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It can be daunting for e-commerce businesses to compete against their peers to establish search rank on Google. But being competitive in your niche really comes down to setting up a strong digital footprint on Google.

We’ve already talked about different features that users expect when visiting your site and key points to consider when targeting sales. These are useful tips to keep in mind to enhance your user experience.

Now, it’s time to take a look at a few digital marketing strategies that you can employ to boost your Google search ranking. After all, more eyes on your content/products means a higher chance of landing conversions.

Invest in Paid Advertising

One of the most popular way for e-commerce stores to rank on Google is to invest in paid advertising. These are ad spots at the top and side of a Google page that businesses can buy to promote their products.

If you were to type “shoes” into Google, the first few results will be paid advertisements from retailers, marked by the green “Ad” button.

Because people search for items using specific keywords, it’s important to know which search terms your consumer base would use to find your products so that you can effectively purchase ad space on those pages.

This might seem like an easy solution to get to the top of searches in a short amount of time, but ad space can be extremely competitive/costly for popular keywords.

Basing your marketing strategy entirely on paid search campaigns can quickly become expensive. Instead, try combining an effective paid search campaign with organic tactics.

Follow Search Engine Optimization Strategies

Search engine optimization (SEO) can be extremely effective when you’re looking to improve search rankings. SEO targets organic search results — results that aren’t paid ads — by optimizing content to be indexable by search engines such as Google.

Let’s go back to our example. Beneath the paid ads, you can see the top organic rankings for the keyword “shoes.”

Google’s algorithm has deemed these sites to be reliable sources when it comes to “shoes” based on the site’s content, its URL structure and overall layout, and the endorsements it’s received from other “shoe” sites.

Following SEO best practices is generally a great starting point because it’s far more cost-effective than PPC. As Google notes, however, it takes about 4–6 months for SEO strategies to produce notable returns.

If you don’t have the time to wait, consider supporting your SEO campaign with paid ads to tide you over until you see results.

Find the Right Service Provider

Although there are resources that small businesses can reference to get started on a digital strategy, there might be times when the situation calls for expertise outside of your domain.

Some reasons might be:

• You’re unsure of which keywords to target.
• You’re trying to rank for particularly difficult/competitive terms.
• You’re looking to redesign your site structure to be SEO-friendly.

In these cases, it’s helpful to find a provider who can help you navigate the process.

Try comparing different service providers on Clutch to get a sense of who might fit your project best. In addition to data-driven research, Clutch names us on its list of the top web designers in New York, proving we can provide the best design for your website.

Ranking on Google Is Essential for Small Businesses

Low website traffic is the top website challenge for small businesses, but having a good website will help you rank higher in search results while also boosting your visitor count.

With these tips in mind, you’ll have a basic idea of strategies to consider when trying to rank your website. We strive to create and market custom websites that keep your business on the leading edge of design. If you’re looking for a powerful new site that can help you rank higher on Google, don’t hesitate to contact us for a consultation!