Loading ...When the average internet user thinks of a retail site, they usually picture something like Amazon: a huge site, stuffed full of products, with the main goal of turning visits into sales in as short a time as possible.
From a business point of view, of course, this idea is a little too simplistic. Many retail sites operate with far more depth and subtlety than giant online stores, and their search engine optimisation methods need to reflect this.
There are many types of users that will come to a site that has some retail component. The number of user groups you attract will largely depend on how you go about the retail section of your site. Take Amazon again as an example. The site is mostly directed toward transactions, but its internet marketing strategy is remarkably sneaky. A large number of its pages devote themselves to user reviews and other information. The site doesn’t appeal solely to people ready to buy, because the product information it contains is useful for itself. The site also has an increased chance of turning up in searches, as the information supports its SEO strategy.
What information offers retail
It seems a reasonable question to ask, why bother with information pages if all you want is for your customers to buy? What does Amazon get out of allowing users to post reviews, or from assembling product information by itself? The answer is that this information opens up opportunities.
In offering review pages and extra product information, Amazon broadens its appeal, ultimately opening up its customer base:
- Researchers, who develop an awareness of the site, increasing their likelihood of returning to purchase
- Review posters, who become loyal customers
- Direct customers
Ultimately, the offering of extra information is an attempt to build relationships, which will result in sales in the future. All of these groups offer extra exposure to Amazon’s products. Without information, the main traffic to the site would be direct customers, who would only buy or not buy.
How information serves SEO
The information pages also serve an SEO purpose. If Amazon only appeared in direct product searches, its exposure would be small. As it offers information as well, Amazon crops up in a surprising number of search results across a range of topics. The extra content its information pages offer supports its search engine optimization strategy.
The trick doesn’t end there. The information pages serve an off-page SEO function as well. In allowing users to post reviews, Amazon has become a well-known resource for all sorts of product reviews. This has led to an increase in its reputation around the net, and also to more direct traffic. A lot of the site’s traffic comes from people performing basic research on the reliability of a product. If they like it, they tend to buy from the site direct.
As you can see, offering information pages is of benefit to your business as well as your site’s SEO. Talk to us at SEO Consult Australia about how content affects your site.
Related posts:
- Content options for retail sites
- How Amazon cornered the market
- Retail sites and the trust problem
- Are you retail or research?
- The Psychology of Internet Retail
Tags: content, internet marketing, Search Engine Optimisation
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