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It’s one thing to get involved with Afterpay Day. But to really see the benefits, it’s important to let your customers know you’re involved and promote your offer in the right places.One of those places is most certainly Google. Last Afterpay Day, more than 450k consumers were searching for the event on Google.* To help you make the most of the platform, and to give you some tips on setting up your own paid media campaign this Afterpay Day, we spoke to Cookie Wong, Client Partner Lead AUNZ at Google.

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1. Cookie, why is Google a great choice for merchants looking to reach new customers this Afterpay Day?

Billions of people use the internet every day, making it a powerful platform to reach new customers and grow your business. Google is where people come to search for what to do, where to go, and what to buy. During the last Afterpay Day event, more than 450k consumers across Australia and New Zealand were searching for Afterpay.* By advertising on Google you will have insights across 3 million sites and apps including access to 6+ consumer properties reaching over 1 billion users each. Your ad can show up in Google search results, right when those customers are looking for products or services like yours during the sale.

2. What tips do you have for merchants looking to run a Google Ads campaign this Afterpay Day?

We have a detailed <a href="https://learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalgarage/course/enhance-protect-online-campaigns" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent;">online course</a> for tips to improve your Google Ads campaign. Below are some of my top tips for your campaign set up:

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3. If a merchant is looking at their first Google Ads campaign for Afterpay Day, where’s the best place to get started?

Follow the simple steps <a href="https://ads.google.com/intl/en_AU/home/#!/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">here</a> to create your first campaign for Afterpay Day. You’ll be able to preview your customisations, see estimated costs and expected results before it starts running. We also offer free online tutorials and classes at <a href="https://learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalgarage/course/digital-marketing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Google Digital Garage</a> to help you gain the right skills to grow your business.

4. We all know how important <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/seo-tips/what-is-retailer-seo-and-why-you-need-it" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SEO</a> is for ongoing business. Which strategies can merchants use to make the most of SEO over the Afterpay Day hype phase and event?

The best time to start with <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/seo-tips/ecommerce-seo-checklist" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SEO</a> is today. There’s still plenty of time ahead of Afterpay Day to optimise your site for the event and reach those customers looking for it. <a href="https://learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalgarage/course/become-searchable-online" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">'Make sure customers find you online'</a> is a great Google course to learn how search engines and online advertising can help you connect with more customers. As Afterpay has two key phases - the hype phase and the event itself - it’s best to look at relevant keywords for both. Taking it a step further, you can look at suggestions such as building a dedicated <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/seo-tips/11-best-diy-ecommerce-seo-tools" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SEO</a>-optimised page that talks about how and why you’re participating in the event, and then links out to your best offers. However, you choose to approach it, optimising your <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/seo-tips/24-tips-to-improve-seo-ranking-for-retailers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SEO</a> now will only help you later.

5. Do you have any best practices or tips for our smaller business merchants, to make the most of the sale event through Google?

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* Google Trends, Jan 2019 - Dec 2021.

Not yet registered to participate? Submit your Afterpay Day offer below.

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As a Client Partner Lead at Google, Cookie’s core focus is to partner with leading digital agencies across Australia and to strengthen long term client relationships. She provides transformative consulting advice and Google-caliber client services to empower key partners to use Google advertising solutions and help them set the vision and strategy to reach more users.

Cookie Wong

Google can be a great marketing asset this Afterpay Day. To give you some tips on setting up your own paid media campaign this Afterpay Day, we spoke to Cookie Wong, Client Partner Lead AUNZ at Google.

How to grow with Google this Afterpay Day: Tips and strategies from Google's Cookie Wong

How to grow with Google this Afterpay Day

Whether you’re identifying keywords like a pro or can’t distinguish your <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/seo-tips/retail-seo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">SEO (Search Engine Optimisation</a>) from your CEO, there’s one thing that every retailer needs to know when it comes to digital marketing and your eCommerce site.&nbsp;

“Getting your SEO strategy right can elevate you from a nobody to a category leader,” says SEO specialist Brett Melville of<a href="https://digitaltreasury.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;Digital Treasury</a>.&nbsp;

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“Getting your SEO strategy right can elevate you from a nobody to a category leader”

“Simply put, it’s about increasing your visibility, so when people are looking for a product, you’re well-placed to be the retailer they choose. When you have an effective strategy sorted out, it can increase brand awareness, increase your mailing list and, ultimately, increase your sales. Plus, you can get market research on what products are popular to help with your buying decisions.”&nbsp;

Sounds like a search engine optimisation no-brainer. But where to begin with search engines and creating an eCommerce SEO strategy? Let’s break it down.

<h2>Step 1: Get Google-able</h2>If you’re a bricks-and-mortar business, doing SEO research via&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/intl/en_au/business/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">Google My Business</a>&nbsp;should be your first stop.&nbsp;“It’s a quick and easy way to increase your visibility,” says Melville.Google My Business is Google’s online business listing service and ensures that when people type your business name into search engines, your business, its website, phone number and address appear in the search results.&nbsp;One tip? “Make sure you complete each and every field and include keywords,” says Melvile.If you have a bricks-and-mortar store as well as eCommerce website capabilities, you can do the same but will also have an additional opportunity to capture a local SEO market through simple ranking and keyword strategies.&nbsp;“Add in your location, because including a description of the product plus location, like ‘sneakers in Carlton’, will give you an advantage over bigger competitors when people search ‘shoe store near me’.”

<h2>Step 2: Set up your analytics</h2>“You want to collect data from day zero,” advises Melville. That’s because analytics – using<a href="https://analytics.google.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;Google Analytics</a>,<a href="https://search.google.com/search-console/about" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;Google Search Console</a>&nbsp;and any in-house SEO analytics from your CMS, such as the tools that Squarespace offers – will give you instant feedback on what’s working for your eCommerce business and what’s not from a search engine perspective.&nbsp;

“You want to collect data from day zero”

“You want to know how many people came from the Facebook post that announced the new summer collection was live, versus how many came from the email you sent out to your list.”&nbsp;Over time, you’ll be able to see trends and start to tailor your eCommerce SEO strategy, and content marketing toward what your potential customers respond best to. So make sure you’re monitoring metrics every month.&nbsp;

<h2>Step 3: Do your keyword research&nbsp;</h2>Everyone wants to be on the coveted first page of Google results, but if you’re on the smaller side, you’ll need to get smart with your keyword selections to nab a coveted ranking spot.&nbsp;First, brainstorm keyword research by thinking about the words and phrases that consumers are likely to be typing into Google to find the type of thing that you sell.&nbsp;If, for example, you sell stationery, you might come up with ‘notebook’, ‘pens’, ‘journal’, ‘bullet journal’, ‘office supplies’ and ‘diary’.&nbsp;“Then use keyword research tools like<a href="https://keywordsheeter.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;Keyword Sheeter</a>&nbsp;to find out where the demand is, what people are searching for, and then give them the answers,” says Melville.Next, get realistic about what you can use your search engine optimisation and keywords to rank for.&nbsp;“If you sell headphones, and someone searches ‘headphones’ you’ll be up against mega-retailers like Amazon. Think about niching down with specifics, like ‘water-resistant headphones’,” suggests Melville.&nbsp;If people are searching using simple keyword phrases and long-tail keywords like ‘water-resistant headphones’ they have likely already decided to buy a pair and could be influenced by search results returned by search engines. But don’t forget top-of-the-funnel sales opportunities that target people who are browsing, or still deciding whether to purchase.&nbsp;“The top of the funnel might be creating content that answers more generic questions people search, like ‘What headphones work best for noise-cancelling?’ The middle of the funnel might be a blog post reviewing ‘What type of noise-cancelling headphones are best for you’.”&nbsp;Remember, you have four opportunities to use a keyword from your SEO list that will get you ranked on search engines: on web pages and product pages (for example, Nike Air Max), product categories (men’s sneakers), the home/about/contact page and your blog page. Utilising all four categories will help you improve results and ranking on search engines and achieve an impressive e-commerce SEO ranking without compromising user experience.&nbsp;

<h2>Step 4: Get creative with your keywords</h2>A nice-looking website is important, but don’t forget to make sure your content is well written from both a human and technical perspective, says SEO expert Karlie Plowman of<a href="https://www.thetechnobird.com.au/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;Techno Bird</a>.“I’ll often see sites going straight to the product – no introduction to the business or person, just straight-up ‘buy my thing’,” she says. “If you think of your online store as a physical store, you’d say hello, engage in conversation. Doing that makes them get that you’re a human being – and it makes them trust you and come back as a repeat customer.“You can do all that while making sure your keywords are exactly where you need them to be: the first 100-200 words of your website.”&nbsp;As well as making Google happy through the use of technical SEO and organic SEO, prominent keyword placement will reassure your potential customer that they’re in the right place from both a technical SEO and eCommerce store perspective in search results.&nbsp;Next, check that you’ve got your keyword or keywords in all of your eCommerce website SEO-friendly spots so search engines can find you easily. This includes: heading one, heading two, meta title, meta description, URL and body text.

<h2>Step 5: Inspect your site architecture</h2>Simply put, don’t confuse people (or search engine web crawlers) by making it hard to navigate around your eCommerce website and product pages.&nbsp;

“People should be able to understand what it is you do instantly”

“People should be able to jump on your website and, by looking on your menu, be able to understand what it is you do instantly,” says Melville.&nbsp;When it comes to web pages and your eCommerce store, keep it simple and make sure everything is three clicks from the home page.

<h2>Step 6: Find (and fix) website errors</h2>The last thing you want is the dreaded 404 page putting off a potential customer and impacting your SEO ranking and search results. Use a free tool like<a href="https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;Screaming Frog</a>&nbsp;to crawl your website and find any errors, says Melville. “And Google Search Console itself will give you data on any errors or pages being excluded.”

<h2>Step 7: Describe your images</h2>It’s not just words that you need to optimise for SEO; pictures also play a huge role in your Google Search ranking and give any eCommerce website the best chance of reaching more eyeballs via search engines.Google doesn’t have eyes – that’s what the image ‘alt title’ is for (in other words the description of the image).&nbsp;“Google doesn’t know that you have an image of a cake with pink icing and a balloon, they have to read the image – and if you just have cake2.png you’re missing an opportunity to get ranked,” explains Plowman.&nbsp;This will go a long way in helping you achieve that elusive and all-important eCommerce SEO ranking.Adding good product descriptions to images is an overlooked but simple way to improve your product’s visibility through search engine results: simply describe the image and add a keyword, your business name, and location. For example, ‘pinkbabyshowercake-mycakeshop-bondi’. “It’s really important that you have unique alt titles for every single image,” says Plowman.

<h2>Step 8: Launch a content-marketing strategy</h2>It can feel overwhelming to think about all the options for content marketing and digital marketing: paid ads, social media, and email marketing.&nbsp;

“You don’t have to be doing all the things. Pick one or two, and stick to that for six to 12 months.”

But don’t stress, says Plowman. “You don’t have to be doing all the things. Consider what you think will be the best way to create traffic, pick one or two, and stick to that for six to 12 months. Do it properly, have a strategy, consider hiring someone, and remember it takes on average seven visits to a site for someone to buy.”&nbsp;

<h2>Step 9: Create a link-building strategy</h2>The next step is to create a link-building and backlink strategy from other parts of the internet signal to Google that your business is real and worth ranking.To create a backlink strategy, think about any real-world relationships that can be replicated online. “Are you a part of an association? Has your product been in the community? Do you have a stockist who can link to you from their website?”&nbsp;

<h2>Step 10: Check and check again</h2>Congratulations, you’ve set yourself up for <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/seo-tips/retail-seo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">retail SEO</a> success. But before you kick back and enjoy, know one thing: e-commerce SEO is never-ending, says Plowman. If you’re not checking and tweaking, you’re not understanding what’s working (and what isn’t) or adjusting to capture your market.“Make sure you’re monitoring, because if you don’t check your open rates or insights or click rates from your email marketing, you’re doing yourself a huge disservice by guessing or ignoring it,” says Plowman. “You need to get your head around learning the analytics and keeping on top of it. I tell my clients once a month is a minimum.”

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All references to any registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Afterpay does not endorse or recommend any one particular supplier and the information provided is for educational purposes only.

How to create an SEO strategy, using this simple step-by-step guide.

How to create an SEO strategy, using this simple step by step guide

Your e-commerce SEO checklist to rank higher

Whether you’re an online automotive retailer or a bricks-and-mortar hairdressing salon, SEO is crucial in bringing more customers to your store.

In essence, search engine optimisation (SEO) is the process of improving – or ‘optimising’ – your website to make it easier for shoppers to find you online.That’s the simple explanation. In reality, SEO can be very complex – encompassing a range of on-page and technical tasks, as well as marketing tactics – and, for a beginner, it can seem daunting.&nbsp;

The good news? Once you understand the basics, it’s possible to make simple changes to your website that deliver noticeable results – and traffic.&nbsp;

<h2>Why retail SEO is important</h2>Retail SEO has always been important for a small business, but over the past year – with the global pandemic driving more people from physical stores to online shopping – it’s become a critical part of any retailer’s marketing toolbox.&nbsp;In fact,<a href="https://videos.brightedge.com/research-report/BrightEdge_ChannelReport2019_FINAL.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;according to a BrightEdge study</a>, on average 53.3 per cent of&nbsp;all&nbsp;trackable website traffic now comes from organic search.&nbsp;

But how do you capitalise on it? Read on.

<h2>How SEO works&nbsp;</h2>Search engines trawl everything on the world wide web with what’s called a ‘crawler’. The ‘crawler’ crawls through the ‘index’ – a list of all the web pages that the search engine knows about – and finds the pages that are most relevant. (Google’s crawler is called Googlebot.)Search engines (particularly Google) don’t tend to give too much away about exactly how they operate in case people abuse the system. But the most important thing to understand from an ecommerce SEO perspective is that a search engine’s goal is to help users get the information they want by delivering the most relevant content.&nbsp;That means that your retail SEO goal should be to show Google&nbsp;you&nbsp;are the most relevant when it comes to searches related to your business so that you rank the highest in search results relating to your business.&nbsp;As a small business, your SEO strategy should be ensuring your search engine optimization allows you to appear on the first page of search results (or as close to this as possible) because<a href="https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/14416/100-Awesome-Marketing-Stats-Charts-Graphs-Data.aspx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;75 per cent of people</a>&nbsp;don’t scroll past the first page of results.&nbsp;

“Retailers are missing out on turning browsers into buyers”

Erin Morris, founder and director of Young Folks, puts it simply: “If someone is Googling a product, retailers are missing out on turning browsers into buyers if they’re not showing up in search results.”&nbsp;

And how do you show up in the search results and increase your sales and ecommerce site traffic in the process? By having good&nbsp;retail&nbsp;SEO.

<h2>The difference between SEM and SEO&nbsp;</h2>SEM and SEO are sometimes used interchangeably – but they’re not the same.&nbsp;In simple terms, SEO is an organic (unpaid) approach, while SEM is a paid marketing strategy.&nbsp;

SEO:&nbsp;An organic search engine optimization strategy focused on improving your website's placement in search results to increase yourorganic traffic. It is considered a long-term plan.

SEM:&nbsp;Paid marketing strategies to improve your place in search engine results, most commonly pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns using Google Ads.&nbsp;

Paras Raichura, director of<a href="https://pndigital.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;PNdigital</a>, recommends using a combination of both SEM and SEO, if possible. “SEM helps to drive immediate, targeted traffic to a website, while SEO helps your business rank organically over time so [it can] rely less on paid clicks/SEM.”

<h2>Understanding search engine rankings&nbsp;</h2>

<h2>What is a search engine ranking?</h2>When someone types a query into a search engine like Google, that search engine then orders the results in relation to relevance. “The ranking refers to the order of search results based on relevancy,” explains Alex Hoffman, head of SEO and technical operations at<a href="https://passion.digital/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;Passion Digital</a>.&nbsp;

“The higher your website is displayed, the more traffic you’ll receive”

<h2>Why does a search engine ranking matter?</h2>“The higher your website is displayed, the more traffic and customers you’ll receive,” explains Raichura.Not only that, says Hoffman, if you’re in one of the top positions, it builds trust and credibility in the eyes of your potential customers and sees an increase in potential sales.&nbsp;

<h2>What impacts search engine rankings?</h2>

A website’s ranking is determined by the ‘crawler’ based on relevancy. This relevancy is decided by factors such as:

<ul><li>Crawlability (including the sitemap, navigation and information architecture)</li><li>Responsiveness and mobile-friendliness</li><li>Site security and stability&nbsp;</li><li>Site and page load speed&nbsp;</li><li>Usability and user engagement (determined by things like bounce rate)</li><li>High-quality optimised content with the right keywords (including headings, links, html images and alt-text)</li><li>Domain age and date of last update</li><li>Metadata and URLs (both the main domain and individual pages)</li><li>Backlinks and consistent business information&nbsp;</li></ul>

There are three key elements that make up the facets of SEO – ‘technical’ ‘on-page’&nbsp;and ‘off-page’.

“On-page SEO&nbsp;is all about the content, whereas&nbsp;technical SEO&nbsp;looks at things like website speed, responsiveness and performance,” explains Morris.&nbsp;

Do you need all three? Yes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“You can have the most beautiful website, with the best content in the world, but if it’s not technically operational or mobile-friendly, it won’t rank and no one will find it”, explains Hoffman.&nbsp;“On the other hand, having a site that is technically perfect but filled with unoptimised, poorly structured and badly written content won’t be engaging to users, and the bots won’t allow it to rank.&nbsp;

“A webpage needs to be as relevant as possible to the topic you are trying to rank for”

“A search engine like Google is in the business of providing the best results for a certain query, therefore a webpage needs to be easily accessible, easily readable, fast and as relevant as possible to the topic you are trying to rank for.”Hoffman explains that, as well as on-page and technical SEO, there is also a third category: ‘offsite’ or ‘off-page’ SEO – other websites linking to yours.&nbsp;In simple terms, search engines use backlinks from other sources as a signal that your website is credible in your market. The more links you have, the more likely you are to rank.&nbsp;After all, adds Hoffman, “If everyone is talking about your article and linking to it, then it must be great, right? And if it’s the best, it should be in the top position of the search results.”

<h2>Understanding keywords&nbsp;</h2>

<h2>What is a keyword?</h2>A keyword is a word or phrase used in your web content that helps users (or the crawler) find your website and products via the search engine. In small business SEO and ecommerce SEO, doing keyword research is essential.&nbsp;

<h2>How do you choose the right keywords?</h2>When identifying the best keywords for your small business and developing an SEO strategy, it’s important to think like your customer. What search terms might they be typing into Google to find your product?&nbsp;Think about your brand name, your category, and the actual products or services you sell. And, says Hoffman, try to get as specific as possible and think about local SEO.“Let’s say your website sells sunglasses. Most people will want to make ‘buy sunglasses’ or ‘sunglasses online’ their main priority, but will immediately be competing with massive established brands, which makes it a lot more expensive and sometimes impossible to reach the top three positions,” explains Hoffman.&nbsp;To avoid this, it’s important to understand user behaviour and consider how and when people might be searching for your product, and to consider what’s called ‘long-tail informational keywords’. These are longer, more specific, search terms (that will be less competitive).&nbsp;“For example,” says Hoffman. “Try ‘What are the best sunglasses for the beach?’ or ‘Are plastic sunglasses more resistant than metal to saltwater?’ – which are a lot less competitive than the main commercial terms.”&nbsp;“If you can hook potential customers at the start of their buying journey by providing useful content, they will be more likely to remember your brand and come to you directly when it’s time to buy.”

<h2>Keyword search</h2>It can be overwhelming at first, but if you’re building a website from scratch it’s important to carry out keyword research as early as possible to help inform the structure of your site and develop a small business SEO strategy that will optimize your success.&nbsp;Once you have a long list of keywords, you’ll need to create a logical website structure with one target keyword or search phrase associated with each page.&nbsp;

<h2>Pro tip:</h2>Do keyword research for both your product pages and category pages – category pages are often overlooked but can generate high-quality traffic.&nbsp;Now you have a basic understanding of SEO, it’s important to look out for common mistakes. Our experts have pulled together seven ecommerce SEO and retail SEO errors they often spot.&nbsp;

<h2>Advanced retail SEO tactics</h2>Retail SEO isn’t just about keywords – although they are a key part – but a holistic approach to your website. If you really want to take your SEO to the next level, also consider:

Information architecture:&nbsp;Keep it simple and scalable – it’s recommended that every product page on your website be three (or fewer) clicks from your home page.&nbsp;

User Experience (UX):&nbsp;Improve your user interface (UI) and UX as much as possible.&nbsp;

Cleaning up your site:&nbsp;Tidy up your site structure and code, removing any error pages, broken links, duplicate content or anything that is confusing for the crawler.

Structured data:&nbsp;Add metadata and rich snippets (search results with extra information displayed at the top of the results page, which have a very high click-through rate).&nbsp;

Accessibility: Include image descriptions and alt-text to not only make it easier for the crawler, but also people with a disability who may rely on auto-readers and access tools.

<h2>Focus on your customer</h2>Remember: retail SEO is not just about driving traffic, but connecting with the&nbsp;right&nbsp;customers.“Ensure your SEO remains customer focused – make sure your customers can find you and once they do, make it easy for them,” explains Raichura. “This relates to everything from site speed and quality content to a good user experience.”So, make sure to combine quality content (with long-tail keywords!) and a positive user experience for your customers – and Google will reward you for it.&nbsp;

All references to any registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Clearpay does not endorse or recommend any one particular supplier and the information provided is for educational purposes only.

Whether you’re an online automotive retailer or a bricks and mortar hairdressing salon, retail SEO is crucial in bringing more customers to your store

Retail SEO: what it is and why you need it

Want to reach more customers? 
Find out smart ways to get discovered online with these expert tips.

Every business wants to get more traffic to their website. After all, more traffic equals more potential customers – and more sales.&nbsp;The secret to getting discovered online lies in smart search engine optimisation, known as <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/seo-tips/retail-seo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">retail SEO</a>. (You can read our <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/seo-tips/retail-seo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">beginner’s guide to Retail SEO here</a>.) <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/seo-tips/ecommerce-seo-checklist" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">SEO</a> plays a critical role in your website ranking, your ability to reach new audiences and drive traffic to your website or physical store. Thankfully, there are a number of simple ways to optimise your traffic and search engine ranking.Here are 24 ways to improve <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/seo-tips/diy-seo-software" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SEO</a> rankings for retailers:

<h2>SEO keyword research tips</h2>

<h3>1. Research competitor keywords</h3>Creating a list of keywords to target through a quick Google search is a fundamental part of any SEO strategy. A more advanced tactic? Find out which keywords your brand’s competitors are ranking for, by using a tool like<a href="https://www.spyfu.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;SpyFu.com</a>. Although you should avoid blindly using the same keywords as them (as they won’t guarantee you will rank higher), researching competitor keywords will likely offer valuable insights into how to improve your own ranking and add to your overall SEO strategy.&nbsp;

<h3>2. Strategically place your keywords</h3>There are a number of ranking factors that make using keywords in your content a balancing act. Each keyword should appear frequently enough for your content to rank. However, it’s important to avoid ‘keyword stuffing’, as users dislike it and search engines may penalise you for it. Instead, aim to use your main keyword within the first couple of sentences of your content. Then use that keyword, and variations of it, sporadically throughout the rest of your pages.

<h3>3. Consider topic clusters&nbsp;</h3>Google’s search algorithm is sophisticated, so targeting keywords may not be enough to achieve a coveted spot in the first page of search results. That’s where topic clusters come in.Topic clusters are essentially secondary keywords and phrases that relate to your original keywords. To identify topic clusters, type your target keywords into Google with a ‘keyword modifier’ (or additional word/s). For example, if you sell watches, you might type in ‘buy watch’.&nbsp;When you search ‘buy watch’ on Google, a section titled ‘People Also Ask’ will also come up in your search results and will list variations of that keyword, such as ‘Which is the best website to buy watches?’, ‘Where can you buy designer watches?’, and ‘Where can I sell my watches in Australia?’, etc.The next step is to write short articles based on each of these search results and internally link those articles to your existing ‘pillar’ pages that focus on your original keywords (like ‘watch’), which will help to grow organic traffic in the long-term.&nbsp;

<h3>4. Take advantage of online business directories</h3>Want to increase the number of all-important backlinks to your site? Not only are online business directories a great way to list your business so people can find it, but they are also a clever way to find relevant businesses that you can approach for potential backlinks.Online directories include everything from the online Yellow Pages to Yelp, Yahoo Local&nbsp;to Afterpay’s Store Directory and your industry’s chamber of commerce website or peak body association.&nbsp;

<h3>5. Offer editorial content&nbsp;</h3>There’s little point in securing links from disreputable websites that don’t attract traffic. As a retailer, try to aim for links from credible sources that are also relevant to your content. After all, the ultimate goal is for people to click on the links and visit your website. Research and brainstorm a list of websites and publications that your target audience visits, and pitch the editors of those publications editorial content like a blog post in exchange for a link back to your website.&nbsp;(And don’t be afraid to think laterally - if you’re a jeweller, you might target blogs about jewellery or fashion, as well as those about art or mining.) To pitch to an editor, email them directly.While it may be unlikely to expect coverage in major national news outlets, many smaller, industry-specific websites accept opinion pieces and submissions. Alternatively, you can sign up for a service like<a href="https://www.sourcebottle.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;Source Bottle</a>&nbsp;in Australia or<a href="https://www.helpareporter.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;Help A Reporter</a>&nbsp;in the US or<a href="https://www.responsesource.com/pr/journalistenquiry/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;Response Source</a>&nbsp;in the UK, which are online notice boards where journalists look for experts, case studies or sources. When a journalist posts a relevant callout, you can put yourself forward as an expert or case study - and they will link to your business in the article and optimize your exposure this way.

<h3>6. Ask suppliers for a backlink&nbsp;</h3>Collaborations with other websites are a great way to obtain backlinks and overall improve SEO ranking. But reaching out to numerous websites can be time-consuming and backlinks aren’t necessarily guaranteed. Instead, consider simple ranking factors within your control like asking suppliers, with whom you have an existing relationship, to link to your website.

<h3>7. Research your competitors’ backlinks</h3>Just as you can use competitors’ keywords to get a sense of which keywords you should be targeting and using to optimize your Google Search results, you can also search for the backlinks obtained by your competitors. This will help you identify relevant (or the same) sources to approach for your own backlinks. You can check your competitors’ URLs using<a href="https://ahrefs.com/backlink-checker" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;Ahrefs Free Backlink Checker</a>.

<h3>8. Fix broken links on your website</h3>Over time, links can become broken as websites you are linking to change or delete their old content. An abundance of broken links could result in your site being penalised by Google, so ​​it’s important to remove them whenever you can. This can be achieved by creating a 301 redirect to another related page, or you can contact the site owner of your backlink for assistance. Want to check whether your website has any broken links?<a href="https://brokenlinkcheck.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;Brokenlinkcheck.com</a>&nbsp;is a great free tool for this.

<h3>9. Use internal links</h3>Don’t just look to link your content to other websites. Link pages together within your own site to create a more structured online experience. Not only does a highly saturated internal linking structure make it easier for Google to crawl through your website, it also makes it easier for your customers to navigate your site and find more information. A good example of internal linking to look at is Wikipedia. Visit a Wikipedia page and notice how they link keywords within the content, to link to other relevant pieces of content on their website. So, if you have a blog post talking about a product that you stock, add an internal link to the product page.

<h2>In-depth content marketing tips to improve SEO ranking</h2>

<h3>10. Create click-worthy, shareable content</h3>Don’t forget that your goal is to convert clicks into sales. One way to do this is to create engaging content that inspires, informs or entertains – and ultimately creates a long-lasting relationship with customers.

Creating engaging content can:<ul><li>Build trust and credibility</li><li>Create a sense of relevance by offering fresh content&nbsp;</li><li>Build buzz or desirability around your product&nbsp;</li><li>Create a relationship with your customer (or potential customer)&nbsp;</li></ul>Great content will also reduce your bounce rate (the speed at which users land on your site and then ‘bounce’ back out) and help you acquire new customers if the content is so good that it’s shared.When coming up with ideas for content, think about your brand or product’s USP (unique selling proposition), your own expertise, questions your customers frequently ask, and any upcoming key events or anniversaries you can create content around.For more tips, watch our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/articles/content-marketing/content-marketing-writing-tips " rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">introduction video to content marketing.</a>

<h3>11. Avoid duplicate content</h3>Don’t copy from elsewhere on the internet. Google can detect duplicate content and it will negatively impact your search rankings. It can also be a deterrent for your customers, as it demonstrates a lack of professionalism or legitimacy. It might seem time-consuming, but creating unique content is a practice that will pay off in the long term.

<h3>12. Aim for longer content</h3>Longer content tends to result in higher user engagement, and other websites linking to it as ‘resource level quality content’. This often results in a higher chance to improve SEO ranking and therefore receive better traffic. But this doesn’t mean that every product description should be the length of an entire ebook. The goal is to write long content when relevant and possible but to structure it into digestible portions.To get a sense of how long your content should be, review the top 10 search results for your target keyword, and then run their URLs in<a href="https://www.seoreviewtools.com/bulk-web-page-word-count-checker/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;SEO Review Tools’ bulk web page word count checker</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h3>13. Mix up your media&nbsp;</h3>Don’t just stop at text. High-quality images, sounds and videos create an engaging experience that customers are more likely to return to – and recommend to other people. This is also a great way to sell your products, as you can show them off in greater detail to your audience. Interesting media also means people spend more time on your pages, helping signal to Google that they are worth ranking.&nbsp;

<h3>14. Avoid content decay by updating old information</h3>Over a long period of time, content can decrease in organic traffic due to increased SEO competition from other websites or even changes in Google’s algorithm. Not only will updating this content reduce the issue, but it’s often easier to update existing content compared to starting from scratch.

<h3>15. Optimise your meta title and description&nbsp;</h3>Your meta title and description relate to how your website will be shown on Google. To that end, you want them to be short and to the point – containing your keywords, while telling your audience in as few words as possible why they should click on this content.To make sure that your meta title and description are the right length, visit a SERP generator, such as<a href="https://serpsim.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;Serpism</a>, to preview how yours will look in search results.

<h2>User experience</h2>

<h3>16. Improve your page-loading speed</h3>There are few things more annoying, or more likely to deter customers, than a website that takes too long to load. Page-loading speeds are an important part of your customer experience – affecting bounce rates and conversions rates – and should be prioritised (whether you’re trying to improve your ranking in Google or not). You can use a tool like<a href="https://tools.pingdom.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;Pingdom Website Speed Test</a>&nbsp;to see what element on your site is slowing it down. Often large images (+200KB) are the source of a slow-loading page. Try a tool like<a href="https://tinypng.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;tinypng.com</a>&nbsp;to compress images prior to loading them onto your website.&nbsp;

<h3>17. Select a CMS that works for customers – and you</h3>There’s no doubt that user experience is vital when it comes to a successful online store –and ideally, all products should be no more than three clicks from the home page. However, it’s also important that your website is easy for&nbsp;you&nbsp;to use.

If you’re using a templated CMS, ensure that it:&nbsp;<ul><li>Offers the functionalities you need (e-commerce, contact forms, newsletter sign-ups, etc)&nbsp;</li><li>Is easy to update with content&nbsp;</li><li>Is simple to customise with SEO information like meta titles, meta descriptions, headings (H1, H2, H3, etc), URLs, and image alt-titles</li></ul>&nbsp;Examples of content management systems that work well for retailers include WordPress, Shopify, BigCommerce and Squarespace.

<h3>18. Optimise for mobile&nbsp;</h3>It’s one thing for a website to look beautiful on a desktop, but with shoppers increasingly buying straight from their phones, it’s also important that your website works on mobile. Google announced in 2015 a mobile-friendly update to their algorithm that preferences pages on mobile-optimized websites above those that are not.&nbsp;

<h3>19.&nbsp;Use Google Analytics to measure your traffic and performance</h3>Google Analytics is an SEO tool that provides you access to information about how customers are engaging with your website. It can offer information relating to bounce rates, conversions, and engagement time. You can then use this to inform your approach to SEO going forward, making this tool even more valuable.

<h3>20. Use Ahrefs for keyword research</h3>Ahrefs is a tool that can be used to conduct keyword research by analysing a website’s link profile, keyword rankings and SEO health. This is a great way to research keywords and backlinks from competitors that are performing well, and<a href="https://ahrefs.com/keyword-generator" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="font-size: 20px;">&nbsp;there is a free tool available.﻿</a>

<h3>21. Use SEO plugins in your CMS of choice</h3>A lot of content management systems, such as WooCommerce and Shopify, come with comprehensive SEO plugins that offer a wide range of tools to make the process as easy and effective as possible. It is essential that you use these plugins, as they’ll help you optimize for SEO and improve your ranking.

<h2>General tips to improve SEO ranking&nbsp;</h2>

<h3>22. Use HTTPS to secure your website&nbsp;</h3>HTTPS is an encrypted version of the standard HTTP protocol. A HTTPS in a URL signifies that the website is secure, and any data entered when making a purchase is protected. Not only is this reassuring for customers, but secure websites rank higher on Google.To switch to HTTPS, check with your website hosting service to find out whether they offer the service. (Managed platforms like Shopify and Squarespace do.) Otherwise speak to your developer.

<h3>23. Check Google My Business</h3><a href="https://www.google.com/intl/en_au/business/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Google My Business (GMB</a>) is a must-have for any online enterprise. It’s a free and easy-to-use tool that will help you manage the online presence of your business in Google’s search results. To register with Google My Business, simply visit the website and follow the instructions, which will ask you to enter your business details, including your phone number, website and a summary of your business.

<h3>24. Engage in social media</h3>Social media is no longer an optional method of engaging your audience. If you don’t want to be left behind your competitors, you need to use social media to display your products and link back to your website. This will also signal to Google that you’re receiving traffic from sources other than Google.

Smart tips to improve SEO rankings for retailers and small businesses.

Smart tips to improve SEO rankings for retailers and small businesses

How to improve SEO ranking: 24 ways 

24 ways to improve SEO ranking for retailers – and get more customers

Help your business shine with dedicated DIY SEO software tools.

<a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/seo-tips/retail-seo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SEO</a> is all about getting better traffic to your website from search engines like Google. Knowing what words to use, and where to place them, is the essence of SEO.And it’s important for all retailers and small businesses – whether you’re a direct-to-consumer e-commerce brand selling clothes or a bricks-and-mortar store such as a florist or hair salon.SEO expert and founder of the Australian School of Copywriting, Bernadette Schwerdt, says it’s a common misconception that SEO is only for online retailers.

“if customers can’t find you, then what’s the point?”

“It doesn’t matter how talented a florist you are or how gorgeous your hair salon is, if customers can’t find you, then what’s the point? And that discovery process is increasingly starting online, so optimising your online presence should be a priority for any retailer.”And, yes, she adds, that means you need a website. “A Facebook page is not enough,” explains Schwerdt. “A website makes you more discoverable and a search engine optimised website will go a long way to getting your business ranked favourably by Google – making it easier for potential customers to find you.”Fortunately, although<a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/seo-tips/retail-seo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> retail SEO</a> is a vast area of specialised expertise, Schwerdt says that it is possible for small businesses to manage their own SEO “with relatively little effort and expertise” using some simple DIY SEO software.Best of all? “It’s still a largely untapped area of opportunity for small businesses, so even a little will still be more than most of the competition is doing.”<h2>Here are 11 examples of DIY SEO software tools to help you on your way.</h2>Heads up: most of the pricing for DIY SEO software is in US dollars so bear that in mind if you sign up for a service.*

<h3><a href="https://developers.google.com/search" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Google Search Centra</a>l</h3>Check out this comprehensive guide to how Google Search works and how to use SEO to get your business seen and ranked. It covers the basics right through to advanced techniques.Cost: free

<h3><a href="https://moz.com/link-explorer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Moz Meet Link Explorer</a></h3>Use this quick-and-easy tool to check your Domain Authority (DA), which is a figure that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs).The higher the figure, the better the ranking. The aim is then to improve the number and quality of inbound links to your website to up your DA. Ensure, for instance, that your business is linked on any industry association pages you’re a member of or charities your business supports. Hot tip: use it to check your competitors’ DA so you can scout for potential link-building opportunities.Cost: create an account for free to access 10 link queries each month.

<h3><a href="https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ubersuggest</a></h3>Check out Neil Patel’s free Ubersuggest tool, which specialises in generating new keyword ideas. With a clean and simple interface, you’ll get an overview on your selected keyword along with related content ideas.Cost: use the free trial to take a look around, then check out the competitive monthly or lifetime payment options. You’re looking at $29 per month for the most basic level.

<h3><a href="https://ahrefs.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ahrefs</a> Webmaster Tools</h3>Ahrefs Webmaster Tool will audit your website for SEO technical issues and suggest ways to fix them. Think of it as a speedy little SEO detective who will hunt out every slow, orphan or broken page, duplicate meta description and non-optimal H1 tag. It’s a useful way to make sure customers and prospects get the best-possible experience on your website.Cost: Sign up for free limited access or choose a membership option to take advantage of Ahrefs’ other SEO tools. The $179 per month plan is the most popular.

<h3><a href="https://answerthepublic.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Answer The Public</a></h3>Like other free DIY SEO software tools, Answer The Public helps you generate more keywords. The point is to dig deeper into what your customers are looking for and how they might be searching for solutions your retail business can provide. Think long-tail key words and commonly searched questions. As the website says, 20 per cent of the three billion Google searches made every day have never been seen. Use Answer The Public to help you reach that 20 per cent.Cost: the free trial is handy and you can upgrade to pro for more comprehensive insights. You’re looking at between $99 and $399 per month. Answer The Public also offers ebooks, video courses and personalised training.

<h3><a href="https://moz.com/explorer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Moz Meet Keyword Explorer</a></h3>Type your keyword into the Moz search bar, and voila! Everything you ever wanted to know about that keyword appears – possibly even more than you ever wanted to know. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by organic CTR and monthly volume figures, check out the Priority feature, which aggregates all the other metrics to give you a single score. The higher the number, the better your keyword. Plus, you get a comprehensive list of suggested keywords that can be great for kickstarting some blogging ideas for your small business website.Cost: With the free version you get 10 queries per month. Upgrade to access all the keyword research tools; the $179 per month option is the most popular.

<h3><a href="https://smallseotools.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Small SEO Tools</a> Plagiarism Checker</h3>Let's say you have a batch of brilliant content to upload to your blog – but you can’t remember if someone on your team wrote it or if it's content that first appeared elsewhere? Or perhaps you’re new to writing content and feel on shaky ground when it comes to inspiration versus imitation. Use this plagiarism checker to put you and your content in the clear – so your SEO can work its magic.Cost: free

<h3><a href="https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Screaming Frog SEO Spider</a></h3>Screaming Frog’s SEO Spider Tool gives Ahrefs’ audit a run for its money by sending out its website crawler to check your SEO health across 500 URLs for free. This is one spider you’ll be happy to have around. Can’t decide which audit option to go for?<a href="https://www.trustradius.com/compare-products/ahrefs-vs-screaming-frog-seo-spider" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;TrustRadius</a>&nbsp;is a handy resource for software reviews and comparisons.Cost: Upgrade to a paid membership to access even more sophisticated insights and tools. Expect to pay around $280 for an annual licence.

<h3>Linkody</h3><a href="https://www.linkody.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">With Linkody you can find out who’s linking to your we</a>bsite, discover what keywords they’re using and ‘disavow’ links you think might undermine your SEO. This DIY SEO software tool is useful if you’re trying to improve your Domain Authority, plus you can monitor your website’s social shares and connect to Google Analytics. Link building should be a key part of any SEO strategy, and this is a good place to start.Cost: Start with a 30-day free trial before checking out their five pricing options ranging from $14.90 per month to $153.90 per month.

<h3><a href="https://ontolo.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ontolo</a></h3>If you’re really committed to building up those all-important backlinks, this tool takes SEO beyond keyword research to help you identify backlinking and guest-blogging opportunities. It can unearth prospects from more than 80 sources for you to then pitch to. Great for retailers looking to supercharge their blog content.Cost: plans start at $97 per month, and there’s a 30-day money back guarantee.

<h3><a href="https://www.semrush.com/projects/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SEMrush</a></h3>This example of DIY SEO software is really a comprehensive suite of SEO tools that will help you with keyword research, organic traffic insights, backlink opportunities, social media management and heaps more.Cost: because of its extensive capabilities, it’s more expensive than some of the other SEO tools out there. We suggest using the free trial before signing up.

*Terms and conditions apply, fees may apply (and may differ from the summary provided above). Afterpay does not have any control or involvement with any of the listed services.

Help your business shine – and boost your SEO ranking – with these clever tools. Some are even free.

Help your business shine – and boost your SEO ranking – with these smart software tools