The websites which have great content, have backlinks and are SEO optimized in all other ways receive higher rating by the search engines. It is thus essential that all the websites are developed and all the content on it is framed in keeping with the SEO parameters. The question now, staring every virtual business in the face, is- how to choose the best ecommerce platform for SEO.
Yes. Choosing the correct platform is very important. All those facing such trouble in reaching a conclusion, will find respite in the answers about ‘how to choose the best ecommerce platform for SEO’ given here:
• Option for Independent Page Titles:
Page titles, that is, the titles on the tab top of browser have high probability of getting a website/ page rated high in search engines if the title has a keyword. Some platforms do not allow the option to set unique titles for pages. Instead they take on default titles which are usually not SEO efficient. So it is best to ensure that the platform you choose allows for independent page titles.
• Allow for 301 Redirects:
As certain products get discontinued or certain categories become obsolete, most ecommerce platforms delete the pages by default. It would instead be beneficial for the business to redirect the traffic to other product/ category pages. Again, this option isn’t available in all platforms, so pick the one where it is.
• Separate Navigation Links and Page URLs:
The content that makes up the link the navigation menu i.e. the navigation links also play an important role in SEO optimization. When automatically generated, they may be clunky and not keywords- rich. So always go for a platform that provides you with the freedom to set independent navigation links. The same goes for the URLs which are automatically generated. So when looking to answer- ‘how to choose the best ecommerce platform for SEO’ –choose the one which again gives you the freedom in this respect.
• Meta Description:
Meta description refers to the content shown on the Google result page along with the site/ page name. This content impacts the search engine ranking indirectly by being the deciding factor in whether the visitor clicks on the page link or not. Now, the automated creation of the Meta description by ecommerce platforms may or may not include the important keywords. Also it may or may not be enticing enough. Hence, another answer to the question- ‘how to choose best ecommerce platform for SEO’ is- go against any platform that has default Meta description feature and restricts independence in creating it.
• Going Live with robots.txt Disallow:
While in development stages the robots.txt disallow command keeps the search engines from tracking the site. A common mistake made here is forgetting to turn the robots to “index, follow” command leaving the site undiscoverable by search engines even after it has gone live.
• Canonicalization:
Listing, indexing and ranking of a single page or content under different URLs is called canonicalization. So, all the products that can come under more than one category can be accessed under appropriately multiple URLs. This is the best way to avoid duplication of URLs and make them SEO efficient.
Bay 20 has provided the guidance and support to many businesses seeking the answer to the most important question in ecommerce i.e. how to choose the best ecommerce platform for SEO. We are proud of our expertise and will be glad to serve all.
Please contact us at manish@bay20.com or call us at +91-8800519180 for any support related to SEO. You can also visit the SEO Packages and Services page to check the services we offer.