Keyword Research For Ecommerce: 3 Methods You May Not Have Tried
One of the building blocks for SEO work is to undertake keyword research. But if you’re an online store, how does keyword research for ecommerce differ to other types of websites?
While there are a number of differences, of course, one of the main considerations you have to make is the intent behind your keywords.
Different keywords will have different intent.
What is search intent?
Intent is defined as “determined to do something” or “purpose”. When applied to SEO, it signals the action the searcher is looking to carry out.
There are three basic types of search intent:
- Informational – they have a question that they are looking for an answer for
- Navigational – searches that are looking to locate something specific
- Transactional – searchers that are looking to buy something
When performing keyword research for ecommerce stores, you have to consider the intent behind the search.
What is the purpose of keyword research?
The purpose of keyword research is to identify the search terms that your audience will be using to find your website or product.
The keywords that you unearth will inform your SEO strategy and dictate the pages you optimise and the content you create.
But how do you actually perform keyword research for ecommerce websites?
Let’s explore five methods you may not be using.
Conduct a keyword gap analysis
The majority of keyword research is centred around discovering keywords that you currently rank for and finding alternative keywords that are relevant to the current ranking keywords.
But are you considering what your competitors are currently ranking for?
A keyword gap analysis is an important stage of keyword research for ecommerce websites as it discovers gaps in your keyword targeting.
By undertaking this competitor research and discovering these keywords you’ll find opportunities to drive growth when it comes to organic traffic.
Utilise Reddit to discover topics important to your audience
Reddit is a great tool that is under-utilised by those in the SEO community. It’s a place where your community hangs out. It’s where they ask questions related to products like yours.
But how do you find the right subreddit (that’s what they call each community) for your sector?
A simple Google search of a relevant keyword + reddit should give you the results you need.
For example, we’ve Googled “Reddit skincare” as we have a client, The Edinburgh Natural Skincare Company, in the skincare sector.
The second result is a link to r/SkincareAddictionUK, a subreddit based in the UK that discusses skincare.
Looking through the first few threads throws up some interesting questions asked by real people, some of which I’ve listed below:
- Tips on choosing products when your skin type is dry but your concern is breakouts?
- Any tips on how to get rid of eye bags?
- How do you wash your face?
- Looking for a super gentle overnight face mask?
These types of questions can inform our blog content as there’s a good chance that users are searching for answers for these on Google as well as on Reddit.
Amazon can be a great tool when doing keyword research for ecommerce
Wondering how you can use Amazon to complete keyword research for your ecommerce store?
One of the web’s biggest websites is a powerful tool for discovering ideas and long-tail for your keyword research.
Taking our skincare example, we’ve entered skincare into the search bar on Amazon.
Straight away that gives us a list of keywords and product ideas, including:
- Skincare gift set for women
- Skincare set for teenage girls
- Skincare organiser
By searching for one of these suggested searches you’ll also discover a range of keywords used in product titles and descriptions.
Let’s take this as an example:
This result from the skincare brand e.l.f includes the keyword ‘travel friendly skincare set’ in the product title.
Similarly if we click into the product page then we can take inspiration from some of the terms in the product description, such as:
- Skincare on the go
- Compatible with all skin types
- 100% cruelty-free and vegan
Final Word
There are so many great ways to carry out your keyword research for ecommerce websites. In fact, there are lots of great free SEO tools for ecommerce stores that you can use to discover great keywords to target.
It’s always useful to think outside the box to discover keywords that your competitors may not be thinking of. From Amazon to Reddit, finding unique keywords will give you the leverage to drive growth for your organic traffic.