SEO Tips for the Toy and Game Industry

“MOM I NEED THOSE LEGOS!”

And that, dear retailers, is where the purchase path truly begins. Over 2/3 of consumers buying toys and games this year will be influenced by children.

Those kids will likely have heard of the product through word-of-mouth or some form of advertising. Once the idea reaches the adult consumer, offline ads convert to online interest – meaning search engine research.

Comprised of over 700 companies and bringing in an annual revenue of over $2 billion, the toy and games industry needs search engine optimization (SEO) to increase digital visibility, especially during the holiday gift-giving season. Over 68% of total toy sales are influenced by the web.

Toy and game retailers need to ensure it’s their product being found in the search engine results. According to Forrester, consumers predominately click on the top four results before moving on. Of those four clicks, 53% goes to the very first link.

Optimization of brand and retail websites is best when both on-page and off-page SEO techniques are implemented. On-page SEO leverages existing website content, such as meta information and important keywords. Internal content, by way of blogs, comments and reviews all play a role as well. Off-page SEO focuses on external link building, which contributes to page ranking.

Complete SEO strategies often include local SEO and reputation management. Local SEO is necessary for businesses with physical locations, looking to convert web users to offline customers. Reputation management is crucial in understanding brand perception and improving credibility, but only needed in certain circumstances. While both are extremely effective components in a digital marketing campaign, they are not as universally necessary for increasing digital toy sales.

With so many toys on the market today, online consumers can be overwhelmed by the prices, brands and features displayed in search engine results. This makes comparison shopping more common. Google reports that toy shoppers generally consult an average of three online resources before purchasing.

Through November and December of this year, as much as $96 billion in total online sales is expected. More than half of all consumers will buy gifts online, and items like toys and games are popular presents. If your brand and products aren’t correctly optimized for visibility on search engines, you will miss out on this extraordinary revenue season.

Contact ZOG Digital today for an SEO audit.