To be successful, jewelers need to make their website as appealing as their brick-and-mortar store. Every click counts.
With most consumers researching and potentially purchasing jewelry online, optimizing your website for search engines is no longer an option, it’s a necessity.
Here are four actionable strategies you can implement to dramatically improve your SEO rankings, drive more traffic to your site, and ultimately increase your sales.
1. Create engaging and informative content.
When it comes to SEO, content is paramount.
This means creating content that is engaging, informative, and relevant to jewelry buyers. To rank effectively, you need to create blog posts on an ongoing basis.
Publishing regular articles on jewelry trends and in-depth buying guides, as well as sharing the stories behind your collections, will help establish your jewelry store as a trusted authority in your local area.
Creating a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section is another content strategy to use.
Create a comprehensive FAQ section that addresses common customer questions about jewelry. This will build more trust with potential customers and make your site more relevant and useful, helping you rank higher with Google.
Video is another type of content you should create.
This has become easier as many consumers now prefer “natural” and unedited content over polished and produced videos. Don't worry if you don't have Hollywood talent – just be yourself. Authenticity sells.
Incorporate video tours of the latest collections, behind-the-scenes looks at repairs and craftsmanship, instructional videos on caring for your jewelry, and more.
Video increases engagement and time on site, and has a positive impact on SEO by sending a signal to Google that your site is worth visiting.
2. Rewrite the product descriptions on your jewelry website.
A simple way to immediately boost your SEO is to update your product descriptions, which provide more information about each jewelry style and also improve the user experience.
A well-crafted description can mean the difference between a viewer and a buyer.
When rewriting your product descriptions, make them descriptive and unique. Avoid general phrases and instead use vivid, specific words that capture the essence and beauty of each product.
It highlights what makes a piece of jewelry stand out: the quality of the gemstones, the purity of the metal, and the uniqueness of each design.
When writing, try not to stuff your keywords (i.e. use too many keywords) but instead work relevant keywords into your description naturally. Research the keywords that potential customers might type in to find the style you sell and include them in a natural way.
Another great (and lesser known) way to rank high in SEO is to optimize your jewelry descriptions for voice searches performed using technologies like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa. Very few people do this, and even fewer jewelers have heard of this strategy.
As voice search becomes more prevalent, you can consider how people phrase their jewelry questions out loud and incorporate those “conversational phrases” into your product descriptions and site content.
This one tip alone (if implemented site-wide) can easily improve your rankings by 5-10 percent or more over time.
Even the smallest amount of help will add up to a big effect.
3. Optimize all your images.
Images are always at the heart of your jewelry, showcasing the beauty and detail of each design. Optimizing your website's images can greatly improve your SEO.
First, make sure you have high-quality images with proper lighting to bring out the beauty of each piece. Make sure your images are high-resolution and optimized for web use to avoid slow load times (especially on mobile), which can hurt your SEO.
Another way to boost your rankings is to use descriptive, keyword-rich alt tags after all your images. Alt tags are in your code and help search engines understand what your image is about, making your images more likely to show up in image searches related to jewelry.
Interestingly, one thing people always seem to forget is the filenames of their images.
Before uploading your image, rename the file to be more descriptive and keyword rich. For example, instead of “IMG_1234.jpg,” use a more descriptive name such as “14k-gold-diamond-engagement-ring.jpg.”
Google will recognize this and be able to better understand that your images are related to jewelry, which is how you can rank higher in search engine results with very little additional effort.
To win the search game, you need to use every tactic available.
Four. Build high-quality backlinks.
Backlinks, which are links from other websites to your website, are another important element of SEO. Backlinks act as an assurance of the relevance and quality of your content on your jewelry site.
To build high-quality backlinks, try guest blogging or offering to write articles for reputable sites and local publications. Include a link to your website and a call to action in your author bio at the end of your article. You can also collaborate with local influencers, designers, and relevant businesses and invite them to link back.
When creating content for your site, focus on creating something that is “link-worthy”.
People naturally want to share and link to content that educates and helps them, and they often assume that if they find it useful, others will too.
In summary, remember that improving your jewelry store’s SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistent effort and patience are the keys to getting results.
By focusing on creating quality content, improving your jewelry descriptions, optimizing your website images, and building backlinks, your jewelry store will not only grab the attention of search engines, but also the hearts of your customers.