Search engine optimization of an online store

Initial indexing of a website

In order for your web store to appear in search results of popular search engines, its URL and content must be indexed by search robots (crawlers). To make that happen, search engines must first "find out" about its existence by the following methods:

1. Via links from other websites. Arrange with owners of other websites that they add links pointing to your new website; e.g., using the link exchange feature available in Shop-Script, special online link exchange services, or by publishing interesting articles via online article submission directories or public blogs.

2. Via the URL submission page available on search engines' websites; e.g.:

   Google (http://www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl)
   Bing (http://www.bing.com/webmaster/SubmitSitePage.aspx)
   Yahoo! (http://search.yahoo.com/info/submit.html)

Search engine optimization

Once your online store's URL has been saved in search indexes, it is advisable to ensure that its name and link appear among the first search results with certain search queries. This process is called search engine optimization (SEO).

Note: High-quality SEO with positive long-term results may require substantial financial expenses and time costs. To achieve satisfactory results within an acceptable period of time, consult an SEO specialist. Remember that advertisements promising "guaranteed TOP 3 positions within 1 month" extremely rarely mean actual fulfillment of this promise using legal optimization methods. Correct search engine optimization means everyday work on the improvement of your website's content and convenience.

Basic search engine optimization tips for WebAsyst Shop-Script users

1. Create and upload a robots.txt file to your server using the our recommendations. This file will allow you to avoid indexing of website pages containing no important information for visitors (e.g., auxiliary page versions specially optimized for printing).
2. Generate a Sitemap file and specify its URL in the robots.txt file. Sitemap files help optimize website indexing by search crawlers.
3. Create descriptive names and descriptions for your products and their categories as well as texts and titles of information pages with most important keywords taken into account (i.e. those which should help your prospective customers find your online store in search engines). Specify the desired values for META tags keywords and description for all web pages in the online store.

   Tip: For detailed instructions on how to write effective textual content and to specify correct META tag values refer to special (online) literature or consult an SEO specialist.

4. Publish interesting articles related to your business using the "Blog/News" tool available in Shop-Script. Regular appearance of valuable textual content on your website will positively affect its rating in search engines. Avoid copying text or images from other websites because infringement of the copyright may result in serious sanctions by search engines or your web-hosting provider.
5. Sign up for the Google Analytics online service and enable integration in backend section "Tools -> Google Analytics" in Shop-Script. The statistical data collected by that service will facilitate the analysis of traffic size and user behavior in your online store in order to determine the actual popularity of each web page and thus adjust your SEO strategy.