For many homesteaders, e-commerce websites are a crucial step in expanding their market. Search optimization, however, typically takes a backseat. Homesteaders who want to sell products online should follow these guidelines for SEO. The primary rule is to optimize for local SEO. When homesteads try to sell to corporate buyers or enter a wider market, they become government registered farms. This article applies to family farms and homesteads who have target markets close to home.
Local Long-tail Keywords
If someone is interested in buying local vegetables or eggs, they are much more likely to search “cage free eggs near me” instead of looking through Instagram. The advantages here are that search users are already in the buying mindset. Additionally, most homesteads specialize in a few things. Maybe it’s jalapeno peppers of a home-bred variety, or the best Brown Orpington eggs in the region. This easily carves out a niche long-tail term for homesteads to go after. These terms should be the focus of SEO for ecommerce, blogs, and any other facets of the website.
Google Business Profile
Most homesteads have already made the choice not to register as a farm or a for-profit corporation. Because of this, registering for a Google Business profile probably wouldn’t come to mind as a logical next step. However, it’s something every farm should try to do. It allows people searching on Google to find address and other information along with the search results. This will provide a greater level of trust and makes purchasing more likely.
Whole Foods, Whole User Experience
As always, design is an element that should not be neglected. When you think of a farm’s website, great design probably does not come to mind. After all, homesteads specialize in niches that don’t need huge advertising budgets. The charm is in the exclusiveness of their offerings, but that doesn’t mean the site should sacrifice intuitive design. A functioning cart page and styled product pages are the most important elements. With basic design principles and these SEO guidelines, homesteads should be well on their way to success.
2 Responses
This is such a great guide for homesteaders looking to dive into e-commerce! I completely agree that local SEO should be a top priority, especially for family farms and small homesteads. It’s true that many customers are already in the buying mindset when they search for something specific, like “cage-free eggs near me,” so targeting those long-tail keywords can really help homesteads stand out in their local market. I also love the point about Google Business Profiles. Even though homesteaders might not think of themselves as “corporate,” having that local presence on Google is crucial for building trust and improving visibility. It’s a small step that can have a big impact!
This was very interesting to me as my project is for a local farmer’s market, which is closely related. While creating the website these are definitely things I have come across, especially long tail keywords and the “local” or “near me” phrases.