In the competitive world of E-Commerce SEO, maintaining a high ranking on search engines is essential for driving traffic and increasing sales. However, one of the most common challenges faced by online stores is managing out-of-stock products. While having inventory gaps can lead to lost sales, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to lose your search engine rankings. This guide will walk you through effective strategies to ensure your eCommerce store stays SEO-friendly, even when products are unavailable.
Why is SEO Important for eCommerce?
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the process of improving your online visibility in search engines like Google. For an eCommerce store, this is critical because higher rankings translate into more traffic, which can lead to higher sales. However, the dynamic nature of product availability poses a challenge. When products are out of stock, you risk losing search rankings and, consequently, your customer base.
Here are actionable tips to maintain your SEO rankings even when your eCommerce products are out of stock.
1. Use 301 Redirects Smartly
When a product is permanently discontinued, a common SEO practice is to use 301 redirects to lead customers to similar or relevant product pages. A 301 redirect permanently sends users and search engines to a new URL, ensuring that any SEO equity (rank, backlinks, etc.) isn’t lost.
However, avoid using redirects for temporarily out-of-stock products. Instead, employ other strategies that retain the product page and inform users of its unavailability (covered in the next sections).
For products that won’t return, the key is to redirect users to a category or similar product page rather than a homepage, which helps retain the user’s interest and signals relevancy to search engines.
2. Keep the Product Page Live and Optimised
For temporarily unavailable products, keeping the product page live is one of the most effective ways to maintain your SEO rankings. This is because removing the page can result in a loss of the page’s authority and its link equity. Google crawlers may assume the page no longer exists and drop it from search results.
Best Practices for Live Product Pages:
- Add an “Out of Stock” Notification: Inform customers that the product is out of stock. This avoids frustration and helps maintain customer trust.
- Provide an Estimated Restock Date: If you know when the product will be available again, mention the date on the product page. It helps to manage customer expectations and encourages them to return.
- Offer Alternatives: Include links to similar products that are in stock. This keeps the user engaged on your site, improves the user experience, and helps with internal linking (an important SEO factor).
3. Use Schema Markup for Product Availability
Adding schema markup to your product pages is an excellent way to communicate the status of your products to search engines. Specifically, the “Product Availability Schema” lets search engines like Google understand whether a product is in stock, out of stock, or available for pre-order.
By using this structured data, your product listings can display rich snippets in search results, including real-time availability. This not only enhances your listing’s appeal but also helps you maintain visibility even when the product is unavailable.
4. Create Content Around the Product
When a product is out of stock, it’s crucial to continue engaging with your audience. One of the best ways to do this is by creating content that revolves around the unavailable product. This can take the form of:
- Product Reviews and Comparisons: Write blog posts that compare the out-of-stock product with other similar products in your inventory. This keeps the page active, retains SEO juice, and encourages users to explore other options.
- Buyer Guides: Develop guides that showcase the unavailable product as a popular choice and suggest alternatives. These guides can rank for long-tail keywords and keep traffic coming to your site.
- User-Generated Content: Encourage customers to leave reviews or upload pictures of the out-of-stock product. Search engines value user-generated content, and it can improve your SEO rankings while keeping the product page active.
5. Optimise for Long-Tail Keywords
Out-of-stock products may not rank as well for primary keywords, but they can still attract traffic through long-tail keywords. These are more specific search queries, often with lower search volume, but they tend to be less competitive.
For example, instead of just targeting “Adelaide sneakers”, you can target “best Adelaide sneakers for runners 2024”. Although the latter has a lower search volume, it can still attract relevant users who may be interested in similar products.
6. Implement Email Alerts for Back-in-Stock Notifications
An out-of-stock product page doesn’t have to be a dead end for potential customers. By offering an option for users to sign up for back-in-stock notifications, you can keep them engaged. This tactic not only helps with conversions but also indicates to search engines that the page is still valuable to users.
Moreover, when the product becomes available again, you can update the page with the latest SEO practices and alert your customers simultaneously, driving traffic back to the product page.
7. Leverage Social Media and External Platforms
When your product is out of stock, you can still drive traffic through external platforms such as social media and email marketing. Promote similar products, or share updates on when the product will be back in stock. This engagement boosts traffic to your site, signals to Google that your page is still active, and can improve overall domain authority.
Pro Tip: Include your product’s URL in social media posts or emails, so that when the product is restocked, it benefits from both fresh traffic and SEO signals.
8. Use Seasonal and Evergreen Content Strategies
If a product is only temporarily unavailable, creating seasonal or evergreen content around it is a great way to retain traffic. For example, you could create a blog post titled, “Top 10 Gifts for Fitness Enthusiasts in 2024”, which features the unavailable product alongside in-stock alternatives.
Seasonal content can perform well year after year, while evergreen content continues to attract traffic over time. By linking these types of posts to your out-of-stock product pages, you’ll keep them active and maintain ranking potential.
9. Don’t Forget About Internal Linking
An out-of-stock product page is still a valuable asset for your website’s overall SEO strategy. By linking to it from other parts of your site, such as category pages, related products, or blog posts, you reinforce its relevance to search engines.
Internal links help search engines crawl your site more effectively and understand the relationship between different pages. This helps to keep your product page indexed even when the item isn’t available.
10. Monitor and Update Meta Tags
Keeping your meta tags up to date is crucial for maintaining search engine visibility. If a product is out of stock, update the meta description to reflect this, but still highlight the benefits of the product and any alternatives available. Use phrases like “Temporarily out of stock – check similar products” to maintain click-through rates.
10xGrowth: Your Go-To eCommerce SEO Agency
At 10xGrowth, we are committed to being the only eCommerce SEO agency you’ll ever need.
Clear and Concise eCommerce SEO & Lead Generation Reports You Can Trust
You’ll have secure, password-protected access to personalised monthly reports that highlight essential key performance indicators (KPIs) such as organic traffic, visitor behavior, and conversion rates. Our eCommerce clients receive thorough analyses of organic revenue along with other vital metrics specific to their needs. Furthermore, our dedicated team works to customise reports according to your unique analytical requirements, providing you with the critical insights necessary to propel your business forward.
Thorough SEO Task Reporting
Each month, you will receive a detailed report outlining the services provided by our SEO team. This report specifies the tasks that have been accomplished and acknowledges the OuterBox team members involved in each project. We carefully record all completed work, providing you with a clear reference for the future, even years later. This level of transparency aids in monitoring progress and facilitates long-term planning and strategic development.
Our Committed SEO Team Is Here for You
Our SEO team stands ready to support you, whether you run a thriving eCommerce business or a large corporation aiming to boost lead generation. Think of us as an integral part of your team. Should you have any inquiries or require assistance, contacting us is just a quick call or email away. We make it a point to arrange monthly meetings to review our progress, keeping you updated on all advancements since our last discussion. Your success is our top priority, and we are dedicated to offering the guidance you need throughout the entire process.
Planning Next Month’s Search Marketing Strategies
Our SEO services are customised to meet your specific business goals and daily operations. Understanding that eCommerce SEO and lead generation SEO require distinct approaches, we modify our strategies to suit each website. At the end of each month, we review and refine the strategy for the following month, ensuring alignment with our clients’ needs. Open communication is crucial for our success, and we prioritise keeping you informed throughout the planning process. Together, we will develop impactful strategies that deliver results and foster your growth.
Final Thoughts
Out-of-stock products don’t have to mean out-of-mind for your customers or out-of-rankings for search engines. By employing the strategies mentioned above, along with professional SEO services in Adelaide, you can maintain a strong SEO presence and ensure that your eCommerce store continues to perform well even during stock shortages.
From leveraging long-tail keywords to optimising product pages with schema markup and offering back-in-stock alerts, these techniques will keep your rankings stable and your customers engaged. In the fast-moving world of eCommerce, being proactive and strategic is key to sustaining long-term SEO success, even when your products aren’t always available.
