Ecommerce is big business, not just for you, but for the companies that enable you to be a part of the ecommerce revolution without wasting countless hours coding your website. I’m talking about the shopping cart platforms and content management systems that enable you to build and manage your store with the click of a button, like, for instance, the Yahoo Merchant Store. This platform is great for designing sleek layouts and managing seemingly countless orders with ease, but how does it fare in the SEO department? I actually manage a leading Yahoo Merchant Store SEO agency in Los Angeles, so I’d like to take a few moments to point out how Yahoo stores stack up in the SEO department.
Why Does it Matter?
Before we get into the nuts and bolts of SEO as it pertains to the Yahoo Merchant Store, maybe you’re wondering why this is such an important issue in the first place. After all, when choosing an ecommerce platform, you probably look at issues like price, ease of use, versatility and customization freedom. How does SEO enter the equation? Well, I would argue that SEO is not only an important ingredient in your ecommerce success recipe, but it’s actually the important ingredient. Without it, your site is just a serious of 1’s and 0’s floating through CyberSpace.
SEO stands for “search engine optimization,” and it is the process by which you achieve search engine visibility. Without search engine visibility, you can forget about things like “traffic” and “revenue” and “success” and “a roof over your head”…but I digress. With a solid SEO plan, you can achieve front-page search engine rankings for all of the major keywords in your niche, and when it comes to CyberSpace, that’s the most valuable marketing you can get. So when choosing an ecommerce platform, whether it happens to be Shopify, Volusion or even Yahoo Merchant Stores, you need to carefully consider the role of SEO.
Yahoo Merchant Stores
So now that we understand why SEO integration is much more than just a good idea, the question remains: How does Yahoo measure up in the SEO department? Surprisingly, it’s quite the powerhouse. In fact, Yahoo is one of my top recommendations for SEO-inclusive shopping cart platforms because it contains all of the ingredients for SEO success. Please don’t misunderstand. You’re not going to achieve #1 Google rankings straight out of the box. There is still much work that needs to be done on your end, but Yahoo definitely provides a powerful framework for SEO success potential.
For instance, many people tend to neglect the back-end demands that go along with any SEO plan. They spend all of their time creating content and building links, while forgetting about critical steps like building quality XML and HTML sitemaps, establishing the optimal link navigation structure, and creating search-friendly URLs. Even more neglected are the usability functions like rapid page load times, custom 404 pages and error minimization. Yahoo Merchant Stores not only enable these features, but automate them. Even if you don’t know your PHP from your HTML, and can’t tell the difference between a <div> tag and a skin tag, you can achieve flawless back-end SEO thanks to Yahoo’s intuitive development features.
Of Course, There are Limitations…
Just to be clear, even Yahoo Merchant Stores can’t automate everything. SEO is a complex and multifaceted enterprise, and it encompasses a wide range of both on-site and off-site modifications. Yahoo can’t do everything on your behalf, but neither can any other content management system. There are issues like link building, keyword research and content creation, which simply cannot be placed on auto-pilot. This, unfortunately, is where many otherwise competent online business owners fall short. Yahoo Merchant Stores are second to none when it comes to SEO, but if you really want to give yourself the necessary competitive edge, you’ll need to look beyond the stock automations and put some personal effort into your SEO campaign. Not only will it be worth your time, but it will maximize the return on your investment in ways you never imagined.
Unfortunately, taking command of your SEO campaign can be tricky. How do you find the right link partners? How do you determine which keywords to target, and how do you optimize your content accordingly? These are complex questions with no simple answers, and if you really want to reap the maximum reward, it pays to have a professional on your side. Amateur SEO is a lot like amateur skydiving. It may sound like a good idea, but if you’re not adequately prepared for the complex challenges that await you, you’re going to end up looking like a bug on a windshield.
Coalition Technologies – Your Yahoo Merchant Store SEO Agency
My company, Coalition Technologies, understands the Yahoo eCommerce platform inside and out. We employ some of the top designers, developers and SEOs in the industry, and we continuously deliver unparalleled results for our clients. If you have a great Yahoo Merchant website, but are looking to improve your traffic and revenue with the help of a Yahoo Merchant Store SEO agency, give us a call at 1-888-800-9101. We’ll give you a free quote and provide you with a step-by-step breakdown of how we can boost your search engine rankings and maximize your search engine potential. So don’t settle for second best. Take command of your eCommerce destiny, and stop looking at SEO as a mere afterthought.