Blog article

How to do Keyword Research for an Ecommerce Website in 2023

Bart Verschueren

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

The Importance of Keyword Research

Effective keyword research is vital because online shopping has become big business. According to some estimates, eCommerce sales accounted for 14.1% of retail purchases globally in 2022. And by 2024, this number is expected to grow to 22%.Therefore, every marketer must understand how to perform keyword research in 2023.

Keywords are the driving mechanism behind online growth. So, if you want your eCommerce site to grow and attract customers, keyword research is paramount.

So you might be wondering how to conduct keyword research for your online store. Well, this post covers everything you need to know on how to do keyword research for SEO in 2023.

Study and understand your niche

Understanding your topic and niche is important when building a profitable eCommerce website. Doing a dive deep into your prospect niche can provide valuable, out-of-the-box insight.

It helps discover underserved needs within the market that you can exploit to your advantage.

This type of study can also find unique angles and provide ideas for SEO and marketing strategies you might otherwise not have thought about.

But it doesn’t have to be difficult. You can understand your niche simply:

Discover monthly search volume and keyword difficulty

Certain keywords, especially those deemed as high value, tend to be more competitive. These keywords are in demand because many competitors are optimizing for the same phrase. As a result, they have high keyword difficulty, which usually means only authority websites are able to rank for them.

Another reason why keywords are difficult is that they are popular phrases. But their popularity is an indication that the competition space is crowded. And usually, these keywords have a high search volume.

Search volume, which is the number of people searching for that keyword, is a key indicator of commercial viability. Therefore, in addition to looking out for keyword difficulty, you should also consider monthly search volume when deciding to use a keyword.

But don’t worry if you don’t know how to find a keyword that’s not too popular or competitive.

If you’re just starting out, it’s best to avoid keywords with high difficulty ratings. Instead, target keywords with lower levels of difficulty, then build from there. One way to achieve this is by choosing terms that are synonymous but have lower competition.

Do this using long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are generic terms usually consisting of about three to five words. It enables you to sidestep the keyword difficulty challenge by allowing you to still attract high quality traffic. It gives you the ability to target niche demographics.

High-quality traffic, in turn, is more likely to lead to conversions and reduce zero-click results.

Perform comprehensive search engine research

Search engines like Google provide a goldmine of information for marketers. It’s the ideal place to start because that’s where people go online to search for things, signaling their purchase intent.

Search engines give you the opportunity to learn what people want, so you can understand how to address their needs.

In addition to understanding customers, you can learn a lot about your competitors. As a result, they help place you in a better position to know who you’re competing against, and the products and services they offer.

Search engines like Google also offer contextual information to help you understand what type of terms people type to communicate what they are looking for. For example, Google’s autocomplete feature provides hints to the search terms previously used by people seeking the same information.

Create a list of relevant topics

Based on the niche and goals you’ve established for your eCommerce site, use the insights gathered from search engine research to create a list of relevant topics. These topics should be related to the product or service you offer.

Gather a list of seed keywords

Once you’ve generated a list of topics related to your brand, create effective buyer personas. Break these topics down into keywords that your buyer personas are likely to search for.

Use phrases that have high user intent by selecting semantic keywords. Semantic keywords are alternate phrases that are related to the original keyword. Search algorithms place a high premium on semantic keywords because they provide content with more nuance, value, depth, and tend to sound more natural to the reader.

You can also find ranking keywords for your eCommerce website via Google Search Console. Just navigate to the performance report to see all your ranking queries.  Below are some of the highest ranking seed keywords for Verbolia.

Comprehensive keyword research made easy

Performing keyword research can be a challenging and time-consuming task. But with diligence and patience, the results are rewarding for your eCommerce website. You’ll notice an increase in website traffic, email subscribers, and customers.

If you need help with conducting keyword research for your eCommerce store, feel free to sign up for a Verbolia Live Demo.