engine ranking positions. 

To do a competitor analysis, first identify who your competitors are. Once you've identified your competitors, examine their keyword strategies. Look at what keywords they're targeting, how they're using these keywords across their website, and how successful their efforts are in terms of search engine rankings. You can leverage tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to peek into your competitors' keyword strategies. These platforms provide data about the keywords your competitors rank for, including monthly search volume, keyword difficulty, and cost-per-click (CPC).

In the dynamic world of ecommerce, it's crucial to keep your keyword strategies updated. Search engine algorithms, market trends, and customer preferences are never static. If your strategies don't evolve with these changes, they may become obsolete, impacting your search engine visibility and product sales. Moreover, competitors are always on their toes, tweaking their strategies to outsmart others. They may steal your top-performing keywords or create more compelling content around those keywords. Therefore, continuous revision of your keyword strategy is vital.

Regularly review your keyword performance. Keep a close eye on market trends using consumer survey data, trending topics, and industry news to identify new potential keywords. Also, continuously watch out for new contenders in your industry and their keyword strategies. By regularly updating your keyword strategy, you can stay ahead of the curve, ensuring your online merchandise continues to rank high on search engine results pages.

If you're diving into the world of ecommerce with a focus on customizable products, then coupling your keyword strategy with Gelato's print on demand platform can really turn the tide in your favor. Gelato isn't just any platform; it's a powerhouse for anyone looking to sell custom products. With its global reach, you can tap into markets far and wide. Plus, the quality and variety of products on offer mean that there's always something for everyone.

Easy customization with great quality

Gelato offers a vast array of products, such as t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, phone cases, tote bags, wall art, etc., that can be easily customized. Every product is created to a high standard, ensuring top-notch quality to keep your customers returning in the future.

The perfect ally for your SEO efforts

When you combine your killer keyword strategies with Gelato's efficient production, you cater to what your customers really want. You focus on targeting the right keywords to garner attention for your offerings, while Gelato takes care of production and logistics.

On-demand printing with zero wastage

With Gelato's print on demand model, your designs are turned into tangible products only after a purchase order is made. There's no need for you to manage stockpiles or deal with dead stock.

Combining Gelato’s platform with a well-thought-out keyword strategy is like setting the stage for your custom products to shine. It’s about creating a perfect harmony between what you offer and what your audience is searching for, and when this happens, you're not just making sales—you're building a brand that resonates with your customers. So, sign up for Gelato and make every sale count!