Introducing the Panel
David:
Welcome to the Majestic SEO podcast and livestream. Today, we’re talking about ecommerce SEO — which platform is best, what techniques actually work in 2023, and how businesses can compete with giants like Amazon. Let’s start by introducing our panelists. Ritu, would you like to begin?
Ritu:
Hi everyone. My name is Ritu Goel. I’ve been working in SEO for more than 13 years. My main expertise is technical SEO, though I also work with content. After working as a freelancer for nearly 10 years, I recently started my own company called iGlow Digital.
David:
Thanks for joining us. Paul?
Paul:
Hi everyone. My name is Paul Ryzenov. I’m the CEO of MageCloud. We support over 100 ecommerce businesses across various platforms with monthly optimization and improvement plans. My expertise is mainly in technical SEO — fixing technical issues, indexing problems, and making sure websites are properly structured for search engines.
David:
Dominic?
Dominic:
Hi, I’m Dominic Lille. I’ve been working in SEO for about eight or nine years. I mainly work with smaller clients and focus mostly on content strategy to drive traffic and improve rankings.
David:
Luke?
Luke:
Hi everyone. I’m an ecommerce consultant and have been working in ecommerce since I was 16. I started selling on eBay out of my bedroom and eventually built a career in ecommerce consulting. My focus is on technical SEO, CRO, and analytics.
David:
And finally Evie.
Evie:
Hi everyone. I’m Evie, director of Eva Media, a digital marketing agency. I have over 11 years of SEO experience across technical, content, and strategic SEO.
Choosing the Right Ecommerce Platform
David:
Let’s start with a fundamental question. Which platform is best for ecommerce SEO? Paul, from a technical perspective, how do you approach choosing a platform?
Paul:
To be honest, when we advise clients on which platform to choose, SEO is usually not the main deciding factor.
Google doesn’t really care whether a website is built on Shopify, Magento, or WooCommerce. What matters more is the site structure, technical setup, and how the platform supports the business requirements.
The first thing I consider is the business itself. If a client has a large website with complex integrations, ERP systems, and custom requirements, then platforms like Magento or Shopify might make sense. But if a client only has 20 products, recommending Magento would be overkill.
So the key factor is business needs – first, platform, second.
Migration Trends Across Ecommerce Platforms
David:
From what you’re seeing in the market, which platforms are currently the most popular?
Paul:
Based on the migrations we see with our clients, the top platforms today are:
Interestingly, Magento — which I specialize in — is seeing more companies migrate away from it. Many large stores still run on Magento, but new businesses often choose other platforms due to cost and complexity.
Why Wix Is Growing in Ecommerce
David:
Wix is an interesting name there. It’s not always associated with ecommerce. Why is it gaining popularity?
Paul:
Wix is becoming popular mainly among smaller businesses.
If someone wants to quickly launch an ecommerce store and test the market, Wix is one of the easiest platforms to start with. You don’t have to worry about managing plugins, security updates, or technical infrastructure.
Security is actually one of the biggest reasons companies move to cloud-based platforms. Managing security in self-hosted systems can be complicated, especially for small businesses.
Wix makes it easy for a solo founder to launch something quickly.
SEO Setup: The First Things to Do
David:
Let’s say someone has chosen a platform and launched their store. What should they do first from an SEO perspective? Paul?
Paul:
You might laugh, but the first thing is setting up Google Search Console properly.
You’d be surprised how many ecommerce websites don’t have it configured correctly. Some clients don’t even verify their domains properly.
The second big issue I see is indexation.
Many companies spend money on SEO agencies building backlinks, but when we check their sitemap in Google Search Console, we discover that maybe only 20% of their pages are actually indexed.
If most of your pages aren’t indexed, you simply cannot rank.
The Problem with Duplicate Supplier Content
David:
Why does indexation become such a challenge for ecommerce stores?
Paul:
One of the biggest reasons is duplicate content.
Many ecommerce businesses import product data from suppliers. The problem is that the same product descriptions appear on hundreds of other websites.
From a technical SEO perspective, this makes it much harder for Google to determine which site should rank.
The Importance of Site Structure
David:
Evie, what’s the first thing you look at from an SEO perspective when a new ecommerce site launches?
Evie:
The first thing I analyze is the site structure.
Not just how it works today, but how it will scale in the future. Many businesses design their structure around a single product line, but when they expand, they end up bolting new categories onto the site in a messy way.
Planning the structure properly — including navigation and URLs — prevents major problems later.
Why Taxonomy Matters in Ecommerce SEO
David:
Luke, you mentioned taxonomy earlier. Why is that so important?
Luke:
Taxonomy is one of the most underrated parts of SEO.
It affects:
Many companies focus on product pages and technical settings, but forget that category structure is the backbone of ecommerce SEO.
If the structure is messy, everything else becomes harder to fix later.
SEO Strategy Must Start With Business Goals
David:
Let’s move to strategy. How do you build an ecommerce SEO strategy? Evie?
Evie:
The first step is always understanding the client’s goals.
You need to know:
SEO should target all stages of the marketing funnel — from awareness to conversion — and the strategy must evolve continuously as performance data changes.
Why SEO Is Really About Business Growth
David:
Luke, how do you align SEO with business goals?
Luke:
The simplest rule is this:
If it makes money, it should be on the list.
SEOs often overcomplicate things. Businesses don’t want SEO — they want growth and revenue.
More traffic doesn’t automatically mean more money. Sometimes, fixing user experience or improving conversion rates has a bigger impact than chasing rankings.
So before starting SEO work, I always ask clients:
“Why do you think your business needs SEO?”
Their answer usually reveals the real problem.
Choosing Platforms Based on Business Models
David:
Paul, can you give an example where business goals influence platform choice?
Paul:
Sure.
For example, Shopify has pricing tiers that increase significantly once your revenue reaches certain levels. Some businesses may not want to pay those fees and prefer self-hosted platforms.
Another example is regulated industries, such as vape or CBD businesses. Some hosted platforms might restrict those industries, so companies need more control and choose self-hosted solutions instead.
Magento, for example, can support both B2C and B2B operations on the same platform, which is useful for certain businesses.
Why SEO Should Start Before Website Launch
David:
What’s one common mistake companies make when launching ecommerce websites?
Paul:
The biggest mistake is launching a website before involving an SEO specialist.
I often hear:
“We just launched our site — can you check our SEO?”
Fixing problems after Google has already indexed the site can be far more expensive than fixing them before launch.
Ideally, you should:
That approach saves a lot of trouble later.
Content and Featured Snippets: A Way to Compete with Amazon
David:
Earlier, you mentioned competing with Amazon. Is it actually possible?
Paul:
Yes, but usually by being more niche-focused.
One tactic that works well is creating new landing pages targeting specific queries, such as:
“Best Nike running shoes 2023”
If those pages are optimized correctly with structured data and featured snippet opportunities, they can outperform even large marketplaces in certain search results.
So instead of trying to beat Amazon everywhere, focus on specific queries where you can provide better content and structure.
Managing Client Expectations in SEO
David:
Ritu, what’s your approach to managing client expectations?
Ritu:
One of the biggest challenges is explaining that SEO takes time.
Many clients launch a website and expect to double their sales within a couple of months. That’s simply not realistic.
I always focus conversations around business results, not just rankings or traffic. Clients care about sales and revenue, so it’s important to align SEO discussions with those metrics.
Final Thoughts from the Panel
David:
Thank you, everyone, for sharing your insights. Before we finish, where can people find you?
Ritu:
You can find me on LinkedIn — just search for Ritu Goyal.
Paul:
You can find me by Googling my name, Paul Ryazanov. I’m currently the number one result.
Evie:
You can also find me on LinkedIn or by searching my name online.
Luke:
Same here — Google my name, and you’ll find me.
Dominic:
LinkedIn is the best place to reach me as well.
David:
Thank you to everyone who joined the discussion and everyone watching or listening. If you want to join a future livestream, you can sign up at Majestic.com/webinars.
See you next time.
