Search engine optimization (aka SEO) is the process of optimizing content, code, layout, design, and navigation of a website in a manner that improves the ranking of a site within the natural (aka organic) search results.

Unlike paid search results, where one has the option to pay for instantaneous results and listing position, natural search results rankings are determined by numerous variables and take time to affect changes. It may take 1 week to 2 months before any SEO efforts impact the ranking of a website. With the optimal combination of variables configured, it may be possible to improve the website ranking in the natural search results. Research suggests that websites with higher search results rankings attract more traffic than lower ranked sites. The ultimate goal of SEO efforts is to increase the volume of free traffic.

SEO can be a complicated, lengthy, time consuming, and expensive process depending on the approach. These factors have spawned an industry with many professional services, programs, consultants, books and tools specializing in website SEO.

Before investing in any additional SEO tools or services, all ProStores merchants should perform five quick and easy steps. These five steps will help make your ProStores website more search engine friendly and may help with natural search engine rankings.


1) Review the Search Engine Optimization Tips in ProStores Store Administration

Learn some of the basic SEO concepts, terms and tips. Several Search Engine Optimization (SEO) ideas and recommendations are available for review in simple and brief format from the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Manager page. Browse to Marketing => Traffic Generation => Search Optimization and click on the article links that appear under the Search Engine Optimization Tips section.

2) Enable the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Manager options

The Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Manager helps you attract new customers by making your store more visible to search engines, such as Google and Yahoo. This option will modify the default URL strings in your store to URLs that are more search engine friendly. You can optimize your entire store with the SEO Manager, including your user-defined templates, search results pages and product pages.

Once enabled, your original URLs will still function.

Please note - If your store is already generating significant traffic through natural search results and your pages are highly ranked with the search engines, you may notice an initial decline in rankings or natural search traffic after enabling these options. With time, these modifications should enable you to exceed your previous level of success with natural search traffic and rankings.

To enable URL optimization for each area of your storefront:

1. Browse to Marketing => Traffic Generation => Search Optimization. The Search Engine Optimization Manager appears.

2. Check the box next to each URL type you would like to optimize. You may tune user defined templates, product pages and search results pages.

3. Click Apply

3) Enable the Sitemap Generation Option

The Sitemap Generation tool will automatically generate a search engine spider friendly file in your store�s root directory. The specifically designed file makes it easy for the search engine spiders to find and index the content in your website.

To enable the Sitemap Generation tool:
1. Browse to Marketing => Traffic Generation => Search Optimization. The Sitemap Generation option appears.

2. Check the box next to 'Generate a sitemap for the store'

3. Click Apply

If you have Google and/or Yahoo sitemap services, make certain to configure those accounts with the ProStores sitemap tool. Review the tutorials if you need assistance:

Google's Webmaster tools tutorial

Yahoo Site Explorer tutorial



4) Add Custom Search Engine Keywords

Including targeted search keywords in the first one or two sentences of your product Brief Description and Description may increase the chances that someone finds your product when conducting an internet search. Each keyword you feel is a likely search term should be placed throughout the page content and appear several times.

With ProStores, you can enter keywords for both internet searching outside your store and product searching within your store. Product Search Keywords feature allows a merchant to customize storefront search options and results. This functionality is separate and independent of the SEO ideas discussed in the article. Product Search Keywords edits do not affect SEO efforts.

The Search Engine Keywords option allows one to add customized Meta Keywords. Meta content (keywords and description) appears in the content of the product detail pages. It is not displayed to shoppers on your site, but designed to provide information for the search engine spiders as they crawl your website.

ProStores will automatically use the Product name as the Meta keyword and the first 200 characters of the product Description as the Meta description if custom Search Engine Keywords or custom Meta Description content is not provided for a product.

To add custom search engine keywords:
1. Go to Product => List and then click on a product to get to the Product Information page.

2. Click on Keywords button

3. Under Search Engine Keywords, enter three to seven keywords (separated by spaces) that a potential customer will most likely use when searching for products using an internet search engine. These keywords will appear in the HTML keywords tag on the product detail page. For best results, only add keywords that are also included in the text of the page (i.e. description field). Consider including the product name if you are customizing the search engine keywords.

There are tools and services available on the internet that may help you with keyword research for certain products.

If you have enabled Search Engine Optimization (SEO) options, the first four of these keywords will also appear in the URL of your product detail pages. This functionality is designed to help improve the indexing of the product detail pages.

4. Click Apply




Remember, if there is no entry in this field, ProStores will use the product name as the Meta keyword and include the product name in the URL of the product detail pages. Depending on the business, industry and or product, this may be the best approach.

If you are not prepared to enter relevant, accurate, or significant product keywords, your best approach may be to leave the field blank (and use the product name) until you have completed your keyword research.



5) Add Custom Product Meta Description


Typically, search engines will display the Meta Description of a page as text with the link to the page when the page appears in the search results of an internet search. ProStores will automatically use the first 200 characters of the product description as the Meta Description on the product detail page. Creating product descriptions that are both keyword rich and compelling to storefront shoppers may eliminate the need to create custom product Meta descriptions. If necessary, one can easily overwrite the default Meta description content by populating the Meta Description field on the Product Information page in store administration.

Include keywords in this text to improve the chances of it being displayed by some search engines that prefer showing text rich in search keyword 'hits.' While including keywords is important, the goal should be readability, and to encourage potential customers to click your link. Being brief is to your advantage as search engines may truncate your text if it extends beyond their limit.

To add custom product Meta Description

1. Go to Product => List and then click on a product to get to the Product Information page.

2. Click the Update button.

3. Scroll to the bottom of the page expand the Search Engine Tuning section of the page.

4. Enter the text to be placed in the HTML description tag on the product detail page.

5. Click the Submit button at the bottom of the page




Explore advanced options and techniques.

After you have completed the basic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tasks, you may want to explore additional techniques and options. Use the ProStores Learning Center "Search Articles" tool click or the "Online Marketing" link to find additional SEO articles. These tools present instant access to dozens of articles that provide valuable insight into basic and advanced information on the topic.



ProStores templates are customizable at the source level. Those comfortable working with the HTML source code on ProStores templates can explore and deploy a variety of advanced SEO techniques and approaches mentioned in articles written by 3^rd parties.