Jewelry Website Optimization

- A Jewelry Artist's Experience

© by Catherine D'Arcy; all rights reserved

First of all, I'm no web expert. I have no training in website optimization, and this is only my opinion after 3 years of trial and error on my own jewelry website.

The biggest problem I found starting out was getting information about website optimization that made any sense to me as a non-programmer.

It's still something of a mystery, and there are no guarantees that what you try will work. However, there are some things that you absolutely have to get right to stand a chance in the highly competitive world that is the web.

Hydra silver bracelet by Corazon Latino

Yes, of course there are other search engines, and they are very good at what they do, but in my experience, over 90% of my organic searches come through Google.

Without them, you just won't reach enough people to make the effort worthwhile.

Getting on Google's Page 1 for Broad Search Terms

Well, if you want your jewelry website to get to page 1 on Google for a broad search term like "silver jewelry" or "handmade jewelry" for example, then you need to understand you are up against millions of other sites - including a fair few who are spending tens of thousands of dollars on getting to page 1 and staying there.

The first thing to do is do the maths and decide IF getting to page 1 for a broad term like this is actually something you want, whether you can handle it logistically, and if you're prepared to invest in it.

You can do this by researching on the web the number of hits Page 1 for your search term gets, if you want real numbers, run a week long adword campaign with Google and see how many page impressions your search terms get.

This will tell you how many people will see your ad IF you get to page 1. What it won't tell you is how many will click on your site (which depends on how attractive and relevant your Google description is). Nor will it tell you how many people will buy your jewelry (which depends on how good your site, jewelry lines, and commercial proposition are).

It's worth bearing in mind that only around 1-2% of people who come to your site from a search will actually buy, so you need a LOT of visitors to make any website traffic investment worthwhile.

If at the end of this article you believe that being on Page 1 for a broad term like "silver jewelry" is worth investing $10,000 or so, then my advice is to find a good, ethical optimization company, and work with them to make this happen. Get references, check them out carefully, get some guarantees or performance-related payment agreement, and be prepared to put in the work in to help them get you there.

Draco silver earrings by Corazon Latino

Getting on Google's Page 1 for More Focused Search Terms

If you don't have that sort of cash to invest, or you would be happy to get to Page 1 for a much more specific term - "handmade glass bead jewelry" for example - where competition is less, then you may well be able to do it yourself.

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Note from Rena: Although longer, more specific keyphrases tend to have fewer searches than broad search terms do, they can bring you much better results - for two reasons:

1. A person who searches for a more specific, multi-word phrase is much more likely to be in a ready-to-buy frame of mind, and searching for the exact item they want to purchase.


2. You'll have a much easier time of making it to the top of Google for your more specific multi-word keyword phrases, since you'll have a lot less competition for them.

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Every site is different, as is every search phrase, but there are some basics you have to get right to stand a chance at the search terms you target.

Here, in my opinion are the Top 4 things to get right:

1. Get your Meta tags right.

   Every page has a Meta title, description, and set of keywords within the programming. If you don't know what these are, you can learn more in the article Jewelry Website Optimization Tips, where you can scroll down to the heading, "Optimize Your Meta Tags". Or if you have a web designer, ask him / her to show you.

   Make sure your Meta tags are clear, unique to each page, and relevant to what you are selling on that pagee. Do not fill your site with endless repetition of your keywords. Google is now smarter than that.

2. Make sure your images are well named.

   Make sure every image on your site has a name that correctly describes the piece of jewelry it shows, and make sure you (or your web person) submits them for indexing.

   Many people use Google images to find jewelry, and if your images are indexed, this adds to the credibility of your site - and gives you another way to be found by your potential customers.

3. Get your content right.

   Make sure that everything you write on your site is clear, relevant and unique to you, and make sure you update it regularly. Google does not like sites that never change. Keeping your site fresh also gives your customers a reason to come back.

4. Get good links.

   Google is looking for sites that are unique, and relevant to the search term people are entering. They are also looking for sites with credibility.

   The best way to get credibility is to get independent recommendations from other sites through links.

   Do not buy links (there are companies offering this service), because purchased links are rarely relevant and Google is now penalizing this practice.

   At best your purchased links would be seen as of much less value - and at worst your jewelry website could end up blacklisted from Google.

   Good links are links from other sites within your "neighbourhood"; other sites that your customer might go to. The closer to you they are, the better without either site feeling they are in competition. Try to get links from sites with a good page rank as the higher the sites page rank the more valuable their link to you.

   If the site has a good page rank, would be interesting to your customers, and is not in competition with you, then give them a link in return. Many believe reciprocal links are not favoured by Google (mainly because people have abused this system to create a huge link farm for themselves). However, I believe that reciprocal links are a good way to give your customers additional help and advice, and if they don't count as much for Google, they do keep your customers happy - and happy customers come back.

Jupiter silver necklace by Corazon Latino

None of these suggestions are based on any form of expertise in web site design, programming or optimization, and I am sure many experts would disagree with my suggestions.

However, this is what I have found to be true for my own jewelry website. I wish someone had told me how to get the basics right 3 years ago when I started out. I may not have got it all right, but at least I would have known what questions to ask when talking to the experts, and I would have made less mistakes.

Also by Catherine D'Arcy: The Accidental Jewelry Business.

Author Catherine D'Arcy is the founder of Corazon Latino ("Latin Heart"), an online retailer selling handmade silver jewelry. The range is designed and developed by Catherine, working with skilled silversmiths in Latin America and Eastern Europe.

Catherine highly recommends her web design group and search engine optimisation service.

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