Finally, don’t forget about breadcrumbs. These types of secondary navigation allow users to track their location within the website. They contain the number of links they need to use to return to the previous section.
For example, on the H&M website, you can clearly see the path from the homepage to the "H&M RE:WEAR" page.
H
Source: H&M
In addition to supporting user navigation and site structure qatar mobile phone numbers database breadcrumbs provide an added advantage for your eCommerce store in the SERPs by being displayed in Google search results on mobile devices.
Manually optimize your sitemap.xml file for structural check
Many ecommerce website builders, like Shopify, automatically create and modify sitemap files. This has its pros and cons. While it eliminates common formatting errors, it doesn’t give you the flexibility to manage which links you want to include in your sitemap.
Therefore, the best way to do this is manually. Format a sitemap properly to help search engines discover and index all your pages and understand the structure of your site.
An ideal user sitemap displays all major categories and subcategories on a single page so end users can easily find what they are looking for.
Ideal Website sitemap
Source: Moqups
There are two more things you should keep in mind:
Pages in the sitemap should not be blocked from indexing by robots.txt or the meta robots tag. If you want to block specific pages, do not include them in the sitemap.
If your online store has many pages, create separate sitemaps (by category) and add links to them in the skeleton sitemap file.
Finally, add the user sitemap link to the footer, policy pages, social media links, etc.
Optimize and plan the URL structure to align with the site hierarchy
Your URL structure should reflect the overall hierarchy on your website. For example, if you sell electronics and have a category called "tablets," your site structure should look like this:
URL Structure should align with the site hierarchy
Similarly, your URL structure should look something like this:
www.yourecommercesite.com/tablets/android www.yourecommercesite.com/tablets/ipad
And when you just want to browse all the tablets, the page should display all the Android and Apple options you have. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Keep URLs as short as possible.
Do not use any additional symbols or prepositions. For example, www.yourecommercesite.com/tablets/ipad/ ... 500-173601 is bad. Use www.yourecommercesite.com/tablets/ipad/ ... -10-9-inch instead .
Having a proper URL structure on the site helps end users navigate the site and search engines index the site easily.
Leverage media files for ecommerce SEO
Search engines use the file name and alt text to understand media content, so use descriptive names for your ecommerce store’s photos, videos, or GIFs. They should describe the media in a clear and readable way.
If you're getting custom photos that are clicked, these files may come with default names like "IMG_456." Rename them to describe what's shown in these images. For example, "green Christmas sweater." Similarly, write alt text to describe the appearance or function of an image or video.
This practice can greatly help improve your SEO , bringing more traffic to the site and therefore more conversions. It also helps with efficient site management – you can find, update and change specific media on the site without spending hours browsing through the backend.
Implement internal linking comprehensively
When you link different categories and product pages on your ecommerce website , you solidify its structure and help search engines evaluate it better. Avoid having pages that do not link to anything else on the site or have no links pointing to them.
However, it’s important to note that linking for the sake of linking is also not a good practice. Instead, here’s what you should do:
Write blog posts to naturally link your products or categories. For example, if you sell sporting goods, you could write articles about different exercise techniques that were popular during the year and subtly promote related products through the body of the text. This way, your links won’t look forced and may even compel more readers to check out those pages.
It’s good practice to use descriptive anchor text . However, avoid using the full phrase when linking. For example, if the text says “ultra-comfortable leather sandals,” link only to “leather shoes.”
Also, make your most important pages or categories easily accessible. Check out how Sephora.com promotes the latest beauty products from different companies, new Sephora moisturizers and branded serums in the hero banner on the homepage.
Source: Sephora
Make sure your ecommerce website’s structure and internal links adhere to compliance standards by leveraging GRC software. Such software can help with regular audits to ensure that sensitive user data is not included or inappropriately linked in URLs.
It's up to you
Your eCommerce website can grow in size quickly, and if you don't have a solid structure from the start, you'll struggle to keep all the pages, categories, and links together.
Therefore, constantly monitor your site structure in Google Analytics and test different strategies to improve site navigation, product presentation, checkout flow, etc.
Use your findings to develop a site structure that works for you and turn a casual browser into a loyal customer in your e-commerce store!
