Mastering Ecommerce SEO: Fractional CMO Insights for Higher Rankings and Visibility

As an online retailer, how can you prevent thousands of competitors from stealing your spot on the search results page? One strategy is to work with an eCommerce fractional CMO. In this comprehensive guide, you will learn the following:

• The critical role of technical search engine optimization (SEO) and how a fractional chief marketing officer (FCMO) provides strategic oversight.
• How on-page optimization drives relevance and conversions with marketing leadership.
• The power of off-page optimization and link building, guided by this expert.
• Other key factors that an FCMO supports, such as online reputation management and voice search.

Fractional chief marketing officers provide high-level strategic oversight and management of core SEO initiatives to boost organic rankings, visibility, and website performance. Read this article to learn how they do it. Let’s go!

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Wondering what a Fractional CMO can do for your business? Watch this video below.

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Driving Technical SEO Forward With a Fractional CMO

At its core, technical SEO makes it easier for search bots to understand and properly index web pages. It includes the following:

• Fast load speeds allow quicker crawling. 
• Mobile responsiveness provides a good experience on all devices. 
• Proper XML sitemaps facilitate full indexing. 
• Schema markup enhances understanding of content. 

Fractional CMOs are not web developers or coders. They do not perform hands-on technical optimization.  Instead, their key responsibilities include conducting macro-level audits using tools such as Google PageSpeed and Analytics. These AI-powered platforms identify and fix critical issues ranging from excessive 404 errors to poorly rendered rich snippets.  They also set overarching technical SEO goals tied to business objectives. For example, they might want to increase the site speed to three seconds or less. In addition, they craft project plans detailing technical priorities and initiatives, such as rolling out schema markup on all product pages.  Cross-functionally, they coordinate teams such as IT and developers to execute technical optimizations. FCMOs oversee any external agencies engaged in technical work, aligning efforts with the broader organic search strategy.  The fractional CMO guides technical SEO improvements through planning, prioritization, and resource management. The tactical execution relies on in-house technical teams or expert agencies.

Ecommerce Fractional CMO Strategies for On-Page Elements

On-page optimization makes the content and structure of website pages more search-friendly. Well-optimized ones signal relevance and authority to search engines. For users, it creates a better experience through useful, engaging content flows.  A fractional CMO’s role touches on many on-page optimization aspects. These include the following:

Local SEO	– The part-time marketing leader assesses existing content for local search. Specifically, they identify primary geotargeted keywords and content gaps. – Suppose a local retailer lacks content optimized for “furniture stores in [your city].” – The CMO leads the process of creating enhanced location-specific pages. These might include mapping the customer journey and aligning keywords with user intent at every stage.
Keyword research	– FCMOs prioritize keyword targets based on revenue potential and competition. They also compare keyword performance with conversions. They then generate reports and recommendations that influence content strategies.
Content development	– Leveraging keyword data, the FCMO works with marketers, particularly writers, to produce landing pages about “running shoes for marathon training,” for example. – They also ensure that the content, regardless of type, meets industry standards and regulations. In Google, articles should pass E-E-A-T, especially if they are “your money, your life” (YMYL) pages. If they are in healthcare, these copies (and the whole campaign) must be HIPAA-compliant.

How Fractional CMOs Support Link Building

Off-page optimization involves obtaining strategic backlinks and citations from external authoritative sites to increase relevance and rankings for target keywords. It also builds or enhances trust and authority signals for search algorithms. The role of fractional FCMOs in this area is threefold:

• Crafting an overarching link-building strategy.
• Overseeing the execution of link-earning campaigns. 
• Tracking and optimizing efforts based on data and insights.

The CMO develops data-driven plans to earn high-authority links relevant to B2B SEO. For example, they identify and prioritize vertical trade publications, industry analysts, and niche technology blogs to pitch contributed articles.  This marketing expert nurtures press relationships and builds a solid network of influencers and customers for user-generated content. They also design structured workflows and processes. One of the biggest concerns for any e-commerce fractional CMO is SEO’s impact on the bottom line. Because link building can get complicated and expensive in the long term, it pays to know the return on investment (ROI). These part-time market leaders rigorously analyze vital data, from referral traffic to customer lifetime value and cost per lead. 

The Role of FCMOs in Key Areas Influencing SEO

Because SEO is so immense, it often feels like a world all its own. It is not. In fact, you can get all of the above correct and still not be successful. There are many influencing factors, including the following three:

• Reputation management
• User experience (UX) design
• Voice search

The fractional CMO often develops plans and processes to generate more positive reviews on high-authority sites. Popular ones include Google My Business, Facebook, and Yelp.  For example, they might set up post-transaction or service feedback collection workflows. As soon as the customer buys the item online, they will receive either an email or SMS (or both) to rate the experience. Once they receive the product, the system prompts them again to review it.  FCMOs also track online sentiment metrics across review platforms on a dashboard. This way, they can do the following:

• Investigate any significant changes in ratings or reviews.
• Address emerging reputation issues.

Optimized UX design also has tangible benefits for SEO. More intuitive navigation, faster load speeds, and engaging content can signal relevance to search algorithms. Reduced bounce rates and higher on-site engagement also indirectly boost organic rankings.  For this reason, a capable FCMO also prioritizes UX design, especially in bridging the gaps with the ADA. For example, they:

• Conduct audits to know where the site currently fails to meet ADA requirements.
• Present a cost analysis to executives showing long-term revenue benefits of increased access.
• Help set the guidelines for user testing with visually impaired participants.
• Launch an accessibility policy page that details assistive tools, known issues, and options to report challenges.

Additionally, with the continued growth of assistants such as Alexa, voice search optimization has become important. Although voice search differs from text-based search, it still affects organic visibility and traffic in a key ways:

• These queries influence Google’s algorithm ranking factors. They might serve as signals of consumer intent and engagement. 
• “Appearing” in voice search results creates another channel to drive website traffic.
• Voice search increases brand awareness.

Forward-looking fractional CMOs know innovation and use it to put your business ahead of your competitors. They develop a scalable roadmap and set goals and KPIs. In addition, they help identify skill gaps and ensure the technology’s seamless integration into the business’s multichannel digital strategy. 

Summing Up

Ecommerce fractional CMOs often do not themselves get involved in mundane SEO tasks. Instead, they help build the foundations that help clients compete aggressively and even take the lead.  Are you a growing online retailer that needs more focused guidance and direction? Digital Authority Partners (DAP) is an award-winning FCMO agency. Our marketing experts have helped our Fortune 1,000 clients increase their sales by 140% in only one year. Contact us to learn how we can do the same for your business.