![Shopping App: use SEO so everyone can find you on internet [SEO checklist]](http://onlineyougrow.com/cdn/shop/articles/cov-seo-checklist-2_c3e2de4a-6308-4f20-abc0-a6e1afba4359.png?v=1715867394&width=1100)
SEO isn't just for tech giants and e-commerce behemoths—it's a game-changer that the most successful shopping apps leverage to attract and retain users.
We understand that managing your shopping app is already a full-time job, and the idea of diving into SEO might seem overwhelming.
But here's the good news: you don't need to be an SEO guru or break the bank to see results. A few straightforward steps can dramatically boost your app's online presence and drive more downloads and user engagement.
To make things easier for you, we've created a free SEO checklist - and for a comprehensive action plan, be sure to check out our marketing tactics and strategies pack for shopping app developers.
Get the SEO checklist made for shopping app developers
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What is SEO for shopping apps exactly?
Simply put, SEO is all about making your shopping app more attractive to search engines like Google.
When someone searches for "best shopping app for deals" or "top-rated fashion shopping app," SEO helps your app show up in the results. The goal is to get your app higher up on the search results page so more people can find and download it.
Why is SEO Important for Shopping Apps?
SEO is incredibly important for shopping apps, and here’s why:
- Increased Online Visibility:
The higher your app ranks on search engines, the more people will see it. This means more potential users discovering your app online, especially when they're looking for shopping options.
- Higher Rankings on Search Engines:
Most people don’t look past the first page of search results. By optimizing your app's presence, you can climb those rankings and beat out the competition. Imagine someone searching for "best deals on electronics" and finding your app right at the top!
- Attracting More Targeted Users:
SEO isn't just about getting anyone to your app—it's about getting the right people. Local SEO helps ensure that when someone nearby searches for shopping deals, your app pops up. This means more downloads and more active users engaging with your app.
Key Components of SEO
Now, let’s break down the main parts of SEO specifically for your shopping app:
On-Page SEO
This involves making sure the content related to your app is optimized. It includes things like:
- Keywords:
Using the words and phrases people are searching for in your app titles, descriptions, and content. For example, if your app offers exclusive fashion deals, make sure you use phrases like "best fashion deals app" or "exclusive fashion discounts" in your app store listing.
- Content Quality:
Providing useful, engaging, and fresh content about your app. Share your app features, special offers, user testimonials, and updates about new products or services.
- Meta Tags:
Using meta titles and descriptions that are relevant and appealing to searchers. For instance, a meta description for your app could be "Discover unbeatable deals on fashion, electronics, and more with [Your App Name], the top-rated shopping app."
Off-Page SEO
This focuses on actions taken outside your app's website to impact your rankings:
- Backlinks:
Getting other reputable websites to link to your app's site, which signals to search engines that your app is trustworthy and relevant. This could be from tech bloggers, review sites, or industry news pages.
- Social Media:
Being active on social media with your app’s page can drive traffic to your site and improve your online presence. Share your latest deals, user reviews, and special promotions to engage with your audience.
Technical SEO
This ensures your app's website meets the technical requirements of search engines:
- Site Speed:
Making sure your app's website loads quickly. No one likes to wait, especially users eager to find the best deals!
- Mobile-Friendliness:
Ensuring your site looks and works well on mobile devices. Many people search for shopping apps on their phones while on the go.
- Secure Website (HTTPS):
Having a secure website that users (and search engines) can trust. This is especially important if you have an online shopping or payment system integrated into your app.
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Which keywords should you target for your shopping app?
Business owners, like you, must target specific keywords in SEO because it helps your shopping app appear in search results when potential customers look for the products or services you offer. This increases the chances that people will find and use your app.
For example, if your app specializes in eco-friendly products, targeting keywords like "best eco-friendly shopping app" or "sustainable products near me" helps attract customers searching for those terms. This makes it easier for people interested in sustainable shopping to find your app online.
Here are some keyword ideas for you. If you want a more developed strategy with actionable steps, go check out our strategy pack for shopping app owners.
| Keyword | Competitiveness Level | Tips and Initiatives |
|---|---|---|
| Best shopping app for [Product Type] | High | Optimize your app store listing with high-quality images, gather user reviews, list on app directories, and use app store optimization (ASO) strategies. |
| Where to buy [Product You Sell] | Medium | Create blog posts or pages on your website highlighting your best products, use keywords naturally in content, and engage with product review bloggers. |
| Shopping app with best deals near me | Medium | Use attractive imagery of your products, gather positive user reviews, and ensure your app's Google Play and App Store profiles are complete. |
| Best place for [Product Category] in [Your City] | Medium | Feature specific product categories prominently on your app (e.g., electronics, fashion), use local SEO tactics, and promote specials on social media. |
| [Your Product Type] shopping app in [Your City] | High | Highlight unique aspects of your products, create SEO-friendly content about your offerings, and engage with the local community online. |
| Top-rated shopping app for [Product Type] near me | High | Encourage satisfied users to leave positive reviews, optimize your app for mobile, and ensure accurate information on app listings. |
| Affordable [Product Type] shopping app in [Your City] | Low | Highlight affordable options and specials on your app, use keywords related to value, and promote deals on social media. |
| Where to find [Product You Sell] near me | Medium | Use local SEO strategies, create content around popular products, and ensure your app is optimized for mobile users searching nearby. |
| Popular shopping app for [Product Type] in [Your City] | Medium | Use social media to share popular products, engage with local influencers, and gather user testimonials to build credibility. |
| Best shopping app for families in [Your City] | Low | Create family-friendly content, highlight amenities for families on your app, and host family-themed promotions to generate buzz. |
What really matters when you do SEO for a shopping app
Actually, we think that SEO often follows the 80/20 rule, meaning that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. For shopping app developers, like you, this means it's crucial to focus on the right strategies to maximize impact without feeling overwhelmed.
| Action / Initiative | Why It Matters / How It Helps Bring New Users |
|---|---|
| Optimize App Store Listing | Ensures your app appears in relevant search results, provides essential information (features, screenshots, reviews), and builds trust with potential users. |
| Gather and respond to user reviews | Positive reviews build credibility and trust. Responding to reviews shows you value user feedback, encouraging more people to download and use your app. |
| Create high-quality content with targeted keywords | Helps your app's website rank higher in search results for relevant queries, attracting users looking for specific shopping experiences or products. |
| Optimize for local SEO | Ensures your app shows up in local searches (e.g., "shopping apps near me"), driving downloads from nearby potential users. |
| Ensure app and website are mobile-friendly | Most users search for apps on their phones. A mobile-friendly site and app provide a better user experience, leading to higher engagement and conversions. |
| Use high-quality images of products and interface | Attractive photos entice potential users, showcasing your app's features and product offerings, which can significantly influence their decision to download. |
| Include detailed product descriptions with keywords | Allows search engines to index your product listings, helping you appear in searches for specific items, and makes it easy for users to see what you offer. |
| List your app on relevant directories | Increases your online presence and backlinks, improving your search engine ranking and making it easier for users to find you. |
| Engage with tech bloggers and influencers | Generates buzz and word-of-mouth, reaching a wider audience and attracting users who trust these voices. |
| Promote special deals and offers | Creates a sense of urgency and excitement, encouraging potential users to download your app for unique shopping experiences. |
| Utilize social media to share updates and engage with users | Builds a community around your app, keeps users informed about new features and deals, and drives traffic to your app and website. |
| Ensure accurate and consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information across all platforms | Prevents confusion, helps search engines trust your business information, and improves your local SEO ranking. |
| Offer easy sign-up and checkout processes | Makes it convenient for users to start using your app and make purchases, leading to increased downloads and sales. |
| Create blog posts about your app's features and shopping tips | Attracts visitors to your site through informative and engaging content, improving SEO and showcasing what makes your app unique. |
Copy the tactics of the best shopping apps in the world!
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What is always useless when you do SEO for a shopping app
We have studied a lot of shopping apps when we built our strategy pack and we saw a lot of SEO-related initiatives that don't help attract new customers. We explain here why they might be a waste of time or even counterproductive.
| Action / Initiative | Why It Doesn't Matter / How It Doesn't Help Bring New Customers |
|---|---|
| Using meta keyword tags | Search engines no longer use meta keyword tags to rank pages, so focusing on them doesn't improve SEO for your shopping app. |
| Keyword stuffing in product descriptions | Overusing keywords in product descriptions makes them hard to read and can be penalized by search engines, turning away potential customers. |
| Paying for backlinks from unrelated websites | Backlinks from non-shopping related or low-quality websites don't improve your SEO and can even hurt your ranking if considered spammy by search engines. |
| Using exact match domains like bestshoppingapp.com | Having an exact match domain has minimal impact on SEO and can appear spammy, especially if it doesn't reflect your brand well. |
| Creating multiple pages for the same product | Duplicate content confuses search engines and can dilute your SEO efforts. Focus on one high-quality page for each unique product or category. |
| Using Flash for product or checkout pages | Flash is outdated, not supported by many devices, and negatively impacts SEO. Modern alternatives like HTML5 should be used instead. |
| Focusing only on desktop optimization | Many customers shop on mobile devices. Ignoring mobile optimization leads to poor user experience and lower search rankings. |
| Using automated link-building tools | These tools often create low-quality or spammy links that can be penalized by search engines, hurting your shopping app's SEO efforts. |
| Ignoring structured data for products | Structured data helps search engines understand your products better. Ignoring it means missing out on potential SEO benefits like rich snippets. |
| Not updating your product listings regularly | Outdated product information can frustrate customers and harm your SEO. Regular updates keep content relevant and maintain search rankings. |
| Using irrelevant stock photos on your app | Low-quality or irrelevant images can negatively impact user experience and SEO. Use high-quality photos of your actual products. |
| Over-optimizing anchor text in links | Using exact match keywords for every link appears unnatural and can be penalized by search engines. Use varied, natural anchor text instead. |
| Ignoring page load speed for your app | Slow-loading pages frustrate users and can lead to higher bounce rates, negatively impacting your shopping app's SEO. Ensure your app loads quickly. |
| Using too many ads above the fold on your homepage | Too many ads at the top of the page can be off-putting for users and may be penalized by search engines, impacting your SEO negatively. |
Should you pay someone for the SEO of your shopping app?
Alright, let's be upfront. Here’s the deal: SEO can get pretty intricate, and having some assistance can really make a difference. Imagine trying to juggle managing your shopping app, handling customer service, keeping your inventory updated, and then on top of that, diving into the world of search engine optimization. It’s a lot, right?
Having someone handle your SEO means you can focus on what you do best—running your shopping app. SEO experts know the ins and outs of getting your app to rank higher on search engines. They stay updated on the latest trends and algorithms, which means your app will be optimized correctly and consistently. This can lead to more people finding your app online, and ultimately, more users downloading and using it.
- But here’s the kicker: there are a lot of low-hanging fruits in SEO that you can tackle on your own, even if you don’t know much about it.
You will find a lot of low-hanging fruits that cost nothing, are quick to implement, and will make your shopping app much more visible in strategy pack for app developers.
Simple actions like optimizing your app store listing, ensuring your app is mobile-friendly, and using relevant keywords can significantly improve your online presence. These tasks don't require deep technical knowledge but can make a big impact.
So, should you increase the marketing budget of your app and pay someone to manage your SEO? If you can do it, it’s a worthwhile investment. But don't underestimate what you can achieve on your own. Start with the basics, see the results, and then decide if you need more specialized help.
Make your shopping app more profitable
We have studied the strategies of the best shopping apps in the world. All their tactics are explained in our pack!
Useful tools shopping app developers can use for their SEO
Here are some essential tools that our team has collected and listed, to help you enhance your shopping app's online presence and SEO.
| Tool | How It's Useful |
|---|---|
| Google My Business | Ensures your shopping app appears in local search results and Google Maps, provides essential information (hours, location, services), and collects customer reviews. |
| SEMrush | Helps identify the best keywords for your shopping app, analyze competitors, and track your search rankings. Provides insights to improve your content and visibility. |
| Yext | Manages your app's listings across multiple directories, ensuring consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information to boost local SEO. |
| Google Search Console | Monitors your app's website performance, identifies issues, and provides data on search traffic and keywords to optimize your SEO strategy. |
| Yelp | Collects customer reviews and ratings, which improve your app's online reputation and visibility in local search results. |
| BrightLocal | Offers tools for local SEO audits, citation building, and review management, helping your app improve its local search presence. |
| Moz | Provides keyword research, link building, and site audit tools to enhance your app's SEO efforts and improve search engine rankings. |
| Ahrefs | Analyzes your app's backlink profile, identifies top-performing content, and tracks keyword rankings to boost your SEO strategy. |
| Screaming Frog SEO Spider | Crawls your app's website to identify technical SEO issues, such as broken links and duplicate content, helping improve site health and rankings. |
| AnswerThePublic | Generates content ideas by showing what people are searching for related to your app, helping you create relevant and engaging blog posts and pages. |
| Canva | Helps create visually appealing social media posts and graphics for your app, which can improve user engagement and indirectly boost SEO. |
| Hotjar | Provides insights into user behavior on your app's website through heatmaps and session recordings, helping you optimize user experience and reduce bounce rates. |
Copy the SEO tactics of the best shopping app developers
We understand why many small business owners might shy away from SEO and marketing for their shopping apps.
Managing a shopping app is already a full-time job, and the concept of SEO can seem vague and foreign. The terminology can be confusing, and it often feels like marketing is a luxury only big corporations can afford.
Plus, there's the constant worry about costs and whether any marketing efforts will actually pay off. We get that you prefer to focus on immediate, tangible improvements to your app rather than dive into something that seems complicated and uncertain. No need to deteriorate your app’s budget here.
That's why we've created a "marketing pack" specifically for shopping app owners like you.
Our pack is designed to address all these concerns head-on. It includes easy-to-follow guides that break down SEO and marketing into simple steps, so you don't need to be a tech expert to understand. We offer cost-effective strategies that fit within tight budgets, and our step-by-step plans ensure that you can implement a good marketing strategy for your shopping app without feeling overwhelmed.
Plus, we've included real-life examples and tips that have worked for other small shopping apps, so you can see the tangible benefits before you even start.
Our goal is to make marketing accessible and practical, helping your shopping app thrive without adding extra stress to your already busy life.
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