Off the top of your head, where do you think most people go to find a brand or product: Google, or Amazon?
If you said Google, congratulations!
You’re wrong.
Google may be the king of search engines in general but more shoppers are looking elsewhere for their buying needs. In fact, 51% of online shoppers start their search at Amazon compared to just 16% at Google.
This is being referred to as retail search, and you need to get on it.
Retail Search Optimization
E-commerce platforms like Amazon, Target, Walmart — you name it — are becoming the go-to place for online shoppers looking for products to purchase..
It makes sense. Online shopping is so prevalent that most people now have an e-commerce platform they trust and feel comfortable using. These platforms are usually the top results on Google when looking for what you want, so why not just cut out the middle man?
Retail Search Optimization is based on the same principals and best practices as SEO — a mix of organic and paid content to create awareness, drive traffic and convert leads.
Organic RSO
How do you drive organic retail search results?
The same way you do with organic Google results: keywords.
When users search for an item or product category on an e-commerce site, the site trawls all of its entries to find the most relevant content to share.
Accurate product descriptions laden with relevant keywords that people search for on an e-commerce site will help to drive organic retail search results.
Take note of the word “accurate” — if you write misleading keywords (say, listing a stuffed toy as a puzzle), your product is going to quickly find itself right at the bottom of the list.
Much like with Google, algorithms are in play. These are a bit less vague or temperamental than Google’s; Best Seller Ranking and customer Search Behavior are the biggest driving forces.
Benefits of RSO
Retail Search Optimization can convert buyers to a sale much faster than traditional SEO. Consider that the user is already on an e-commerce site, most likely looking to buy.
Even if they’re not in a buying mood, the more often a person sees your product, the more likely they will buy it when they are ready. The conventional wisdom is a person sees your product seven times before they buy — and with RSO, they’ll get their seven quickly.
This will also convert into offline sales. People regularly use e-commerce platforms to research an item yet still buy in-store. The more people research your product online, the more likely they will buy it when they visit shops.
Should I Focus on RSO or SEO?
This one is easy.
Both.
SEO and RSO function similarly but in different contexts and with different benefits.
SEO can introduce your product or brand to someone long before they’re a potential buyer. Raising awareness, attracting leads, education, relationship building, trust building — these are all crucial aspects of SEO that RSO can’t really provide.
That said, RSO can be crucial for capturing those people in an immediate buying mood. They’re already researching the product or product category you offer. RSO can introduce your product or brand to shoppers who never heard of you. It most certainly can be that final act of exposure that gets them over the line.
Tips for your RSO Strategy
- Combine Paid and Organic Results: Like your Google SEO strategy, a mixture of paid and organic work is best for finding the widest variety of prospective buyers. Start strong with the paid results and ease off as you build momentum.
- Perform Competitor Analyses: Like with any marketing activity you undertake, you want to know who your competition is, how well they’re doing and what they’re doing to get there.
- Capture Brand and Generic Keywords: A popular tactic on e-commerce platforms — and en effective one — is to work with brand keywords that people associate with your product. For example, if you sell toothbrushes and you know Braun is a popular brand, you can use RSO to capture people searching specifically for Braun toothbrushes.
Need help with your E-Commerce platform?
Give us a call at Krohn Media: 888-443-2112