You can sell your products online on many marketplaces and all of these platforms benefit from SEO. From improving your photos to writing better product descriptions, on-page SEO is key if you want your product listings to rank in search.
What is Marketplace SEO?
Marketplace SEO is about making a platform with many sellers – such as Airbnb, Etsy or Amazon – easy to find in search engines. It means improving product details, organizing the website well, and leveraging customer reviews and content. Optimizing listings on these platforms helps more people find the products and increases sales for everyone involved.
For example, Etsy offers store owners many opportunities to improve their product listings by writing detailed product descriptions or adding great images. This means that every well-optimized, handcrafted item ends up in the search results. Likewise, Airbnb allows property owners to update their listings with local keywords so that they appear when users search for accommodations in specific areas.
Effective marketplace SEO means Etsy listings are among the top results when someone searches for “vintage leather bags.” Or if a traveler searches for a “secluded cabin in Vermont,” Airbnb’s optimized listings will appear. The result, of course, is a quick connection of marketplace buyers and sellers.
On-page SEO for marketplaces
You can use on-page SEO as a tool for marketplace SEO. This directly impacts how easily potential customers find your listings. Take the time to optimize elements like titles, descriptions, and images. Ultimately, you will find that your marketplace listings are more visible in search results. Of course, this visibility should hopefully lead to more clicks and more sales.
When each page is properly optimized, search engines understand your content better, which improves your rankings. This means your marketplace appears in front of the right audience at the right time.
Optimize images
For marketplace SEO, you need good images to grab attention and show the quality of your products. If possible, make sure your images are high-resolution and professionally taken. All your images should be relevant and show the product from more than one angle to give buyers a good feel for it.
Add clear alt text like “handmade ceramic mug” to make your images more accessible and help search engines identify what the image shows. This improves the SEO of your marketplace listings and makes them more attractive to users using voice-based browsers.
Don’t forget to optimize the image itself. Compress files to maintain quality while reducing loading times, as slow-loading images can turn off users. Tools like Squoosh can help with compression without losing quality. Make sure the file names are meaningful and contain keywords if necessary, such as: B. “Organic cotton shirt.jpg” to further increase visibility in the search.
Create great titles and meta descriptions
Titles and meta descriptions can attract users from search engine results. Creating an engaging title means more than just adding keywords; It should capture what the page is about. Keep it short but descriptive, such as “Elegant Summer Dresses – Affordable Fashion Online.” This approach grabs users’ attention and clearly tells them what to expect. Make sure the titles are not too long so that they appear fully in search results without being cut off.
Descriptions provide further details about your listing. A good meta description should highlight features and benefits. It’s also worth mentioning why people should click on your listing and not your competitor. Here’s a good example: “Discover our range of elegant summer dresses made from breathable fabrics for comfort and style. Perfect for any occasion, at prices you will love.” It includes all the keywords and appeals to the customer. Keep it short, precise and engaging.
Write great product descriptions
Product descriptions sell your products. If you want to sell your products, you need to invest a lot of time in writing good product descriptions. Start by understanding your audience and use that insight to address their needs and concerns. Write naturally and include all the keywords you want the product to rank for.
Many sellers just list features, but it’s better to explain them in context. Here’s an example: “This eco-friendly bamboo toothbrush is designed for comfort and sustainability, reducing your carbon footprint while providing a gentle clean.” By writing this way, you’ll set your products apart from your competitors.
Another way to make your products stand out is through storytelling, or vivid language that conveys an image. Here’s one: “Imagine sipping your morning coffee from this handcrafted ceramic mug, whose unique glaze reflects the hand of the craftsman.” Instead of just listing details, appeal to the buyer’s emotions. This also provides an opportunity to make the shopping experience more personal.
Whatever you do, avoid using the manufacturer-provided texts as they are used on thousands of websites. Try to make it unique for you and your customers.
Use product specifications correctly
You need to list specifications to help customers decide whether they want to buy that particular product. It is important to list these product specifications carefully. Make sure you present details such as product labels, dimensions, materials, weight and compatibility in a way that is easy to scan.
This makes it easier for customers to quickly find the information they need. It also helps search engines index your content more effectively. Including specifications can give customers more confidence when purchasing the product because they know exactly what they are buying.
Additionally, think about the unique features that can make specifications stand out. For example, computer buyers would like to know what kind of processor a laptop has. Buyers use this information to compare products based on specific technical features. Use bullet points where appropriate to present the data clearly and concisely.
Implement schema markup
You can’t live without schema markup if you want to improve your marketplace’s SEO. Schema markup adds structured data to your products that helps search engines understand and interpret your products. If you do it well, your products may get comprehensive results, such as: B. additional star ratings, prices and availability.
For example, an article with product and reviews markup could display a 4.8 star rating and price directly in Google. These listings appeal to customers and could result in better CTR.
If you want to add schema to your products, you’ll need to use specific markup types that are relevant to your marketplace, such as: B. Product, rating and offer schemes. Tools like Yoast SEO can automatically implement schema code for you. Whatever you do, don’t forget to test your structured data to make sure it’s implemented correctly and up to date.
Use Yoast SEO for Shopify
Working on your online store can be tedious, but luckily there are tools to help you. Yoast SEO for Shopify is a great app that makes management much easier. It has content optimization features, AI tools for creating great titles and meta descriptions, and many schema improvements. Together, these features contribute to your store’s visibility in search
Conclusion on marketplace SEO
For your marketplace to be successful, you need on-page SEO. Work on product visibility and engagement by improving images, creating clear meta tags, and refining product details. Tools like Yoast SEO for Shopify simplify this process. These methods can attract more visitors and improve your marketplace performance.
Edwin is an experienced strategic content specialist. Before joining Yoast, he worked at a top web design magazine, where he developed a strong understanding of how to create great content.
