This Quick Guide is designed to help you improve your eCommerce content to be more SEO friendly. It also delivers suggestions and tips for getting your website listed on well-known websites.
Google Analytics
See helpful statistics on how many people are visiting your site, when they visit most often, and where they’re coming from when you integrate your site with Google Analytics.
Link your site to Google Analytics in 3 steps:
- Get the tracking ID from Google Add it to your site through Inform.
- Check back with Google to ensure approval and connection.
- Once you have the tracking ID, copy it and open Inform. Go to File > Company > Inform eCommerce. Paste the ID into the following area:
Click here to visit Google’s support page on how to find your tracking ID.
Now, it’s up to Google. The tracker ID may not show up in Google immediately. All information about site statistics will be available on the Analytics page in Google, not in Inform.
Meta tags
You can add a meta description and keywords to your site via Inform.
Meta description
Meta descriptions help with SEO but are also what potential customers will see underneath your site listing when searching on Google. A meta description describes your company, not individual products.
To add the meta description:
- Go into File > Company > Inform eCommerce and click the ‘Meta Tags’ tab.
- Enter in your meta description. Keep it under 160 characters or it will be cut off when displayed in search results. It should be easy to understand yet specific to your company.
For example, ‘DDI System is a software company offering ERP solutions to wholesale distributors’. Your description should contain some keywords as well as being understandable to a potential customer.
Meta keywords
Keywords are simply a list of potential words people could use to find you and your products. If using, make sure these keywords are useful to search engines. Some examples are “industrial, fasteners, wholesale, distribution, etc". Avoid vague words, such as pronouns. If you mean to target your business’s specific locality, be sure to add your city and state.
Product descriptions
You can add website specific descriptions for individual products within Inform. Using manufacturer’s descriptions can be a shortcut, but keep in mind search engines are more likely to ignore manufacturer’s product descriptions than handwritten ones. Taking the time to write simple descriptions could be beneficial. Use descriptive words average consumer of your product would know and generally type into a search bar.
To add product descriptions:
- Go into Inform, then go to File > Product > Master.
- Once the Product Master screen is up, go to the Web Options tab on the bottom.
- Once in the Web Options tab, fill out the description in the ‘Web Description’ box and update information you want to change for that particular item on the website.
- For the best results, fill out as much information as possible. Make sure units of measure are chosen, and your title and description differ.
For example, if you are selling a red bucket, you may use ‘Red Bucket’ as the title and ’14 quart red bucket for janitorial use’ as the description.
For more detailed instruction on setting up product information:
Visit the online help file here. Go to the section ‘The Product’ > ‘Inform Settings for the Website’. There is a web options section that has step by step instructions.
Alt text
Alt text is the text that displays as an alternative for a picture on a product listing if the image doesn’t load, or if a user is using a screen reader for the visually impaired. Alt text, in Inform eCommerce, is pulled in from the product description. It’s important to include descriptions for the products for this reason as well. Using a description that expresses the content of the photo itself helps your product listing seem relevant and accurate to search engines.
This is especially relevant when it comes to image-based searches, where the alt text is what the search engines use to index pictures related to specific keywords. Potential customers can therefore find you when looking through image searches, as long as your descriptions are accurate.
Go one step further:
If you’d like to do more to help your site’s optimization, there are a few more things you can do:
Local listings
Local listings are the business listings that come up when a customer searches for specific products or services. They are the internet equivalent of the phone book, and are good to focus on to gain local customers. Adding your business as a listing can work well, since local listing sites already hold weight with search results rankings.
Top listing sites to submit to are: Google Listings, Yellow Pages, and Manta. You will need to add your business name, address, phone number, website address, and other various information. Include a category that would describe your business, if the option is offered.
Please note: Some sites will require verification via postcard or phone call.
- Google Listings – Get instructions here.
- Yellow Pages – Get started here.
- Manta – Add your business here.
- Other local listings – Yahoo! Local, Bing Places, and White Pages are also great sites to list on.
Get reviews
We all read online reviews. Having your business listed on sites such as Yelp can help your search rankings. Having reviews from happy customers also attracts more customers and validates your business.
- Yelp – Having a listing on Yelp can give you a leg up on competitors who don’t. Getting reviews on Yelp is even better. Start by claiming your business here.
- Google+ Business – If you’ve added your business to Google listings, you can encourage customers to review that listing. Read more here.
- Angie’s List – If you deal with customers directly you’ll want to consider Angie’s List. Learn more on Angie’s List business center.
Additional paid options
One popular way to increase traffic is utilizing pay-per-click options. Here are a couple places to start:
- Google – Google’s pay-per-click ad system.
- Social Ads – Social sites such as Facebook and Twitter are now offering business advertising.
- Online Ad Campaigns – There are many sites offering paid advertising. The best suggestion is to ask your customers where and how they shop – and make sure you are there!
