In order for a commercial Internet project to meet expectations, it is necessary to constantly engage in its SEO-optimization
SEO-optimization is a constantly evolving process, which is often accompanied by an element of unpredictability. On the one hand, specialists set goals, such as achieving top positions in search results and increasing site traffic. On the other hand, the project often faces various challenges that need to be overcome. These challenges may include strong competition in the niche, changes in search algorithms, technical glitches and other obstacles. The example of SEO-promotion for online electronics store Storeinua shows how a project can develop and how to adapt to dynamically changing conditions. Igor Voloviy, CEO and co-founder of Elit-Web, shared his experience of effective adaptation to such changes, writes Retailers portal.
Rapid Start: Recommendations for Successful Growth in the First Months
Promotion of a store specializing in smartphones, tablets and other gadgets began with a detailed analysis of the current state of the online platform and a study of the strategies of the main competitors. The competition in this area proved to be quite high, as many companies were actively optimizing their websites to improve SEO. Despite this, the SEO team set bold and ambitious goals.
The key performance indicator was Storeinua’s online store ranking in the top 10 search results for priority queries for six months. Additionally, the growth of organic traffic was assessed.
At the start of the project, standard tasks were solved:
-
analyzing the structure of the site,
-
creating a semantic kernel,
-
preparation of technical tasks for programmers in order to implement the necessary changes,
-
determination of sites for the placement of reference mass,
-
writing content for publication on third-party resources.
During the first four months we managed to achieve a significant improvement in the positions of key commercial queries: about 1200 priority keywords entered the top 10 of the search results, while the initial positions were only in the top 30. Organic traffic grew first by 187%, and then added another 40%.
This confirms that the promotion strategy was successful and there were no major problems at this stage.
Unforeseen difficulties in the SEO optimization process: sharp decrease in positions
The first alarming signals about the decline in traffic were the disappearance of several pages from the top 10 search results. For online stores, such situations are not uncommon, as the range of products is regularly updated: new items appear, and old ones are removed. However, uncoordinated actions led to the fact that the number of queries in the top 10 for the main pages decreased by 11%.
Later, additional difficulties arose: by the end of the sixth month, the server speed had noticeably decreased, which had a negative impact on the usability of the site. During the same period, Google released two algorithm updates, which aggravated the situation of the site, which in the conditions of technical problems could not fully compete in the search results. Moreover, experts noted an overall drop in interest in the niche by 22% during this period.
As a result, a significant drop in traffic was recorded, reaching 62%.
To correct this situation, the following steps were performed:
-
re-optimization of the pages, including removal of product micropartitioning in categories and changes to micropartitioning on the product pages themselves,
-
the technical state of the resource was analyzed and a list of recommendations for eliminating the identified shortcomings was compiled,
-
problems related to page indexing were detected,
-
an audit of internal page weight distribution and budget scanning was performed,
-
commercial keywords such as “buy” and “price” were added to the anchor text.
The main issue that had a major impact on the project was the modification and deletion of pages. Specifically, in just ten days, the URLs of 760 product pages were changed and moved from categories to subcategories. This resulted in a product that was previously in the /tehnika-dlya-doma/ section being moved to the /tehnika-dlya-doma/bitovaja-tehnika-ru/otparivateli/ subcategory. Such moves, if they are not accompanied by the correct configuration of redirects, violate the logic of indexing and create a lot of broken links. According to the analysis data, their share amounted to 34%.
To fix the problem, we implemented redirects and updated the sitemap.
Over the next three months, there were significant position fluctuations, which were likely caused by unannounced changes in search algorithms. Traffic declines remained at around 40%. We continued to analyze the impact of Google’s updates and launched a strategy to stabilize the situation. This included updating page content, re-indexing, creating new external links and implementing a previously planned migration to a new site platform.
Recovery actions: How to get your site back to the top of the search results
“The main goal was to fix the site’s serious technical problems, which continued to accumulate over time. Since the platform’s capabilities no longer met the growing demands, I suggested implementing a complete redesign. With the help of modern technologies, we managed to eliminate many errors, strengthen security and take into account all relevant SEO aspects. It is noteworthy that the development and launch of the project took record time – about 3-4 months. At the same time, we ensured uninterrupted operation of the online store so that customers could continue to place orders without interruptions”.
Vasyl Goraychuk, Head of Marketing Department, Storeinua
A significant achievement was the introduction of the latest technological and software solutions.
“One of the most critical issues with the old site was the removal of product pages that were no longer available but had managed to attract traffic. Instead, 301 redirects should have been set up. Additional difficulties were created by server errors that slowed down the site’s response speed, as well as other technical difficulties. After analysis, we came to the conclusion that these problems significantly hindered development and it was impossible to achieve sustainable improvements within the existing site. Therefore, the team fully supported the client’s decision to migrate to a new platform. We carried out this process while strengthening the domain with external links to minimize the impact of technical work on search engine optimization.”
Alexander Bozhko, Elit-web Project Manager
The strategy we developed and implemented to restore the ranking has brought results: after only three months, organic traffic increased by 28% and revenue increased by an impressive 98, 79%.
This progress was not halted by the core update that took place in August 2024.
Our key areas of focus included:
-
Content update. The main goal was to unify and improve text descriptions for key product categories, transfer reviews from the old version of the site and publish new materials,
-
optimizing the structure and implementing technical improvements. At this stage, meta description templates for all product lines and categories were revised, pages with 404 error were excluded from search results, and review sections and links to “New Products” in the iPhone category were added,
-
transition to Google Cloud Platform. This helped stabilize the site and significantly improve page load speed.
As the project grows, it is critical to follow these guidelines:
-
closely monitor the technical state of the site and promptly address any identified issues, such as 500 server errors,
-
be careful when changing URLs, as such changes can negatively affect page indexing,
-
avoid removing product, category or filter pages without prior coordination with SEO specialists who will be able to correctly set up redirects if necessary,
-
refrain from using AI to create text descriptions,
-
Monitor your site’s loading speed – Google Search Console metrics allow you to quickly detect and respond to changes.
All these measures allowed the project to promote an online electronics store to reach the stage of active growth.
Lessons from the crisis: adaptability and flexibility
At the time of writing, the site’s positions continue to show positive dynamics: over the last two days, the number of impressions has almost doubled compared to the previous results.
Over the past two days, the average online store position has increased from 54, 4 to 25.
623 keyword queries ranked in the top 10 of Google.
Practical experience of promotion of an online electronics store demonstrates that SEO-optimization is not only stable growth and positive changes. This process can include both successful stages and difficulties. Even if the start is very successful, an SEO initiative can face challenges that lead to loss of positions and a decrease in the number of visitors to the site. But even in these situations, there is a way to overcome the crisis!
Experience with many projects confirms: investments in SEO justify themselves. Although temporary failures are inevitable, regular analysis helps to promptly detect problems and develop anti-crisis plans. During recession periods, it is important not to lose sight of the technical characteristics of the site, create high-quality content, continue external optimization activities and adapt to changes in search algorithms.
In the end, it is important to realize that SEO is a constant process that requires a built strategy, regular checks and immediate response to any changes. It is this approach that allows you to successfully overcome difficulties and move towards sustainable development of your online business.