Magento SEO - What's Important for Google

You may not be an SEO guru. But as an online store owner, you should understand what it takes to rank high in search results. Let's get straight to the point!

Google algorithms aren't rocket science; you can grasp them without getting bogged down in technical jargon. Optimizing for them, however, necessitates a certain level of ability and experience. While the internet is full of guidelines and "how-to" articles, chances are you won't be able to improve your SEO.

Why? You will need more time for it, partly because most of it involves difficult code. Another reason is that your eCommerce shop is unique, necessitating an SEO Magento approach customized to your business objectives.

This article will only temporarily solve some of your Magento SEO issues. This blog article attempts to emphasize, extend, and refresh your understanding of what is important to the Google machine in 2022.

Magento SEO Checklist: What Goes First?

User experience deserves first place on the Magento SEO checklist. The most recent modifications to search algorithms reveal that, besides providing useful material, Google wants it to be quick, safe, and user-friendly. The search engine company aims to foster an excellent online experience for all users across the web. Now your SEO on Magento should not be limited to Googlebot crawlers but also take into real account users.

Here are the primary UX aspects that will affect your Magento SEO:

·        Mobile-First Indexing

Forget desktops! Since March 2021, Google has only indexed keywords on your website's mobile versions. To handle the fast-expanding mobile traffic, Google gives phones more ranking weight than PCs. If your mobile websites have few keywords or have urgent SEO concerns, you should make some rapid changes.

·        Web Performance

Slow load times will have a detrimental influence on your SERP rankings. Page speed has been a new ranking factor assessed on a new set of metrics known as Core Web Vitals since Google released the Core Web Vitals upgrade in the summer of 2021. If your site and your competition have identical and relevant content, Google will favor the faster-loading site. So, in addition to improving the buying experience, website design + speed might provide you an advantage over your SEO competition.

·        Safety & HTTPS

Indicating your website's security is a must-have for any online shop. Customers must use the SSL protocol when entering their credit card information on websites. Google will punish websites that do not provide secure connections and hence endanger users' data. So, maintain your Magento 2 website beautiful and safe by updating it to the current version. If you don't update your Magento site regularly, your developers may encounter logic problems.

How to Do SEO on Magento 2?

After you've optimized your business for humans, you should make it available to Google crawlers. The latest Magento version provides a strong basis for Google to comprehend your website. This section covers and discusses SEO Magento 2's technical aspects. Consider it your online store's Magento SEO Checklist.

1.     Magento Sitemap

Creating XML and HTML sitemaps is a critical component of Magento SEO. Crawlers can be 'walked' through your site material, making it easier for them to scan your company. If you direct Google crawlers' paths, they will see only the pages you want them to see. For example, you may promote just popular product pages while ignoring others that buyers aren't interested in purchasing.

Through a series of setting procedures, the Magento 2 version allows you to build an XML sitemap automatically. The Magento 2 settings lack the capability for the HTML sitemap. You may customize an HTML setting with the assistance of a developer or contact our staff to do it for you.

2.     Robot Files

When your XML sitemap is complete, it is stored in robot.txt files. These files inform Google which pages of your website to crawl (or not to crawl). As a result, if your eCommerce site has low-performing items, you may utilize Magento 2 settings to insert the noindex, nofollow tag on product pages that you don't want to be ranked for.

3.     Magento SEO URL

Short, consistent, and legible URLs aid search engines in understanding the page's content. Many experts believe that "URLs" are great for including keys like category or subcategory names. This, however, lengthens URLs and makes them less appealing to users and Google bots.

Nobody enjoys seeing a big string of letters in a URL. If you set the Add Store Code URL to "No," the Magento 2 SEO capability can assist you to shorten your URLs.

4.     Duplicate Content

When numerous URLs refer to the same information, it is a big pain point for many online shops. For example, you may put a white T-shirt in both the "sports" and "casual" categories, resulting in two distinct links pointing to the same product (content). It's also usual for online sellers to copy and paste the product description from the manufacturer's website onto their own. If Google finds identical information on many sites, it will remove it from the SERP.

You may solve this issue using the Canonical Tags function in the Magento 2 Admin panel. When you utilize the canonical Meta tag on a certain page, Google ignores any other identical material on your site.

5.     Internal Links

Google bots try to find relationships between pages when they crawl through your site. They use internal links to move through your online store and identify what type of products you're selling. For example, you're selling sports items, and a crawler lands on soccer shoes. If the soccer shoe product page links to basketball shoes, the Google bot will move to that page and conclude that you're selling sports items.

You can build internal links on Magento 2 with the Related Products feature. Add related items to each product page, and Google will get an idea of what products your store offers.

6.     Magento Meta Keywords

Now, let's say you've done Magento SEO optimization right, Google lifts you in search results, but nobody clicks on your link. Unfortunately, sites with low CTR will only stay short in SERP. A good Meta title and description are crucial for your Magento SEO success. In the Magento 2 admin panel, you can define all Meta information for your homepage.

The bad news is that you won't be able to do the same for the category and product pages. Neither Magento 2 nor Magento 1 support this functionality. So, you have two options available: use one of Magento's SEO extensions or write a custom code setting Meta information for each webpage. We recommend the latter since third-party extensions take more weight and can significantly slow down your store performance.

How to Find a Magento SEO Expert?

If you are a Magento store owner, the chances are that you’ve heard about SEO. If not, it is time to get acquainted with this marketing technique. SEO is a powerful way to increase traffic to your store and make it more visible in search engines for relevant keywords.

But how do you find an expert who can do this for you? You don’t want just any company or individual – you need someone who knows what they are doing and has experience working with Magento stores.

With decades of experience in the industry, Elite SEO Pro knows what it takes to grow a business. They have a team of Magento SEO experts who can help you with your SEO needs.