Ecommerce Keyword Research: Essential Guide with Expert Tips
Keyword research is one of the most important aspects of ecommerce SEO. Finding the right keywords to target can help drive qualified traffic to your online store and increase conversions and revenue.
Keyword selection lays the foundation for the rest of your ecommerce SEO efforts. Ranking for the right keywords can steer qualified traffic to your online store, resulting in more sales.
However, choosing generic, low-traffic keywords will not provide much benefit. You need a systematic process for uncovering keywords with high search volume and commercial intent.
This involves brainstorming keyword ideas, extensive keyword research using the best tools, and thorough analysis to identify winning keywords. The keywords should then be incorporated across your ecommerce site to improve discoverability and rankings.
This comprehensive guide will teach you how to perform effective ecommerce keyword research from start to finish using both free and paid tools. By the end, you’ll have a prioritized list of high-value keywords to optimize your site and content for.
Key Takeaways
- Keyword research identifies high-traffic, revenue-driving keywords to target in your ecommerce SEO strategy.
- The best approach utilizes both free keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner and paid tools like SEMrush.
- Brainstorm keywords around your product categories, brand names, product attributes, and customer intents.
- Look at keyword difficulty, search volume, CPC, and competitor rankings to prioritize keywords.
- Optimize priority keywords across titles, headers, content, product listings, URLs, and more.
- Continuously refine your targets based on search analytics and which keywords convert visitors.
8 Best Ways to Do Ecommerce Keyword Research
- Brainstorm Ecommerce Keyword Ideas
- Perform Keyword Research Using Free and Paid Tools
- Analyze Keyword Metrics to Identify Top Targets
- Organize and Prioritize Your Keyword List
- Optimize Priority Keywords Onsite
- Track Keyword Performance and Refine Over Time
- Incorporate Long-Tail Keywords
- Perform Competitor Keyword Research
#1 Brainstorm Ecommerce Keyword Ideas
The first step is generating a list of potential keyword ideas and search queries to research further.
Take some time to brainstorm different types of keywords that are relevant to your ecommerce business:
Focus on Product Categories and Subcategories
- List out all your main product categories and subcategories. For example, keywords like “dresses,” “cocktail dresses,” “summer dresses,” etc.
Include Brand Name Keywords
- Target keywords containing your brand names, like “ABC brand shoes.”
Consider Attributes of Your Products
- Use keywords around product features like “organic cotton dresses” or “waterproof mascara.”
Identify Customer Buying Intents
- What intent do customers have when searching? Consider “buy dresses online,” “cheap shoe stores,” etc.
Use Similar Keywords and Questions from Google
- Look at the “People also ask” and “Searches related to” sections in Google for more ideas.
Leverage Historical Keywords and Search Terms
- Look at existing content and past ads, and search console data to find more potential keywords.
#2 Perform Keyword Research Using Free and Paid Tools
After compiling a broad list of keyword ideas, you need to dig deeper to gather important metrics for each keyword.
This will help you identify the best keywords to target in your ecommerce SEO that align with search volume, difficulty, and revenue potential.
Utilize both free keyword research tools and paid tools for the most comprehensive data. Here are the best options:
Free Keyword Research Tools
- Google Keyword Planner: Google’s free keyword planning tool provides monthly search volume data along with suggested keywords related to your seed terms.
- Ubersuggest: Ubersuggest is a free keyword research tool from Neil Patel that suggests additional keywords and provides search volume estimates.
- Moz Keyword Explorer: Moz’s tool gives keyword difficulty scores to gauge how hard keywords are to rank for. It also surfaces related long-tail keywords.
- Google Autocomplete and Related Searches: Google’s autocomplete and related searches provide keyword ideas that real users are searching for.
- SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool: SEMrush’s free keyword research tool provides limited search volume data and related keywords.
Paid Keyword Research Tools
- SEMrush: SEMrush provides extensive keyword data, including search volume, CPC, keyword difficulty scores, and competitor tracking.
- Ahrefs: Ahrefs offers keyword research along with competitor keyword tracking and ranking analysis.
- Moz Keyword Explorer PRO: The paid version of Moz’s tool provides clickstream data, rank tracking, and historical metrics.
- KWFinder: KWFinder offers robust long-tail keyword research and metrics like search volume and cost per click.
#3 Analyze Keyword Metrics to Identify Top Targets
Once you’ve gathered keyword research data from multiple sources, you need to dig into the metrics to prioritize the best keywords for your ecommerce SEO.
Here are the key factors to analyze:
Monthly Search Volume
- Higher search volume indicates more searches and potential traffic. But also look for adequate volume for your niche – anywhere from hundreds to thousands of searches monthly.
Keyword Difficulty Score
- This measures how hard it is to rank for a keyword. Aim for keywords with medium difficulty in the 30-60 range.
Cost Per Click (CPC)
- Look at CPC rates in Google Ads to gauge commercial intent. Higher CPC indicates buyers with revenue potential.
Competitor Rankings
- Keywords your competitors rank well for having potential. But also look for rankings gaps you can target.
Clickstream Data
- This shows the actual search journeys and pathways users take to find keywords. Identify opportunities through this data.
Search Trends and Seasonality
- Factor in trends, seasonality, and historical search volumes to evaluate keywords.
Relevancy to Products
- Ensure keywords are highly relevant to your actual products and offerings.
#4 Organize and Prioritize Your Keyword List
Once you’ve analyzed the metrics for your list of keywords, it’s time to organize them into groups and prioritize the best ones to target.
Group Keywords into Themes or Categories
Organize keywords into categories like:
- Product or service types
- Brand names
- Product features and attributes
- Customer intents (informational, commercial, etc.)
- Topic-specific (seasonal, discounts, etc.)
Identify Priority Keywords Based on Metrics
Create tiers like:
- Tier 1 – Highest potential keywords based on volume, relevancy, and more
- Tier 2 – Medium potential keywords worth targeting
- Tier 3 – Low-priority keywords to target later or indirectly
Create Priority Buckets of Keywords
For example:
- Priority page optimization targets
- Priority landing page topics
- Priority paid search targets
- Priority link-building targets
#5 Optimize Priority Keywords Onsite
Now that you’ve identified the most valuable keywords to target, it’s time to optimize them onsite.
Incorporate your priority keywords across different elements of your ecommerce site:
- Keyword-Optimized Title Tags: Include primary keywords in your page titles following best practices.
- Focus Keywords in Headings: Use H1 and H2 tags for primary and secondary keywords where they fit naturally.
- Optimize Page Content and Blogs: Craft page copy and blog posts around priority keywords and topics. Use keywords in content where it flows naturally.
- Product Titles, Descriptions, and Categories: Ensure product titles, descriptions, and assigned categories match high-value keyword opportunities.
- Image Filenames and Alt Text: Incorporate keywords into image names and alt text associated with those keywords.
- URL Optimization: Where possible, include keywords in product URLs and page slugs.
- Enhanced Site Navigation and Architecture: Ensure site architecture and navigation reflect important keyword themes users look for.
#6 Track Keyword Performance and Refine over Time
Keyword research and optimization should be an ongoing process. Continuously track performance and search behavior to identify new opportunities.
- Review Google Search Console Data: Look at search analytics reports to see which keywords drive traffic and conversions. Identify new keyword opportunities.
- Check Google Trends: Google Trends shows rising and falling search volumes. Stay on top of trends in your niche.
- Monitor Rankings: Check rankings monthly for your priority keywords. Improve pages targeting any keywords you’ve lost ground for.
- Analyze Site Search Usage: See which keywords visitors search for on your site. Optimize those pages to rank better.
- Update Keyword Targets Quarterly: Revisit keyword research and modify targets quarterly based on the latest search data.
#7 Incorporate Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are more specific, lower-competition keywords that can help you rank for hyper-targeted searches.
- Identify Relevant Long-Tail Variations: Look for long-tail iterations of your priority keywords using keyword research tools.
- Optimize Pages for Long-Tail Keywords: Create content optimized around long-tail keywords or update existing pages to incorporate them.
- Include Longer Product Titles: Lengthen product titles on category and product pages to weave in long-tail phrases.
- Use Long-Tail Keywords in Metadata: Add long-tail keywords to page descriptions, image alt text, etc.
- Target Lower Competition Long-Tail Terms: Check the keyword difficulty of long-tail options and focus on ones with scores below 30.
#8 Perform Competitor Keyword Research
Research how competitors rank for keywords in your niche and identify potential gaps.
- Generate Competitor Keyword Lists: Use tools like SEMrush to pull keywords for which your competitors rank.
- Compare to Your Rankings: Check where you currently rank for those competitor keywords. Make a list of major ranking gaps.
- Identify Keyword Opportunities: Choose competitor keywords you don’t rank for as potential new targets.
- Improve Pages Targeting Competitor Keywords: Optimize on-page elements to align with competitor keywords for which you want to outrank them.
- Track Monthly Keyword Positions: Check your competitor keyword rankings monthly and improve targeting pages as needed.
Final Thoughts
Keyword research forms the crucial foundation of an effective ecommerce SEO strategy. By identifying and optimizing for keywords that attract qualified organic traffic, you can increase visibility, drive more sales-ready visitors to your online store, and ultimately boost revenue. Approach keyword research as an ongoing process, continuously expanding your lists, monitoring new opportunities, and refining on-page optimization.
With the right high-value keywords powering your ecommerce SEO, you can tap into customer intent and carve out a spot in the lucrative search rankings. Utilize the methodology outlined here to build a conversion-focused keyword strategy that fuels business growth through search engine discoverability.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many keywords should I target on a page?
Aim to optimize each page for 1-2 primary keywords, 2-4 secondary keywords, and 4-8 long-tail keywords. Avoid over-optimizing for too many keywords.
How often should I update my keyword targets?
Revisit keyword research quarterly and make adjustments to your targets based on the latest search data and trends.
What metrics indicate a valuable buyer keyword?
Look for keywords with high CPC rates, commercial intent, and search volumes in the hundreds or thousands. Avoid targeting hyper-competitive keywords.
How do I find low-competition long-tail keywords?
Use keyword research tools to surface long keyword variations. Target ones with low difficulty scores under 30 and decent search volume.
How do I track my keyword rankings?
Monitor your keyword positions over time using tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Moz. Improve pages that have lost rankings monthly.
When should I discontinue targeting a keyword?
If you continually lose ground for a keyword or its search volume declines significantly, it may be time to stop targeting it.
What should I do first in keyword research?
Start by brainstorming an expansive list of keyword ideas before using paid and free tools to gather metrics and identify winners.
How do keywords influence ecommerce conversion rates?
Targeting keywords aligned with buyer intent improves conversion rates. Visitors from commercial searches are further down the funnel.
How often should ecommerce sites refresh their keyword lists?
Ideally, every quarter, but at minimum every six months. Search behavior and trends shift over time.
What are some free keyword research tools?
Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush’s free version, Moz Keyword Explorer, Ubersuggest, Google Trends, and Autocomplete are great free options.
Can I Use Negative Keywords in Google Ads?
Yes, you can use negative keywords in Google Ads. Negative keywords allow you to exclude certain search terms from triggering your ads. By adding negative keywords, you can help ensure that your ads are only shown to people searching for terms that are relevant to your business, reducing irrelevant clicks and improving the overall performance of your campaigns.
To add negative keywords, go to your Google Ads account, navigate to the “Keywords” tab, and click on “Negative keywords.” You can then add the keywords you want to exclude at the campaign or ad group level.
