Marketplace search engine optimization

It is critical for sellers to incorporate marketplace search engine optimization into their overall marketplace presence strategy. Optimizing product information and content improves the product’s findability and discoverability on the marketplace, which most often translates into higher conversion rates. Although optimizing every product listing may be a bit burdensome, it is certainly worth the effort and resources, as it helps boost performance, while allowing sellers to save money on paid ad campaigns.

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One of the most effective to improve the performance of an online store is to optimize product information across the board. That way shoppers can conveniently navigate through the store, quickly find what they are looking for, and make an informed purchasing decision. Optimization begins with adjusting product listing’s content and including relevant and popular keywords, in a process that is called Search Engine Optimization.

Search Engine Optimization Defined

Search Engine Optimization (more commonly known as SEO) is the process by which the online store’s content and product information is adjusted according to certain SEO parameters, in order to increase products’ visibility in marketplaces, such as Amazon and eBay. SEO helps products appear closer to the top of the search results, thus drawing more traffic.

There are generally two methods for promoting products online:

1. Organic - the position of the listing in the search result ranking is determined by the marketplace search engine’s algorithm, and is dependent on the listings’ optimized content. This method is free. 
2. Paid ads - paid advertisement campaign, in which the seller pays every time a shopper visits a listing (pay per click - PPC). Although it costs money, it is an excellent way to bring more traffic quickly.
   

Incorporating SEO in Marketplace Strategy

It is critical for sellers to incorporate marketplace search engine optimization into their overall marketplace strategy. Optimizing product information and content improve the product’s findability and discoverability on the marketplace, which most often translates into higher conversion rates. Although optimizing every product listing may be a bit burdensome, it is certainly worth the effort and resources, as it helps boost performance, while allowing sellers to save money on paid ad campaigns. Moreover, the optimized content then can easily be adjusted and used across different marketplaces and marketing channels.

Content Optimization

Good sellers always keep their customers in mind. After all, the store is made for them. When creating content for a product listing, sellers should begin with asking themselves what do their customers want and need; What information about the product is crucial for them, what details are important, and what might be a distraction? Then make sure the listing contains clear answers to all these relevant questions. 

For this reason, it is not recommended to over-stuff the listing with keywords and keyphrases and an incomprehensible jumble. This may attract may shoppers to the listings, but most chances are they will get confused, not find clear answers to their important question, and simply move on to the next listing.
 

The key for content SEO, therefore, is making it engaging, clear, relevant and useful for shoppers.

Traditional SEO Vs. Marketplace SEO

In traditional search engines, like Google, users usually enter queries to which the search engine then searches for the websites that will deliver the best answer. For instance, when searching for the “best running shoes”, Google will provide a list of websites containing information as to which running shoes are the best. 

But in online marketplaces, users usually know what they want to buy, so they search for  specific terms using keywords, which the marketplace search engine then presents to them. 

In both cases, users use keywords in their queries, and there are three types of keywords and keyphrases users may use:

1. Informative: used to search for general information, such as ‘what are the best running shoes?’
2. Supplementary: used to search for supplemental information about the product, such as reviews, for instance ‘Nike running shoes review’.
3. Shopping-related: used to search for specific products or categories. For instance ‘Nike running shoes size 10’, or ‘Women’s Nike blue running shoes’. 
   
   

As we can see, the shopping-related queries are much more specific, and include more  keywords relating to the product’s attributes. In order for the products to appear in such searches, it is critical for sellers to include these relevant keywords in the product listing. 

Finally, It is important to go back and make sure that the product listening answers all the questions shoppers might have about the product, such as size, color, material, shipping policy, etc.

Browsers Vs. Searchers

The online shopping community may be divided into two groups. For the first group - the browsers - browsing an online store replaces the real-life window shopping. They spend much more time in the store, and use broader search queries, like ‘Women’s Running Shoes’.

The second group - the searchers -  are shoppers who know exactly what they want to buy. Because of this, they use much more specific search queries, like ‘Nike Revolution 6 Running Shoes Size 10’. As the queries get more specific and product-oriented, the greater the chances are for a successful conversion. 

Marketplace SEO Strategy

Marketplace search engine optimization  is a key factor for the success of online stores. That is why it is important to devise an SEO strategy that will help you bring your product content to the highest standard, and make sure your products are highly visible in the marketplace. 

It is important to remember that the content we are writing is aimed at human shoppers, and not the search engine algorithm. The texts should be engaging, informative, helpful and confidence inspiring. Tell shoppers how this product can help them, why they need it, and entice them to purchase it. As mentioned above, the whole process of content creation should begin with getting to know the target market and its needs, and then addressing them.  
 
Product Data

Product data is one of the most critical parts of the listing. Since shoppers cannot actually see and touch the product, they need all the information they can get in order to make an informed purchasing decision. To fulfill this need, sellers need to provide shoppers with all the necessary information, and it is always helpful to highlight the unique features and benefits of the product. 

Unique Selling Points

In order to write effective unique selling points, once again, try to think like a potential shopper. What would such a shopper want to know about the product and your store? What would they NEED to know? How can the product help them specifically, and what are its added benefits? After answering all these questions, incorporate them into the listing.    

Additional SEO Aspects

While very important, product data is not the only aspect of successful SEO. There are other aspects that might determine whether or not the shopper completes the purchase. The product data can be of the highest quality, but if some other crucial element is missing from the listing, it might deter potential shoppers. 


Such crucial marketplace search engine optimization elements include:

• Listing Title
• Product Images
• Price
• Shipping & Returns policy
• Delivery times
• Customer reviews
• Helpful customer support

This information is often very important to shoppers, so it is critical that sellers provide it where shoppers can see it clearly and easily. This will help inspire confidence in the store, and will go a long way towards conversions. 

Optimize Your Online Store

Optimizing your entire online store can be quite a heavy task. This is where Lisuto can help you. Lisuto combines technology with deep ecommerce consumer product knowledge helping sellers optimize their product data and extract much more out of the online store. Using proprietary AI technology, Lisuto goes through the existing product information, tagging the data with any marketplace required tags, making necessary corrections and completions, bringing the quality of the sellers' product feed up to highest standard in terms of uniformity and completeness, making it perfectly optimized for marketplace search engines and for the user's eye.