Responding to a question submitted to him on February 26, 2009, Matt Cutts of Google provided the following answer to someone in the British Isles who wanted to know how to optimize en e-commerce website.
How do I optimize an e-commerce site without rich content?
More specifically, the questioner wanted to know how to improve the value of an e-commerce site that was lacking in rich content. This seems to be a question that practically answers itself, but Matt gamely treats it with serious consideration and offers a number of strategies to enhance the experience of the site visitor.
In doing so, he lets drop some information about user feedback received by Google. In essence, many users bitterly resent going to a site and finding that it offers no value in and of itself, but merely offers an additional list of sites to plow through in order to reach whatever destination the user has in mind.
This seems to circle back to the argument about content versus links in many ways. While he does not have a lot of positive advice to offer, Matt does suggest that the site builder put on their “user hat” and examine the problem from the viewpoint of the customer, rather than from that of someone interested only in generating revenue clicks.
He warns against the dangers of creating useless content aggregation sites that serve as nothing more than sub-search engines and suggests that the site operators might find better ways of employing their resources than in creating irritating content.
How to use this guidance
This refreshed guide, How Do I Optimize An E-commerce Site Without Rich Content?, is best used as a practical decision aid rather than a promise of a particular result. Check each recommendation against the visitor’s task, your current offer and the information on the relevant page.
- Define the question a visitor is trying to answer.
- Check the page on a phone as well as a desktop screen.
- Make one specific improvement and record what changed.
- Review customer feedback, search queries and page data before choosing the next change.
Clear language, accurate details and accessible structure make a page easier to use. Avoid claims about rankings, traffic or commercial outcomes that cannot be substantiated.
Frequently asked questions
What should I check first?
Start with the visitor question and the next useful action the page should support.
Should I make every change at once?
No. Focus on one well-defined change so you can review it sensibly.
Do I need to repeat a keyword often?
No. Natural, accurate wording is more useful than repeated phrases.
How can I test clarity?
Check whether essential information is easy to find on common devices.
Will a refresh guarantee better rankings?
No. Search visibility is not guaranteed; usefulness and accuracy are the aims.
What evidence should I review?
Use relevant page data, search queries and customer feedback with current service information.
Why is accessibility relevant?
Clear headings, descriptive links and suitable image text help more people use a page.
When should I review this again?
Review the article when reliable information, audience needs or the service changes.
Leave a Reply