Bigcommerce SEO Made Simple: A Detailed Guide

BigCommerce is a robust e-commerce platform that enables merchants to create their online stores and enhance their sales capabilities. Similar to other platforms, BigCommerce is equipped with numerous website SEO audit tools that facilitate quick ranking of your website in search results, leading to increased traffic to your store. In addition to generating high-quality content, it is essential to implement an optimal SEO strategy to attain maximum visibility on search engines and reach your target audience. If you want to succeed in SEO on the BigCommerce platform, this blog provides a comprehensive guide to getting started by acquainting you with the basics of SEO and presenting you with some of the critical SEO guidelines for BigCommerce.

Top Reasons Why SEO Optimization is Imperative for Ecommerce Businesses

1. Increased Visibility and Traffic

As mentioned, SEO helps improve your website's ranking on search engines. This means that when potential customers search for keywords related to your products or services, your website is more likely to appear at the top of the search results. Furthermore, this increased visibility of the website can lead to more traffic to your site, which in turn can lead to more visitors and hence increased sales.

2. Improved User Experience

Optimizing your website for SEO often involves improving its structure and navigation, as well as ensuring that your content is high-quality and relevant to your target audience. This can lead to a better user experience for your website visitors, making it more likely that they will stay on your site longer and potentially make a purchase.

3. Higher Conversion Rates

When your website is optimized for SEO, you're more likely to attract highly targeted traffic that is actively searching for the products or services you offer. This means that the visitors to your site are more likely to convert into customers since they are already interested in what you have to offer.

4. Cost-effective Marketing

Compared to other forms of marketing, such as paid advertising, SEO can be a very cost-effective way to drive traffic to your website. While it does require an investment of time and resources upfront, the long-term benefits of improved visibility and traffic can be significant.

5. Competitive Advantage

Finally, optimizing your ecommerce website for SEO can give you a competitive advantage over other businesses in your industry. By appearing higher in search results and offering a better user experience, you can differentiate yourself from competitors and attract more customers.

Understanding Bigcommerce SEO

Bigcommerce SEO refers to the process of optimizing a Bigcommerce e-commerce website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) which includes techniques such as keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, and content creation. The goal of Bigcommerce SEO is to drive more organic traffic to the website, resulting in increased sales and revenue. It is essential to create ecommerce strategy successfully and requires ongoing effort and monitoring to ensure continued success.

How Do Search Engines Like Google Work?

Search engines use algorithms to crawl and index websites, which involves analyzing the content and structure of a page. This data is then used to determine the relevance and value of a page, which is reflected in its ranking on SERPs. Factors that influence rankings include keywords, backlinks, website structure, and user experience.

The Importance of Keywords in Bigcommerce SEO

Keywords are one of the most critical elements of SEO as these are the words and phrases that users type into search engines when looking for products or services. By including relevant keywords in your content, you increase the chances of your website ranking higher on SERPs for those search queries.

However, it's essential to use keywords strategically and avoid keyword stuffing and it’s because using too many keywords on a page can make it appear spammy and harm your rankings. Instead, focus on using keywords naturally in your content, including in your product descriptions, page titles, and meta descriptions.

The difference between on-page and off-page SEO

On-page SEO refers to the optimization of elements on a page, such as content, keywords, and meta tags. Off-page SEO involves optimizing factors outside of your website, such as backlinks and social media presence.

If you prefer a free ecommerce SEO checklist, you will see that both on-page and off-page SEO are essential for ranking well on SERPs. On-page SEO is typically easier to control. By creating high-quality content, optimizing your website structure, and using relevant keywords, you can improve your website's visibility and ranking on SERPs.

On-Page Bigcommerce SEO

On-Page Bigcommerce SEO refers to the optimization of individual pages on a Bigcommerce website to improve its search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic which includes optimizing page titles, meta descriptions, headings, images, product descriptions, URLs, and other on-page elements. It also involves making sure that the website is mobile-friendly, has fast page load times, and provides a good user experience. With the help of bigcommerce SEO audit, you can get the best on-page recommendations on which you can work to optimize your site.

Importance of optimizing product pages for SEO

Optimizing your product pages for SEO can have a number of benefits for your ecommerce store. For one, it can help your products rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), which can lead to more organic traffic and sales. Additionally, optimizing your product pages can improve the user experience on your website, which can help increase conversions.

When it comes to optimizing your product pages for SEO, there are a few key areas to focus on. Here's what you need to know:

How to Optimize Product Titles and Descriptions

Here are some tips to help you optimize your product titles and descriptions:

1. Focus on your target audience: Your titles and descriptions should be tailored to your target audience. Use language that resonates with them and focuses on their pain points and needs.

2. Use strong keywords: Including strong keywords in your title and description can help improve your search engine rankings and make it easier for customers to find your products.

3. Be concise but descriptive: Your titles and descriptions should be concise but also provide enough information to accurately describe your product and its key features.

4. Use bullet points: Bullet points can help break up text and make your product features easier to read and scan.

5. Highlight unique selling points: Make sure to highlight any unique selling points of your product to set it apart from the competition.

Importance of Using Keywords in Product Categories and Tags

Here are some of the best reasons why using keywords in your product categories and tags is crucial for the success of your online business.

1. Improved Search Engine Optimization

Search engines like Google use complex algorithms to determine the relevance and quality of a website and its content and one of the factors that they consider is the use of keywords. By using relevant and specific keywords in your product categories and tags, you can improve your website's search engine optimization (SEO) and increase your chances of appearing higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This, in turn, can drive more traffic to your website and increase your sales.

2. Better User Experience

Using keywords in your product categories and tags can also improve the user experience on your website. When customers search for a particular product, they expect to find it easily and quickly. By using keywords in your product categories and tags, you can make it easier for customers to find what they are looking for, and they will be more likely to stick around your site and make orders.

3. Increased Visibility

Keywords can also increase the visibility of your products on online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. These platforms use product categories and tags to organize their products, and by using relevant keywords, you can ensure that your products are visible to potential customers who are searching for similar products. Furthermore, the increased visibility of your website can further raise your sales and help you expand your audience reach.

Optimizing Images for SEO

Images can also play a role in your product page's SEO. Optimize your images by using descriptive file names and alt tags that include relevant keywords. This can help your images rank higher in Google Image search and also improve the accessibility of your website.
Images can also play a role in your product page's SEO. Optimize your images by using descriptive file names and alt tags that include relevant keywords. This can help your images rank higher in Google Image search and also improve the accessibility of your website.

How to optimize images for SEO?

Optimizing images for SEO is an important aspect of on-page optimization so here are some tips to help you optimize images for SEO:

1. Image size: It is important to ensure that images are not too large as they can significantly slow down the loading speed of a webpage. Resize images to suit the webpage and compress them to reduce their file size.

2. Image names: Use descriptive names for images that are relevant to the content on the webpage. Avoid generic names like 'img001'. Use hyphens to separate words.

3. Alt text: Alt text is the text that is displayed when an image cannot be loaded or is not visible to the user which is also used by search engines to understand the content of the image. Use descriptive alt text that accurately describes the image and includes relevant keywords.

4. Image sitemap: Create an image sitemap that lists all images on the webpage. Submit it to Google Search Console to allow search engines to crawl and index your images.

Off-Page Bigcommerce SEO

Off-page SEO for Bigcommerce refers to the strategies and techniques used outside of the website to improve its ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs) which includes activities such as link-building, social media marketing, guest blogging, and influencer outreach. Off-page SEO is an important aspect of any comprehensive SEO strategy as it helps to establish a website's authority and credibility in the eyes of search engines like Google. By implementing effective off-page SEO tactics, Bigcommerce store owners can drive more traffic to their website, increase their brand visibility, and ultimately improve their online sales.

Importance of Building High-quality Backlinks

Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your site and they are an important factor in Google's search algorithm because they indicate that other sites view your content as valuable and relevant. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more likely it is that Google will consider your site authoritative and rank it higher in search results.

But not all backlinks are created equal. Google values backlinks from authoritative sites more than those from low-quality sites. So, it's not enough to simply build as many backlinks as possible. You need to focus on building high-quality backlinks from relevant, authoritative sites.

How to Identify Authoritative Sites to Build Backlinks From?

So, how do you identify authoritative sites to build backlinks from? Here are some tips:

1. Look for sites in your niche: The more relevant a site is to your niche, the more likely it is that a backlink from that site will be valuable to your Bigcommerce store.

2. Check the site's domain authority: Domain authority is a metric that predicts how well a site will rank in search engines. The higher the domain authority, the more valuable a backlink from that site will be. You can check a site's domain authority using tools like Moz or Ahrefs.

3. Check the site's traffic: Sites with high traffic are more likely to have a large, engaged audience that will click through to your site via a backlink. You can check a site's traffic using tools like SimilarWeb or SEMrush.

4. Check the site's content: Is the site publishing high-quality content that is relevant to your niche? If so, a backlink from that site will likely be valuable to your Bigcommerce store.

Tips for Creating High-Quality Content That Attracts Backlinks

Now that you know how to identify authoritative sites to build backlinks from, it's time to create high-quality content that attracts those backlinks. Here are some tips:

1. Create original, valuable content: Your content should be unique, informative, and valuable to your audience. This will make it more likely that other sites will link to it.

2. Use visual content: Visual content like images, videos, and infographics are more likely to be shared and linked to than plain text.

3. Use data and statistics: Data-driven content is more likely to be cited and linked to than opinion-based content.

4. Promote your content: Once you've created high-quality content, promote it through social media, email, and other channels to increase its visibility and attract backlinks.

Technical Bigcommerce SEO

Technical BigCommerce SEO refers to the process of optimizing the technical aspects of a BigCommerce website in order to improve its search engine rankings and overall visibility. This involves a variety of tasks, such as optimizing site speed, ensuring proper indexing of pages, implementing structured data markup, and optimizing the website's URL structure, among others. Technical SEO is an essential component of any comprehensive SEO strategy, as it lays the foundation for all other optimization efforts. By focusing on technical SEO, BigCommerce website owners can improve their website's visibility, attract more organic traffic, and ultimately increase their online sales and revenue.

Importance of Technical SEO for Ecommerce Sites

Technical SEO is important for ecommerce sites because it affects how search engines crawl and index your site. If your site is not optimized for search engines, it will be harder for potential customers to find your products. In addition, a poorly optimized site can affect user experience, which can lead to lower sales and higher bounce rates. By focusing on technical SEO, you can improve your site's visibility, usability, and overall performance.

How to Optimize Site Structure and Navigation?

One of the most important aspects of technical SEO is site structure and navigation. Your site's structure should be organized and easy to navigate, with clear categories and subcategories and this further makes it easier for search engines to crawl your site and understand its content. It also helps users find what they're looking for quickly and easily.

1. Define your site's hierarchy

Before you start building your website, it's crucial to define your site's hierarchy. This involves determining the most important pages and sections of your website and organizing them in a logical and intuitive structure. Your site's hierarchy should be based on the needs of your users and your business goals.

Start by identifying the most important pages on your website, such as your homepage, product or service pages, and contact page. Then, group related pages together into sections and sub-sections. This will create a visual representation of your site's hierarchy, which you can use to guide your website design.

2. Use descriptive page titles and URLs

Descriptive page titles and URLs help users understand the content of your website and make it easier for search engines to index your pages. Use clear and concise titles that accurately describe the content on each page, and avoid generic or vague titles that don't provide any information.

Similarly, use descriptive URLs that include relevant keywords and accurately reflect the content on each page. This will not only help with SEO but also make it easier for users to remember and share your website.

3. Create a clear and consistent navigation menu

Your navigation menu is one of the most important elements of your website's design. It should be clear, intuitive, and consistent across all pages on your site. Use descriptive labels for each menu item, and organize them in a logical and easy-to-follow order.

Consider using drop-down menus to group related pages, and include links to important pages, such as your homepage and contact page, on every page of your site. Make sure your navigation menu is visible and easy to find, and avoid over-complicating it with too many links or confusing labels.

Website Speed

Site speed refers to how quickly a website loads and displays its content to the user. It is an important factor in user experience and can greatly impact a website's success. A slow site speed can lead to frustration for users and can even negatively affect search engine rankings. Therefore, it is important for website owners to regularly monitor and optimize their site speed to ensure a smooth and efficient user experience.

The Importance of Site Speed

Site speed is one of the most important factors that determine the success of your website. It plays a crucial role in user experience and conversion rates because a slow-loading website can drive users away and negatively impact your bottom line.

According to a study by Google, 53% of mobile site visitors leave a page that takes longer than three seconds to load which means that if your website takes too long to load, you're losing potential customers. Moreover, Google has recently announced that site speed will be a ranking factor in its algorithm. This means that a slow-loading website will not only drive users away but also negatively impact your search engine rankings.

How to Optimize Site Speed?

Now that you understand the importance of site speed, it's time to optimize your website for optimal performance. Here are some effective tips to help you improve your website speed:

1. Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A content delivery network (CDN) is a network of servers that are strategically located around the world and by using a CDN, you can reduce the distance between your website's server and your users, which can significantly improve site speed.

2. Optimize Images
Images can significantly slow down your website. Therefore, it's important to optimize your images for web use by using tools from Ecommerce SEO Tools to reduce the file size of your images without sacrificing quality. Additionally, use alt tags to help search engines understand the context of your images.

3. Minimize HTTP Requests
Each HTTP request made by your website takes time to load. Therefore, it's important to minimize the number of HTTP requests made by your website. One way to do this is to combine multiple CSS or JavaScript files into a single file. You can also use a tool like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify opportunities to minimize HTTP requests.

4. Use Caching
Caching is the process of storing frequently accessed data in a temporary storage area and by using caching, you can reduce the time it takes to load your website. BigCommerce Audit offers a caching solution that can significantly improve site speed.

5. Optimize Your Code
The code of your website can have a significant impact on site speed. Ensure that your code is optimized for performance by minimizing the use of unnecessary code, using compression, and removing any unnecessary whitespace.

How to Optimize for Mobile Devices?

Here are a few top ways to optimize site speed for mobile devices.

1. Optimize Images
Images are a crucial element of any website, but they can also slow down your website so to optimize your images for mobile devices, make sure to compress them without sacrificing quality. There are many free tools available online at various websites such as Ecommerce SEO Tools, that can help you compress your images.

2. Minimize HTTP Requests
HTTP requests are made when a browser requests resources from a server, such as images, stylesheets, and scripts. The more HTTP requests your website makes, the slower it will load so to minimize HTTP requests, you can combine multiple stylesheets and scripts into a single file, use CSS sprites, and reduce the number of images on your website.

3. Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A CDN is a network of servers that deliver cached content from websites to users based on their geographic location so by using a CDN, you can reduce the distance between your website and your users, resulting in faster loading times.

4. Enable compression
Compression is a technique that reduces the size of files by removing unnecessary characters and white space. Enabling compression can significantly reduce your website's load time. Gzip is a popular compression method that can be enabled on most servers.

5. Use a Responsive Design
A responsive design is a design that adapts to different screen sizes, including mobile devices. By using a responsive design, you can ensure that your website looks great and loads quickly on all devices. Google recommends using responsive design for mobile websites to improve SEO.

6. Minimize Redirects
Redirects are used to send users from one URL to another while redirects are sometimes necessary, they can also slow down your website. To minimize redirects, make sure to update your internal links when you change your website structure or URL.

7. Minimize Plugins
Plugins are a great way to add functionality to your website, but they can also slow down your website so to optimize your website for mobile devices, minimize the number of plugins you use and make sure that the plugins you do use are optimized for speed.

Tools for Bigcommerce SEO

Optimizing your Bigcommerce store for SEO can be a daunting task, but it's essential if you want to drive traffic and increase sales. Luckily, there are plenty of free ecommerce SEO tools available to help you get the job done. In this blog post, we'll discuss the importance of using tools to optimize for SEO and provide a list of recommended SEO tools for Bigcommerce.

Why Use Tools to Optimize for SEO?

Optimizing your Bigcommerce store for SEO can be a time-consuming task. There are many aspects to consider, including keyword research, on-page optimization, backlink analysis, and more. Using SEO tools can help streamline the process and provide valuable insights into how to improve your store's search engine visibility.

SEO tools can help you identify keywords to target, analyze your current website performance, and track your progress over time. They can also help you identify technical issues that may be impacting your store's search engine visibility. With the right tools, you can make data-driven decisions to improve your store's SEO and drive more traffic to your website.

Some of the Best Recommended SEO Tools for Bigcommerce

1. Website Speedy Tool

Website speed is a crucial factor in both user experience and search engine optimization so if your website is slow, users are likely to abandon it, and search engines may penalize you in the search results. Fortunately, there are tools like Website Speedy that can help you identify and fix any speed issues on your website. This tool analyzes your website's speed and provides you with actionable steps to improve it.

2. Google Analytics

Google Analytics is an essential tool for any website owner, but it's especially important for ecommerce businesses. With Google Analytics, you can track your website's traffic and user behavior, allowing you to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions. By analyzing your ecommerce SEO report, you can determine which products are the most popular, which pages are generating the most traffic, and more. This data can help you optimize your website and improve your overall SEO strategy.

3. Ecommerce SEO Tool

Another essential tool for Bigcommerce SEO is an e-commerce-specific SEO tool. These tools are designed to help ecommerce businesses optimize their product pages, category pages, and other pages for search engines. They can provide you with keyword suggestions, analyze your content for SEO best practices, and even track your rankings in the search results.

4. Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that allows you to monitor your website's performance in the search results. With Search Console, you can track your website's rankings for specific keywords, monitor your click-through rates, and identify any technical issues that may be impacting your SEO. By using Google Search Console, you can ensure that your website is performing at its best in the search results.

Conclusion

In conclusion, optimizing your Bigcommerce site for SEO is essential for the success of your ecommerce business. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can improve your website's visibility and attract more organic traffic, which will ultimately lead to increased sales and revenue for your website. Remember to focus on keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building. Furthermore, regularly monitoring your site's performance and making necessary adjustments can ensure that your SEO efforts are continuously improving. Take action now and start optimizing your Bigcommerce site for SEO to stay ahead of the competition and grow your business.