Online shopping is booming - of course, ordering from the comfort of your sofa is simply unbeatable. But if your online shop isn't visible on Google, all that potential goes up in smoke. You need a strong SEO strategy to ensure that your shop not only appears in the search results, but really rocks. Let's take a look at the basics and the secrets to long-term success.
SEO for online shops vs. "classic" websites: Are there differences?
Compared to blogs, company websites or news sites, online shops have some special SEO challenges. Why? Here are the biggest differences:
- Product variety and number: Shops often have hundreds or thousands of product pages that all need to be indexed and optimised individually.
- Duplicate content: Product descriptions are often similar or even identical, which increases the risk of duplicate content.
- High conversion focus: While blogs often optimise for reading time or clicks, shops are all about hard sales - i.e. transactions.
- More complex internal linking: The shop structure with categories, subcategories and product pages requires clean link management.
- Technical performance: Loading speed and mobile optimisation are particularly critical for shops because every second of loading time costs conversion.
- Product reviews and UGC: Shops often have user-generated content such as reviews, which can be cleverly utilised.
Keywords and page structure - the basis of your SEO strategy
Keywords are the starting point of any successful SEO strategy. But please, no keyword stuffing nightmares! Instead, it's all about smart, natural integration.
Tip: Don't just find generic terms like "Buy sneakers", but also long-tail keywords such as "Comfortable trainers for wide feet" - they often have less competition and convert better.
Page structure - categories vs. filters: the fine line
You need to take a strategic approach when planning your page structure. A clear, logical structure not only helps users, but also search engines to better understand your content - a basic requirement for top rankings.
When to use categories?
- For main product groups (e.g. "Running shoes„, „Hiking boots„, „Sneakers„)
- For clearly differentiated product types
- If the pages are to rank for relevant keywords
When to use filters?
- For specific properties (e.g. size, colour, brand, price range)
- If the products within a category vary greatly
- To avoid duplicate content
Example: You would like to know how often the link to your contact form is clicked on your website. Your shop sells sportswear. A possible structure could look like this:
- Main category: "Women's clothing"
- Subcategory: "Running shirts"
- Filter: size, colour, brand, material, price
This keeps your page structure clear, while your filter URLs are generated dynamically and not every filter option ends up as a separate, indexed page.
On-page optimisation: Your shop, your rules
Your shop pages should not only look pretty, but also be easy for Google to understand. Pay attention to:
- Title tags and Meta descriptions - short, concise and click-strong.
- Headings (H1, H2, H3) - sensibly structured and keyword-optimised.
- Image SEO - Don't forget file names and alt texts!
- Internal linking - Link related pages in a meaningful way.
Technical SEO: your invisible helper
No shopper will stay if your site takes ages to load or doesn't look good on a mobile phone. Neither does Google, by the way. Important points:
- Pagespeed - Optimise loading times (e.g. compress images, use caching).
- Mobile First - Responsive design is mandatory.
- SSL encryption - Security is a ranking factor.
Google Shopping and e-commerce SEO: utilising synergy
If you want to maximise your reach, there's no getting around Google Shopping. This network combines the advantages of organic search and paid adverts and can place your products prominently in the search results.
Why Google Shopping makes sense:
- Higher visibility for your products directly in the search results.
- More qualified traffic because users already have a purchase intention.
- Lower competition per click compared to classic search ads.
When SEO reaches its limits:
- For new products that do not yet have organic visibility.
- For highly competitive keywords where "classic" SEO alone is not enough.
- When quick results are required, e.g. for seasonal campaigns or new products.
Practical example: You run an online shop for sports shoes. Your product feed should then not only contain "running shoes", but specific models such as "Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40" or "Asics Gel-Kayano 30" with all relevant attributes such as size, colour, gender and special features (e.g. cushioning or stability). The more precise your feed, the more targeted your adverts will be.
Important steps for successful Google Shopping SEO:
- Optimisation of your Product feeds - including correct product data, high-quality images and precise descriptions.
- Use of Product Listing Ads (PLA) - direct, visual adverts that promote the willingness to buy.
- Utilisation of Smart Shopping campaigns - Automation for better performance and ROI.
Google Shopping Network - hardly any visibility without ads?
The Google Shopping Network is one of the most important channels for e-commerce companies because it displays products directly in the search results with an image, price and reviews - much more prominently than traditional text ads. This visual presentation often leads to higher click rates and a better conversion rate, as users already have a concrete interest in buying.
Why it will be difficult without ads
Placement of the adverts: In most cases, the top shopping results in the Google Shopping tab and in Google Image Search are paid adverts. These are often prioritised so that organic results appear significantly further down or are even completely displaced.
Long-tail searches: Even for specific search queries ("Nike Air Max size 42 men black"), paid shopping adverts often appear first, before the organic results. Some studies estimate that paid results account for up to 80% of clicks on commercial search queries.
Mobile and visual search: On mobile devices, shopping ads often dominate the visible area of the screen - organic hits slide further down the screen as a result.
Even though SEO is a solid foundation for long-term success, it's hard to do without paid Google Shopping adverts if you want to survive in highly competitive markets. A combination of well-optimised product feeds and paid ads is often the most effective strategy.
Content marketing: more than just product texts
Products alone are not enough. Develop your shop into a real source of knowledge. Think about it:
- Blogpoststhat pick up your target group.
- Counsellor and How-tosthat create trust.
- User-generated content such as ratings and comments.
> Content strategy: how to create meaningful content for your website
Backlinks: Your (good) reputation on the web
The more relevant and high-quality pages link to your shop, the better. But: quality before quantity!
Natural backlinks are created primarily through high-quality, useful and shareable content. A good strategy often starts with content that wants to be shared - for example, comprehensive guides, original blog posts or practical case studies.
Guest posts on topic-relevant pages are also an effective way to link to your products in a targeted manner. Use user-based content such as reviews, forums or customer stories to gain links from authentic sources. Collaborations with influencers or other brands can also help you gain high-quality backlinks by featuring and linking to your products on their pages.
Visual content such as infographics or your own data studies are often shared and linked to. Press relations and PR are other ways to generate media coverage and links.
Tracking and analysis: The SEO fitness check
Without data, you are flying blind. Use tracking tools such as Google Analytics, the Google Search Console, Trackboxx, Matomo or other alternatives to see what is going well and where you need to make improvements.
Important data:
- Conversion Rate: How many visitors become buyers?
- Bounce Rate: Do users leave your site quickly?
- Dwell time and page views: How long do visitors stay on your site and which products are the most popular?
- Shopping basket abandonment rate: How many users drop out shortly before purchase?
- Customer life cycle and repurchase rates: How many customers will buy again?
> All information on the topic of e-commerce tracking
Is it still worth having your own online shop?
In many cases: only to a limited extent. It is particularly difficult if you want to sell well-known brands such as Nike or Adidas as a middleman. Large players such as Amazon, Zalando or the manufacturers themselves dominate here, selling directly to end customers and achieving higher margins thanks to lower purchase prices. The price pressure is enormous, and without exclusive products it is almost impossible to be profitable.
Having your own shop is particularly worthwhile if you own products or are active in a niche market. This allows you to retain full control over your brand, have direct customer contact and grow profitably in the long term through a targeted brand strategy.
