Most Shopify store business owners know they have to be targeting keywords. This is how you are going to show up on Google to your target audience. You want to showcase what fantastic products you have online for people that need them.
There is plenty of information online telling you the benefits of including keywords. But, there is not so much help when it comes to how to use them. For example, should you be constantly targeting the same keywords every month?
The Appeal of Targeting the Same Keywords
If you asked most Shopify store owners whether targeting the same keywords was good, they would probably tell you yes. In theory, it sounds like a good move. You are showing how you are relevant to that keyword repeatedly. Surely, this demonstrates to Google that you are authoritative, right?
Well, we are here to clear up this mistake. This is not a good idea; you do not want to always target the same keywords. It might sound like something that is efficient and a specific strategy, but it can actually lower your rankings on Google. This is due to a concept called keyword cannibalization.
Beware of Keyword Cannibalization
Something you have to be wary of is keyword cannibalism. Essentially, this is when you have several pages on your Shopify store targeting the same keyword. In theory, this does not sound like a bad thing. But, what ends up happening is that the pages compete against each other. Ultimately, it can be bad for your website’s performance on Google, and you are not seen as more relevant.
Therefore, if you have several pages that are targeting the same keywords, you need to change this. Something that started with good intentions could end up damaging your performance. Many Shopify stores find it helpful to consolidate these pages. This way, they are not going to be competing against each other. You can boost your SEO results with our Shopify SEO services if you are unsure what you are doing. Choosing an expert service like this from ClickSlice can ensure that the problem does not happen again.
Instead, you need to be targeting a broad range of short-tail and long-tail keywords. This is going to allow you to rank to the right audience and you are not going to have pages competing against each other. You will also find that you create better content this way and it is more organised on your site. Plus, you are not diluting your links and authority.
How to Improve Your Site and Stop Cannibalization
Do you want to improve your website and ensure you are not getting involved in keyword cannibalization? There are some simple ways you can do this. Let’s take a look at what you can do.
Merge Pages
If you find that there are several pages on your website targeting the same keywords, you need to change things. In particular, you will benefit from merging these pages together. Take the more authoritative one and then you can add information from those other pages. This will ensure that it continues to do well and there is no longer competition from these other pages on your website.
Carry Out Keyword Research
Next, you need to stop this problem from happening again. So, how can you do this? Well, you need to carry out proper keyword research. Thankfully, there are many fantastic tools out there that you can use to conduct research thoroughly. You want to ensure that you are casting the net wide and targeting a variety of different words and phrases related to your Shopify store.
Keep it Relevant
The goal should always be to keep keywords and phrases relevant. They must relate to what you are trying to sell and help customers. Otherwise, you have a problem. Yes, your traffic might be up. But, you are attracting the wrong people to your Shopify. For example, if you are selling shoes, you do not want to be gaining traffic from people looking for cutlery. They are not going to buy your products. Therefore, with your content and keywords, always focus on relevancy.
Quality Content is Key
Something you should never lose focus on is quality. Indeed, everything you create should put quality first. This is before using keywords. You want to have content on your website that is appealing to the right audience. This is going to build trust and loyalty. Plus, it can lead to better sales figures. Consequently, always ensure that you are spending time and effort on the content. You can include keywords when it is natural and makes sense. This contributes to relevancy and prevents keyword stuffing on your Shopify Store.
