Boost Your E-commerce SEO with Magento 2 Migration

There’s a saying; if you want to hide something, put it on the second page of Google’s search results and no one will bother to find it. It really puts into perspective how important search engine optimization is, especially in such a competitive e-commerce market.

And I’m not basing this argument on a bluff. Almost 40% of the customers are likely to buy a product if it appears in the top three SERP results. 

Thankfully, moving your online store to a more robust e-commerce hosting platform, like Magento 2, can help you rank up on search engine results.

But how exactly can migrating to Magento 2 boost your e-commerce SEO?

Let’s dive into this article and find out.

Things to Consider When Migrating to Magento 2

Magento 2 migration can improve your online store’s performance on search engine results. However, migrating your e-commerce business to Magento 2 is a complex process.

While doing so, you need proper planning and execution to ensure that it doesn’t adversely affect your SEO ranking.

Here’s what you need to consider to ensure a smooth Magento 2 migration process:

• Keep the Same URL Structure: When you’re setting up the URL for your new site, make sure it has the same structure as the old site. That way, old customers won’t get confused and your SEO ranking won’t have any negative impact.
• Create 301 Redirects: Implement 301 redirects for all of the older URLs. This HTTP response code tells the browser and search engine that your existing pages have been permanently migrated to new URLs. That way, your consumers will be redirected to your new storefront.
• Backup Your Data: To avoid data loss, it is essential to back up your order history, customer data, inventory data, etc. before the migration process. You can use Magento 2’s built-in backup or cloud solutions in this regard.
• Preserve Meta Tags and Page Titles: Meta descriptions and page titles play a vital role in SERP ranking and how search engines perceive your site. Keeping them intact during migration will ensure that your SEO rankings are not hampered.

Additionally, keep an eye on your website’s traffic and other key SEO metrics after the migration is done. If you notice any adverse effects, you can use Fullmage’s Magento 2 SEO services to address them promptly.

How Migrating to Magento 2 Can Boost Your E-commerce SEO

Compared to any other marketing strategy, SEO has unmatched capabilities due to its long-term benefits. It organically increases your e-commerce website’s traffic, further increasing your website’s SERP(search engine results page) ranking.

That should tell you how important it is for any e-commerce business to focus on search engine optimization.

Thankfully, migrating to Magento 2 can further boost the SERP ranking of your online store as they have robust and feature-rich SEO capabilities. Here’s how:

1. Improved Website Loading Speed and Performance

According to Google, a 1-second delay in page load time can result in a 7% reduction in conversions. This tech giant has also indicated that page speed is one of the ranking factors for both desktop and mobile searches. (Source: Google Help)

Faster page speed also leads to reduced bounce rates, which improves dwell time. This is a lesser-known factor that search engines still consider when ranking websites.

Magento 2 optimizes your website to cover all of these aspects, thanks to its support for Varnish caching, full-page caching, and better database management.

As a result, your e-commerce website gets better load time, lower latency, and higher authority for SERP ranking.

2. Mobile Friendly Architecture

Ever since July 2019, Google has been using mobile-first indexing. That means it predominantly uses the mobile version of the content for indexing and ranking.

As a result, websites that are optimized for mobile devices perform better in mobile search results. This is an important consideration given that 58% of all web traffic comes from mobile devices, especially for consumer queries.

That actually makes sense because whenever we want to buy a piece of jewelry or an accessory item, we immediately pull out our phones and search for it on the web.

Conversely, Magento 2’s mobile-friendly design ensures that your site is adaptable across various devices, even for those new foldable phones. This leads to a better user experience, higher mobile rankings, and improved SEO for your e-commerce site.

3. Built-in SEO Features

Magento 2 offers built-in features like automated sitemap generation, URL rewrites, and redirects.

And according to Moz, proper URL structure and redirects are crucial for maintaining and improving search engine rankings, making these built-in features highly valuable for any e-commerce platform.

Let me explain how.

Automated sitemaps greatly help search engines, like Google, to crawl through and index your site more efficiently. This can significantly enhance your SEO performance since Google likes websites that make indexing easier.

Furthermore, proper redirect implementation also ensures that traffic from outdated or broken URLs is directed to the correct pages. This preserves link equity and avoids search engine penalties.

4. Robust Security

Magento 2 offers much-improved security features, such as two-factor authentication, file integrity checks, and flexible password management. This is a really good news for any online storefront since Google usually gives preferential treatment to secure websites, especially since 2014.

Hence, a secure website not only builds trust with customers but also boosts the SEO rankings of the e-commerce business.

Additionally, compromised data or hacking incidents can also lead to loss of rankings and authority on search engines. That’s why migrating to Magento 2 can be helpful since their enhanced security protocols help protect your website from such vulnerabilities.

5. UX Improvement

When determining SERP ranking, Google’s RankBrain, a machine learning algorithm, considers user behavior, such as bounce rates and time spent on a site. (Source: Backlinko)

And since sites with better UX tend to have lower bounce rates and higher engagement, they usually see a better search engine ranking overall.

Magento 2 focuses on enhancing the user experience with features like streamlined navigation and improved search functionality. As a result, migrating to Magento 2 can help your business with customer satisfaction, loyalty, and better retention value.

And that’s not all!

Magento 2’s simplified checkout process can reduce cart abandonment rates by up to 35%, which positively impacts conversion rates and SEO ranking.

6. Useful Extensions for SEO

Magento 2’s marketplace offers a range of SEO extensions, including modules for on-page SEO, automated metadata, and structured data generation. These tools help users automate time-consuming SEO tasks and keep the online store up-to-date with industry trends.

For example, extensions like SEO Suite Ultimate provide comprehensive tools for SEO audits, duplicate content elimination, and automated metadata generation.

These features can further help you adhere to the best SEO practices and advancements.

Not only that, using these extensions can improve your e-commerce site’s organic traffic and search visibility by ensuring consistent optimization.

7. Better Integration with Third-Party Tools

Magento 2 integrates seamlessly with third-party analytics and SEO tools. Such as Google Analytics, Search Console, and Yoast SEO. These tools provide valuable insights into traffic sources, user behavior, and SEO performance.

According to a survey by HubSpot, businesses that regularly monitor their website analytics are 20% more likely to improve their SEO rankings.

Hence, by integrating these tools with Magento 2, you can make better data-driven decisions that will enhance your website’s SERP ranking and drive more traffic to your e-commerce business.

Bottom Line

According to statistics from Startup Bonsai, around 90,000 searches are done every second on Google. And if your online storefront isn’t showing up on the first page, you can say goodbye to having organic growth in your e-commerce business.

Fortunately, migrating to Magento 2 can greatly help you out in this regard. Just have a well-thought-out migration strategy put in place beforehand and you’re good to go.

Anyway, that’s all for today. Hope this write-up has provided you with all the necessary information you were looking for.

Have a nice day!