To be successful, jewelers need to make sure their website is as compelling as their physical store. Every click counts.
As the majority of consumers go online to research and, in some cases, purchase jewelry, optimizing your website for search engines is no longer an option, but a necessity.
Here are four actionable strategies you can employ to significantly improve your SEO rankings, increasing traffic to your site, and ultimately increasing your sales.
1. Create engaging and informative content.
When it comes to SEO, content is always key.
This means creating content that is not only engaging and informative to read, but also relevant to your jewelry buyers. To rank well, you will want to write blog posts consistently.
Regularly publishing articles on jewelry trends and in-depth buying guides, as well as sharing the stories behind your collections, helps establish your jewelry store as a trusted authority in your area.
Another content strategy you should adopt is to create a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section.
Develop a comprehensive FAQ section that answers common customer questions about jewelry. This helps build additional trust with potential customers and also helps improve the relevance and usefulness of your site, which Google generously rewards with higher rankings.
Another type of content you should create is videos.
This has become easier, as many consumers now prefer “natural,” unedited content over polished, produced videos. Don’t worry if you’re not Hollywood-ready; just be yourself. Authenticity sells.
Incorporate video tours of your latest collections, a behind-the-scenes look at the repair or craftsmanship process, or instructional videos on jewelry care.
Videos increase engagement and time spent on your site, positively impacting your SEO by sending a signal to Google that your site is worth visiting.
2. Rewrite your jewelry website product descriptions.
An easy way to get an immediate SEO boost is to update your product descriptions, which also improves the user experience by giving people more information about each style of jewelry.
A well-crafted description can make the difference between those who browse and those who buy.
When rewriting your product descriptions, be descriptive and unique. Avoid generic phrases and instead use vivid, specific language that captures the essence and beauty of each piece.
Highlight what makes your jewelry stand out, such as the quality of the gems, the purity of the metal, or the uniqueness of each design.
As you write, you’ll also want to organically integrate relevant keywords into your descriptions without “stuffing” them, meaning using too many. Research keywords that potential customers might type to find the styles you sell, and include them in a way that feels natural.
Another great but little-known way to rank higher in SEO is to optimize your jewelry descriptions for voice search, searches done through technologies like Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa. Almost no one does this, and even fewer jewelers have heard of this strategy.
With the advent of voice search, consider how people ask jewelry questions out loud so you can incorporate those “slang terms” into your product descriptions and site content.
This tip alone (when applied to your entire site) can easily increase your rankings by 5-10 percent or more over time.
Every little contribution is useful and the final result adds up.
3. Optimize every image.
Images have always been at the heart of jewelry, showcasing the beauty and detail of each design. You can significantly improve your SEO by optimizing images on your website.
It starts with high-quality images with the right lighting to bring out the beauty of each piece. Make sure your images are high-resolution but also optimized for web use to avoid slow loading times (especially on mobile devices), which can negatively impact your SEO.
Another way to boost your rankings is to use descriptive, keyword-rich alt tags behind each image. Alt tags are in the code and help search engines understand the content of your images, making them more likely to appear in searches for images related to your jewelry.
Interestingly, one thing people always forget is the file name of the image.
Before uploading images, rename your files with descriptive, keyword-rich names. For example, instead of “IMG_1234.jpg,” use a more descriptive name like “14k-gold-diamond-engagement-ring.jpg.”
Google notices this and is able to better understand the image and that it is related to jewelry. It is a way to get a higher ranking in search engine results with little additional effort.
To win in the quest game, you must use all available tactics.
4. Build high-quality backlinks.
Backlinks, or links from other websites to yours, are another key component of SEO. They act as endorsements of the relevance and quality of your jewelry site’s content.
To build high-quality backlinks, try guest blogging and offer to write articles for trusted sites or local publications. Include a link to your website and a call to action in your author bio at the end of the article. You can also collaborate with local influencers, designers, or related businesses and encourage them to link to you.
When you create content for your site, you want to focus on creating something that is “link worthy.”
People naturally want to share and link to content that educates and helps them. If they find it useful, they often think others will find it useful too.
In short, remember that improving your jewelry SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistent effort and patience are the key to seeing results.
By focusing on creating quality content, perfecting your jewelry descriptions, optimizing your website images, and building backlinks, your jewelry store will capture not only the attention of search engines, but also the hearts of your customers.