FarettiShoes.co.uk

Problem no. 1. Lack of analytics tools

The lack of analytical tools we already mentioned was the main problem we tackled first. The issue was not only the lack of their implementation, though. The English version of the site had the tracking code from the Polish Google Analytics account. We changed it into the right code. Apart from that, Faretti had multiple shops managed from one admin panel (multistore) – which is why we had to divide the accounts in Google Analytics and Google Search Console, creating separate ones for every country.

Problem no. 2. Keyword analysis

Another challenge was to find relevant keywords. We used external tools and examined the competitors, and the most important conclusion we had was finding 2 keyword phrases on the basis of which we developed the long-tail ones.

2 “basic” phrases and their search volume:

Long-tail phrases:

It’s clear to see the effects our of work judging by results – all these phrases made it to Top 3, even though we were starting from scratch (and them being “outside of the index”).

Problem no. 3. Improper setup of the multistore

Multistore gives the ability to manage multiple shops from a single panel. It definitely makes it easier if you run stores in different languages. Nonetheless, it’s important not to copy-paste all the elements from one shop to another, and pay attention to the proper setup of each version. The issue we encountered on the Faretti’s website was definitely the URLs – on the English version of the store, all URLs were in Polish. We changed them manually.

The examples of Polish URLs on the English website:

Problem no. 4. Wrong product names

The product names revolved only around their actual names, without any keywords. It was definitely one of the major issues since the product names were actually treated as H1, and included in the page title. This created even more problems:

1. Wrong page titles
2. Wrong H1 headings

We changed the names of the most important products to more complex ones, including related keywords.

The change was definitely reflected in the results (screen from Search Console):

Another issue that stemmed from this were improper alt tags for the product photos, which were automatically generated based on the product names. After the name change, we altered them as well – which had an impact on the increased visibility of product photos in Google Images:

Problem no. 5. Wrong measurement units

Every pair of shoes had in its description (and often product name as well) the information on the elevation it provides. At the very beginning, this detail was specified in centimetres. However, since the metric system is not used in Great Britain, we suggested changing it into inches.

It affected the visibility of phrases with the measurement unit in them:

Problem no. 6. Improper redirections

Every alternative version of the website (with www, without it, or with https protocol and without it as well) should be redirecting to one, main version of the site with a constant 301 redirection. Faretti’s website was using 302 – meaning a temporary one, which didn’t “transfer” the whole strength of the site.

That’s precisely why we set up proper 301 redirections.

Problem no. 7. Wrong title and meta descriptions of the main page

The title of the main page was basically just the name of the company. Since the page title is one of the most important elements on the website that affects SEO, it should definitely include keywords and indicate what can be found on the website. Meta description might not have the direct influence on SEO, but when optimised properly – it can definitely impact CTRs in a positive manner.

Before:

After:

Problem no. 8. Wrong category names

Category names didn’t include any keyword, just the “height” of the elevation. Because of that, similarly to the product pages, a few issues emerged:

1. Wrong H1 heading
2. Wrong site title
3. Wrong URL address

That’s how category names looked before the change:

And after:

While URL addresses looked as follows:

• https://farettishoes.co.uk/18-7-cm
• https://farettishoes.co.uk/23-6-cm

Which is why they were changed into:

• https://farettishoes.co.uk/18-height-increasing-shoes-276-inches
• https://farettishoes.co.uk/23-height-increasing-shoes-2-inches

We also set up the redirections from old addresses to the new ones.

Problem no. 9. A lack of sitemap

The site had no sitemap. We generated it and implemented in the Search Console.

Problem no. 10. A not very recognisable brand

Brand recognition was not the most significant factor for us. We focused on long-tail product phrases but also monitored how the branded keyword was performing. Interestingly enough, faretti is a popular Italian word that means “headlamps” and thus, is quite competitive and popular judging by the high search volume.

Nonetheless, our efforts contributed to a substantial increase in the branded keyword phrase rank. It’s currently on the 24th place in the search results, even though it was initially outside of the index.

Link profile at the beginning of the cooperation:

Link profile after 6 months of the cooperation:

• Steady growth in site’s visibility – starting basically from scratch
  
• Steady increase in organic traffic – in January, the traffic amounted to almost 700 visits

The specialist’s comment

Working on the optimisation of Faretti’s website was an interesting challenge. It required not only standard SEO activities, content creation, but also the ability to research and understand customer needs. It was up to our team to figure out how search engine users might look for elevator shoes in the given country and come up with relevant long-tail phrases which then helped us build their ranks and organic traffic in the process. I like managing the projects for clients who want to conquer new markets in particular – it’s always an interesting challenge, especially when a niche industry like height increasing shoes come into play

Milena Fietko

Senior SEO Specialist