Have you ever wondered how some e-commerce stores manage to drive so much organic traffic from search engines?
Getting on that first page of Google for your most important keywords can transform your business almost overnight.
But learning the ropes of effective blogging and search engine optimization (SEO) is no simple feat.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through a proven process for building an e-commerce blog that ranks high and converts visitors into loyal customers.
You’ll learn insider tips on conducting keyword research, creating compelling content, building quality backlinks, repurposing content across channels, and analyzing performance data.
Whether you currently have a blog or are looking to start one from scratch, you’ll discover plenty of actionable tactics to integrate into your strategy right away.
With the right groundwork laid through your content, your online store can tap into an invaluable stream of organic traffic and sales over the long term.
Key takeaways
- Starting an e-commerce blog builds your brand, retains customers, and drives organic traffic and sales through SEO. It takes time to work but delivers immense value.
- Conduct thorough keyword research to identify high-potential search terms and questions to optimize your content for. Tools like Answer the Public can help.
- Create compelling, on-topic content that provides value and answers search intents, while seamlessly integrating your products or offers.
- Link building is crucial for rankings and traffic lift, but avoid “black hat” tactics that could get you penalized by search engines.
- Repurpose top-performing content across channels like social media and email. Analyze performance data closely to double down on what works.
Why a blog?
Starting a blog is not an arbitrary decision at least if you intend on doing things right.
Many brands get this wrong because they don’t have a clear idea about how a blog can benefit their bottom lines.
A blog for an e-commerce brand has three main purposes:
- Brand building: Creating engaging content for your audience is one of the best ways of positioning your brand. Think about the value of being the go-to source of information and opinions on your niche.
- Customer retention: A blog can help educate your customers on the value of your products. Related to brand building, content can be a valuable asset to share with your audience and keep them engaged.
- SEO: Probably the most important of all reasons. Ranking organically on searches related to what you sell can be an incredibly cost-effective and long-term way of acquiring new customers.
The problem here is that blogging effectively is not easy.
But those brands that know how to play this game are surely reaping amazing results.
Don’t take my word for it, here is what a survey of marketers says about it:
- 69% of marketers actively invest time in SEO
- 76% of marketers report that content marketing generates demand/leads
- 63% of marketers say that content marketing helps to nurture the audience/customers/leads
- 50% say that it helps build loyalty with existing clients/customers
The times of SEO
It’s not rainbows and butterflies with SEO, however.
One of its main drawbacks is that it takes time to work. And if you don’t know what you are doing, you might spend 6 months or more waiting to find out you just screwed up.
Expert help is always recommended.
But to give you an idea of what you could expect, let’s take a look at this case study from Siege Media published on Search Engine Land:
The article goes into great detail about their strategy, but let’s focus on the timing.
It took them 4 months to start seeing some traction, and from month 6 growth started booming.
Is this what will happen with your brand’s website?
I can’t tell.
Perhaps it takes you 9 months to see traction, or perhaps Google starts smiling at you from month 3.
SEO can and will take time, and as I mentioned, the best way of not wasting it is by working with experts who have a reputable track record.
Keyword research
Every SEO strategy starts with keyword research.
Keywords are phrases that users commonly search for.
“Best guitar for blues” is a keyword with commercial intent.
Finding the right ones to tackle with your content strategy is more art than science, but a great starting point is looking at what the competition is doing.
A great bit of common sense is also recommended.
It’s great to go after informational-intent keywords like “how to wash a cotton t-shirt”, however, an audience looking for things like that is harder to sell to.
I’m not saying, by any means that you should completely skip these kinds of keywords. I’m just setting the right expectations.
In all cases, there’s something we SEOs call “topical authority” which can be viewed as a bonus Google gives to websites ranking for a homogeneous topic, rather than being all over the place.
Answer The Public is a great tool that can kickstart your keyword research by giving you common questions and search phrases people use for a certain “seed” term.
However, you don’t need fancy tools, or any tools at all to research keywords.
Just pen, paper, or a spreadsheet and a computer with access to Google will work out just fine.
Content writing
“Master the topic, the message, and the delivery.” — Steve Jobs, Co-Founder, Apple
Once you have a sheet full of potential keywords to go after, it’s time to cluster them into actual content pieces.
The best advice to be effective at it is to stay on topic.
Don’t try to cram many similar relative issues into a single article.
If in doubt, ask Google: Do a search for the main keyword and see what top-ranking articles include, and more importantly, what they kept out.
In terms of the content itself, what can I tell you other than “go above and beyond and try to write the very best piece possible”?
Pick the right angle, do better research, and be more charismatic in your writing.
But more importantly, never forget to sell.
Incorporate your offer organically into the content, such as I’m doing with this article.
Provide amazing value, but make the pitch.
There’s no shame in selling.
And if writing content is the two most boring words put together you ever read, we have something for you.
Boardroom helps you create SEO-optimized blog posts for your store with our AI-driven platform.
You name the topic, and our tool does the writing for you.
Sounds like a great deal?
That’s because it really is!
Check this out, and many other amazing features here.
Link building
The next logical step, but perhaps a big jump in technical difficulty and nuances, is to start building links back to your site.
As a baseline, you should already have interlinked your content coherently and intentionally with your collection and product pages, as well as with other relevant articles.
But now, one of the most important things regarding SEO is to get other websites to point links towards your domain.
A classic case study for this is what the guys at Backlinko did with their skyscraper technique, acquiring hundreds of backlinks in just a few weeks:
And getting a significant boost in organic sessions:
You can read the full story here.
We could talk for hours about how to do it, and its potential benefits, but that’s out of the scope of this article.
However, let me talk to you about its risks:
Google (and other search engines) doesn’t like people gaming the system.
Any link-building strategy that doesn’t look organic to the algorithm has the potential to be penalized.
Penalties come in the form of ranking demotions, so this is something you’d like to avoid.
Processes for everything
As you start getting your content pipeline in place, you will notice that there are so many moving parts, where things can go wrong easily.
The best way of preventing this from happening is by having processes in place for every sequence of work publishing a new article on your site requires.
From keyword research to keyword clustering, to outlining the topic and coming up with the first draft to editing and publishing.
Everything can be run as an independent system that works as a well-oiled machine in the context of the overall operation.
Hire the right talent
Naturally, you won’t be writing every single one of the content pieces for your blog.
So, outsourcing this task will not only be convenient but also required, for you to focus on actually running the business.
There are several common alternatives to tackle this necessity:
- Hiring freelancers
- Building your own team in-house
- Working with an agency
- A mix of the former
Let’s talk about the pros and cons of each:
| Content Production Method | Pros | Cons |
| Hiring Freelancers | Cost-effective Flexible and scalable Access to a wide range of skills and specializations | Less control over work quality No long-term commitmentCoordination challenges |
| Building In-House Team | Greater control over contentConsistent brand voiceDedicated team aligned with company goals | Higher costs (salaries, benefits, training) Time-consuming recruitment and management Limited to in-house expertise |
| Working with an Agency | Professional and experienced teamsBroad skill set and resourcesScalability and reliability | Higher cost than freelancers Less direct control over content Potential for misalignment with brand vision |
| Mix of the Above Methods | Balanced approachFlexibility and controlBroad skill range and scalability | Complex coordination and managementPotential inconsistency in content qualityHigher management overhead |
Repurpose
46% of marketers think that repurposing content is more effective than creating new content from scratch.
Now that you have a great long-form piece of content, why not also leverage it for social media and your newsletter?
All the heavy lifting has already been done, and now it’s just a matter of reframing the tone into one that works best for the chosen medium.
Your clients on TikTok won’t resonate with the same things as your colleagues on LinkedIn, but both groups are extremely valuable.
Also, repurposing could be a quick way to test your content with your audience before SEO starts kicking in and to get a faster ROI.
Finally, remember that tools like ChatGPT are great for this.
See what’s working and scale
As soon as your content starts getting eyes on it, you should set a feedback loop.
Be strict and profound with your analysis, and put all of your attention on what drives the bottom line.
Traffic means nothing if it doesn’t convert to sales.
Don’t get distracted by vanity metrics.
Boardroom can help you manage all your different analytics in one place.
Connect your data points and get 40+ KPIs calculated for you.
But don’t take my word for it, our clients say that this is a game changer for any e-commerce company.
You can start a free trial here, and check it out for yourself.
Examples of great e-commerce blogs
Now that you have a broad idea of what an effective blogging strategy looks like for an e-commerce brand, let’s get to the practical side of things.
Here are 5 real-life e-commerce companies that are doing a great job with their blog.
1. Lick
Lick is a London-based direct-to-consumer home decor startup, founded in mid-2019.
It has raised significant funding to expand its product offerings and launch new sustainability initiatives.
Lick targets millennials with a content-rich consumer journey and offers a range of paints, wallpapers, and blinds.
It also provides design tips and inspiration, along with a commitment to sustainability, including planting a tree for every roll of wallpaper or pair of blinds sold.
2. The Sports Edit
The Sports Edit’s “The Editorial” section offers expert advice and articles covering various aspects of fitness, yoga, running, and well-being.
It includes shoe reviews, buying guides, and tips on nutrition and general health.
This platform seems to be designed to provide valuable information to fitness enthusiasts and those seeking guidance in their fitness journey, with a focus on helping them make informed decisions regarding sports and wellness products.
3. Wolf and Badger
The Wolf & Badger Magazine offers a variety of content focused on inspiration, environment, and creativity.
Their articles include topics such as making environmentalism accessible, deep dives into horoscopes, sustainable and ethical shopping guides, and gift guides.
The latter are indeed a great opportunity to feature their own products.
Additionally, there are features on various creators, fashion week celebrations, and insights into designing warm and inviting spaces like wine bars.
This magazine appears to cater to those interested in lifestyle, sustainability, and fashion.
4. We Are Dame
The DAME blog, titled “The Pioneer,” focuses on a range of topics related to menstrual health and sustainable period products.
It includes articles that discuss the comfort and maintenance of period pants, the workings of period pants, and their benefits.
The blog also covers topics such as the first-time experience of sex, herbal remedies for period pain, the differences between organic and normal tampons, and the health benefits of sustainable period products.
It’s a resource for those seeking information on menstrual health and eco-friendly period care options such as the ones they offer on their e-commerce.
5. Bulletproof
The Bulletproof’s blog covers a wide range of topics related to health, nutrition, and lifestyle.
It includes recipes, dietary tips, and information on various diets like keto and low-carb.
The blog also provides insights on supplements, wellness tips, and ideas for healthy meals and snacks.
Additionally, there are articles addressing specific health concerns like gut health, immune support, and the benefits of various nutrients and food types.
This resource is tailored for those interested in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and learning more about nutrition and wellness, exactly the kind of people that could be interested in their products.
6. SPDLOAD
SPDLoad is a software development agency that has a unique blog extolling the best practices in their space. Check out their homepage here!
7. Irresistible Me
Irresistible Me is a hair extension and haircare company that operates on Shopify. They use their blog to target common search terms from their audience. You can view a sample of their terrific blog posts at this link!
Conclusion
As you can see, blogging for e-commerce SEO and traffic generation requires an ongoing investment of time and strategic effort.
But brands that learn how to play the long game with their content reap enormous rewards over time.
Now that you understand the key elements for e-commerce blogging success, why not conduct an audit of your current content strategy?
Identify any gaps and commit to continual optimization informed by performance data and testing.
With the right building blocks firmly in place, you’ll watch your organic traffic and conversions grow steadily alongside the value you provide to customers.
For hands-on support in developing and executing a winning e-commerce content strategy tailored to your brand, explore working with an experienced digital marketing agency.
Their expertise can help you take the guesswork out of SEO while making the most of your marketing budget.
Note: this is a guest post written by Rami Somo.
