Ecommerce Keyword Research: Are You Doing It Right?

<PodcastEmbed spotifyUrl="https://open.spotify.com/show/2REHyOBFQ8vPJM78atTU0y" appleUrl="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rocket-agents-podcast/id1807401699" amazonUrl="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2d3fa50e-1d28-45fb-a6f9-5a9b5645f5e8/rocket-agents-podcast" />

⬇️ Prefer to listen instead? ⬇️

---

• Cosmetify increased organic revenue by 250% after mapping transactional keywords to product pages.
• SEO keyword overlap can cause cannibalization, leading to poor rankings across competitive search terms.
• Long-tail keywords convert better in ecommerce due to lower competition and specific purchase intent.
• Over 14,100 keywords were uncovered using a competitor gap analysis, helping ecommerce brands spot missed opportunities.
• Automating keyword-based content speeds up SEO performance while maintaining consistency and brand voice.

---

If your ecommerce SEO strategy is falling short, keyword research might be the missing piece. Just ask Cosmetify—when they mapped transactional keywords to key product pages, they boosted their average keyword position by 12.6 spots and grew their organic revenue by 250% in a single year. The good news? You can copy this success with a few smart changes.

What Makes Ecommerce Keyword Research Different?

Keyword research for ecommerce is less about getting lots of web traffic and more about finding specific phrases that lead to sales. Unlike other SEO strategies that might focus on getting information out or building a brand, ecommerce keyword strategies should always help sell products.

For ecommerce businesses, every chosen keyword should help someone decide to buy and connect directly to things like:

• Product pages (e.g., "buy memory foam mattress online")
• Collection or category pages (e.g., "best hiking shoes for women")
• FAQs, size charts, and how-to guides that make things easier and build trust

This focus on buying is what makes ecommerce keyword research carry higher stakes—and more reward. Getting conversions is key for good SEO in ecommerce, and that’s why your approach must show how and why users are searching.

---

Why Keyword Research Isn’t Optional for Ecommerce SEO

A good keyword strategy isn’t just nice to have. It’s what powers every successful SEO-driven ecommerce website.

Understand Buyer Intent

Ecommerce customers don’t all go straight to "Add to Cart." They start with a problem or goal and move through stages of learning, comparing, and deciding.

The right keywords fit each step:

• “Benefits of running” → Learning stage (blog content)
• “Best running shoes for flat feet” → Comparing stage (lists or review pages)
• “Buy Asics Gel-Kayano 30 online” → Ready-to-buy stage (product page)

Mapping content to each intent stage makes sure you show up when someone is deciding what to buy—not just at the very end.

Spot Micro-Seasonal Trends

While most brands put lots of effort into big shopping times like Black Friday, smart ecommerce operators find smaller, specific seasons where they can do really well.

Examples of seasonal times often missed:

• “Back to school supplies for college” → mid-July through late August
• “Winter skincare routine” → October through January
• “Valentine’s gifts for her under $50” → January through mid-February
• “Gardening gifts for Mother’s Day” → April and May

Checking these times using tools like Google Trends or Semrush lets you create optimized content and landing pages early—getting the traffic before your competitors even notice it's there.

Validate Product Demand

Keyword trends show what customers are interested in right now. Big jumps in searches for things like "biodegradable packaging for skincare," "sugar-free hydration powders," or "vegan leather handbags" often happen before you see big changes in what people are buying.

For ecommerce owners, this lets you:

• Test product ideas with landing pages built around early keyword signs
• See if people are interested before you start making things or buying wholesale
• Make pre-launch campaigns based on keywords that are starting to trend

SEO for ecommerce isn't just about selling what you have—it can help you figure out what you should sell next.

---

Types of Keywords Every Ecommerce Store Should Use

A full SEO ecommerce strategy needs different kinds of keywords. These aren't just terms people search for a lot—they show where users are in the process, the situation, and how specific they are.

Informational Keywords (Top of Funnel)

These keywords are usually from someone trying to fix a problem, find an answer, or learn more about something. Even though users might not be ready to buy, this step builds trust and shows you know what you're talking about over time.

Examples:

• “How to reduce frizz in curly hair”
• “Tips to sleep better during summer heat”
• “Essential camping gear checklist”

Content for these keywords includes blog posts, detailed guides, FAQs, how-to articles, pictures with text, or even videos.

Commercial Keywords (Mid-Funnel)

Shoppers here are actively comparing options. They want reviews, details about products, or expert advice before buying.

Examples:

• “Best organic face moisturizer for dry skin”
• “Sonos vs Bose wireless speakers”
• “Nike running shoes review for flat feet”

Content for commercial keywords often looks like comparison blog posts, guides for buyers, video reviews, and quizzes.

Transactional Keywords (Bottom of Funnel)

Here, it's very clear what someone wants. These searchers are ready to buy—they just need an easy link to click.

Examples:

• “Buy air fryer under $100”
• “Free shipping protein powder”
• “Order men’s leather Chelsea boots online”

Pages focused on transactions should be your product pages, collection pages, pages for sales, and pages set up for easy checkout.

Navigational Keywords

These keywords are searches for specific brands—when people look for your website, collections, or even products within your store by name.

Examples:

• “Sephora vitamin C serum review”
• “Amazon Prime kids puzzles sale”
• “Allbirds return policy”

Handling these poorly can send good traffic to competitors (if their pages rank higher for terms with your brand name).

Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords can surprisingly make you money. They usually have fewer searches but turn into sales much more often because they are very specific.

Examples:

• “Non-toxic play mat for crawling babies”
• “Bluetooth speakers for outdoor weddings under $200”
• “Gluten-free cracker snacks for school lunches”

In SEO for ecommerce, these keywords offer less competitive ways to get traffic that is very likely to buy, and they often give you a better return on your effort than keywords that get searched for a lot.

---

Step-by-Step Framework: How to Do Ecommerce Keyword Research

Keyword research is part creative work, part looking at data, and part planning. Here’s how to bring everything together for ecommerce.

Step 1: Use Real Customer Language

Good ecommerce keyword research starts with your audience. Before using SEO tools, look at how your customers talk.

Start by checking:

• Customer reviews - Look for words used often to describe things (e.g., “soft,” “durable,” “true to size”).
• On-site search data - What shoppers type into your search bar tells you what they expect to find.
• Customer support messages - See what customers are confused about, or questions they ask often.
• Social media comments/messages - This is a good place to find trending phrases, issues, or specific ways people use things.

🎯 Pro tip: Put reviews into a word cloud tool to quickly see the words used most often.

Step 2: Build a Seed Keyword Matrix

Now, make your product names into groups of keywords for your plan.

Break down your list by:

• Product types and other names for them
• Related groups
• Ways customers use the products
• Words or slang used in your industry

Let’s take “Standing Desk” as an example:

 

Product Alternate Terms Categories Use Cases

Standing Desk Height-adjustable Ergonomic office gear Home Workspace

Sit-stand desk Adjustable table Workplace Remote work setup

Convertible Desk Workspace furniture Small space solutions Healthy posture

 

Build these for every product type you sell. This helps you add more terms that make sense, both short and long.

Step 3: Categorize by Buying Process

Now, put each keyword into a specific stage of the buying process.

 

Funnel Stage Keyword Type Best Format

Awareness “how to improve posture at desk job” Informational Blog/Guide

Consideration “standing desk vs treadmill desk” Commercial Comparison article

Decision “buy height-adjustable desk online” Transactional Product/Promo page

 

This setup helps content fit better. And, it helps with linking pages together on your site, which helps search engines find pages and keeps users on your site longer.

Step 4: Research Competitor Keywords

Knowing what competitors are doing is important. Tools like Semrush’s Keyword Gap let you quickly compare different websites.

Things to look for:

• Pages that rank high for them that you can copy or make better
• Keywords your competitors rank for, but you don’t
• How they write titles or descriptions

For example: Koba Skincare found 14,100 keywords they weren't using by looking at three direct competitors. This let them quickly create content that filled gaps where competitors weren't strong, and make content that ranked well with a clear goal.

Step 5: Prioritize with Purpose

You can't go after every keyword. Use a simple chart to figure out where to focus based on how much return you might get:

Effort vs. Impact:

 

Keyword Effort Impact

“non-slip yoga mat” Low High

“Organic cotton yoga gear” Medium High

“DIY yoga mat cleaner” Low Medium

“Pair yoga studio with cafe” High Low

 

Also, add:

• How much competition there is for the keyword now
• How many times it's searched each month
• How much it costs per click if you run ads
• What time of year it's popular or if it's trending (using Google Trends)

Step 6: Build Your Strategy & Assign Content Formats

Now it’s time to use those keywords for specific content projects:

Match them to types of content like:

• Blog post - Informational (“how to store camping gear in winter”)
• Product comparison - Commercial (“Casper vs Nectar mattress”)
• Product page - Transactional (“Buy women’s trail running shoes”)
• Short-form video - For keywords that are going viral or trending
• Email follow-ups - For long-tail keywords or getting people to buy other things

Create content plans with keywords at the center. This helps you plan ahead for publishing and keeps everyone on the team working toward the same SEO goals.

---

Tools to Make This Process Easier

Use these keyword research tools to make your ecommerce efforts simpler and faster:

• AnswerThePublic – See opportunities for long-tail keywords
• Semrush Keyword Magic Tool – Find keyword variations, groups, and details about search results
• SEM Keyword Gap – Figure out how competitors are succeeding
• Google Search Console – Understand how people actually find your site search paths
• Free Keyword Research Planner – Keep track of all keyword work

---

2 Major Mistakes to Avoid in Ecommerce Keyword Research

1. Cannibalizing Keywords Across Pages

When you have many pages trying to rank for the same term—like “reusable water bottles”—Google gets confused. It might split ranking power between them or not rank any of them high.

The solution: Make a keyword map. Give 1–3 main keywords to each page based on what buyers want to do, and use those terms in titles, headings, and structured data.

Example: A food ecommerce site made keyword use clearer across product lines. It saw sales grow by 620% in one quarter and its click-through rate go from 17.1% to 22.1%.

2. Only Targeting Transactional Keywords

Transactional keywords are exciting, but they can't grow your SEO by themselves.

Broader informational and commercial keywords help build trust over time, make it easier to get links from other sites, and catch buyers who are just starting to look. Add helpful content along with your main commercial keywords for balanced growth.

---

Brand Benefits: Why Automating Your Keyword Content Pays Off

By putting effort into ecommerce keyword research early, you build something very valuable for your SEO. What's next? Making your process smoother with automation.

Benefits include:

• AI helps write copy based on what real buyers intend to do
• The same voice is used on product pages, category pages, and blogs
• Templates that can be easily used for many things are automatically set up for SEO
• Content is published faster without losing quality

Automation doesn’t take away creative work—it makes it stronger, helping your keyword strategy last and be ready for the future.

---

Long-Term Growth Through Strategic Keywords

Keywords connect someone searching to your online store. A good keyword system brings more traffic, leads to more sales, and helps you grow smartly.

To keep growing:

• Look at keywords that lead to the most sales every three months
• Check search results to see if the way results are shown is changing
• Get back rankings you lost by updating content
• Change keyword targets based on what’s popular at different times of the year

Ecommerce SEO is always changing—but with a clear plan for keyword research, you’ll stay ahead.