Most of what I shared with you already is a good guide for optimizing both informational blog posts and commercial content, but when it comes to product and service pages and the whole of your webshop where you’re trying to sell your work, there are a couple more things I can highlight so you can maximize your impact in search.
Of course, an entirely separate course could be written about this, but this one is all about learning the basics and not overwhelming you.
First, I’ll share my main message with you for optimizing your webshop as a creator, which is all about positioning your work in a way that is not pushy but still needs you to adopt a certain approach to marketing.
Then, I’ll give you a couple of SEO specifics you can include on your webshop pages that are more technical and checklist-like.
How can I sell with SEO efforts and without being pushy?
Your creative and artistic work serves a different purpose than everyday products do.
The latter fill in specific functions and we need them with certain frequencies in life (a toothbrush every day, or a vacuum cleaner every week), while creative objects are for fun, decor, enjoyment, entertainment, deep thoughts, wondering, heart-warming, soul-calming, and you name all the other matters of the mind, heart, and soul.
This is our base position you need to remember. Now, let’s take another step.
Different product cycles and finding your art’s SEO scenario
Your creations have a different “product cycle” than those traditional objects we shop for, like a vacuum cleander. You have to figure out what the function and frequency of your works are, or in other words, figure out what may trigger people to buy them. In what situations, and when could people need them, and what is the messaging you can build on to reach them?
Think about this:
- Can your work be used as home decor?
- Can it be a perfect gift for Mother’s Day?
- Can it be a seasonal sweet-something for Christmas, perhaps?
- Can it be something that helps with focused work or studying?
- Can it help ease anxiety?
- Can it position you as the best friend in the world when you give it to somebody?
Now, let’s connect these ideas and SEO.
The difference between searching for a functional product and a creative piece
I will search differently for a vacuum cleaner than a wall art or a fun piece of ceramics. When my vacuum cleaner breaks, I’ll search for “best vacuum cleaners” if I want to look at reviews, or “shop vacuum cleaner” if I immediately want to see shop offers.
The likelihood and the frequency of searching for wall art might be lower—as that is not a functional item, which many people prioritize buying over non-functional pieces.
So how can you spark real interest and need, and get people to search for your work more frequently (or at all) in Google? Again, think about in what situations and when could people need your art, and put it in front of them.
Example ✍️
Let’s say, you created a collection of wall art for Mother’s Day. Sure, you can highlight it as such in your product page headings too, but I’ll tell you something even more powerful: write a blog post about the perfect Mother’s Day gift ideas for creative Moms and link to your relevant product page(s).
- Blog post, version A: List and describe your collection, and related ones from other creators that would be suitable for the occasion. (Why wouldn’t we support each other, right?)
- Blog post, version B: Your collection includes different types or styles of wall art. Go with “The perfect Mother’s Day gift ideas for every type of Mom”. The funny, the so-serious, the protective… You get the idea.
- Blog post, version C: Let’s say, you don’t even have a Mother’s Day collection. You could still recommend your “basic” art pieces and position them in a way that fits the celebration. There is no creative limit.
When writing the blog post, as mentioned, don’t forget to include a link to your collection on your webshop, so people can find and buy your recommendation.
The SEO potential of linking your blog posts and product pages
If a blog post like one of the above starts performing well in Google, the linked product page can, too.
It’s worth knowing that informational-intent keywords and content have a lower conversion rate, so people are less likely to take an action from a blog post like this as opposed to somebody already arriving on a product page after googling something like “shop wall art”. That’s self-explanatory.
At the same time, people are more open to ideas than direct offers in most situations. The above is a great way to do content marketing: pulling people in, not pushing them.
Plus, something like “creative Mother’s Day gift ideas” is, in my opinion, somewhere between informational and commercial intent. You could be googling this because you want to learn how you can DIY a gift, or maybe you want to buy something quickly.
This means that both your blog post (your informational content) and the related product page (your commercial content) can stand a chance in search but I’d still take my bet on the first one.
| How can I position my work with the right keywords to set them up for selling? Try these themes for blog posts and link them to relevant product pages: – Holidays and special occasions, from Christmas to Mother’s Day – People to give gifts to, including girlfriends, moms, sisters, brothers, or favourite coworkers – People of different professions or like-minded people to get it as a gift, including teachers, writers, singers, bookworms, or animal lovers – Places, from homes to bars, that could use your artwork as decoration After finding a topic, put keyword ideas (“gifts for bookworms” and “mugs for teachers”) in one of the keyword research tools I recommended and see what would work best. |
The above are just a few categories to think about, but each is extensive enough to give you several ideas for blog posts that can be connected to your sales pages and can nudge people in the direction of buying from you.
Remember, though: Don’t write all your posts this way. You don’t need every one of your blog posts to be connected to sales.
Feel free to express other ideas in writing and explore other content formats, too, just keep in mind that at the very least, it’s good to jump on those seasonal occasions such as a holiday.
And if you would, don’t worry about positioning the same product for different purposes: the same creative piece could work as a Christmas and a Mother’s Day gift, or could make happy a sister and your favorite colleague, as well. In any case, nobody will send the SEO police on you.
| 🗒️ Note SEO is about timing, too. If you believe that your art would be a good holiday purchase for somebody, publish the related blog post at least one month before. If we’re talking about Christmas, a holiday with huge commercial power, write it even sooner because the sooner Google’s bots can crawl and start ranking your page, the more time you give the algorithm to analyze everything it needs to and potentially push your content higher and higher up — in time for people to see it right around that period when they start thinking about presents. |