Congratulations on taking the first click toward SEO excellence. Think of this blog post as a free consultation—as if you hired a pro to tell you which SEO strategies to prioritize for maximum results 💰💸. We will cover new SEO tactics to consider in 2021 and beyond, so keep this post on retainer (AKA bookmark it) to have on hand. Just remember, digital maturity is a journey, not a destination. It requires you to continually optimize and adapt to new techniques and technologies. The 3 SEO concepts we’ll share:
- Page speed
- PWA (Progressive Web Apps): a search-friendly framework
- Structured data: giving search engines markup that build rich search results
The need for (page) speed.
If SEO is important to you, you should know that page speed and performance will be a ranking factor in Google’s algorithm starting August 2021. New performance metrics, called Core Web Vitals, will now influence your organic search rankings. Read the details here. We highly recommend checking your vitals (conducting a performance audit) to ensure your site won’t be penalized.
Insider knowledge: customers shopping on smartphones are far less likely to wait for a page to load. Did you know that a 1-second delay in mobile load times can impact conversion rates by up to 20%?
Google is going mobile first.
In addition to a high-performing site, you’ll also want an optimal mobile experience. Google is now crawling and indexing the mobile version of your site instead of desktop, since that’s where the majority of online traffic is coming from these days. Ideally, your mobile site is designed specifically for a smartphone screen. It’s not a desktop design that shrinks down to smaller dimensions.
“If you take all of the content that is visible on your desktop site and stack it on top of each other, your customers will inevitably get tired of scrolling through details that may not be relevant to them. The goal should be to prioritize key information and actions your customers need to complete the purchase easily, while still giving them the ability to explore and learn more if they desire,” says Cat McLean, Corra’s Executive Creative Director.
We would be remiss to cover new SEO fundamentals and fail to mention Progressive Web Apps.
If you’re perusing Retail Insider, we have a hunch you may be evaluating modern technology frameworks. And if your end goal is a fast and modern experience for your customers, Progressive Web Apps should definitely be on your radar. PWAs combine traditional website capabilities with the best features of mobile apps. But, unlike mobile apps, they don’t have to be downloaded. As visitors browse the site, they receive a simple prompt to add it to their home screen. Once they accept, the PWA appears on their home page as if it was a native app. The experience also feels like a real app, with hidden navigation and mobile-first design.
Watch Progressive Web Apps Explained in 3 Minutes to learn more.
Check out the results that Elemis saw after implementing a PWA with Corra.
Crawling for keywords.
You know how a resume aims to highlight important information—skills, experience, education, etc. so that a hiring manager can skim the page and identify key information? That’s essentially how structured data works. Except instead of a recruiter, it’s a crawler that isn’t reviewing adjectives like accomplished, proficient, and hard-working, it’s reading JSON (Javascript Object Notation). Search bots crawl your product pages, analyze the content, then file it away in an index for the ranking algorithm to pull from when someone is searching for your products.
The JSON markup helps identify key information like price, availability, shipping information, images, reviews, colors, and so on.
An example of structured data for Corra and Klarna client SuperATV.
Can your internal team implement structured data by installing an app or extension?
Theoretically, yes, but not without some modifications. To build product schema that complies with all of the conditions that search engines are looking for, your best bet is to work with a strategy and development agency. Merchants are going to be hard pressed to find an extension or an app that plays well with search engines. And you’ll still need to create custom code for the site and products that you’re selling. Corra is an agency that has developed their own module for accurately structuring their client’s product data. Definitely reach out to us if you’re interested.
The ROI (Return On Investment) potential for structured data implementation is vast. You’ll also see results right away. In fact, after implementing the syntax for rich product search results, Corra’s client saw results in the first week. Organic impressions increased 110%, and the SEO module led to a 10% increase in overall revenue—which was a five digit percentage Return On Investment.
Organic search is a powerful way for consumers to discover your ecommerce site— most Corra clients can attribute 30-50% of their incoming traffic to organic search rankings, so it’s definitely worth investing in. Contact us to learn more about our performance audits and technical SEO services.
Who is Corra?
We are strategic thinkers, accomplished engineers, and award-winning experience designers. We believe outstanding commerce experiences can’t exist without flawless technology, and that flawless technology is pointless without beautiful, human-centered design. Corra has built future-proof solutions and refined a delivery process that helps our clients achieve more with less. From Progressive Web App and headless commerce accelerators to pre-built CX assets, we create the foundation that allows merchants to realize their vision faster.
About the authors
Tony Castillo is the Director of Commerce Optimization at Corra. He leads a team who help merchants increase organic search equity, build mobile-first experiences, and improve site speed and performance. Morgan Hipps owns content at Corra. Together with Tony’s expertise, and Morgan’s writing talents, our SEO content is born.