EP19 - SEO for Fashion Brands with Akilah Robinson

fashion business how to start a clothing line how to start a fashion business Oct 29, 2019

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How do I drive traffic to my website?

What should I focus on more - photoshoots, influencers, product descriptions?

Why am I not ranking on Google?

I always have to come back to this because I cannot tell you how important this truly is... It will not matter how big your inventory is, how many designs you have if you cannot drive traffic to your website. I cannot begin to tell you how many people launch their collection, launch their website, and then sit in complete frustration that no one is coming to their site.

In this episode of the FastTrack Your Fashion Brand Podcast, I’m talking with Akilah Robinson. She is here to help you JumpStart your fashion brand by skipping all the routine mistakes and building your website with SEO in mind. Or if you’re already passed that point, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT

SEO - what the heck it is, and why should I care
How online boutiques differ from most online websites
The product description formula - pure gold!
Importance of optimizing your photos
How to read your customer’s mind
Tracking your progress

What the heck is SEO?

I know, its big letters and the further you fall down the Google tunnel, the more you start to feel like Alice going on a bad trip! But don’t worry, Akilah is here to explain it all, and I promise it will be painless.

SEO, search engine optimization, is basically your way of making your website pretty for Google. And, I don’t mean the layout. Google is only able to crawl for text, which means it needs to be able to read that your page is relevant, otherwise, no one is going to find it.

If your page is not optimized, Google will push you all the way to the end of the search results, if even that. And, be real, how many of you have gone passed page 1 to find what you were looking for on Google? I know I haven’t. If it's not on the first page, it's almost like it doesn’t exist.

What are the benefits of fashion boutiques in the online world?

Unlike most websites, who maybe post one or two blogs every few months, we are constantly updating our website with new products. And product descriptions are like mini-blogs. If you optimize these pages, you’re telling Google “Look, I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. I matter!”

#1 Thing to focus on - PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS

If there is one thing that Akilah, queen of SEO, says you should focus on, it is product descriptions. As I said, these are mini-blogs. Too often we’re focused on our unique names for our products and get stuck being overly descriptive. But, are people searching for ITM#6393921? Probably not.

Akilah loves peplum tops, which you will hear in the podcast. But, how many of you know what that is? If you’re not in the fashion world, the way that you’ll probably Google this or ask for it is “That shirt, you know, the one that has the skirt at the bottom.”

So, how do you answer your customers’ questions without them having to ask it? You put it in your product description!

Optimizing your images - Make them count!

How many of you know what the heck “Alt Image Text” is? So, as I said, Google can only crawl text, so this is your way of showing that your images are relevant. How many of you search for something and immediately go to the photos to find what you’re looking for. Well, this is how you tell Google that you belong there.

Use 5 or 6 words that are relevant to the picture. Key terms that you know someone will most likely be searching for on Google.

Read your customer’s mind

I’ve said this many times, we don’t have crystal balls. If we don’t know what customers want, it’s a huge guessing game. But, there are tools to help you. Akilah says Pinterest, Facebook Groups, and Amazon Reviews should be your best friend!

Pinterest is still largely run by consumers; so find what they are using to describe their products, what are their common pain points? FB Groups are a little tricky; don’t go for the group run by other businesses, we’re trying to work on B2C (business to customer) not B2B (business to business). You have to look at how people are searching for things, not just how you would search for items.

Track your progress

Google Analytics and Google Search Console will offer you the best insight on your SEO efforts. SEO does not happen overnight since Google tends to crawl every few weeks not every few days. But, if you’re not seeing progress in 30 days, you may want to rethink your approach.

So... What are you doing currently to help your website and products rank on Google? What did you learn today that will boost your performance and sales?

EPISODE BREAKDOWN

06:00-13:00 - What is SEO?

16:00-21:30 - What to do first - Product Descriptions

22:00-26:00 - Alt Image Text - Optimizing Images

26:40-30:00 - Keep adding to your FAQs

35:30-44:00 - How to read your customer’s mind

Meet the Guest

Akilah Robinson, AKZMe Designs

Akilah Thompkins-Robinson is the owner of Online Boutique Source, the premier resource for boutique owners and Creator of the Boutique's Success Vault. While working with online retailers for over 10 years as a web designer and marketing coach, Akilah discovered businesses needed more than just a pretty website. They also need online marketing, branding, and traffic to convert sales. Akilah created several programs to share tips, tricks, trends, and trade secrets to guide boutique owners on their path to success.

Akilah is also a sought-after speaker and has been featured on sites such as Small Biz Chat, Career Magazine, Revision Path Podcast, WordCamps, and as a guest expert for several popular coaching programs.

Download Akilah's Beginners Guide To SEO

CONNECT WITH ME

INSTAGRAM: @nicole_di_rocco

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/nicoledirocco

PODCAST FB GROUP: www.facebook.com/groups/fasttrackyourfashionbrandpodcast

WEBSITE: www.fashionbizmentor.com

SUBMIT YOUR FASHION BIZ QUESTIONS: www.fashionbizmentor.com/breakthrough-coaching

SEE MY DESIGNS: www.mynicolita.com

THE SOLD OUT CHECKLIST FREE DOWNLOAD: https://bit.ly/FASHIONCHECKLIST

CONNECT WITH GUEST

WEBSITE: https://onlineboutiquesource.com

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