Why Is Keyword Research So Important for Ecommerce?

In the world of ecommerce, having the right content that makes you visible and relevant to your target audience is vital. Since everything about ecommerce happens online, establishing a robust digital presence is one way to stay in business.

One critical component to keep in mind is keyword research for ecommerce. It is the process of finding words that your target audience uses, allowing you to incorporate them into your content. With the right keyword research strategies, you can improve your search engine optimization (SEO) rankings and reach the top of search engine results pages (SERPs).

At Kreidman, we’re diving deeper into the intricacies of ecommerce keyword research to help you understand this topic. Let’s dive in.

What Is Keyword Research?

To understand the importance of keyword research, let us first define what it is. Keyword research is a foundational process of finding the best words and phrases to use in your content. Through keyword research, you learn user intent and behavior, which allows you to align your marketing strategies, product offerings, and content to the demands of your potential customers.

The goal is to incorporate keyword phrases that your target audience uses in search queries into your content. Having these words in your content is one way to increase your relevance, making visitors more likely to engage with your website and buy your products or services.

Keyword research also contributes to good SEO rankings. Google and other search engines prioritize websites with relevant content on SERPs. So, if you have blogs or articles that use phrases close to what a user typed in the search bar, you’re more likely to appear on the front page of the results.

2 Types of Keywords

There are two broad categories of keyword phrases that you want to find during keyword research. These are: 

1. Short-Tail Keywords: These keywords are generic terms that consist of at most three words. These have high search volume, meaning there’s high competition. 
2. Long-Tail Keywords: Conversely, long-tail keywords use three or more words, and they are highly specific. Finding these phrases and using them in your content makes you more likely to rank high since search volumes are relatively low.

The Importance of Keyword Research in Ecommerce

Keyword research serves as a bedrock for many aspects of your company’s marketing strategies. Here are reasons why this process is critical to your operations. 

Tells You What Customers Are Looking For

There’s a misconception that keyword research can help create demand for your product, but it isn’t true. Instead, you need keyword research to understand what customers are looking for. This marketing insight is what you use to determine trends and create content that adapts to what your target audience is currently seeking. So rather than hoping there is demand for what you are selling, you instead need to understand what the demand is.

Let’s create an example. Ecommerce brand “Beauty X” is selling natural skincare products. The company’s first instinct is to write content that uses “natural skincare” after assuming that this type of product is what their target customers are looking for. 

If they did keyword research, Beauty X would find that “natural skincare” is too broad of a search term. The actual ecommerce keywords their target audience uses are more specific, such as “organic anti-acne serum” or “vegan treatments for combination skin.” After doing keyword research, the company can pivot and use these keywords in its content. When potential customers Google these words again, Beauty X will most likely appear in the search results. The company now enjoys more traffic and conversions on its website.

Provides Insight for New Marketing Opportunities

Keyword research does more than help you refocus your content efforts. The process can actually help you expand your brand or offerings. These new opportunities allow you to grow your business or publish content that’s relevant to a new audience. 

Markets

With keyword research, you can find new markets that may have a bigger demand for your products or services. For example, Beauty X has an organic oatmeal lotion that is primarily marketed to people with dry skin. During keyword research, they found that oatmeal-based skin care products are also popular for people with skin disorders like eczema or dermatitis. Beauty X can then publish content with long-tail keywords like “colloidal oatmeal lotion for people with eczema” to reach this new market.

Features or Elements of Products

Keyword research can also help you find features of your product that you didn’t think were worth highlighting in the first place. Let’s say that Beauty X offers an organic sunscreen that has no added scents. The company found out during keyword research that there’s a considerable search volume for fragrance-free sunscreen. Beauty X can then publish content for long-tail keywords like “Scent-free organic sunscreen” to boost rankings for this particular item. 

Product Development

If you’re planning to expand your product range or offer new services, keyword research is helpful in two ways. One, it can tell you if there’s a demand for the new offering. Two, keyword research can reveal what types of products are currently in demand through monthly search volumes. Having these insights helps you plan new offerings that are most likely to sell. 

Let’s say that Beauty X is planning to expand its skincare range to include anti-aging creams. Keyword research can help the ecommerce company identify the current demands of its target audience and release products that address these needs. Keyword research can also allow Beauty X to focus on writing content for new product features that have large search volumes, like trending skincare ingredients.

Starting Your Keyword Research: Steps To Take

Now that you understand the critical importance of ecommerce keyword research, you may be considering how to start this process. Here are some things you can do. 

1. Leverage Keyword Research Tools: The simplest way to begin keyword research is by using tools like Google Keyword Planner and Semrush. These resources give you comprehensive insights into keyword topics and phrases as well as metrics like search volume.
2. Analyze the Competition: You can check your competition’s websites to find the keywords they use in their content. The types of headings, page content, and post tags they use can give you insight into their keyword research strategies.
3. Work With an Experienced Marketing Team: Marketing firms like Kreidman can help with every aspect of your ecommerce marketing needs, particularly keyword research. You can simply sit back and let the experts handle the work.

Wrapping Up: The Importance of Keyword Research for Ecommerce

Keyword research plays a critical role in helping ecommerce businesses enhance visibility and maintain relevance. By finding the right combination of phrases that search engine visitors use, your company can create content that addresses their needs. Keyword research can also help you pivot your content based on market demands. You can adapt to emerging trends and increase the traffic to your website at the same time.

For more information about keyword research and related topics, contact Kreidman today!