Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Our reference storefront is designed to simplify the process of optimizing your site for search engines. The site is structured in a way that makes it easy for search engines to crawl and understand.

This article highlights how the reference storefront and Nautical offer built-in SEO features, along with actionable steps you can take as a marketplace operator to enhance your SEO efforts.

To navigate the SEO landscape effectively, it's essential to understand the key components. These broadly group into the following types:

• On-page SEO factors
• Technical SEO factors
• Off-page SEO factors

On-page SEO factors

• Keywords
• Meta tags
• Content
• Local SEO

Keywords

Start by conducting thorough keyword research to identify relevant and high-value keywords related to your products or services.

Reference storefront features	Additional actions you can take
Not applicable	Identify key marketplace keywords and ensuring their application within your product, categories, collections, and listings.

tip

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to find keywords with a good search volume and manageable competition.

Meta tags

Embed your target keywords strategically within page titles, meta descriptions, headers, content, and descriptive URLs. Compelling meta titles and descriptions that appear in search engine results encourage users to click through to your website.

Reference storefront features	Additional actions you can take
Meta title and description tags are on every page. Semantic HTML tags across categories, collections, products, and variants templates. URL slugs for individual pages follow the format: /product/my-unique-descriptive-product-slug	Set the title and description for your store's landing page in your marketplace configuration settings in the Dashboard. You can override the default title and description meta tags while editing products, variants, categories, and collections.

Content

Originality, value, and user-friendliness are hallmarks of high-quality content. Detailed descriptions, specifications, and any helpful data for decision-making should be included in product or category pages.

Reference storefront features	Additional actions you can take
Attributes and features allow for specifications for a product or variant to be displayed in meaningful semantic HTML.	Focus on crafting high-quality descriptions for the products and variants in your catalog. Include natural sounding mentions of keywords in your product descriptions.

Local SEO

If your e-commerce marketplace serves specific geographical locations, optimize for local SEO. Include location-specific keywords, create local landing pages, and ensure your business information is accurate and consistent across online directories.

Reference storefront features	Additional actions you can take
Not applicable	Include location-specific keywords in product descriptions. If local landing pages are required, they will need to be included in project scope. Consider the design, markup, and links these pages will include. Ensure your business information is accurate and consistent across online directories.

Technical SEO factors

• Site structure and navigation
• JSON-LD structured data
• Canonical URLs
• Moving domains
• Mobile-friendly design
• Page loading speed
• Secure website

Site structure and navigation

Your website should have a logical and user-friendly site structure. Products should be organized into relevant categories and subcategories, and ensure easy navigation with clear links and breadcrumbs. This structure helps search engines crawl, understand, and index your pages more effectively.

XML sitemaps should be submitted to search engines and regularly checked for crawl errors and broken links.

Reference storefront features	Additional actions you can take
Logical, category-based structure where every product is under a category, and category pages can be used to navigate to products. Breadcrumb navigation links included in page templates.	Generate and include an XML sitemap to give search engines a clear map to navigate your website. Keep the XML sitemap updated regularly to match your website structure. Link to the sitemap from your robots.txt file to help search engines find your sitemap.

tip

See Google's Documentation on building a sitemap for more information.

JSON-LD structured data

JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) is a structured data format used to provide search engines with additional information about your website's content. By utilizing JSON-LD, you can enhance your web presence and ensure that search engines can easily understand and present your content, which can lead to improved visibility and more targeted traffic.

Reference storefront features	Additional actions you can take
Each page has a valid JSON-LD schema tailored to the page's semantic purpose, adhering to the JSON-LD schema outlined on Schema.org.	Not applicable

Canonical URLs

Avoid SEO ranking competition among multiple variations of the same product by ensuring all listings share the same canonical URL.

Reference storefront features	Additional actions you can take
The page template for variants (sometimes called "listings") includes a canonical URL pointing to the parent product page.	If you offer similar or identical products, or have other closely similar landing pages, use canonical URLs to point to the preferred version that should be ranked in search results.

Moving sites

If you're moving an existing site to Nautical, make sure to set up redirects from your old URLs to your new ones and submit your new URLs and sitemap to Google to update your search results.

Reference storefront features

Additional actions you can take

Not applicable

Implement 301 (permanent) redirects from your old domain to your new domain. See Google's documentation on 301 redirects for more information. Use Google's Change of Address tool to tell Google about the domain change and update your search results from your old site to your new one. If your site has backlinks pointing to the old URLs, reach out to the owners of those sites and ask them to update their links to point to the new URLs.

Moving Sites

If you're migrating an existing site to Nautical, it's crucial to consider SEO implications. Regardless of whether you’re changing your domain, your URL paths will change, for example to product pages.

Mobile-friendly design

Mobile usage continues to grow and marketplaces need to be optimized for mobile devices. A responsive design needs to ensure a seamless user experience across different screen sizes. Mobile-friendly websites are given preference by search engines, leading to better rankings.

Reference storefront features	Additional actions you can take
Designed to provide an excellent experience on mobile devices, with careful attention given to factors such as responsiveness and performance optimization. Audits performed with tools such as Google Lighthouse to optimize the mobile device experience.	Not applicable

Page loading speed

Marketplace site's loading speed should be improved by optimizing images, minimizing code, and leveraging caching techniques. Faster-loading pages improve user experience and are favored by search engines.

tip

All images uploaded to Nautical, through either the Dashboard or API, are automatically optimized for loading time.

Reference storefront features	Additional actions you can take
The codebase is streamlined to have a small bundle size, and leverage modern development tools which allow for non-essential code to be loaded asynchronously.	Consider a website hosting provider that includes features to cache images and code for faster loading times, like Fly.io.

Secure website

Search engines consider website security as a ranking factor and provide a better user experience for visitors.

Reference storefront features	Additional actions you can take
Not applicable	Implement SSL certificates to secure your website and enable HTTPS encryption. Most modern hosting platforms like Fly.io provide these out-of-the-box with little to no configuration required.

Off-page SEO factors

• Social media integration
• Backlink building

Social media integration

Integrate social media sharing buttons to facilitate content sharing and enhance visibility. Engage with your audience on social platforms and build a community around your marketplace.

Reference storefront features	Additional actions you can take
Includes social media specific meta tags on each page to ensure shared content looks professional. Customizable footer where you can link your social media pages.	Engage with your audience on social media platforms.

Backlink building

Earn high-quality backlinks from reputable websites to improve your marketplace's authority and visibility.

Reference storefront features	Additional actions you can take
Not applicable	Engage in content marketing, guest blogging, influencer collaborations, and other link-building strategies to attract relevant and authoritative links.