The One Thing That Matters Most in SEO

Friday, March 23rd, 2012
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Many retailers are confounded by Google’s continual tweaking of their search algorithm. What works one month may fail the following month. So how do you keep up? To put it simply, stop trying so hard.

Search engine experts will offer all kinds of advice, but the single most important thing you need to remember is what drives Google’s algorithm tweaking: relevant content. Forget the tricks and strategies that keep you guessing for weeks. The very core of Google’s search engine popularity is relevant search results.

What does this mean for you, the retailer? Give Google what it wants! If your website or online store provides the kind of content that people are looking for, Google’s brilliant minds and millions of dollars will naturally do its best to try and find it.

What’s relevant content? It’s the stuff that answers questions that people have when they use a search engine. How do you create relevant content for your online store? Well, what do you sell? Herbal supplements? How about an article on the benefits and side-effects of ginseng? Be objective. People aren’t looking for a sales pitch. They want honest advice and useful information. Most users are savvy enough to recognize a one-sided “article” extolling the virtues of your product. If you include the bad with the good, you’ll seem more credible as a source of information.

More examples… you sell shoes? How about a thoughtful article on how the wrong shoe can affect your posture? Is your store stocked with energy drinks? Try an honest article about how abusing some energy drinks can harm you, and offer the correct way to get the most out of energy drinks.

Wait a minute, why should I spread negative information about products I sell? Don’t be negative. Be honest. People want credible information, and by giving people what they want, you paint yourself as a credible retailer who cares about customers. By presenting both sides of the story, you become a resource users find trustworthy, and Google just might shine its favor upon you.

Nexternal clients, if you haven’t already, you may want to activate the Questions feature of your online store. This gives shoppers a way to ask about your products and your answers become publicly available for other shoppers. This is a simple way to generate a little relevant content directly related to your product. To set up this feature, log into the OMS and click on Questions in the side navigation. Click the little Setup button and scroll down to “Product Questions”. Click the little checkbox next to Allow Product Questions and click Finish. Now your product page will display questions and answers about your product!

Zoe is a web designer by day and a caped super-hero by night. Okay not really, but she really is a web designer at Nexternal with over 14 years of experience coding HTML, CSS, and other magical web things. She also enjoys helping others, which is a bit like channeling her inner hero.      Google+ Profile