The online grocery revolution is well underway. Nearly half of the US population (138 million people) already shop via online grocery services.
Experts predict that by 2026, grocery will be the largest ecommerce category in the US, accounting for 19% of all sales. To keep up with changing consumer patterns, grocery sellers need to optimize ecommerce store.
Like every other type of ecommerce business, search engine optimization (SEO) should be a part of your store’s marketing strategy.
This comprehensive guide outlines how to implement effective SEO for grocery strategies that boost brand awareness, draw in customers, and improve your online grocery store’s overall performance.
The impact of SEO on grocery stores
As digital transformation sweeps the grocery retail landscape, many stores have begun offering online channels as an addition to their existing physical channels.
Competition is tough, and the market is only getting more crowded shortly. Small- and mid-sized stores need a way to build their customer base online, and SEO for grocery could be the answer to help them stand out.
For all types of ecommerce stores, including online grocery, the top rows of a search engine results page (SERP) are prime real estate. A global consumer survey from PwC found that 55% of all consumers used search engines as their go-to source for pre-purchase information.
Optimizing ecommerce store SEO is a relatively inexpensive way to build brand awareness and capture a large user base.
Εcommerce store SEO also leads to more engagement, which in turn can lead to more sales. A 2023 report from Semrush found that the top-ranking organic result on a SERP saw an impressive click-through rate (CTR) of 22.4%.
This means that investing in SEO for grocery will result in confirmed engagement with at least one out of every five online consumers who searched for products sold in your store.
With the right SEO strategy, you can increase the volume of traffic to your online grocery store. Read on to discover the main aspects of an SEO strategy that get results.
4 ways to optimize ecommerce store’s SEO
Implement the best practices mentioned below to get the most out of your SEO efforts.
1. Keyword research and targeting
The correct use of keywords is integral to effective SEO for grocery stores. Use phrases in your website content that match popular search queries among consumers.
Look for terms with a high monthly search volume but low competition. For example, let’s consider a grocery store that delivers to customers in the city of Austin, Texas.
The term “online grocery delivery” will be one of the most popular options, but it has a lot of competition worldwide. Meanwhile, “online grocery delivery in Austin” is more specific to the relevant consumers and has much less competition.
Selecting the right keywords and featuring them prominently across your store, in places like product titles, descriptions, and metadata, will draw in more customers. If you need help compiling keywords, you can use various online tools for keyword research.
2. On-page SEO optimization
SEO for grocery isn’t just about attracting customers; it’s also about keeping them on your website, browsing products, and ultimately making a purchase. The best way to do this is to optimize your website structure and internal linking.
Internal links for customers who are browsing your store improve the shopping experience and lead to more sales.
For example, the product page for a particular brand of cereal should also contain links for similar items, like competing cereal brands, or for items that are frequently bought alongside cereal, like milk.
On-page SEO for grocery stores also extends to elements like page URLs and product images. Making sure your page URL is tailored for search engines and prominently featuring images increases the likelihood that your website’s pages will be featured higher in SERPs.
3. Content marketing and blogging
If you want to grow your online grocery store, you need to continuously expand your sales funnel and grow your customer base. One effective method of acquiring new customers is by regularly publishing SEO-friendly content on your website.
Posting relevant and engaging content for your target consumers helps build brand awareness. If the content is high quality and offers value to the consumers, they are more likely to consider your store the next time they are thinking of buying groceries online.
Regular blogs are also an excellent medium to feature more unique long-tail keywords and serve customers by answering frequently asked questions.
4. Off-page SEO and link-building
A backlink is a link from another website that leads to a page on your website. The more backlinks a webpage has, the more valuable it is for SERP rankings.
A lot of backlinks from relevant sites will increase brand awareness and promote a positive perception among consumers.
To optimize ecommerce store link building, reach out to relevant influencers and establish content partnerships.
For example, your grocery store could partner with a local food blogger to cover special seasonal items that are only available for a limited time in your store.
Off-page SEO for grocery is the other side of the coin for on-page SEO optimization. It is just as important and should not be overlooked.
Conclusion
An effective SEO strategy will increase engagement and sales for your online grocery store. The benefits of SEO for grocery become clear over time, and in the long run, you will be able to measure how they have positively impacted your store.
By using the right keywords, optimizing every element of the website, creating content that draws in customers, and cultivating backlinks across the internet, you can achieve lasting success in SEO for grocery.
