Search engine optimisation (SEO) can be one of the most lucrative techniques to drive sales – but also one of the hardest to get right.

Get on to the first page of search (and by search, we really mean Google) results pages and you’re pretty much guaranteed traffic and, in all likelihood, sales as a result.

But it’s not that simple. Not even close.

SEO is challenging for a number of reasons, not least of all because there are no right or wrong answers to success; only best practice and guidance from seasoned professionals.

Because of that, we wanted to speak to one of the leading names in SEO in the UK about the principles of SEO for e-commerce brands.

And so we were delighted to welcome Mark Williams-Cook, director of specialist search agency Candour, experienced SEO maestro and all-round good guy.

In this episode, Mark and Quickfire Digital co-founder, Nathan Lomax, discuss a range of  areas connected to SEO including:

• The untapped opportunities provided by schema
• The importance of image SEO and unique photography
• Why your approach to keyword research needs to change
• Why you need to set up Google Search Console and Merchant Centre
• The most important factors when going international.

SEO can be a game-changer – as Mark puts it: “It’s the only type of marketing where you know what the person wants and you get them at the right time: when they’re searching for a product.”

But it can be a drain on time and money and it’s not something you can simply switch on and off.

If you’re serious about SEO, you need to be in for the long haul.

If you’re serious about SEO, you need to watch our e-commerce series.