How to improve SEO for a BigCommerce store?

@ervin.williamson 

Improving SEO for a BigCommerce store involves several strategies, ranging from on-page optimization to technical enhancements and content creation. Here are some effective ways to enhance your BigCommerce store's SEO:

1. Keyword Research: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to identify relevant keywords for your products. Focus on a mix of short-tail and long-tail keywords that align with user intent and your products.
2. Optimize Product Pages: Ensure that each product page has a unique and descriptive title tag and meta description with target keywords. Use keyword-rich and natural language in product descriptions, headings, and image alt text. Ensure your images have descriptive filenames and use alt tags to help with image search traffic.
3. Improve Site Structure: Use a logical hierarchy for categories and subcategories to make navigation intuitive. Implement breadcrumbs to help users and search engines understand your site's structure. Ensure your store's URLs are clean, descriptive, and include keywords relevant to the product or category.
4. Mobile Optimization: Make sure your BigCommerce store is mobile-responsive, as Google uses mobile-first indexing. Ensure fast loading times on mobile devices by optimizing images and leveraging browser caching.
5. Content Marketing: Start a blog to create high-quality, informative content around your products and related topics. Use the blog to target additional keywords and improve your internal linking structure. Encourage user-generated content, like reviews and ratings, to increase engagement and provide fresh content.
6. Technical SEO: Use BigCommerce’s built-in tools to generate an XML sitemap and submit it to Google Search Console. Implement structured data markup (e.g., product schema) to help search engines better understand your content. Regularly check for and fix broken links or errors that may impact user experience or indexing.
7. Local SEO: If you have a physical location, optimize your store for local SEO by setting up and maintaining a Google My Business profile. Encourage customer reviews and provide consistent and accurate location information across all platforms.
8. Build Backlinks: Reach out to industry blogs, influencers, and websites for backlinks to your store. Create shareable content that naturally attracts backlinks and social media shares.
9. Social Media Integration: Share your products and blog content across social media channels to drive traffic and improve brand visibility. Encourage social shares by adding social sharing buttons to your product pages and blog posts.
10. Track and Analyze Performance: Use tools like Google Analytics and BigCommerce built-in reporting to track traffic, conversion rates, and other important metrics. Adjust your strategies based on performance data to continually improve your SEO efforts.

Implementing these strategies should help boost your BigCommerce store’s visibility in search engine results, attract more traffic, and ultimately drive more sales.