Organic traffic is the most profitable channel in e-commerce. But the SEO landscape is constantly changing. What worked in 2024 may already be outdated in 2026. In this article, we show which ranking factors really matter today - and which measures sustainably improve your visibility.
SEO 2026: What Has Changed?
Google has invested massively in AI in recent years. The Helpful Content Update, the introduction of SGE (Search Generative Experience), and strengthened E-E-A-T signals have changed the rules:
- Content quality more important than ever
- User experience as a direct ranking factor
- E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust) decisive
- Core Web Vitals still relevant
- Structured data essential for rich results
Core Web Vitals: Performance as a Ranking Factor
Core Web Vitals and PageSpeed are official ranking factors. Google measures LCP, INP, and CLS from real users and prefers fast websites in search results.
| Metric | Good | Needs Improvement | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCP | ≤ 2.5s | 2.5-4s | > 4s |
| INP | ≤ 200ms | 200-500ms | > 500ms |
| CLS | ≤ 0.1 | 0.1-0.25 | > 0.25 |
Google uses field data from real users, not lab data. A good Lighthouse score doesn't guarantee good Core Web Vitals in the CrUX report.
Content Quality: Helpful Content Instead of Thin Content
The Helpful Content Update made clear: Google wants content written for people, not for search engines. Thin content, keyword stuffing, and generic product descriptions are penalized.
For online shops, this means: Unique product descriptions, helpful category texts, and real value instead of copied manufacturer texts. It's labor-intensive - but it pays off.
Technical SEO: The Foundation
Without a clean technical foundation, the best content won't help. Technical SEO includes:
Crawlability
Can Google find and index all important pages?
Site Structure
Logical hierarchy with shallow click depth
Internationalization
Correct hreflang tags for multilingual shops
HTTPS
SSL certificate is mandatory
Clean URLs
Speaking URLs without parameters
Mobile-First
Google indexes the mobile version
Many shop systems have inherent SEO problems: Duplicate content from filter pages, slow loading times, faulty canonicals. These must be systematically fixed.
Structured Data for Rich Results
Schema.org markup enables rich results in search results: Star ratings, prices, availability. These significantly increase click-through rate - without needing to rank better.
- Product schema for all product pages
- Review schema for ratings
- Breadcrumb schema for navigation
- FAQ schema for FAQ sections
- Organization schema for the brand
Internal Linking: The Underestimated Lever
Internal linking is one of the most powerful SEO levers - and one of the most underestimated. Through smart linking you can:
- Distribute link juice to important pages
- Signal relevance through anchor texts
- Optimize crawl budget through prioritization
- Build topic clusters for better authority
In most shops, internal linking is not strategic but grown organically. Analysis and optimization can significantly improve rankings - without creating new content.
SEO Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
SEO success doesn't come overnight. First visible improvements often only show after 3-6 months. But organic traffic is sustainable: Once built, rankings bring traffic for years - without ongoing advertising costs.
First improvements are often visible after 2-3 months. For sustainable top rankings, expect 6-12 months, depending on competition.
That depends on scope. A one-time audit is cheaper than ongoing optimization. Contact us for an individual estimate.
Basics yes. For complex technical optimizations and strategic measures, expertise is needed that only builds through years of experience.
Reputable agencies don't guarantee specific rankings - that would be dubious. We guarantee professional work according to current best practices.
Backlinks remain an important ranking factor. Quality matters more than quantity though. A link from a relevant, authoritative site is worth more than a hundred links from weak sites.
SEO Audit for Your Shop
We analyze your online shop and show you the biggest SEO levers - prioritized by effort and expected impact.
Request Audit