The short version
- Shoppers search by product and by use: "[product] for [use]", "best [product] under [price]", "[product] vs [product]".
- Category pages carry the buying searches. Product pages close the sale. Both are yours to write and keep in shape.
- Buying guides, comparisons and how-tos on your blog catch shoppers earlier and link them to the right category.
- Rewrite manufacturer descriptions. The same text sits on every store that sells the product, so Google has no reason to pick yours.
- Track your categories and guides on Google, and what AI assistants recommend when someone asks for the best [product] for [use].
Short on time? Take your best-selling product, copy one sentence from its description and search it on Google in quotes. If other stores show up with the same words, that page is the first one to rewrite in your own words.
Rather not run it by hand? The last section shows which parts an agent can run for you.
Market overview
How many people search for what an online store offers each month, how hard those searches are to rank for, and what advertisers pay per click.
Monthly searches
90,500
“ecommerce”
Keyword difficulty
79/100 · Very hard
“ecommerce”
Avg. cost per click
$16.06
“ecommerce”
Searches for “ecommerce”, last 12 months
| Search term | Monthly searches | Difficulty | Cost per click |
|---|---|---|---|
| ecommerce | 90,500 | 79 · Very hard | $16.06 |
| online store | 14,800 | 84 · Very hard | $7.16 |
| ecommerce website | 4,400 | 55 · Hard | $20.17 |
| shopify store | 14,800 | 100 · Very hard | $7.69 |
| ecommerce seo | 1,900 | 58 · Hard | $20.06 |
Google, United States. Search data from November 2026. National figures: searches in your own area are a fraction of these.
The ecommerce SEO landscape
What makes search different for an online store, and what the strategy has to work around.
01
Marketplaces and big retailers hold the broad searches
Searches like "running shoes" or "coffee grinder" are crowded with Amazon, large retailers and the brands themselves. A smaller store wins on specific products, specific uses and the questions shoppers ask before they choose.
02
Manufacturer descriptions are everywhere
If you sell products other stores also sell, the supplied description is probably on dozens of sites. Google tends to show one version of duplicate text, and it is rarely the smallest store's.
03
Filters and variants create duplicate pages
Colour, size and sort filters can generate thousands of near-identical URLs. Without canonical tags and sensible indexing rules, Google wastes its visits on pages that should never rank.
04
AI assistants now recommend products
Shoppers ask ChatGPT and Google's AI answers for "the best [product] for [use]". The stores and brands named there are the ones with clear, specific content that other sites cite.
Top ranking sites for “ecommerce”
The sites winning this search on Google today: mostly directories, marketplaces, big brands and information sites. It's why an online store wins on specific searches rather than the broad term.
| # | Site | Page |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is ecommerce? 2026 playbook for online sales success | |
| 2 | Top 50 Ecommerce Websites | |
| 3 | What is Ecommerce? | |
| 4 | What Is Ecommerce: The Definitive Guide (2022) | |
| 5 | What is Ecommerce? A Complete Beginner's Guide for 2026 | |
| 6 |  shopify.com | What Is Ecommerce? Definition, Types & How It Works (2026) |
| 7 | E-Commerce: Welcome | |
| 8 | *What is Ecommerce? A Comprehensive Guide* | |
| 9 | Ecommerce: The Ultimate Guide To Everything ... - EKM Blog | |
| 10 | What Is E-Commerce? Definition, Types & Getting Started |
Google, United States. Search data from November 2026. Organic results, one row per site: map results and Google's own links are left out.
SEO strategy for ecommerce, in 6 phases
In order. Each phase builds on the one before it.
01 · Foundation
Know how shoppers search for what you sell
A list of the product, use-case and comparison searches for your range, in shoppers' words.
Key tactics
- SEOLadders researches what your customers search, groups it into topic clusters with a pillar page for each, and plans the articles in order. How it works
- List your main categories and the products that make you the most money.
- Group searches by search intent: the category ("waterproof hiking boots"), the use ("boots for wide feet"), the comparison, the how-to.
- Note the questions that stop a purchase: sizing, materials, care, returns, compatibility.
02 · Pages
Category and product pages that earn the click
Category pages that match buying searches and product pages that answer what a shopper needs to decide.
Key tactics
- Give each important category a short intro in your own words that says who it is for and how to choose, above or below the products.
- Rewrite product descriptions for your best sellers first: what it is for, who it suits, sizing or fit, materials, care.
- Add product schema (price, availability, reviews) through your store platform or an app, and show real reviews on the page.
Pro tip
Write the category page for the search, not the menu
Name the category the way people search it. "Trail running shoes" ranks; "Collection 3" does not. The title, heading and intro should all use the shopper's words.
03 · Content
Buying guides, comparisons and how-tos on your blog
Articles that answer the questions shoppers ask before they choose, each linking to the right category or product.
Key tactics
- SEOLadders writes and publishes an article to your site every day, answering the questions your customers ask, in your language. How it works
- Write one article per question: "how to choose a [product] for [use]", "[product] vs [product]", "how to clean a [product]".
- Build each category into a topic cluster: a pillar buying guide plus the questions around it, linked together and to the category page with internal links.
- Be honest in comparisons, including when a cheaper option is enough. Shoppers and AI assistants both trust guides that do not oversell.
04 · Technical
Keep the store crawlable
Google spends its visits on your categories, products and guides, not on filter and variant duplicates.
Key tactics
- SEOLadders checks your site every week and flags what to fix: broken links, missing titles, slow pages and more. How it works
- Set canonical tags so filtered, sorted and variant URLs point to the main page.
- Keep out-of-stock pages live if the product returns, and redirect discontinued products to the closest category.
- Fix broken links, slow pages and missing titles when they come up. Faceted navigation and site speed are store settings, so they stay with you or your developer.
Pro tip
Do not delete a page that ranks
When a product is gone for good, redirect its URL to the nearest category instead of letting it return an error. The links and history that page earned carry over.
05 · Authority
Get mentioned where shoppers research
Links and mentions from review sites, niche blogs and best-of lists in your category.
Key tactics
- SEOLadders finds the pages and best-of lists worth a link, finds a contact and drafts the pitch for you to send. How it works
- SEOLadders' link exchange places a link to you inside another member's article on a matching topic. How it works
- Find the best-of lists and gift guides that rank for your products and ask to be considered.
- Send products to reviewers and niche bloggers who genuinely cover your category.
- Publish something others want to cite: a sizing chart, a care guide, original photos or test notes.
06 · Measure
Track Google and AI recommendations
Know which categories and guides you show up for, and where AI assistants recommend a competitor instead.
Key tactics
- SEOLadders asks six AI engines the questions your customers ask, rechecked throughout the week, and shows whether you are named or a competitor is. How it works
- Track your category pages and buying guides on Google and refresh the ones that slip.
- Watch which guides send visitors to category and product pages.
- Ask AI assistants what shoppers ask ("what is the best [product] for [use]?") and see which stores and brands they name.
Keywords to target
Patterns, not a list to copy: swap in your own services and towns. Search counts are national, for the United States. Rows with a placeholder depend on your place, so check yours before you plan around one.
| Keyword | Intent | Searches / mo | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| [product] for [use] | Commercial | Varies by place | Specific and close to buying. Where a smaller store can beat a marketplace. |
| best [product] under [price] | Commercial | Varies by place | A shopper with a budget and a shortlist to make. A buying guide wins this. |
| [product] vs [product] | Commercial | Varies by place | A comparison right before a decision. |
| [category] for [audience] | Transactional | Varies by place | A buying search a well-named category page can rank for. |
| how to choose a [product] | Informational | Varies by place | Early research. The store that teaches the choice is the one they buy from. |
| how to clean a [product] | Informational | Varies by place | Owners of the product. Builds trust and brings back repeat buyers. |
| [product] size guide | Informational | Varies by place | A question that stops purchases. Answering it well cuts returns too. |
| is [product] worth it | Commercial | Varies by place | A doubt right before buying. An honest answer keeps the shopper on your site. |
| [brand] [model] review | Commercial | Varies by place | Product-level research. Your page needs real reviews to compete. |
| [product] alternatives | Commercial | Varies by place | Shoppers open to another option, often yours. |
Free tool: Keyword Ideas to see real volumes for your own variations.
Example content plan
How the content phase looks as topic clusters for an online store: a pillar article for each, and the questions around it, linked together and to the page that converts. Your own clusters come from your services and your market.
Pillar
How to choose a [product]: the complete buying guide
- The best [product] for [use], and what to look for
- [Product] vs [product]: which one do you need
- What changes the price of a [product]
- Is a premium [product] worth it
Pillar
Getting the right fit: sizes, materials and compatibility
- [Product] size guide: how to measure
- Which material lasts longest for [use]
- Will [product] work with [other product]
- What to do if your [product] does not fit
Pillar
Caring for your [product]
- How to clean a [product] without damaging it
- How long does a [product] last
- Signs it is time to replace your [product]
- How to store a [product] between seasons
Questions to check in ChatGPT and Google's AI answers:
- What is the best [product] for [use]?
- Which [product] should I buy under [price]?
- Where can I buy a good [product] online?
- Is [your store] a good place to buy [product]?
- What are good alternatives to [big brand] [product]?
What to expect
No forecasts here: results depend on your market, your competition and where you start. These are the signs the strategy is working.
- Search Console shows impressions growing for product, use-case and comparison searches, not only your store name.
- Buying guides start sending visitors to category and product pages.
- AI assistants start naming your store or products when asked for the best [product] for [use].
- Customers mention they read a guide before they ordered.
Frequently asked questions
Can a small store outrank Amazon?
On broad product names, rarely. On specific products for specific uses, comparisons and the questions shoppers ask before buying, yes. That is where a smaller store should aim, with category pages named the way people search.
Do I really need to rewrite manufacturer descriptions?
For the products you most want to sell, yes. The supplied text is on every store that stocks the product, and Google usually shows only one version. Start with your best sellers and write what a shopper actually needs to know.
Should my blog posts link to products or categories?
Mostly to categories, with a product link where one item is the clear answer. Categories change less often than individual products, so the links stay useful when stock changes.
What do I do with out-of-stock products?
If the product is coming back, keep the page live and say when. If it is gone for good, redirect the URL to the closest category so the page's history is not lost.
How long does ecommerce SEO take?
It varies too much by category, competition and how much the store already has to promise a timeframe. Watch the signals: impressions for product and comparison searches in Search Console, guides sending visitors to categories, and whether AI assistants start naming you.
The parts SEOLadders runs for you
Done by hand, this is work for every week. SEOLadders is an AI SEO agent for your website: it takes on the research, the content and the tracking.
Researches what your customers search, builds topic clusters with a pillar page for each, and plans the articles in order.
How it worksWrites and publishes an article to your site every day, answering what your customers ask, in your language.
How it worksChecks your site every week and gives you a list of what to fix.
How it worksFinds the pages and best-of lists worth a link, finds a contact and drafts the pitch. You send it.
How it worksAsks six AI engines the questions your customers ask, rechecked throughout the week, and shows whether you are named or a competitor is.
How it works
What stays with you
- Product descriptions, photos, prices and product schema.
- Category page names, intros and the products in them.
- Store settings: filters, variants, canonicals and site speed.
- Collecting and showing real customer reviews.
- Shipping, returns and the checkout.
No. It writes and publishes articles to your store's blog: buying guides, comparisons, how-tos and answers. Product pages, category pages, descriptions, product schema and store settings stay with you. Its weekly site check flags issues on those pages for you to fix.
Most stores run on Shopify, Wix or WooCommerce. The agent publishes to your store's blog on Shopify and Wix, and WooCommerce stores publish through WordPress. It writes to your blog; your product and category pages stay yours. Connects to Shopify, Wix, WordPress, Webhook.