Understanding General SEO vs eCommerce SEO

SEO is a primary pillar in the world of digital marketing and the overall online economy in 2025 and has been for some years now. If you’re trying to make an impact online, you can’t ignore it as a vital part of the equation. However, there are a few different approaches in how SEO can be used to make an impact, with both general and basic SEO practices differing from a focus on eCommerce SEO. 

This blog will explain how SEO essentials are distinct from an eCommerce approach, expanding on how important it is to utilise the right managed SEO service for your goals. 

What is general SEO?

The basic approach of SEO is to drive organic traffic to your website/online platforms, building brand awareness and establishing a sense of authority in your industry. It should help to generate leads, engage users with information that they might need and result in an uptick of enquiries. 

It’s generally used for: 

• Blogs
• Corporate websites
• News sites
• Service-based industries
• Educational platforms
• Professional portfolios

Strategy for general SEO

SEO general services will focus largely on imparting information – aiding users in the part of their customer journey prior to actively looking to purchase. Keywords might include terms like “how to”, “best practices” and “benefits of”, with long-tail informational queries being a significant part of the puzzle. 

Long-form, high-quality information takes various forms, such as: 

• Blog posts
• Articles
• Guides
• Tutorials
• Whitepapers
• E-books
• Case studies
• Infographics
• Videos

Fresh, relevant content is essential, with proper page structuring essential for reducing bounce rate and readability. Technical SEO, such as ensuring crawlability, indexability, site speed, mobile-friendliness and secure connections, is essential for all websites. Similarly, link-building is essential for creating authority and relevance within search engines.

Understanding eCommerce SEO

SEO services for eCommerce businesses differ from general SEO in terms of its focus on driving traffic to product and category pages, leading to conversions and direct sales. It’s designed to benefit online stores, such as Shopify businesses that sell physical and digital products. 

Strategy for eCommerce SEO

Customers targeted through eCommerce SEO are more likely to be in a stage closer to purchase than those targeted in general SEO services. The approach of the business needs to be more directly transactional and search intent. In terms of keywords you should focus more on the use of: 

• Brand names
• Specific product models
• Product names
• Product categories

Other, longer tail keywords should be focused on transactional terms, such as “cheap”, “buy online”, “review”, “deal”, “affordable” and other things of the sort. Something like “best affordable waterproof jacket for hiking” could be an excellent choice for integrating into a product page. 

In terms of content strategy, the focus shifts from informative supplements to things like product pages and category pages, which can be enhanced by high-quality visuals and user-generated reviews and ratings. It’s worth noting that the same content strategies used for general SEO can be applied to further increase the authority of your products or services. Much like general pages, schema types, optimised URLs, site architecture and user-friendliness are essential for technical eCommerce SEO success. 

Achieve your SEO goals

If you’re interested in achieving your SEO goals, get in touch with us at Digital Next. We offer a range of holistic services for general and eCommerce SEO, ensuring you can reach your audience in the way that makes the most sense for your business. Check out our blog for more insights into SEO and more.