If you’ve been asking yourself, “Why is my e-commerce store stuck on page two of Google?”, you’re not alone. Many online store owners find it challenging to identify what’s holding their website back.
While ranking on page two is a significant achievement, it’s often the difference between mediocre traffic and the massive sales boost that comes with a page one spot.
While I’ve previously looked at page-one ranking strategies, in this post, I’ll break down some common reasons why your e-commerce store may be stuck on page two and share actionable tips to help you climb into the top three positions for your target keywords.
To illustrate these points, I’ve analysed several websites targeting the keyword “lavender honey”, a relatively easy term to rank for.
You can watch my full video below, or keep reading for the summarised highlights.
The Importance of Ranking on Page One
We all know that ranking on page one of Google is crucial, but let me emphasise why. Studies show that the top position receives twice as many clicks as the second, and the second gets nearly twice as many clicks as the third. By the time you’re in position four or five, the traffic drops dramatically.
If your store is on page two, the odds are even lower that customers will find you. Moving up just one spot—even from page two to the bottom of page one—can significantly boost your traffic and sales.
What’s Holding You Back?
When analysing why e-commerce stores get stuck on page two, I’ve found several common issues that prevent sites from breaking through. Here’s what could be keeping you from that coveted first-page position.
1. Lack of Optimised Content
Content is one of the most critical factors in ranking well. Google relies heavily on your text to understand your page, so having too little content—or content that’s poorly optimised—can hold you back.
For instance, when I reviewed the top-ranking site for “lavender honey,” it had around 100 words of unique, descriptive content with the keyword “lavender honey” naturally included five times. Compare this to a competitor on page two that only mentioned the keyword three times and included diluted product descriptions from related items.
To improve
- Add more unique content to your product pages.
- Include your target keyword naturally in headings, descriptions, and body copy.
- Use semantically related terms like “natural honey,” “artisan honey,” or “lavender-infused products.”
2. Poor Trust Signals
Trust signals, such as customer reviews, testimonials, and trust badges, reassure visitors that your store is reliable. They also help reduce bounce rates, which indirectly impacts your rankings.
In my analysis, a page one site prominently displayed Trustpilot reviews and had vibrant, high-quality images. By contrast, a page two competitor showed outdated reviews (including a two-star rating from 2019) and lacked clear trust-building elements.
To improve:
- Display recent, positive customer reviews prominently on your product pages.
- Use trust badges to highlight secure checkout processes or guarantees.
- Ensure your images look professional and inspire confidence in your brand.
3. Over-Optimisation or Keyword Stuffing
While content is essential, over-using keywords can have the opposite effect. Google may interpret it as spammy behaviour, which can prevent your site from moving up.
For example, a page two site I analysed mentioned “lavender honey” 18 times in just 150 words of copy. This excessive repetition likely triggered Google’s algorithm to flag the page as over-optimised.
To improve:
- Keep your keyword density natural (aim for 1–2% of your total word count).
- Use synonyms and related phrases like “lavender blossom honey” or “floral honey” to add variety.
4. Weak Internal Linking
Internal links signal to Google which pages are most important on your site. Pages with strong internal links are more likely to rank higher.
The top-performing sites for “lavender honey” had internal links pointing directly to their product pages, while page two sites often lacked this critical element.
To improve:
- Add internal links from blog posts, category pages, and related products to your key product pages.
- Use descriptive anchor text like “shop lavender honey” to help Google understand the page’s relevance.
5. Lack of Schema Markup
Schema markup is a piece of code that helps Google understand your page better. It can also make your listing stand out in search results by displaying reviews, prices, or stock levels directly in the search snippet.
None of the sites I analysed had noticeable schema markup, which is a missed opportunity for improving click-through rates.
To improve:
- Add product schema to your pages to highlight essential information like reviews, pricing, and availability.
6. User Experience Issues
Google prioritises websites that offer a seamless user experience. If your site is hard to navigate, slow to load, or visually unappealing, it can hurt your rankings.
Some page two sites I reviewed had outdated designs, excessive product images, and poorly optimised mobile layouts.
To improve:
- Ensure your site is mobile-friendly and fast-loading.
- Simplify navigation and reduce distractions.
- Use high-quality, lifestyle images to make your products more appealing.
How to Move From Page Two to Page One
Breaking into the top positions requires a combination of on-page optimisation, content improvements, and technical SEO. Here are the steps I recommend:
- Audit Your Content
- Check if your content is unique, relevant, and detailed enough to compete with page one results.
- Add extra content if needed but not just fluff – make sure you’re satisfying the user intent, i.e. what the searcher was trying to find out.
- Optimise Your Keywords
- Use your target keyword in headings, meta titles, and descriptions.
- Include related terms and synonyms to capture a broader audience.
- Enhance Trust Signals
- Display updated customer reviews and trust badges prominently.
- Remove or update any outdated or negative reviews.
- Improve Internal Linking
- Link to your target pages from your homepage, blog posts, and related product pages.
- Check Your Technical SEO
- Add schema markup to help Google understand your page better.
- Fix any site speed or mobile usability issues.
Ready to Get Unstuck?
If your e-commerce store is stuck on page two of Google, don’t despair. With the right strategy and optimisations, you can move up to page one—and even into the top three positions—where the majority of traffic and conversions happen.
Need help?
I offer several monthly SEO packages to suit e-commerce stores of all sizes and budgets. If you’re not ready to make that leap yet, why not opt for my comprehensive SEO video audit to work out why you’re not ranking as high as you’d like and what you need to do about it.