Building backlinks and why is it important for every website?

by Zoran Vulovic | Jun 27, 2024 | Blog

Building backlinks

and why is it important for every website?

In the world of digital marketing, where competition is growing day by day, building backlinks is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. Regardless of how high-quality your content is, without an adequate network of backlinks, it will be difficult for you to achieve the desired results on search engines.

But what exactly does backlink building entail and why is it so important?

Backlinks are links that lead from one site to another. They are crucial for SEO because search engines like Google use backlinks as one of the main signals for ranking sites. Every backlink to your site is considered a vote of confidence that your content is valuable and relevant.

In the beginning, search engines treated every backlink as a vote of confidence, regardless of its source. However, with the development of SEO techniques, search engine algorithms have become more sophisticated, taking into account not only the number, but also the quality of backlinks.

Today, backlinks from authoritative and relevant sites have a significantly higher ranking value than a large number of low-quality links.

Find out why building backlinks is crucial to your site's SEO success. Discover basic and advanced techniques!

Da li je lako doći do backlinka ?

Building backlinks is not an easy task. It takes careful strategy and persistence to secure the links that really contribute to your SEO success.

Basic methods include acquiring links from clients, starting a blog with useful information, and politely asking for links to your content from other websites.

However, advanced techniques such as guest blogging, creating infographics and broken link building can significantly improve your strategy.

Guest blogging, for example, allows you to write quality articles for other blogs in your industry, which not only earns you backlinks, but also helps build your authority.

Similarly, creating visually appealing and informative infographics can attract attention and encourage others to link to your site.

One of the advanced backlink building techniques is broken link building. It involves finding broken links on other sites and suggesting your content as a replacement.

This method is useful for site owners because it helps them improve their links and brings you quality backlinks.

In addition to these methods, strategic partnerships with other sites in your industry can be very useful for link building This may include exchanging guest articles, joint projects, or any form of collaboration that involves linking to each other.

Establishing a strong network of quality backlinks is the key to improving your SEO success.

Through continuous effort, adapting strategies and using advanced techniques, you can significantly improve the visibility and authority of your site.

Quality backlinks not only improve your SEO strategy, but also build credibility and trust with users and search engines, putting you ahead of the competition in the digital marketing world.

Istorija

In the beginning, search engines treated every backlink as a vote of confidence, regardless of its source.

However, with the development of SEO techniques, search engine algorithms have become more sophisticated, taking into account not only the number, but also the quality of backlinks.

Today, backlinks from authoritative and relevant sites have a significantly higher ranking value than a large number of low-quality links.

You will always get a better result with a backlink from your niche.

Why are backlinks important?

1. Increasing Domain Authority: Quality backlinks from authoritative websites can significantly increase your domain authority (DA). This means that search engines will consider your site as a reliable and relevant source of information.

2. Improving the ranking: Backlinks are one of the main factors in the ranking of sites on search engines. More quality backlinks can lead to better rankings for keywords that are important to your business.

3. Traffic Generation: In addition to improving SEO, backlinks can attract direct traffic from other sites. When your link appears on relevant pages, users who read that content can click on your link and visit your site.

4. Branding: The presence of your links on reputable sites helps to strengthen the recognition of your brand. This contributes to building credibility and trust among users.

The most common examples of building backlinks

Client Links: Encourage your clients to link to your site. For example, give them graphic elements or icons for the site that will be linked to your site.
Start a blog: Create a blog with useful information for your customers or your website. Quality and informative content will attract the attention of other sites that will link to your articles.
Be kind: Ask bloggers and site owners to link to your article if they like it. A friendly and professional approach often brings positive results.

Links are a way to move from one page to another and play an important role in the ranking of sites. In the beginning, search engines treated links as votes – each link to your site was one vote for you.

Today, links are still one of the strongest signals for ranking sites, but their quality is evaluated.

Advanced backlink building techniques

In addition to the basic methods of building backlinks, there are advanced techniques that can significantly improve the authority of your site and contribute to a better position on search engines.

These strategies require more time and resources, but the results are worth the effort.

We will give you an example:

– Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is a powerful link building technique.

Writing quality articles for other blogs in your industry not only brings you links to your site, but also helps you establish yourself as an authority in your field.

You will often have to pay this for Guest blogging on better websites, but unfortunately this has become a common method of Domain Authority billing.

When writing guest articles for other websites in order to secure Dofollow Backlinks, keep the following in mind:

1. Identifying relevant blogs: Find blogs that are relevant to your industry and have a good reputation. Backlinks from your niche are always the most valuable.

2. Creating quality content: Write informative and useful articles that will attract the attention of readers. Don’t just write for search engines and for position.

3. Adding Dofollow backlinks: Include natural links to your site within the text or in the author bio section. It is very important that those backlinks are not Nofollow, but Dofollow.

– Creating links through infographics

Infographics are visually appealing and informative, making them ideal for sharing on social networks and other sites.

By creating original infographics that provide useful information, you can attract attention and get backlinks to your site.

A good infographic takes time and knowledge, but it always pays off.

If you intend to create an infographic that will have a backlink to your website, these facts are important:

1. Choosing topics: Choose topics that are relevant and interesting to your target audience.

2. Design and Production : Create eye-catching and professionally designed infographics.

3. Distribution : Share infographics on social networks, send them to bloggers and websites that might be interested in their content.

Broken backlink building

Broken backlink building is a technique that involves finding broken backlinks on other sites and proposing your content as a replacement.

This is beneficial for site owners as you help them improve their links and for you as you get quality backlinks.

But how is it done? We do it as follows:

Identifikacija pokvarenih backlinkova

Koristite alate kao što su Ahrefs ili SEMrush da pronađete pokvarene linkove na sajtovima iz vaše industrije. Ovo je najlakši način da započnete ovaj posao.

Kreiranje ili identifikacija relevantnog sadržaja

Pronađite ili kreirajte sadržaj koji je relevantan za zamenu pokvarenog linka. Mora biti dobar kako biste lakše ubedili vlasnika web stranice da obavite zamenu sadržaja i backlinka ka vašem web sajtu.

Kontaktiranje vlasnika web sajta

Obavestite vlasnika sajta o pokvarenom linku i predložite svoj sadržaj kao zamenu. Iz prakse vam možemo reći da ne ide tako lako, ali kao i za sve treba malo vremena da se razvije.

Strategic partnership for broken backlink building

Strategic partnerships with other sites in your industry can be very beneficial for link building.

This may include exchanging guest articles, joint projects, or any form of collaboration that involves linking to each other.

In this case, both parties can benefit. But make sure you don’t do it too often, because Google doesn’t like it.

To start a strategic partnership for broken backlink building, start from the following facts:

Identifikacija potencijalnih partnera

Pronađite sajtove sa sličnom publikom i dobrim autoritetom.

Predlaganje saradnje

Ponudite konkretne ideje za saradnju koje će biti korisne za obe strane

Implementacija i praćenje

Započnite saradnju i pratite rezultate kako biste osigurali da su ciljevi postignuti

Backlink building is a complex process that requires strategy and consistency.

Through basic methods such as backlinks from clients you have worked for, starting a blog and politely asking for backlinks, to advanced techniques such as guest blogging, creating infographics, broken link building and strategic partnerships, you can significantly improve visibility and authority (DA) your site.

Establishing a strong network of quality backlinks not only improves your SEO strategy, but also builds credibility and trust with users and search engines.

Through continuous effort and adjusting strategies, your SEO campaign can bring long-term benefits and put you ahead of the competition.

Šta još treba da znate o backlinkovima ?

Backlinks are links that lead from one site to another.

They are a key element of SEO optimization because search engines, such as Google, use backlinks as one of the main factors for ranking sites.

Now we will explain in detail the different types of backlinks, their characteristics, how to use them properly, what are the best practices for acquiring and maintaining them, and which tools to use for backlink analysis.

Types of backlinks

Backlinks can be divided into two basic categories: dofollow and nofollow links.

Saznajte zašto je izgradnja backlinkova ključna za SEO uspeh vašeg sajta. Otkrijte osnovne i napredne tehnike!

1. Dofollow Backlinkovi :

- Ovi linkovi prenose “link juice” (autoritet) sa jednog sajta na drugi, što pomaže u poboljšanju rangiranja na pretraživačima.
- Standardni su oblik backlinkova i podrazumeva se da je svaki backlink dofollow ukoliko nije drugačije specificirano.

2. Nofollow Backlinkovi :

- Ovi linkovi ne prenose “link juice” jer pretraživačima signaliziraju da ne prate taj link. Postoji više alata i ekstenzija koje vam mogu otkriti koji su linkovi na stranici Dofollow, a koji nisu. Za osnovnu proveru mi koristimo Google ekstenziju po imenu Automatic Backlink Checker.
- Koriste se kada vlasnik sajta ne želi da podrži ili prenese autoritet ka sajtu na koji vodi link. Ovo je često slučaj kod plaćenih linkova, komentara na blogovima i linkova ka manje pouzdanim sajtovima. Vodite računa da vam ne prodaju takav backlink, jer nema gotovo nikakvu vrednost.

Anchor text

Anchor text is the visible, clickable part of a hyperlink. It should be relevant to the content of the page it leads to.

Well-optimized anchor text can significantly contribute to SEO efforts.

There are the following 4 basic types of Anchor text:

Precise anchor text: the keyword or phrase that best describes the target page is used.
Related anchor text: Uses synonyms or related phrases that are relevant to the target content.
Branded anchor text: Uses the brand name as the anchor text.
Generic anchor text: use neutral phrases like “click here” or “learn more”.

Importance of Backlinks

Building backlinks is extremely important for SEO for several reasons:

1. Increasing the authority of websites: Quality backlinks from authoritative websites increase the credibility of your site in the eyes of search engines.

2. Ranking Improvement: Quality backlink building helps in better search engine rankings for relevant keywords. Especially if the backlinks are from your niche.

3. Traffic Generation: Backlinks can attract direct traffic from other sites.

4. Branding: Presence on reputable sites helps to strengthen your brand recognition.

Buying backlinks

Buying backlinks is a controversial topic in the SEO world.

Search engines such as Google specifically prohibit paid links because they violate the integrity of their ranking algorithms. Although paid links can bring quick results, in the long run they can lead to serious penalties, including site de-indexing.

However, it’s an open secret that you can’t get quality backlinks without paying.

If you do, keep it discreet and not too much. Don’t ever use black hat methods, because sooner or later Google will figure it out and you risk getting a manual penalty.

And this means that you completely lose all positions on Google. There is a possibility of return, but it is difficult and takes a long time. And you will never be as successful as before.

AnalizaBACKLINKOVA,koji su dobri alati?

Backlink analysis is key to understanding the quality of your link profile.

There are several tools that can help with backlink analysis that we recommend:

Ahrefs

Omogućava detaljnu analizu backlinkova, identifikaciju kvalitetnih linkova i prepoznavanje potencijalnih problema

SEMrush

Nudi slične funkcije kao Ahrefs, uključujući analizu backlinkova i istraživanje konkurencije. Iskrena preporuka za teritoriju Balkana

Moz Link Explorer

Pruža informacije o link profilu vašeg sajta, uključujući autoritet domena i kvalitet backlinkova. Zasluženo na trećem mestu

Majestic SEO

Fokusira se na dubinsku analizu backlinkova, uključujući metrike kao što su Trust Flow i Citation Flow. Nije više tako dobar kao što je nekada bio, ali će početnicima biti od velike pomoći

If we had to recommend just one tool, it would be SEMrush in this case.

In addition to analyzing backlinks, there are a handful of other tools that will be of great help to you in SEO.

Advanced strategies for building quality backlinks

Backlinks are an essential part of any SEO strategy. Understanding the different types of backlinks, their characteristics, and strategies for using them properly can significantly improve your site’s search engine rankings.

Investing time and resources in building quality backlinks brings long-term benefits and helps build the authority and trust of your site. However, it is important to avoid low-quality links and backlink farms, as they can do more harm than good. That’s why it’s important to do the following:

1. Creating valuable and original content:

Regularly publishing high-quality articles, infographics, research and guides can naturally attract backlinks.

2. Outreach marketing:

Contacting relevant blogs and sites with an offer to guest blog or share valuable content.

3. Digital PR:

Using PR strategies to promote your content and get links from reputable media sites. Simply put, offer to write for them for free in exchange for a Dofollow backlink.

4. Creation of tools and resources:

Creating useful tools, calculators or guides can attract backlinks from other sites that use them as a resource.

Tips for building backlinks

1. Analysis of the competition:

– Identification of opportunities: Using tools such as Ahrefs or SEMrush, you can analyze the backlink profiles of your main competitors. See what sites are linking to them and try to get similar links for your site.

– Backlink Strategy: Research the tactics your competitors are using to acquire backlinks. Are they using guest blogs, collaborations, or specific PR strategies? Try adapting these tactics to your site. You will easily discover all this in the Ahrefs or SEMrush tool.

2. Guest blogs:

– Writing for another website: Guest blogging is a great way to get quality backlinks. Provide valuable content to sites in your niche in exchange for a backlink to your site.

– Targeting relevant sites: Focus on sites that are relevant to your industry and have good domain authority (DA). This will ensure that you get quality backlinks that can positively impact your SEO.

3. Building backlinks to resources:

– Creating guides and e-books: Create in-depth guides, e-books or white papers on topics relevant to your industry. Share these resources with the community and promote them through email marketing and social media.

– Adding value: Provide practical information and resources that are useful to your target audience. This may include templates, calculators, or tools that other sites may link to as valuable resources.

4. Broken link building:

– Identifying broken backlinks: Use tools like Ahrefs or Broken Link Checker to find broken links on sites in your niche.

– Offer replacements: Contact the owners of those sites and offer them a replacement for the broken link with your relevant content. This is a win-win situation as you help them improve their site while you get a quality backlink. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll see results quickly.

5. Internal linking:

– Link structure: Make sure your site has a well-structured internal link network. Internal linking helps search engines understand the structure of your site and makes it easier for users to navigate.

– Relevant anchor text: Use descriptive and relevant anchor text for internal links to help search engines link to your content.

Bad practices and backlink farms

Backlink farms are networks of sites created exclusively for generating backlinks. These practices are against browser guidelines and can have serious negative consequences.

What many people don’t know is that backlink farms are often a weapon of your competition.

For little money, you can buy thousands of backlinks that you will direct at your competition and completely destroy it. It’s hard to figure out, but there are tools and people who know how to do it. In the West, this is a very common phenomenon, but it is relatively easily detected and harshly punished in the courts.

If you suspect that you have such a problem, call us at 063 221 770 or email us at info@smartthink.rs

We will briefly explain why such backlinks are bad:

1. Loš kvalitet

- Spamerski sajtovi: Farme backlinkova uglavnom uključuju linkove sa spamerskih sajtova koji nemaju stvarnu vrednost niti relevantan sadržaj.
- Negativan uticaj na SEO: Umesto da pomažu, ovakvi linkovi mogu signalizirati pretraživačima da vaš sajt koristi manipulativne tehnike, što može rezultirati kaznama.

2. Kazne od Pretraživača:

- Manualne kazne: Google može ručno kazniti sajtove koje identifikuje kao korisnike farmi backlinkova, što može rezultirati drastičnim padom u rangiranju ili čak deindeksacijom. Iz ove situacije je vrlo teško izvaditi se brzo i lako!
- Algoritamske kazne: Algoritmi poput Google Penguin aktivno traže i kažnjavaju sajtove sa neprirodnim link profilima. Manje opasno nego manuelna kazna, ali nije zanemarljiva.

What is the best way to build quality backlinks?

1. Quality before quantity:

– Focus on quality backlinks: It is better to have a few quality backlinks from authoritative sites than hundreds of poor quality links from spammy sites.

– Relevance: Make sure your backlink building is relevant to your content and industry. Relevant backlinks bring more value and authority to your site, regardless if they have a lower DA (domain authority).

2. Natural backlink building:

– Organic building: Try to build backlinks in a natural way by creating high-quality content that other sites want to link to.

– Avoid manipulative techniques: If you can, avoid buying links, joining link networks and other techniques that can be recognized as manipulative.

3. Regular analysis and maintenance:

– Backlink monitoring: Regularly monitor your backlink profile to identify and eliminate potential problems.

– Bad link removal: Use tools like the Google Disavow Tool to remove low-quality or spammy links that can negatively impact your SEO. You do this in Google Search Console.

Izgradnja backlinkova je od vitalnog značaja za uspeh bilo koje SEO strategije.

Quality, relevant backlinks can significantly improve your website’s ranking, drive more traffic, and strengthen your online authority.

However, avoiding bad practices such as backlink farms and manipulative techniques is key to long-term success.

By using the right backlink analysis and tracking tools, you can continuously improve/protect your link profile and ensure the steady growth of your site on search engines.

Using keywords for SEO

Keywords are the core of SEO strategy. They allow search engines to understand what your page is about and how to relate it to user queries.

The use of keywords must be carefully balanced – excessive use (keyword stuffing) can negatively affect the ranking of your site.

Therefore, make sure that the keywords for each page must be found in the following places:

1. Headings and subheadings: Use keywords in headings (H1 tag) and subheadings (H2, H3 tags). This helps search engines quickly understand the structure and main themes of your content. Each page may contain only one H1 tag. He should always be on top and the biggest. This does not apply to other H tags. It is important that they go in order and you must not skip them. For example, H2 must not be followed by H4, but necessarily by H3.

2. Meta Descriptions: Meta Descriptions (Meta Descriptions) do not directly affect the ranking, but they are still important for attracting users to click on your site in the search results. Include keywords and an attractive description to make it easier for users to click on your website. Check out how those on the front page wrote them to find out what the best rapping is.

3. Body text: It is natural to include keywords in the body text. Focus on creating quality and useful content that answers user queries. For advanced writers and website owners, we recommend using a tool that works according to the WDF IDF formula. You’re not even aware of how many secondary keywords you’ve left out of your text.

4. Alt text for images: Adding alt text to images not only improves SEO but also site accessibility. Alt text should be short and describe the content of the image. It’s actually the only way to explain to Google what’s in your photo.

SEO optimization for mobile phones

An increasing number of users access the Internet via mobile devices, so site optimization for mobile devices has become necessary. Google uses “mobile first indexing”, which means that the search engine primarily uses the mobile version of the site for indexing and ranking. Today, almost 2/3 of searches through Google Chrome are performed on mobile phones.

In fact, anyone who is serious about building websites pays a lot of attention to mobile first indexing. That is why it is important to take care of the following things to display the website on a mobile phone:

1. Responsive design: Your site should be responsive, which means that it automatically adapts to the screen size of the device the user is using. This is not a big problem for people who have experience in building websites.

2. Loading speed: Mobile users expect speed. Optimize images, reduce the number of scripts and use fast servers so that your site loads quickly on mobile devices. There are a lot of good online tools that can show you where the squeaks are.

3. Simple Navigation: Navigation should be simple and intuitive. Avoid complex menus and buttons that are hard to reach on smaller screens. Make sure everything runs smoothly and that users can easily get to the page or product they want.

Conclusion

Building backlinks is an essential part of any successful SEO strategy. Quality building of backlinks not only improves the position of your site on search engines, but also builds authority, trust and recognition of your brand.

Building backlinks and its process requires a strategic approach, consistency and persistence, but the results are worth the effort.

From basic methods like getting links from clients and starting a blog, to advanced techniques like guest blogging, creating infographics and broken link building, there are many ways to secure quality backlinks.

It is important to focus on quality before quantity, acquire backlinks naturally and regularly analyze and maintain your link profile.

However, any successful strategy also requires professional support. If you want to ensure the best results and avoid common pitfalls and mistakes, call us!

SmartThink is a reliable digital marketing agency at your disposal. Our team of experts can help you build a strong network of quality backlinks, adjust strategies and continuously improve your SEO success.

Contact us today and together we will build a path to top search results.

Your success is our goal!

For more information, visit our website or contact us by phone at 063 221 770 or by e-mail at info@smartthink.rs

SEO optimization of the website for Google and other search engines? The ultimate guide

by Zoran Vulovic | Jun 12, 2024 | Blog

SEO optimization of the website for Google and other search engines? The ultimate guide

You have just learned about SEO and are wondering what SEO optimization of a website is? Or maybe you want to expand your knowledge?

This guide will provide you with all the information you need to enter the world of professional SEO website optimization for search engines. We know we are wrong when we say SEO optimization, but unfortunately most people who search and deal with SEO use this term.

Therefore, do not blame us in the continuation of this text.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of improving the visibility of a site on search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo (we have listed only the three most important search engines, but there are many more).

The goal is to increase organic (unpaid) traffic to the site by improving the position in the search results.

SEO optimization of a website involves various techniques and strategies that include technical optimization, creating quality content and building links.

SEO optimization of the website! Learn how to SEO optimize your website for Google. Find out how! Digital agency SmartThink

What is SEO OPTIMIZATION website ?

SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization” or “optimization for search engines” and is a set of strategies and techniques aimed at improving the visibility of a site in the search results of search engines such as Google.

When we say search engine, we will always think of Google because its dominance is incredible.

In Serbia in 2024, Google occupies 83% of the search engine market, while the second is Bing with only 6%.

The main goal of SEO is to increase organic (unpaid) traffic to the site by improving its position on search engine results pages (SERP – Search Engine Results Page).

SEO optimization of a website is divided into two main categories:

On-Page SEO

This includes all activities performed directly on the site in order to improve its position on the search engines. This includes content optimization, meta tags, site structure, internal links and many other technical aspects

Off-Page SEO

This category includes all activities performed outside the site to improve its visibility and authority. The most important aspect of Off-Page SEO is building backlinks from other authoritative sites.

Why is SEO important?

SEO optimization of a website is important for the success of any site for several reasons:

1. Increases Organic Traffic: Organic traffic is traffic that comes from unpaid search results. This means that visitors come to your site because they found it relevant to their queries.

SEO optimization increases the chances of your site appearing at the top of search results, thus increasing the number of visitors.

2. Improves visibility and reputation: A better position on search engines increases the visibility of your site.

Users tend to trust sites that are at the top of search results, which can significantly improve your brand’s reputation.

3. Brings Qualified Visitors: SEO helps you target the right keywords that your target audience uses.

In this way, you attract visitors who are already interested in what you have to offer, which increases the chances of conversions.

4. Provides long-term results: Unlike paid campaigns that stop giving results as soon as you stop paying, the effects of SEO optimization are long-term.

Once you reach a good position, you can enjoy increased traffic for a long time with minimal maintenance costs

How does SEO optimization of a website work?

SEO optimization of a website includes various techniques and strategies that can be applied on a technical, content and marketing level.

Here are the main aspects of SEO:

– Keyword Research:

The first step in the SEO process is to identify the keywords that your target audience uses when searching. This includes competitor analysis, search volume and keyword relevance to your business.

– Content Optimization:

After identifying the keywords, it is necessary to optimize the content of the site or write completely new content. This includes the use of keywords in titles, meta descriptions, URLs, alt texts for images, as well as throughout the text itself on the site.

Quality and relevant content is key to SEO success. For the best results, use tools that process text according to the WDF IDF formula.

Our favorite is SEOlyze

– Technical optimization (Technical SEO):

Technical optimization means that your site is technically sound and that search engines can easily index it. This includes optimizing site speed, mobile optimization, using SSL certificates, creating XML sitemaps, and resolving duplicate content issues.

– Building backlinks:

Backlink building is the process of getting links from other sites to yours. These links help search engines understand the authority and relevance of your site. Quality backlinks from authoritative sites can significantly improve your position on search engines.

This is literally the most important thing you have to work on outside of your website.

When everything is finished on the website, this is the most logical continuation to strengthen your domain authority.

– Monitoring and Analytics:

SEO is a continuous process that requires constant monitoring and analysis. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console allow you to monitor your site’s performance, identify problems, and adjust your strategy.

Google even has a few changes during the day, but you should be careful when it comes to Core Updates because that’s where the biggest shake-ups and changes happen.

We are witnessing that the changes in the first half of 2024 were turbulent for many niches, as never before (if we exclude Panda and Penguin Major Update)

Key elements of SEO

We will try to mention only the most important key elements of SEO, but we know there are many more.

That is why we will treat them separately in another text that we will publish on our blog.

For someone entering the SEO world, always keep these 4 elements in mind:

Meta tags

Meta tags such as Title Tag and Meta Description play an important role in SEO optimization. Never forget them! They provide search engines with basic information about the content of your page and affect the CTR (Click-Through Rate).

URL structure

URLs should be clean, short and descriptive. Using keywords in URLs can further improve your SEO strategy. Another very important item

User Experience (UX)

Search engines value sites that provide a good user experience. These include fast page loading, ease of navigation, mobile friendliness and quality content. Always make sure that your site displays well on mobile phones. For several years now, Google has been analyzing your website only based on how it is viewed on mobile devices

Local SEO

If you run a local business, local SEO is essential. Local search optimization includes creating and optimizing a Google My Business profile, collecting local reviews and using local keywords. If you are able, “nudge” your clients and friends to give you a good rating on Google Reviews.na Google Reviews.

The best SEO tools

For a successful SEO strategy, it’s important to use the right tools that can help you with keyword research, competitor analysis, performance monitoring, and technical problem identification.

Some of the most popular SEO tools include:

Veštačka inteligencija za SEO i detaljno objašnjenje kako da je iskoristite za SEO optimizaciju. Naučite kako da budete ispred konkurencije!

GA4

A tool for monitoring site traffic and analyzing user behavior. Every website should have one. It’s free and easy to install

Google Search Console

A tool that helps track technical issues and analyze site performance on Google search. And he is a must! Like GA4, it is completely free and very easy to install.

Ahrefs

A tool for keyword research, backlink analysis, and competitor tracking. We’d say it’s number one for analyzing backlinks. The downside is the price.

SEMrush

A comprehensive tool for keyword research, traffic analysis and competitor monitoring. Slightly weaker in the analysis of backlinks, but the best for the Balkan market.

Moz

A tool for analyzing backlinks, keyword research and tracking technical problems. It used to be much better, but still advises Ahrefs or SEMrush.

SEO optimization of a website is a complex and continuous process that requires dedication and professional knowledge.

Through the proper implementation of SEO strategies, you can significantly improve the visibility and performance of your site on search engines, attract more qualified visitors and increase the chances of conversions.

How do search engines work?

We will try to explain it to you very briefly, although in practice it does not seem so simple.

So let’s go!

Search engines have two basic functions:

1. Searching and indexing: It involves searching and recording billions of web pages, documents, files, photos and videos on the Internet.

2. Providing answers: It means displaying the most relevant sites when the user is looking for something.

The process of searching and indexing

Search engines use special programs known as “bots” or “spiders” that automatically search the Internet. These bots follow links from one site to another and discover new sites to add to their databases.

When the bot finds a page, it analyzes its content and adds it to its index – a huge database with information about all found pages.

Displaying search results

When a user enters a query into a search engine, algorithms analyze the index to find the most relevant pages for that query.

Search results are ranked based on a number of factors, including content relevance, site authority, and user experience.

How people use search engines

Understanding how people use search engines is key to a successful SEO strategy. Users usually search for information, products or services through search engines.

Different types of inquiries can be classified into three basic categories:

1. Action queries: When a user wants to do something specific, such as buy a product or watch a movie.

2. Information queries: When the user needs specific information, such as the name of a restaurant or instructions for making something.

3. Navigation queries: When the user wants to visit a specific page, such as Facebook or the site of a specific car manufacturer.

Why is SEO optimization important for every website?

Website SEO optimization is essential because it allows search engines to understand your site’s content and how it can be useful to users.

Although search engines are getting smarter, they still can’t see and understand a web page the same way humans do.

Website SEO optimization helps search engines understand exactly what your website is about and how it can be useful for users. People make the mistake of thinking that good photos will improve SEO.

Maybe they will, but the truth is quite different. Google can’t see your photo and you have to explain to it in text what is in it.

So never leave out the Alt Tag for any photo on your website!

Limitations of automatic browsers:

Online forms

Search engines are powerless when filling out online forms. Everything behind the form remains hidden from browsers

Duplicate content

Sites that use CMS often create duplicate versions of the same page, which can be a problem for search engines. pay particular attention to this

Blocked in code

Errors in the directives for recording the site (robots.txt) can lead to the complete blocking of access to search engines. Practically, you can be invisible without even realizing it

Bad link structure

If the link structure of a website is not understandable to search engines, they will not be able to find all the content on the site. This is important before starting to create a website

Content that is not text

Browsers have problems reading non-HTML text, such as Flash animations, photos, videos and audio. You have to understand that they “see” you only through text

What’s going on behind the scenes at Google?

Search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo play a key role in directing users to relevant information on the Internet.

To understand how SEO works, it’s important to know how search engines work and what happens behind the scenes when we enter a query into a search engine.

Query types and their purpose

1. Transactional Queries: The goal of these queries is to perform a specific action, such as purchasing a product, downloading an application, or booking a service.

2. Informational Queries: Users are looking for information on a specific topic, for example, “how to make a cake” or “the history of Rome”.

3. Navigational Queries: Users search for a specific site or page, for example, “Facebook Login” or “Amazon Store”.

Browser limitations

1. Online Forms: Showing the form and how browsers can’t access the content behind it.

2. Duplicate content: Examples of duplicate pages and how it confuses search engines.

3. Blocked in code: Display of robots.txt file with prohibited parts of the site.

4. Poor link structure: Visualization of poorly organized link structure.

5. Non-Text Content: Displaying different types of content that search engines cannot read.

Key factors for SEO success

In order for your SEO strategy to be successful, it is necessary to take into account several factors that affect the ranking of your site on search engines.

These factors include:

1. Quality of content: Quality, relevant and original content attracts users and increases the likelihood that your site will be ranked highly.

2. Keywords: Proper use of keywords in titles, meta descriptions, URLs and the text itself on the site helps search engines understand what your site is about.

3. Backlinks: Quality backlinks from other authoritative sites can significantly improve your site’s ranking.

4. Technical Optimization: Site loading speed, mobile friendliness, SSL certificates and proper URL structure are important for technical optimization.

5. User experience: Good design, easy navigation and interactivity of the site affect how long users will stay on your site, which is a positive signal for search engines.

SEO is a continuous process that requires dedication, analysis and adjustment of strategies in order to achieve the best results.

By understanding how search engines work and applying the best SEO practices, you can significantly improve the visibility and performance of your site on search engines.

It requires a lot of work and at least 6 months of patience!

Basics of an SEO optimized website

Browsers are limited in how they search the web and collect its content. A website doesn’t always look the same to us as it does to human beings and to the automatic search engines that analyze and record its content.

We will focus on specific, technical aspects of creating (or modifying) web pages so that they are identical to search engines and real visitors.

Content accessible to search engines

Your most important content should be in text format. Images, Flash animations, Javascript and other non-text content are often ignored or have little impact.

Therefore, do not attach any special importance to them from the SEO point of view.

The easiest way to ensure that the words and phrases you show your visitors are visible to search engines is to put them in the text of the page.

Advanced options to help search engines:

1. Alt attributes for photos

Photos should be assigned an “alt attribute” or alternative text that describes in more detail to search engines what is in the photo. That’s the only way Google will understand your photo.

2. Website display check

Check how your site looks “in the eyes” of search engines with tools like SEO Browser. In this way, you will determine whether there are elements of the site that search engines do not see.

Availability of links

Links must be accessible to search engines so that they can move from one page to another and find all the content on the site. Hundreds of thousands of sites make the mistake of structuring their navigation in such a way that search engines cannot access all of the site’s pages.

Don’t let something like that happen to you!

Website structure and hierarchy

The basic structure and hierarchy of a site play a key role in its optimization for search engines. A well-organized site allows search engines to easily search and index all pages, while a poorly structured site can cause problems in indexing and ranking.

Website architecture is very important. Make sure that the customer can get to the product they want in no more than 3 clicks.

Planning the structure of the web site

Be aware of the following facts:

1. Clear hierarchy: It is important that your website has a clear hierarchy of pages. The home page should lead to the main categories, which further lead to subcategories or specific pages. This structure not only makes navigation easier for users, but also for search engines.

2. Use of URLs: URLs should be short, descriptive and contain keywords relevant to the content of the page. Avoid long and complicated URLs with lots of parameters. Nobody likes signs, not even Google!

3. Internal Links: Internal links help search engines discover and index new pages on your site. They also help users find related content more easily. We have noticed that a lot of websites do not attach importance to internal links, which are very important for Google to go through your website as well as possible and understand what you actually do.

Display of the optimal hierarchy of the site

These are some basic website options:

1. Homepage: The central point of navigation leading to the main categories.

2. Main categories: Sections that include related topics or products.

3. Subcategories and individual pages: Specific content within the main categories.

Using keywords for SEO

Keywords are the core of SEO strategy. They allow search engines to understand what your page is about and how to relate it to user queries.

The use of keywords must be carefully balanced – excessive use (keyword stuffing) can negatively affect the ranking of your site.

Therefore, make sure that the keywords for each page must be found in the following places:

1. Headings and subheadings: Use keywords in headings (H1 tag) and subheadings (H2, H3 tags). This helps search engines quickly understand the structure and main themes of your content. Each page may contain only one H1 tag. He should always be on top and the biggest. This does not apply to other H tags. It is important that they go in order and you must not skip them. For example, H2 must not be followed by H4, but necessarily by H3.

2. Meta Descriptions: Meta Descriptions (Meta Descriptions) do not directly affect the ranking, but they are still important for attracting users to click on your site in the search results. Include keywords and an attractive description to make it easier for users to click on your website. Check out how those on the front page wrote them to find out what the best rapping is.

3. Body text: It is natural to include keywords in the body text. Focus on creating quality and useful content that answers user queries. For advanced writers and website owners, we recommend using a tool that works according to the WDF IDF formula. You’re not even aware of how many secondary keywords you’ve left out of your text.

4. Alt text for images: Adding alt text to images not only improves SEO but also site accessibility. Alt text should be short and describe the content of the image. It’s actually the only way to explain to Google what’s in your photo.

SEO optimization for mobile phones

An increasing number of users access the Internet via mobile devices, so site optimization for mobile devices has become necessary. Google uses “mobile first indexing”, which means that the search engine primarily uses the mobile version of the site for indexing and ranking. Today, almost 2/3 of searches through Google Chrome are performed on mobile phones.

In fact, anyone who is serious about building websites pays a lot of attention to mobile first indexing. That is why it is important to take care of the following things to display the website on a mobile phone:

1. Responsive design: Your site should be responsive, which means that it automatically adapts to the screen size of the device the user is using. This is not a big problem for people who have experience in building websites.

2. Loading speed: Mobile users expect speed. Optimize images, reduce the number of scripts and use fast servers so that your site loads quickly on mobile devices. There are a lot of good online tools that can show you where the squeaks are.

3. Simple Navigation: Navigation should be simple and intuitive. Avoid complex menus and buttons that are hard to reach on smaller screens. Make sure everything runs smoothly and that users can easily get to the page or product they want.

Analytics and constant content improvement

SEO optimization of the website is not a one-time job.

It is a continuous process that requires regular monitoring and adjustment of strategies.

Using analytics tools, you can monitor your site’s performance and identify areas for improvement.

GA4

This tool allows you to monitor how users move through your website, which pages they visit, how long they stay and where they come from. And countless other data and comparisons. You will see that it is amazing! No paid tool can give you a better picture of your website than GA4. Be sure of it!

Google Search Console (GSC)

It provides insight into how Google sees your site, including search performance, page indexing, and any errors that need to be corrected. It only shows organic results, unlike GA4. A lot of useful information, and at the same time very simple and easy to use. And totally free!

A/B Testing

Test different versions of content and designs to see what works best for your audience. Similar principle as in Google Ads, only much more extensive. We recommend it only to experienced players!

By regular monitoring and optimization, you can ensure that your site remains competitive and ranks well on search engines, attracting more relevant visitors and increasing conversions.

Because SEO optimization of the website is not something that is done once and never again. You must monitor and react to the changes that occur with each Core Update.

Trust us, it’s no problem at all if you’re a regular at it!

Selection of keywords for SEO

It all starts with the words entered in the search field. Keyword research is one of the most important activities when it comes to site optimization. Ranking for the right keywords can make all the difference in whether or not you exist online.

So the question is how to determine the value of the keyword?

In our opinion, the following three facts are important:

1. Relevance: Is the keyword relevant to the content of your page? Will the user find what he was looking for on your site?

2. Competition: How many sites are already competing for that keyword? Are there Google Ads ads above the search results?

3. Google Ads Campaigns: Create a Google Ads campaign to test keyword value and track impressions and conversions.

Long tail keywords

Long-tail keywords or phrases have a lower search volume, but can bring more conversions. For example, “black elegant men’s shoes price” is more specific and more likely to generate sales than just “shoes”.

For the keyword “shoes” there is certainly a big search and a lot of competition.

That’s why we think that for such keywords it doesn’t make sense to fight with much stronger websites than yours.

For “shoes” you do not know whether they are for children, women or men, whether they are sporty or elegant, what color the user is looking for, whether it is just an informative query, whether price or quality is important to him, etc.

And that’s why this is your chance!

How does content affect the position on Google?

Search engines are constantly improving their processes to provide users with the best possible results. Quality content is key to any good search engine ranking.

You mustn’t skimp here!

In this way, you not only help Google understand you better, but also provide users with a lot of useful information that they cannot find on other websites.

Quality content must have the following characteristics:

1. Clear navigation: The site should be easy to use and have clear navigation.

2. Relevant information: The content should provide direct and relevant information about the given search term.

3. Professional design: The site design should be professional and adapted to all browsers and resolutions. First of all, we think of mobile phones.

4. High-quality content: Content should be informative and useful for users. Without it, there is no success in the long run. Check out the best websites and you’ll understand what we’re talking about.

Impact of user experience (UX) on rankings

Google analyzes how users react when they visit your site. If users stay on the site, share the content and link to it, these are positive signals for Google.

We like to use Hotjar on our websites to analyze how visitors move through our pages.

Very useful app, be sure to try it! You will be surprised how some visitors view the pages on your website.

Customizing content for users and browsers

Quality content does not only mean providing information, but also adapting it to both users and search engines like Google. Content that is easy to understand and at the same time optimized for search engines allows for better visibility and a better user experience.

And that ultimately means a better position for you!

So the question is, what is important for content adaptability and relevance? We will be very brief.

According to us, they are:

1. Quality and originality:

Content must be original and of high quality. Plagiarism can not only lead to legal problems, but also negatively affects the site’s ranking. Search engines prefer unique and informative content that provides value to users. If you copy some text, at best your page will be ignored by Google.

If they find out that you do it every day, someone can report you and you risk a manual penalty. Unlikely, but not impossible! A common practice by Google if it notices that you are buying backlinks.

2. Use of keywords:

The integration of keywords into the content must be natural and must not compromise the readability of the text. Keywords should be distributed evenly throughout the text, including headings, subheadings, and key sections of the text.

And here we advise the use of the SEOlyze tool, which is perfect in this situation. There are many other good WDF IDF tools, but as far as we know, only SEOlyze has an option in the Serbian language.

3. Content length:

Longer, more in-depth articles often rank better because they provide comprehensive information on a topic. However, length must not come at the expense of quality. The focus should be on informative and relevant content that satisfies the user’s request.

In fact, no page should be less than 500 words. A little more important no less than 1,000 words, and the most important at least 2,000 words.

We know from experience that it is impossible to describe or explain something well with fewer words.

Engaging and retaining users on the website

User engagement is a key factor affecting SEO performance. Search engines track how long users spend on your site, how many pages they view and how often they return to your site. These metrics can significantly affect your position in search results.

That’s why it’s important to pay attention to the following:

1. Visual content:

The use of images, videos, infographics and other visual elements can increase user engagement. Visual content helps convey information better and can increase time spent on the site.

But in combination with a good text, the best results are achieved.

2. Interactive elements:

Surveys, quizzes, and comments allow users to actively participate on the site. These elements not only increase engagement, but also provide additional signals to search engines about the relevance and value of your content.

But not only to search engines, but also to users.

3. Regular content updates:

Constantly refreshing content and adding new information shows search engines that your site is active and up-to-date. Blog posts, news and updates are great ways to keep your content fresh.

This means a lot if you want to be successful in searches!

Technical Aspects of SEO optimization of the website

The technical aspects of SEO optimization of the website are just as important as the quality of the content. Without a technically optimized website, your quality content can go unnoticed by search engines.

1. Website loading speed: Loading speed is crucial for both users and search engines. A slow site can turn away visitors and negatively affect rankings. Image optimization, reducing the number of scripts and using fast servers are key to fast site loading.

2. Mobile Optimization: With the increase in the use of mobile devices, mobile optimization is essential. Sites that are not mobile-friendly can lose a significant number of visitors and have lower rankings. Take care of this!

3. Structure of URLs: URLs should be short, descriptive and contain keywords. Avoid complicated and long URLs with unnecessary parameters and characters.

Why does all this matter?

Search engines are becoming more sophisticated, but they are still limited in how they understand content.

SEO optimization of the website not only helps search engines index and rank your website properly, but also ensures that your content is useful and accessible to users.

By combining quality content, technical optimization, and user engagement strategies, you can significantly improve your search engine rankings, attract more visitors, and achieve better results.

SEO is an ongoing process that requires attention and adjustments, but the results can be extremely beneficial to the long-term success of your site.

Conclusion

SEO optimization of the website not only helps search engines index and rank your website properly, but also ensures that your content is useful and accessible to users.

is an indispensable tool for every website that wants to achieve success in the online world.

Through the thorough application of SEO techniques, your site can significantly improve its visibility on search engines like Google, attract more qualified visitors and increase conversion rates.

The process of SEO optimization includes various strategies such as keyword research, content optimization, technical optimization, building quality backlinks and continuous performance monitoring. All these techniques together contribute to achieving a better ranking of your site in search results, which is crucial for long-term success in digital marketing.

It is important to emphasize that SEO is not a one-time job, but a continuous process that requires constant attention, analysis and adjustment of strategies in accordance with the latest trends and changes in search engine algorithms.

In this sense, regular monitoring and optimization of site performance, using tools such as GA4 and Google Search Console, can help identify problems and adjust SEO strategies to achieve optimal results.

Digital agency SmartThink specializes in providing top SEO optimization of the website.

With our team of experts, who have rich experience and a deep understanding of the SEO process, we can help you improve your site and achieve better results on search engines.

Our approach is comprehensive, covering all aspects of SEO optimization of the website, from technical details to creating quality content and building authoritative backlinks.

It’s up to you to tell us what you want, and we’ll tell you how to make it happen!

We invite everyone who believes that we can help them achieve their goals in digital marketing to contact us.

Whether you want to increase organic traffic, improve your brand visibility or increase conversion rates, SmartThink is here to support and guide you through the entire seo optimization process.

Contact us today at info@smartthink.rs or call us at 063 221 770.

Find out how we can help your business grow and succeed in the digital world.

Your success is our goal, and we are dedicated to providing the highest quality SEO solutions that will bring you long-term results.

E-commerce website and how to create it in 10 steps?

by Zoran Vulovic | Jun 1, 2024 | Blog

E-commerce website and how to create it in 10 steps? A guide for beginners who want an e-commerce website

Welcome to our guide, how to create an e-commerce website.

If you want to improve your business and take advantage of the growing trend of online sales, you are in the right place!

The e-commerce market is experiencing excellent growth and represents an incredible opportunity for all entrepreneurs throughout Serbia and the world.

According to the latest projections, revenues in the e-commerce sector in Serbia will reach an incredible 1,012 million US dollars in 2024. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.52% from 2024 to 2029.

And that means the market value will reach an impressive $1,669 million by 2029.

The number of users in the e-commerce market is expected to grow to 2.7 million users by 2029. The share of users will be 33.8% in 2024, and it is expected to reach 41.4% by 2029. The average revenue per user (ARPU) will be around US$508.50.

Our goal is to provide you with a comprehensive and clear guide that will help you create a successful e-commerce site that will attract new users and increase your sales. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced user, our content is tailored to ease the process of creating and optimizing your online store.

Continue reading and find out all the key steps for creating a successful e-commerce website.

So let’s get started:

Do you want an e-commerce website? Find out how to create and successfully run an online store. We will explain how to do it!

1. Choose and domain name

Web hosting is one of the key elements for accessing your business on the Internet.

Hosting stores all the files of your e-commerce store and allows visitors to access them.

However, with so many hosting companies available, finding a reliable provider can be challenging.

Although cheaper solutions may seem attractive, keep in mind that such providers can limit the overall capabilities of your e-commerce website.

Here are some factors to consider when choosing a hosting provider:

Availability guarantee (Uptime guarantee)

Frequent downtime is bad for e-commerce sites. In addition to negatively impacting search engine optimization (SEO), it can lead to lost sales and damage to brand credibility. Choose a hosting provider that offers at least a 99.9% uptime guarantee.

Speed & Optimization

Fast page loading helps improve user experience (UX) and site ranking. For optimal performance, choose web hosting with a server response time (SRT) of less than 200ms. Also, explore user reviews and CDN integration support

Bandwidth

It refers to the amount of data that a site can transmit to visitors in a certain period of time. The higher the bandwidth, the more traffic the site can handle. For optimal performance, check if your hosting provider offers unlimited bandwidth.

Storage

An e-commerce website should have enough space to accommodate content, including images and videos of products. Assess your needs properly so that your online store has enough room to grow

Security

Choose web hosting with a high level of protection to ensure the security of your site. Some of the important aspects include access management, SSL certificates, multi-layered firewalls, automatic backups and easy data recovery.

Simplicity of use

Although cPanel is very popular, some hosting providers offer custom control panels. That’s why not all providers have cPanel. For example, some of them offer an intuitive control panel that makes it easy to manage your hosting account. But it’s not the cPanel we’re used to.

User Support

A good hosting provider provides 24/7 customer support so that your e-commerce website is always available. It can also offer an extensive knowledge base and other resources to help

2. Which hosting is best for a website?

After finding the perfect web hosting for your e-commerce project, it’s time to decide on the type of hosting.

The four most common types of hosting are shared, VPS, cloud and WordPress hosting.

Here’s a quick overview:

Shared Hosting: Allows one server to host multiple sites. Because of its affordability and simplicity, shared hosting is great for e-commerce beginners.
VPS hosting: Uses virtualization to divide physical server resources into private resources. VPS hosting usually comes with root access, allowing server-level configuration. Best suited for tech-savvy business owners who need maximum flexibility.
Cloud hosting: It also divides a physical server into multiple virtual servers. Creates a network of virtual servers to store site files. Because of its robust processing power, high-traffic sites can rely on cloud hosting.
WordPress hosting: Choose this type of hosting if you want to create a WordPress e-commerce site. It comes with specific optimizations, such as a one-time WordPress installation, automatic updates, and a testing tool.

Once you have decided on the type of hosting, start choosing the perfect hosting plan for your e-commerce site.

Properly estimate the required resources in order to avoid a negative impact on the operation of your online store.

3. Come up with good names for your domain

Domain is another key requirement for an e-commerce website. It is the address that users type into their browsers to access your website.

A good, custom domain reflects the entire brand of your online store and helps establish credibility, setting you apart from the competition.

Here are some tips for creating a good domain for your e-commerce website:

– Short and clear

A short domain is more impressive and easier to remember. An ideal domain should be 15 characters or less.

– Without numbers and dashes

Avoid numbers and dashes to reduce the chance of typos and confusion, ensuring potential customers don’t end up on the wrong page

– Always choose .rs

As this is the most popular national domain in Serbia, online customers will probably search for your store by typing yourbrand.rs.

This extension also makes your e-commerce store look professional.

If you are thinking of having your business outside the borders of Serbia, then the best choice is .com

– Long-term thinking

Never add local details to your domain so as not to limit the growth of your online store.

– Check trademark protection

Avoid using domains associated with other companies or brands to avoid potential legal problems.

You can check all that on Google.

– Using a domain generator

It helps you come up with domain name ideas, which can speed up your brainstorming and domain name selection process.

Today, you will easily find a domain name generator that uses artificial intelligence to create unique business names based on keywords related to your niche or business.

Although you can purchase domains from any ICANN-accredited registrar, we recommend DreamWeb Hosting. You can do everything with them in one place. DreamWebhosting plans start from 4,260 dinars per year (SSD hosting), while the annual fee for the national domain .rs is 2,340 dinars. For the .com domain, the annual fee is RSD 1,980. These are the prices valid at the time of writing!

DreamWeb employees will help you simplify the process of developing your e-commerce site, because you won’t have to worry about finding a hosting service and a domain registrar, because they offer both services in one place.

4. Choose the right e-commerce platform for your website

When creating an e-commerce website, you can choose to host it yourself or use a platform for creating e-commerce websites.

Self-hosting your site gives you full control, but it’s expensive and requires a lot of time and knowledge. This means that you have to deal with site development, maintenance and security yourself.

If you are not technically skilled, you will need to hire a professional.

Alternatively, you can use a cloud-based e-commerce platform. For example, a platform like Wix for e-commerce, which makes it easy to set up your e-store. But you should know that a good e-commerce website on Wix is not cheap on an annual basis.

Therefore, if you plan to do online business for a long time, our advice is to create your own website or hire someone to do it for you.

Look for a platform that offers a simple website builder, as well as tools to manage different aspects of your business, from marketing and sales to inventory management and shipping.

Key features of an e-commerce web platform

When choosing a platform for your e-commerce website, consider the following key features:

Mobile-friendly: Choose a platform that offers responsive themes and templates, ensuring that your online store elements automatically adapt to different screen sizes. WordPress, namely Divi or Elementor, offer designer-made and mobile-responsive templates.
Security: The platform should offer fraud prevention measures, data backup and other security measures to keep your website and data protected. If you plan to accept credit or debit card payments, PCI compliance is a must.
Reliability: Every second of downtime can jeopardize sales on your website, so it’s important to find a platform that has the infrastructure to handle any volume of traffic. Ideally, it should support unlimited scalability and prevent site crashes during periods of high traffic to your website.
Back-office tools: Choose a platform that supports all the major functions, applications and automations you need to grow your business. Consider inventory management tools, product listings, shipping solutions, ordering and other features.
Cross-channel sales opportunities: As your e-commerce business grows, you’ll likely want to expand your reach with other marketplaces, social networks, and other channels. Choose a platform that allows you to manage your sales and marketing channels from a single dashboard.

Recommended e-commerce platforms

There are many e-commerce platforms available, but we use and recommend a combination of WordPress, Divi or Elementor and WooCommerce.

With them, you can effectively manage all aspects of your business, improve customer experience and increase sales.

No worries that something won’t work well!

5. Design yours e-commerce website

Your e-commerce website is the face of your brand, which means you want its design to be perfect from the start. The correct choice of design and template is crucial for strengthening the brand image and directing users to the right actions through e-commerce sales strategies.

We recommend WordPress as a platform, and Divi or Elementor as a builder. In the case of an e-commerce website, WooCommerce stands out as the right solution.

When choosing a theme, take into account the category of products you are selling – whether it is fashion, furniture, food or some other type of product.

Search the themes and templates offered by your e-commerce platform for inspiration. If you have no experience in creating websites, this can be a great solution.

The only drawback in this case is the necessary paid theme and Plugins.

Customizing e-commerce templates

After choosing a template for your e-commerce website, you can customize it according to your needs through the editor of your platform.

If you need help, you can hire a professional designer.

Here are some aspects to consider when designing your e-commerce website:

The images

It’s best to use your own product photos, including those that aren’t product-specific but serve as eye-catching header images, background images, or lifestyle photos. Be mindful of the size of each image so that each page loads as quickly as possible. In our opinion, Photoshop is the best for this, but if you don’t have experience working with it, there are a lot of free tools that can do it for you completely free.

Fonts and colors

Select typography and colors that match your e-commerce brand. Check that the text is easy to read and that the buttons are easy to see. Be consistent in your design, considering how colors and patterns have the power to convey different moods, memories and values. Make sure that the fonts have all the letters that are used in the Serbian language.

Home page

Think about the most important information to provide on the home page (think of it like opening a physical store). Highlight the most important products, messages and/or offers on the home page. You can also embed posts from your Instagram or Facebook feeds or add product reviews that showcase your brand’s authenticity

Navigation

Keep your navigation clear and well-organized. As a general rule, visitors should be able to find any product they need in three clicks or less. Add site search, sorting options and filters to further help customers find what they need faster

The mobile experience

When setting up your e-commerce website, don’t forget the mobile experience. Check that text, images, and buttons display properly on smaller screens like mobile phones and tablets

6. What are the important pages on every e-commerce website?

To attract and generate sales from your target audience, the information on the main pages of your site should be easily accessible and visible.

Here are some key pages that every e-commerce web shop owner should carefully develop.

“Landing page”

The home page is the first thing most customers see, so it should contain attractive and clear information about your site along with high-quality images and graphics.

It is important that the home page loads quickly. Most customers expect online store sites to load in 3 seconds or less. Otherwise, they might leave the website before they entered and never come back. Google also considers loading speed as one of the important ranking factors.

But we will deal with this topic separately in a text related to SEO.

To reduce the size of the home page and improve its loading time, reduce the images before placing them. You can use compression tools, such as Kraken.io or Tiny PNG. Also, enable caching and clean up the code.

If you have experience, PhotoShop is irreplaceable!

Additionally, ensure that the home page is easy to navigate. One of the easiest ways is to provide product categories and a search function.

They help customers find what they are looking for faster.

“About Us”

The “About Us” page allows visitors to learn more about your brand’s story and mission. In addition to providing information to online customers who have never heard of your brand, this site helps attract investors and partners.

In addition to a brief description of the company, you can include its background story, mission and values to set your business apart from the competition.

Introducing people to your company is also a great way to boost your “About Us” page.

This helps to humanize your brand, which allows for a more serious connection with visitors.

“Contact”

A contact information page allows customers to check the availability and reliability of your business. Make it easy for them to find your contact details such as phone number, email and physical address (if you have one or want to display it).

To improve your credibility, be accessible and transparent. Customers are likely to make a first or repeat purchase only if they trust your brand.

E-commerce websites can also use a contact form. By displaying a contact form, business owners can collect customer data to help generate and nurture leads.

“Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ)

Buyers usually have many doubts about the buying process. The FAQ section can be of great help to all users of your website. Think about the most common customer issues or questions, such as shipping options, order tracking, or shipping countries.

In addition to detailed and useful answers, you can provide insight into the products and services of your business.

Also add a search bar to the FAQ page to make it easier for customers to find information.

“Privacy Policy”

Display your privacy policy in visible places such as menu, footer, login pages or checkout page.

In this case, we recommend hiring professional help when drafting the privacy policy to ensure its full compliance.

“Return and Exchange Policy”

A detailed exchange and return policy shows that the company stands behind the quality of its products and values its reputation. From the business owner’s point of view, this policy helps to handle exchanges and returns more efficiently. Therefore, consider the following when creating a replacement and return policy.

For example:

List of items that cannot be returned or refunded.
Time frame in which we accept returns and refunds.
Acceptable condition of the item, for example, with an attached invoice or price list.
How customers can request a return or refund.

“Shopping cart and secure checkout process”

Customers like to know what they have added to their cart while browsing other items. Organize all items neatly and include important details such as product images and accurate prices. For transparency and if possible, show a clear sum of costs and estimated delivery time.

Make sure forms are easy to fill out to make future purchases as easy as possible for customers.

Checkout without customer registration is a great feature for improving conversions, as it allows anyone to make a purchase without first registering.

At the same time, in this way you reduce the time required for the order.

“Delivery Solution”

In addition to payment options, providing different shipping methods is essential. Include information such as taxes, estimated shipping time, and whether international shipping is available.

Think about which methods your customers may prefer. Real-time shipping costs are a great choice if your products vary significantly in size and weight. However, if they are similar in size and weight, consider offering a fixed shipping rate.

A great suggestion is free shipping over the amount you set as the minimum for free shipping.

“Call to Action” (CTA)

A clear and simple call to action (CTA) is an integral part of a site with good navigation. CTAs are texts, images and buttons that tell customers what to do next.

This can include the following pages – Sign up for the newsletter, Register an account and Add item to cart.

Use bright colors on the CTA buttons, as the choice of colors can significantly affect the conversion rate of the page.

For these things, never use red!

“Product Pages”

Product pages are crucial in the customer decision-making process. With e-commerce web stores, customers cannot hold, feel or try the product. Instead, it’s all based on what they see in pictures and read on their devices.

This is why it is important to have professionally done images and provide complete and detailed product descriptions.

Covering all aspects of a product, including size, materials, uses and benefits can help customers make positive purchasing decisions.

7. Create product pages on your website

Product pages are critical to the success of your e-commerce website and should not be done lightly. If you create them correctly, you will not only drive sales, but also increase the chances of additional purchases through cross-sell and upsell strategies.

Be careful when creating product pages.

Think about the questions and assumptions customers may have when they can’t physically see or touch your products.

That’s why we’re going to reveal to you what the key and essential elements of product pages are.

While creating product pages, pay attention to the following elements:

Product names

Product names should contain an easily recognizable description. For example, if you sell headphones, include the word “headphones” or “earbuds” to make the products easier to find

Product images

Add multiple high-quality images from different angles to give customers a complete overview of the product. Where appropriate and possible, use video or info graphics for additional context. If your products come in different colors or styles, include images of each variant

Product descriptions

Product descriptions should answer frequently asked questions. Include details such as material of construction and method of production. Highlight the benefits of your product, not just its features, and emphasize what makes your product unique. Include keywords naturally to improve your chances of high search engine rankings. This part is part of SEO techniques and is very important for search engines

Shipping and Return Information

Today’s customers want as few clicks as possible, so including shipping costs and return policies on the product page helps create a more efficient user experience. Clearly displaying this information helps reduce misunderstandings and customer dissatisfaction

Product reviews

Include reviews on product pages by adding a widget or importing existing reviews from other sources. You can also display user-generated content, such as images of products in use, to further show authenticity

Opportunities for cross-sell and upsell

Add dynamic “related product” banners to draw attention to other products, accessories or components that may be of interest to your customers. As an additional option, offer premium product versions or product subscriptions

8. Don’t forget the payment and delivery methods

Whether you integrate offline or online payment methods, setting up a secure way to accept payments is essential. Every e-commerce website must have SSL certificates to strengthen the security of your e-store.

A secure online store makes a good impression and ensures that your customers feel safe when transacting. Paying with cards like Visa or MasterCard will not only increase your sales, but also provide additional security to your customers.

Many e-commerce platforms offer built-in payment integrations. For example, WooCommerce has WooCommerce Payments.

But you must know that many payment methods are not currently applicable in Serbia. It varies from country to country. PayPal and WooCommerce Stripe are very popular in the west.

And don’t forget the value added tax (VAT) calculation by setting tax zones and unit tax rates.

Setting up payment methods

Today’s customers expect different payment options. Some prefer credit or debit cards, others digital wallets, while some use payment apps.

We recommend offering as many payment options as possible to give customers exactly what they want. From our experience, cash on delivery is still the most popular payment method in Serbia. But from year to year, payments with credit or debit cards are increasing significantly.

Your e-commerce platform should include instructions for setting up an online payment gateway.

Most will ask you to enter and confirm the country of origin of your business, before determining which payment options and currencies are available in your region.

WooCommerce allows you to manage your entire business from one place, whether you want to view orders or payments.

Shipping and delivery setup

An efficient checkout experience helps customers complete their purchase, while an outstanding shipping and delivery experience helps keep customers coming back for more purchases.

Amazon has achieved great success precisely because of the very short delivery time compared to the competition.

So, when creating an e-commerce website, start by determining your shipping and delivery goals:

Do you want to send your products only on the territory of Serbia or all over the world?
What shipping policies can you offer customers (free shipping, flat rate, variable fee, etc.)?
Which courier service do you plan to cooperate with?
Will you use dropshipping in your business?
Which shipping management platforms do you plan to use?

Your e-commerce platform should allow you to easily set custom rules and integrate the most important Plugins so that you can provide good customer service and track shipping costs for each order.

If you use Divi or Elementor to create your e-commerce website, you can easily allow local customers to pick up their orders from a nearby warehouse or from your nearest brick-and-mortar store by setting up in-store pickup as a delivery option.

9. Testing and launching your e-commerce website

After you’ve created your e-commerce website, it’s important to test it thoroughly before publishing it. Most platforms allow a preview of the site before it is publicly available.

This will make it easier for you to see exactly how the website will look before the official release so that you can make any necessary changes.

Here are the steps to thoroughly test a website:

1. Test on different devices: Check how your website looks and functions on desktop computers, tablets and mobile phones. Especially on mobile phones, because almost 2/3 of searches are done on them.

Make sure that all site elements such as images, texts, buttons and links are properly displayed and functional on all devices.

2. Walk through the user experience (UX): Simulate the user experience, starting from searching for products, adding products to the cart, viewing the cart, to completing the purchase. Check if the process is simple and intuitive. If not, correct the errors.

It is important to put yourself in the role of the customer in order to go through this process as easily as possible.

3. Check site loading speed: Site loading speed is crucial for user experience and SEO. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, Pingdom or GTmetrix to test your load speed and identify areas for improvement.

Optimize image size and enable caching to reduce load times.

4. Test the functionality of all links and buttons: Check that all links lead to the correct pages and that all buttons work as they should.

Broken links and buttons can frustrate or confuse users and reduce conversions.

5. Check the functionality of the payment system: Go through the payment process to make sure everything is working without problems. Test the different payment options you offer to make sure they’re all set up correctly and are secure.

This is especially important if you pay by credit or debit card.

When you are completely satisfied with the appearance and functionality of your e-commerce website, click “publish” and publish your new or redesigned website.

After publishing, monitor site performance and analyze user behavior using tools like GA4 and Google Search Console. According to us, these two tools are mandatory when creating every website.

They will help you a lot to identify possible problems and opportunities for optimization later.

Also, consider SEO optimization strategies to improve your website’s search engine rankings.

Focus on keywords relevant to your business, create quality content and build quality Dofollow backlinks to increase visibility and attract more visitors.

In this way, you will strengthen your Domain Authority (DA).

With thorough testing and continuous optimization (SEO), your e-commerce website will be ready to attract and convert visitors into satisfied customers. A successfully completed website is just the beginning of an online business.

If you want a better position on search engines, search engine optimization is necessary. And in fact, the real work for the website starts right there.

Without it (SEO) success on the web is almost impossible!

10. Start promoting your e-commerce store

After your e-commerce website is available to everyone, it’s time to spread the word about it.

Marketing an e-commerce website should not be problematic.

We will present to you, in our opinion, five effective ways to promote an online store:

Implementation of content marketing

Creation and distribution of valuable content, including blogs, videos and newsletters that help improve brand authority and establish a leadership position in the industry. SEO-driven content marketing additionally helps in ranking better on search engines like Google.

Increasing social media presence

Integrating social networks with an e-commerce website is a great way to reach a wider audience. Using social networks to provide customer support and manage feedback can be very useful

Starting affiliate marketing

Paying partners a commission for each purchase made through their unique affiliate links can increase organic traffic and ROI. Collaborating with content creators and influencers can further expand your target audience

Mailing list building

Email marketing can improve your overall marketing strategy. Encouraging visitors to fill out contact forms through surveys, quizzes or promotional offers can improve your contact list

Google Ads campaigns

Google Ads is a powerful tool for reaching your target audience and increasing the visibility of your e-commerce website. Through careful planning and optimization, you can increase your site traffic and improve conversions. Through continuous optimization and adaptation to market trends, your e-commerce business will be in a position to attract and retain satisfied customers.

Google Ads is probably the most important tool for promoting your e-commerce store. That is why we will explain in more detail how to properly define a Google Ads campaign.

Here are some steps to effectively use Google Ads for your e-commerce business:

Defining campaign goals: Before you start, clearly define what you want to achieve with your Google Ads campaign. These can be goals such as increasing sales, increasing the number of visitors to the site, collecting potential customers (Leads) or increasing brand awareness.
Keyword research: Keywords are the foundation of any successful Google Ads campaign. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to identify relevant keywords that your target audience is searching for. Focus on keywords with a high conversion rate and an appropriate cost per click (CPC).
Creating attractive ads: Your ads should be clear, relevant and attractive. Include a call to action (CTA) to encourage users to click on your ad. Experiment with different ad variations to see which one appeals most to your target audience.

Landing page optimization: When users click on your ad, it’s important to take them to relevant and optimized landing pages. Make sure your landing pages are fast, mobile friendly and have a clear call to action.

Monitoring and analysis of performance: Using GA4 and Google Ads tools, regularly monitor the performance of your campaigns. Analyze key metrics such as click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, cost per conversion and return on investment (ROI). Based on this data, adjust your campaigns to achieve the best possible results.
A/B testing: Test different variations of ads, keywords, and landing pages to see what works best. A/B testing helps you continuously improve campaign performance and achieve better results.
Using remarketing: Remarketing allows you to target users who have already visited your website but have not made a purchase. We think remarketing is very important and don’t skip it. Create custom ads to remind customers of the products they’ve viewed and encourage them to come back and complete their purchase.

Applying these strategies will surely help you effectively use Google Ads to increase visibility, traffic and conversions on your e-commerce website.

Conclusion

Creating a successful e-commerce website requires careful planning and implementation of various steps in order to achieve the desired result.

Choosing a hosting provider, choosing the right e-commerce platform, as well as designing a website are just some of the key elements that affect the final success of your online business.

First and foremost, one should understand the growing trend of online sales, which is crucial for all entrepreneurs who want to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the e-commerce market. Forecasts of growth in revenue, number of users and market share clearly show that the e-commerce sector offers enormous potential for the growth and development of any online business.

When it comes to practice, the first step is choosing the right hosting provider and domain. Factors such as availability, speed, security and support are key here. The hosting plan should meet the needs of your e-commerce site and allow business growth without technical limitations.

After that, it is important to choose the right e-commerce platform that will enable easy sales, marketing and inventory management.

We often recommend WordPress in combination with a good builder and WooCommerce because of its adaptability and great features.

Website design plays a key role in creating a positive user experience (UX) and strengthening the brand. Responsive design, optimization for mobile devices, clear navigation and attractive visual elements are some of the segments that need to be carefully designed to attract visitors’ attention and increase conversion.

Overall, creating a successful e-commerce website requires a combination of technical expertise, creativity and a strategic approach.

Following trends, continuous improvement and adapting to market changes are key to the long-term success of your online business.

We don’t want to discourage you, but these are just some of the basic things we’ve written about when it comes to e-commerce business through a website. The whole story is much bigger and complicated to explain to people who have never participated in building a website.

If you are not sure that you can do it yourself, contact us.

Click here and we will transfer you to the page where we briefly explained how we make websites for our clients. If you have more questions, call us or email us at info@smartthink.rs

If you think we can somehow help you with Search Engine Optimization (SEO), website creation or Google Ads advertising, give us a call.

We will be glad to meet you and help you!

If you are interested in similar topics, visit our Blog page where you will find a lot of good articles and advice.

Building backlinks and why is it important for every website?

Building backlinks

and why is it important for every website?

But what exactly does backlink building entail and why is it so important?

Backlinks are links that lead from one site to another. They are crucial for SEO because search engines like Google use backlinks as one of the main signals for ranking sites. Every backlink to your site is considered a vote of confidence that your content is valuable and relevant.

In the beginning, search engines treated every backlink as a vote of confidence, regardless of its source. However, with the development of SEO techniques, search engine algorithms have become more sophisticated, taking into account not only the number, but also the quality of backlinks.

Today, backlinks from authoritative and relevant sites have a significantly higher ranking value than a large number of low-quality links.

Da li je lako doći do backlinka ?

Building backlinks is not an easy task. It takes careful strategy and persistence to secure the links that really contribute to your SEO success.

Basic methods include acquiring links from clients, starting a blog with useful information, and politely asking for links to your content from other websites.

However, advanced techniques such as guest blogging, creating infographics and broken link building can significantly improve your strategy.

Guest blogging, for example, allows you to write quality articles for other blogs in your industry, which not only earns you backlinks, but also helps build your authority.

Similarly, creating visually appealing and informative infographics can attract attention and encourage others to link to your site.

One of the advanced backlink building techniques is broken link building. It involves finding broken links on other sites and suggesting your content as a replacement.

This method is useful for site owners because it helps them improve their links and brings you quality backlinks.

In addition to these methods, strategic partnerships with other sites in your industry can be very useful for link building This may include exchanging guest articles, joint projects, or any form of collaboration that involves linking to each other.

Establishing a strong network of quality backlinks is the key to improving your SEO success.

Through continuous effort, adapting strategies and using advanced techniques, you can significantly improve the visibility and authority of your site.

Quality backlinks not only improve your SEO strategy, but also build credibility and trust with users and search engines, putting you ahead of the competition in the digital marketing world.

Istorija

In the beginning, search engines treated every backlink as a vote of confidence, regardless of its source.

However, with the development of SEO techniques, search engine algorithms have become more sophisticated, taking into account not only the number, but also the quality of backlinks.

Today, backlinks from authoritative and relevant sites have a significantly higher ranking value than a large number of low-quality links.

You will always get a better result with a backlink from your niche.

Why are backlinks important?

1. Increasing Domain Authority: Quality backlinks from authoritative websites can significantly increase your domain authority (DA). This means that search engines will consider your site as a reliable and relevant source of information.

2. Improving the ranking: Backlinks are one of the main factors in the ranking of sites on search engines. More quality backlinks can lead to better rankings for keywords that are important to your business.

3. Traffic Generation: In addition to improving SEO, backlinks can attract direct traffic from other sites. When your link appears on relevant pages, users who read that content can click on your link and visit your site.

4. Branding: The presence of your links on reputable sites helps to strengthen the recognition of your brand. This contributes to building credibility and trust among users.

The most common examples of building backlinks

Client Links: Encourage your clients to link to your site. For example, give them graphic elements or icons for the site that will be linked to your site.

Start a blog: Create a blog with useful information for your customers or your website. Quality and informative content will attract the attention of other sites that will link to your articles.

Be kind: Ask bloggers and site owners to link to your article if they like it. A friendly and professional approach often brings positive results.

Links are a way to move from one page to another and play an important role in the ranking of sites. In the beginning, search engines treated links as votes – each link to your site was one vote for you.

Today, links are still one of the strongest signals for ranking sites, but their quality is evaluated.

Advanced backlink building techniques

In addition to the basic methods of building backlinks, there are advanced techniques that can significantly improve the authority of your site and contribute to a better position on search engines.

These strategies require more time and resources, but the results are worth the effort.

We will give you an example:

– Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is a powerful link building technique.

Writing quality articles for other blogs in your industry not only brings you links to your site, but also helps you establish yourself as an authority in your field.

You will often have to pay this for Guest blogging on better websites, but unfortunately this has become a common method of Domain Authority billing.

When writing guest articles for other websites in order to secure Dofollow Backlinks, keep the following in mind:

1. Identifying relevant blogs: Find blogs that are relevant to your industry and have a good reputation. Backlinks from your niche are always the most valuable.

2. Creating quality content: Write informative and useful articles that will attract the attention of readers. Don’t just write for search engines and for position.

3. Adding Dofollow backlinks: Include natural links to your site within the text or in the author bio section. It is very important that those backlinks are not Nofollow, but Dofollow.

– Creating links through infographics

Infographics are visually appealing and informative, making them ideal for sharing on social networks and other sites.

By creating original infographics that provide useful information, you can attract attention and get backlinks to your site.

A good infographic takes time and knowledge, but it always pays off.

If you intend to create an infographic that will have a backlink to your website, these facts are important:

1. Choosing topics: Choose topics that are relevant and interesting to your target audience.

2. Design and Production : Create eye-catching and professionally designed infographics.

3. Distribution : Share infographics on social networks, send them to bloggers and websites that might be interested in their content.

Broken backlink building

Broken backlink building is a technique that involves finding broken backlinks on other sites and proposing your content as a replacement.

This is beneficial for site owners as you help them improve their links and for you as you get quality backlinks.

But how is it done? We do it as follows:

Identifikacija pokvarenih backlinkova

Kreiranje ili identifikacija relevantnog sadržaja

Kontaktiranje vlasnika web sajta

Strategic partnership for broken backlink building

Strategic partnerships with other sites in your industry can be very beneficial for link building.

This may include exchanging guest articles, joint projects, or any form of collaboration that involves linking to each other.

In this case, both parties can benefit. But make sure you don’t do it too often, because Google doesn’t like it.

To start a strategic partnership for broken backlink building, start from the following facts:

Identifikacija potencijalnih partnera

Predlaganje saradnje

Implementacija i praćenje

Backlink building is a complex process that requires strategy and consistency.

Establishing a strong network of quality backlinks not only improves your SEO strategy, but also builds credibility and trust with users and search engines.

Through continuous effort and adjusting strategies, your SEO campaign can bring long-term benefits and put you ahead of the competition.

Šta još treba da znate o backlinkovima ?

Backlinks are links that lead from one site to another.

They are a key element of SEO optimization because search engines, such as Google, use backlinks as one of the main factors for ranking sites.

Now we will explain in detail the different types of backlinks, their characteristics, how to use them properly, what are the best practices for acquiring and maintaining them, and which tools to use for backlink analysis.

Types of backlinks

Backlinks can be divided into two basic categories: dofollow and nofollow links.

1. Dofollow Backlinkovi :