Strategic ecommerce keyword research can help you reach the right audience and directly impact your bottom line.<\/p>\n
Just look at Cosmetify\u2019s success.<\/p>\n
This beauty retailer was struggling with an all-too-common challenge: no traffic on its revenue-generating pages.<\/p>\n
The team identified and mapped transactional keywords to these money pages.<\/p>\n
Dorothy Edgar<\/a>, SEO Manager at Cosmetify, shares more about her strategy:<\/p>\n The result?<\/p>\n A 12.6-position average keyword boost and a 250% jump in organic revenue in 2024.<\/p>\n That\u2019s just one example of the impact you can create with strategic keyword research.<\/p>\n Want these results for your business?<\/p>\n Use this 6-step framework to find revenue-driving keywords \u2014 without wasting time or budget.<\/p>\n Keyword research<\/a> reveals how your customers search, think, and make buying decisions online.<\/p>\n These rich audience insights can benefit your ecommerce business in many ways.<\/p>\n Keyword research helps you meet buyers where they are.<\/p>\n You get an insider\u2019s view of your buyers\u2019 psyche and willingness to purchase.<\/p>\n For instance, when people search for \u201cbenefits of running,\u201d they want to learn more about this topic.<\/p>\n When they search for \u201cbest running shoes for flat feet,\u201d they\u2019re comparing different products.<\/p>\n In short: Choose keywords<\/a> to target potential customers across the buyer journey and drive conversions.<\/p>\n The peak shopping season around holidays and festivals is ultra-competitive.<\/p>\n But ecommerce keyword research<\/a> reveals micro-seasonal trends that your competitors might overlook. These less-competitive opportunities can drive more revenue with less effort.<\/p>\n Keep in mind that micro-seasonal trends differ across geographies and occasions.<\/p>\n For example, \u201cback to school\u201d is a trending topic in the United States from July to August.<\/p>\n If you run an online stationery store, target relevant keywords to tap into this demand.<\/p>\n You can also use this research to gauge your buyers\u2019 interest in a new product idea.<\/p>\n A surging search volume for certain terms signals emerging consumer preferences.<\/p>\n For example, more people searching for \u201cplastic-free activewear\u201d could show growing interest in this product.<\/p>\n Analyze your keywords<\/a> to find an untapped market for a new product category or niche.<\/p>\n Before I break down our 6-step framework for ecommerce keyword research, let\u2019s cover the basics. Informational terms drive top-of-funnel traffic to your website.<\/p>\n These keywords make your brand more discoverable, especially when shoppers are looking to solve specific problems.<\/p>\n Target these search terms to provide helpful context about your products and put your brand on potential customers\u2019 radar.<\/p>\n Informational keyword examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n Commercial keywords<\/a> bridge the gap between research and purchase.<\/p>\n Shoppers use these keywords to compare different products\u2019 features that match their needs.<\/p>\n Commercial keyword examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n Transactional keywords lead searchers to purchase and drive revenue.<\/p>\n These terms show a clear buying intent because shoppers use terms like \u201cbuy\u201d and \u201cbook\u201d or other strong purchase signals like pricing.<\/p>\n Transactional keyword examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n Here\u2019s how these three keyword types map to the ecommerce funnel:<\/p>\n While these three keyword types map directly to the ecommerce funnel, they\u2019re not the only ones worth targeting.<\/p>\n Navigational keywords help searchers find a specific ecommerce brand, product, or page.<\/p>\n These queries also include category-specific navigation patterns people use to find specific products.<\/p>\n For example, \u201cUnder Armour men\u2019s joggers\u201d shows clear intent to find a specific brand and product.<\/p>\n Navigational keyword examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n Long-tail keywords<\/a> are longer phrases searchers use for a highly specific need or niche topics.<\/p>\n Take the keyword \u201cbest running shoes for women with flat feet\u201d as an example.<\/p>\n It\u2019s longer than usual and searches for a hyperspecific product.<\/p>\n That level of detail can still bring in meaningful traffic \u2014 especially if it aligns with strong purchase intent.<\/p>\n Long-tail keyword examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n Buy a keyword tool \u2192 Find high-volume search queries \u2192 Add to landing pages.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the outdated approach to finding keywords for ecommerce brands.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a recipe for draining your time and money.<\/p>\n Let me break down a 6-step ecommerce keyword research process to drive sales and rewrite your growth trajectory<\/a>.<\/p>\n Before you sign up for a keyword research tool<\/a>, build some groundwork for your strategy.<\/p>\n Your first step? Listen to your customers.<\/p>\n The way people search for your products can be very different from how you describe them.<\/p>\n This misalignment could mean missed opportunities.<\/p>\n But when you speak your customers\u2019 language, your content hits home.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look at the difference:<\/p>\n A skincare brand markets one of its products as a \u201c10% niacinamide serum with zinc PCA.\u201d<\/p>\n On the flip side, its target buyers search for \u201cbest serum for large pores\u201d or \u201chow to reduce facial oiliness.\u201d<\/p>\n Same product. Completely different language.<\/p>\n Here are some more before (brands\u2019 language) and after (customers\u2019 language) examples:<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to fix this language gap:<\/p>\n Let\u2019s understand this with an example from Made In, a cookware brand.<\/p>\n Made In describes its Carbon Steel Wok with this product description. It talks about the wok\u2019s weight, bottom, seasoning time, and more.<\/p>\n But customer reviews echo praise for one unique feature: the wok\u2019s heat distribution.<\/p>\n Now, re-read the description.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll realize it misses the one value proposition that most customers are raving about.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve ticked off Step #1, it\u2019s time to expand your keyword universe.<\/p>\n Most ecommerce sites limit themselves to product-related keywords \u2014 like a coffee maker brand targeting \u201csingle-serve coffee maker\u201d or \u201cburr grinder with timer.\u201d<\/p>\n The result? Missing out on valuable traffic opportunities.<\/p>\n Customers search for your products in dozens of different ways based on:<\/p>\n Go beyond your product-specific terms and find seed keywords that match your customers\u2019 search habits.<\/p>\n One way to do this is by listing your products, alternative names, categories, and use cases.<\/p>\n For a product like \u201ccoffee maker,\u201d you can start with seed terms like:<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a more detailed matrix for this brand:<\/p>\n![\"Cosmetify](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/cosmetify-monthly-seo-report-uk.webp "\\"Cosmetify")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\nWhy Ecommerce Brands Need Keyword Research<\/h2>\n
![\"Why](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/why-ecommerce-brands-need-keyword-research.webp "\\"Why")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\nUnderstand the Buyer Journey<\/h3>\n
Discover Micro-Seasonal Trends<\/h3>\n
![\"Google](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/google-trends-back-to-school-interest.webp "\\"Google")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\nValidate Product Opportunities<\/h3>\n
Types of Keywords You Should Focus On for Ecommerce<\/h2>\n
Ecommerce brands can target several types of keywords<\/a>.
But, three stand out for driving customers through the buying funnel: informational, commercial, and transactional keywords.<\/p>\nInformational<\/h3>\n
\n
Commercial<\/h3>\n
\n
Transactional<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"Keywords](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keywords-in-the-ecommerce-funnel.webp "\\"Keywords")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\nNavigational<\/h3>\n
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Long-Tail Keywords<\/h3>\n
![\"Keyword](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-overview-best-running-shoes-for-women-with-flat-feet-overview.webp "\\"Keyword")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n\n
How to Conduct Effective Ecommerce Keyword Research<\/h2>\n
Step 1: Identify Your Core Terms and Customer Language<\/h3>\n
![\"Align](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/align-keyword-research-with-customer-language.webp "\\"Align")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n\n
![\"Carbon](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/carbon-steel-wok-description.webp "\\"Carbon")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n![\"Carbon](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/carbon-steel-wok-customer-review.webp "\\"Carbon")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\nStep 2: Generate a Broad List of Seed Keywords<\/h3>\n
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![\"Ecommerce](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ecommerce-keyword-research-template-by-backlinko.webp "\\"Ecommerce")
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<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n![\"Keyword](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-gap-kobaskincare-compare.webp "\\"Keyword")
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<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n![\"Keyword](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-overview-exercise-bike-for-home-gym-overview.webp "\\"Keyword")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n![\"Keyword](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-overview-exercise-bike-for-home-gym-serp-analysis.webp "\\"Keyword")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n![\"Keyword](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/keyword-magic-tool-exercise-bike-for-home-gym-filtered-keywords.webp "\\"Keyword")
<\/source><\/picture><\/figure>\n![\"Ecommerce](\"https:\/\/api.backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/04\/ecommerce-keyword-research-template-content-format.webp "\\"Ecommerce")
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