Staying ahead of competitors as an eCommerce business requires a proactive approach to PR and SEO. A strategic combination of these marketing activities will enhance your website’s visibility and foster brand growth. 

This monthly PR and SEO checklist for eCommerce businesses is a comprehensive guide to optimise your online presence. From refining on-page SEO elements to engaging in strategic PR outreach, this checklist is designed to help you navigate the intricacies of digital marketing.

Dedicating each week to specific tasks can boost your website’s performance, foster customer engagement, and propel your eCommerce venture to new heights. Let’s dive into a month-by-month plan to ensure your website and PR activities are finely tuned for success:

Week 1: Website Health Check and Auditing

Keyword Research:

• Identify high-potential keywords for your products.
• Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs.
• Delve deeper into our recommendations for keyword research as an eCommerce business here. 

On-Page SEO:

• Ensure product pages have unique and compelling meta titles and descriptions.
• Optimise header tags (H1, H2, etc.) for relevant keywords.
• Check and improve product page loading speed.

Technical SEO:

• Conduct a comprehensive SEO audit using tools like Screaming Frog or Google Search Console.
• Fix broken links, crawl errors, and duplicate content.

Mobile Optimisation:

• Confirm your website is mobile-friendly using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.

Define Monthly Goals:

• Clearly outline your PR goals for the month, whether it’s increasing brand awareness, launching a new product, or building links to specific priority pages on your site. 

Target Audience Analysis:

• Identify and understand your target audience to tailor your PR efforts effectively.

Competitor Analysis:

• Monitor the PR strategies of your competitors to identify opportunities and gaps in the market.

Week 2: Content Creation and Optimisation

Content Calendar:

• Plan and create a monthly content calendar, including blog posts, product updates, and promotions.

Blog Optimisation:

• Write SEO-friendly blog posts related to your products or industry.
• Optimise blog content with relevant keywords and internal links.

PR Content Creation:

• Draft and distribute a press release for significant updates, such as product launches, partnerships, or company milestones.
• Create a PR campaign focused on showcasing your expertise and authority within your industry, including any links to supporting content on your website. You should also consider including links to priority pages within this content. 

On-Page SEO:

• Optimise product pages, category pages, and meta tags (title, description) with relevant keywords.

Product Descriptions:

• Update and enhance product descriptions for clarity, uniqueness, and keyword relevance.

Image Optimisation:

• Compress images without compromising quality and use descriptive alt text.

Week 3: Link Building, Off-Page SEO and Press Outreach

Backlink Analysis:

• Monitor and analyse your backlink profile using tools like Ahrefs or Moz. This will help you identify which online media outlets you should aim to land backlinks from with your digital PR efforts. 

Competitor Analysis:

• Identify opportunities for new backlinks by researching your competitors’ link profiles.

Social Media Engagement:

• Share valuable content on social media platforms and engage with your audience.

Press Outreach:

• Once your PR content is ready to be issued, develop a compelling media pitch and reach out to relevant journalists to secure media coverage. Remember any gaps you identified during your backlink analysis and where your competitors achieve brand mentions and linking coverage. Focus your efforts on authoritative and relevant titles to you as a brand, product, topic and expertise. 

Building Relationships:

• Cultivate relationships with key media contacts to allow for further media coverage. Follow up on previous pitches and provide them with valuable insights or exclusive opportunities to strengthen your brand image further.

We’ve worked with several eCommerce businesses at Wild PR to support their online presence and growth. The Kid Collective is an online retailer of children’s toys and gifts that we’ve supported with link-building and digital PR through various tactics, including digital PR campaigns, PR mailers, advice-led content, and gift guide activity. 

Our bespoke backlink analysis and link-building strategy for the brand identified the need to create PR content which appealed to national, lifestyle, regional and industry-specific titles. The content needed to promote The Kid Collective’s expertise and authority within their sector whilst utilising expert commentary from a brand spokesperson. We also needed to develop strong supporting content that would help drive traffic back to the website and which publications would likely link to from within their articles. 

Through developing PR campaigns such as Disney Baby Names, we built relevant and high-authority backlinks with titles such as Mail Online, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and The Mirror. These results have supported a whopping 82% increase in conversions and a 108% increase in new users visiting The Kid Collective’s website, echoing the importance of link building and press outreach as ongoing monthly activity for eCommerce brands looking to strengthen their online presence and drive growth.

Week 4: Analytics and Reporting

Analytics Review:

• Analyse website traffic using Google Analytics.
• Review user behaviour, conversions, and other relevant metrics.

SEO Reporting:

• Generate and review SEO reports using tools like Google Search Console and other SEO platforms.
• Monitor keyword rankings and track improvements.

PR Metrics:

• Measure the success of your PR efforts using key performance indicators (KPIs) such as media mentions, backlinks, website traffic, and social media engagement.

Feedback Collection:

• Collect and analyse customer feedback, reviews, and comments to understand the public perception of your brand.

Adjustment and Optimisation:

• Based on the insights gained, adjust your PR and SEO strategies for the upcoming month. Optimise your approach based on what worked well and what needs improvement.

Ongoing Tasks:

Monitor Algorithm Updates:

• Stay informed about major search engine algorithm updates and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Customer Reviews and Testimonials:

• Encourage and manage customer reviews on your product pages and address any negative feedback.

Local SEO:

• Optimise your Google My Business listing and ensure your business information is consistent across online platforms.

Security Check:

• Regularly update and secure your website to protect against security vulnerabilities.

Continuous Learning:

• Stay updated on PR trends, industry news, and changes in consumer behaviour to adapt your strategy accordingly.

Community Engagement:

• Engage with your audience on social media, respond to comments, and actively participate in relevant online communities.

Crisis Management:

• Develop a crisis management plan and stay prepared to address any negative publicity promptly.

Brand Monitoring:

• Use tools to monitor brand mentions online and respond to positive and negative ones.

By following this monthly checklist, eCommerce businesses can establish a robust online presence, improve their search engine rankings, and effectively engage with their target audience through PR and SEO efforts. 

Want to know more about how PR and SEO activities can support your business growth? Contact us or book a no-strings-attached 30-minute introductory call with managing director Katrina Cliffe.