How does SEO work for headless ecommerce?

Today the search for information takes place with many devices besides desktops and mobile.

In response to this change, many ecommerce platforms have started implementing headless solutions to provide users a smooth and frictionless experience.

These solutions affect a number of SEO elements, which you need to pay attention to correctly position your content. 

What is a headless CMS?

In headless CMS, content management is dissociated from the front-end and is independent. Using an Application Programming Interface (API) allows passing contents as data, adapting them to different types of devices (such as smartwatches, or AR/VR) without changes.

By adopting a headless CMS you can: 

• Use the same content on different platforms (e.g.: native apps, website, specific in-house software).
• Add additional front-end types of use for new and historical content without changing the back-end.
• Reduce cost.

How an headless ecommerce works

Platforms like SFCC and Shopify allow the use of the headless method, managing the catalog and attributes of an ecommerce.  The visualization of the pages and the relations between them are coordinated by a third-party platform which receives the information through API. 

This allows obtaining: 

• Easier catalog management (as it can be shown in many different channels than the site) and a relative decrease in efforts.
• An easier experience for users, who can find information at different touchpoints and buy without being redirected to a website.
• A decrease in the cart abandonment rate and an increase in the conversion rate. 

What to look out for an effective website optimization? 

Generally speaking, native SEO features of SFCC and Shopify are not usable in third-party platform. The latter will need custom developments for several SEO-oriented aspects.

Here are some implications we have managed in a number of replatforming projects:

• Customization of the HTML: any changes to the HTML to present the content differently from the standard will not be manageable at the data-entry level.
• Sitemap.xml: SFCC sitemap.xml generation tool will not be usable, as URL governance is normally the responsibility of the front-end platform.
• Meta tag rules: PDP and PLP meta tags can be entered manually or imported, but if you need to use automatic compilation rules, custom development will be required.
• Hreflang annotations: associations between different pages will be managed at the front-end level. Again, standard implementations on SFCC or other platforms will not be useful. Custom development will normally be necessary.
• Redirect form: Salesforce’s “static mapping” and “redirect URL” tools will not be usable. You will need to use a front-end redirect form.
• Alternative pagination for search engines: API will have to transfer to the front-end all the information necessary for the development of SEO elements, such as parameters for the alternative pagination in PLP in case of an infinite scroll of the products. At the preliminary stage, an investigation of the elements available by the API will be necessary, so you do not have to intervene later.

Want to know more? 

Contact us, we will be happy to explore this theme together!