In this episode of the eCommerce Marketing Podcast, host Arlen Robinson interviews Luke Carthy, a seasoned eCommerce consultant and store founder, about effective SEO strategies for eCommerce businesses. Luke shares his insights on SEO, CRO, and growth, offering practical tips on how to drive traffic, enhance user experience, and boost sales.

Key Takeaways:

• Introduction to Luke Carthy and His Background (00:00:58)
  • Luke’s journey from retail to eCommerce consulting, working with major brands like CAT, Renault, and Schneider Electric.
• Importance of SEO for eCommerce (00:01:43)
  • SEO’s role in driving traffic and sales for eCommerce businesses.
  • Simplifying SEO strategies to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
• Starting with Category Pages (00:05:51)
  • Focus on optimizing category pages to capture broad and specific search terms.
  • Importance of a well-structured hierarchy and clean URLs for SEO.
• User Experience and SEO (00:09:37)
  • The impact of navigation aesthetics on user experience and SEO.
  • Internal linking and relationship-based categories to enhance SEO authority.
• Strategies for Competitive Spaces (00:13:57)
  • Targeting long-tail keywords and specific queries to compete with larger brands.
  • Utilizing frequently asked questions, model comparisons, and feature descriptions for SEO.
• Balancing SEO with User Experience (00:18:15)
  • Assessing site structure and user experience alongside SEO efforts.
  • The importance of improving site elements and conversion rates.
• Effective SEO Tools and Resources (00:22:15)
  • Leveraging analytics to identify quick wins and address user experience issues.
  • Investing in site search, merchandising, and other onsite optimizations.
• Case Studies and Practical Examples (00:24:28)
  • Real-world examples of successful SEO strategies and their impact on eCommerce growth.
  • The importance of addressing simple but critical issues, like error messages, to improve conversion rates.

Bullet Points of Key Takeaways with Timestamps:

• [00:00:58] Introduction to Luke Carthy and his background.
• [00:01:43] Importance of SEO for eCommerce and simplifying strategies.
• [00:05:51] Starting with category pages for broad and specific keywords.
• [00:09:37] Impact of navigation aesthetics and internal linking on SEO.
• [00:13:57] Strategies for targeting long-tail keywords and specific queries.
• [00:18:15] Balancing SEO with user experience and site structure improvements.
• [00:22:15] Recommended SEO tools and resources for quick wins.
• [00:24:28] Case studies and practical examples of successful SEO implementations.

Guest Information:

Luke Carthy

• SEO Consultant at lukecarthy.com
• Website: Luke Carthy
• Social Media: Find Luke on Twitter and LinkedIn