If you are planning to start an online store, implementing SEO is crucial. According to surveys, 44% of online shoppers begin their search using a search engine (nChannel). Therefore while starting a store, the priority should be to select a platform that follows best SEO practices.
Having worked in eCommerce for several years, I wrote this article on the best e-commerce platform for SEO based on my practical knowledge. This detailed article covers factors to consider before selecting the e-commerce platform for SEO and the 8 Best E-Commerce Platforms for SEO. Make sure to read the entire article to gain a complete understanding of the E-Commerce Platform for SEO.
Factors To Consider Before Selecting the Best E-Commerce Platform For SEO
Here listed some top eCommerce platforms for SEO here.
1. Custom Meta Descriptions
The Meta Description is the brief explanation that appears just below the title in google results. When the meta description fails to convey the article, it significantly impacts whether search visitors click on your article or choose the competitors.
A good meta description should explain to the user how the article will be beneficial or relevant to their search and should include a strong CTA.
2. Integrated Blogging Platforms
Publishing content on your website that is relevant to the products you sell is likely to increase traffic. Most people search, read, and share high-quality content on products before purchase. Your online store will rank higher in Google for product information when it has an integrated blogging feature. More sales are possible by utilizing the blogging function to highlight the product’s advantages.
3. Custom Navigation Links
The navigation link is the text in the eCommerce store’s navigation menu for the products and product categories. E-Commerce platforms usually generate navigation links using the same names as the products and product categories in the store. But you should have independent control over the navigation links.
4. Custom Page Titles
The Page Title is the text that appears in the browser’s tab section at the top. It is also displayed when a user bookmarks a page or saves it as a desktop shortcut. Page Titles that include a key search term have significant SEO benefits, especially when the search term or keyword is placed at the beginning of the Page Title. So having custom page titles is necessary.
5. URL customization
The eCommerce platform’s ability to change the URLs of different pages determines its SEO effectiveness. The eCommerce platform should have editable independent page URLs and canonical URLs. It helps you to look better in search engine results and helps you avoid duplicate content. As a result, having a customizable URL feature is beneficial.
6. Social Sharing Buttons
These icons have been added below the products to allow users to share those products with their networks on social media platforms. Website visitors can quickly and easily share product details with others by using a share button. Sharing the products on social media makes them more visible and boosts sales.
7. Optimised website
Since mobile devices account for most of the eCommerce sales, having a well-optimized website for all devices is a good idea. In addition, the website’s speed can have a significant impact on the store’s sales. A website that loads quickly can increase sales by keeping visitors on the page longer. Therefore, an optimized website is crucial to the eCommerce industry.
8. Auto XML Sitemaps
XML would be difficult to maintain manually for an e-commerce site with thousands of products. A good eCommerce platform will automatically generate an XML sitemap whenever a new page is added or removed from your website. XML sitemaps are stored on your web server to assist search engines in locating and indexing your content.
8 Best E-Commerce Platforms for SEO: In A Nutshell (2023)
Quick overview of 8 Best E-Commerce Platforms for SEO
| Sr. No. | E-Commerce Platform | Pricing |
| 1. | Shopify | Shopify lite- $9 per month basic plan- $29 per month Shopify- $79 per month advanced plan- $299 per month Shopify Plus- $2000 per month |
| 2. | WooCommerce | around $1,000 |
| 3. | Bigcommerce | Standard- $29.95Plus- $79.95Pro- $299.95 |
| 4. | Squarespace | Personal plan- $14 per month business plan- $23 per month basic Commerce plan- $27 per month advanced Commerce plan- $49 per month |
| 5. | Weebly | Pro- $12Business- $25Business plus- $38 |
| 6. | Shift4Shop | Basic- $29 per month plus- $79 per month.Pro- $229 per month.Enterprise- $1,999 per month |
| 7. | Adobe Commerce(Magento) | between $15,000–$50,000+. |
| 8. | Volusion | Personal- $35/month professional- $79/month business- $299/month price- custom |
1. Shopify
Shopify is the most preferred choice for building eCommerce stores. It is easy to create a Shopify account and operate the store due to its user-friendly interface. It comes with most of the inbuilt eCommerce features along with unlimited integrations, unlike preferring third-party apps. When it comes to SEO features, they provide some great functionalities.
Special features of Shopify are:
- Editing title tags, meta descriptions, and URLs for blog posts, webpages, products, and collections are possible.
- Alt text can be added and edited to images.
- You can get to use social sharing buttons on the product pages.
- Shopify offers inbuilt blogging features.
Pricing:
| S.no | Shopify Plans | Pricing |
| 1 | Shopify lite | $9 per month |
| 2 | Basic plan | $29 per month |
| 3 | Shopify | $79 per month |
| 4 | Advanced plan | $299 per month |
| 5 | Shopify Plus | $2000 per month |
2. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is an open-source WordPress plugin for creating eCommerce stores. It is a highly customizable platform in terms of design, features, pricing, etc. The platform is free to use on WordPress and provides a few basic features. Extra functionalities should be added by installing a dedicated plugin. Since WooCommerce is a WordPress plugin, it has impressive SEO features.
Special features of WooCommerce are:
- You can create customized URLs with a WooCommerce store.
- WooCommerce offers built-in blogging functionality.
- You get access to robots.txt files
- You can edit the titles, meta descriptions, etc., on product pages, category pages, etc.
- You will also receive automatic sitemap generation and support for Google Rich Snippets.
Pricing: It may cost around $1,000 to customize the pricing of a WooCommerce store to meet specific business needs.
3. Bigcommerce
Bigcommerce is the popular option for large-scale businesses or businesses willing to scale in the future. It has 12 free templates to design your eCommerce store using drag and drop builder. Bigcommerce has a wide range of built-in eCommerce features. It is integrated with several payment gateways to simplify your payment process. They do not charge any transaction fees for third-party gateway.
Special Features Of Bigcommerce Are:
- It comes with inbuilt-in 301 redirects and editable robots.txt files.
- You can change your URL structure to make it easier for users.
- Most of the Bigcommerce templates are all mobile responsive, and Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)
- You can use inbuilt blogging functionality.
Pricing:
| Bigcommerce | Pricing |
| Standard | $29.95 |
| Plus | $79.95 |
| Pro | $299.95 |
4. Squarespace
Squarespace is another well-known choice for building an eCommerce store. It is easy to design the store using drag and drop builder and easy to operate as it is user-friendly. This platform supports bookings, appointments, and subscription-based services that need to manage recurring payments. It comes with built-in tax tools, Abandoned cart recovery.
Discount codes, gift cards, and many such features make your work easier.
Special features of Squarespace are:
- You can generate custom URLs.
- It comes with inbuilt-in 301 redirects
- You can edit meta titles and meta descriptions
- You will have control over the sitemap, Canonical tags, Structured data
- Everything appears proper manner on mobile devices as it is mobile-responsive.
- A blogging feature has been included.
Pricing:
| Squarespace Plans | Pricing |
| Personal plan | $14 per month |
| Business plan | $23 per month |
| Basic Commerce plan | $27 per month |
| Advanced Commerce plan | $49 per month |
5. Weebly
Small businesses with less budget generally prefer Weebly. It comes with fewer features compared to other platforms. It is easy to use and comes with affordable pricing. The best part is that Weebly also offers eCommerce tools for free plans. It offers various apps and integrations to provide all the necessary features for your store. Although it does not provide most features inbuilt, it provides the best value for money.
Special features of Weebly are:
- Weebly comes with an inbuilt blogging feature.
- You can control the sitemap, HTML formatting, and meta descriptions.
- It comes with a mobile to make the shopping experience fast.
- You can also edit alt text for images and page-specific descriptions.
| Weebly plans | Pricing |
| Pro | $12 |
| Business | $25 |
| Business plus | $38 |
6. Shift4shop
This is one of the most effective website builders and has many useful SEO features. There are numerous eCommerce features available with Shift4shop, including Unlimited users, products, and bandwidth. No further transaction fees will be applied to your account. Additionally, Shift4shop offers assistance with AI-driven fraud protection. It includes capabilities for processing credit cards and real-time shipping. Free domain name registration and an SSL certificate are provided.
Special features of Shift4shop are:
- It comes with automatic sitemaps to make the indexing easy for google.
- You can edit meta tags, page titles, and H1 headings.
- You will get a built-in blogging feature with Shift4shop.
- Shift4shop includes a well-optimized page speed.
- The platform is integrated with Google Analytics.
- You will have control over canonical URLs and Robots.txt files.
Pricing:
| Shift4shop | Pricing |
| Basic | $29 per month |
| Plus | $79 per month. |
| Pro | $229 per month. |
| Enterprise | $1,999 per month |
7. Adobe Commerce(Magento)
Adobe Commerce formerly known as Magento is one of the popular options for creating a self-hosted online store. It is an open-source eCommerce platform that is easy to design and use website. This is one of the most customizable platforms just like WooCommerce. It comes with eCommerce features like shopping cart functionality, order management, Product browsing, Catalog management, and more. It is mostly preferred by enterprise-level businesses.
Special features of Adobe Commerce are:
- You will receive a mobile-friendly website with Adobe Commerce.
- You can optimize the images on the website to suit all devices.
- It comes with AI-powered live search to provide faster search results to your customers.
- You can have control over sitemaps and XML
- Adobe Commerce is integrated with Google Analytics.
Pricing: To start an eCommerce store with Magento cost you between $15,000–$50,000+.
8. Volusion
It is one of the oldest e-commerce platforms with a user-friendly interface. Volusion comes with mobile responsive themes to make the shopping experience fast for your customers. You can use the drag-and-drop website builder to design your website. It comes with great eCommerce features like Inventory and stock management, Unlimited product options, a CRM system, an Abandoned cart, etc. Volusion supports social media integrations. It enables you to sell subscription-based goods as well.
Special features of Volusion are:
- You can edit the page titles, Image Alt text, and meta descriptions.
- You will have control over the Sitemaps of the store.
- You can get to create custom URLs on your store.
- You will have access to Robots.txt files
- Volusion comes with Google integrations.
Pricing:
| Volusion plans | Pricing |
| Personal | $35/month |
| Professional | $79/month |
| Business | $299/month |
| Prime | custom |
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Conclusion: Best E-Commerce Platforms For SEO Try In (2023)
I hope this list of best E-Commerce platforms for SEO will help you decide which platform to use to launch your online store. The best way to rank in Google is through SEO. Therefore, picking an e-commerce platform with the best SEO capabilities is essential if you want to boost sales with a single-time effort. Before choosing the eCommerce platform, it is important to research its SEO capabilities and how they can help your business.
