Based on broader market research and trends in other channels, we break down everything you should focus on as an e-commerce brand for your SEO to springboard your success with the Gen-Z generation.
Table of Contents
Key Notes
- Harness Gen Z’s Spending Power: Align your brand with Gen Z’s unique values for successful market penetration.
- Engage with Short-Form Content: Use captivating short videos, filled with humor and engagement, to hold Gen Z’s attention on your site.
- Evolve with Gen Z’s SEO Needs: Adapt to their fleeting attention spans by speeding up site loading, aligning keywords with their searches, and crafting scannable visual content.
- Personalize and Advocate: Deepen Gen Z connections through personalized messaging, tailored product recommendations, and cause advocacy. Utilize data tools for segmented messaging to boost conversions.
Why Market to Gen-Z?
Highly Profitable Sector
Gen-Z are the next big consumer group. As the oldest members of Gen Z enter their mid-twenties, they are becoming a key demographic for many businesses as they are finally growing up and getting jobs to spend all their hard-earned money on online shopping.
They already influence the economy with their spending habits and will continue to do so in the future.
Alignment With Ethical Causes
Gen Z is known to be socially conscious and more likely to support brands that align with their values.
This makes it the perfect opportunity for you to show your commitment to important causes and connect with Gen Z on a deeper level.
Overall, marketing to Gen Z is a smart movie you want to stay relevant and tap into the spending power of this influential generation.
Short Form Content is King
One significant trend in Gen Z marketing is the rise of short-form video content on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Youtube.
Brands like Chipotle, Duolingo, and Nike have found success using creative and engaging content that resonates with the platform’s users.
@ryanair Is your friendship worth €8 #pascal #nicolascage #ryanair ♬ original sound - ghoulia
Effect of Short-Form Video Content
The trend towards short-form video content and social e-commerce will impact e-commerce SEO differently.
Less Time Spent on the SERP
Users may spend less time searching for information as they increasingly consume short-form video content.
Videos are simply more visually stimulating, and it offers Gen-Z the immersive experience they crave when consuming new content and a chance to experience new trends and learn information in less time.
And, if Google’s Web Stories eventually to catch on, this could provide more opportunities for SEOs to rank and offer engaging direct answers in search results.
So, you should optimise video content through both web stories and standard videos to exploit this. You can do this by:
Incorporating user-generated content (UGC)
UGC refers to any content – such as photos, videos, or reviews – created by users rather than the brand.
By incorporating UGC into your video content, you can tap into this desire for authenticity and build trust with your Gen-z audience; after all, they’re more likely to trust a brand after it’s been approved by their peers.
Integrating this within your product pages and long-form content should maintain the reader’s attention whilst increasing their desire to purchase.
Use Memes
Gen-Z loves to laugh, so by incorporating memes and humour into your videos, you can appeal to this younger demographic and increase engagement with your content.
However, using memes thoughtfully and in a way that aligns with your brand voice and messaging is essential. Overusing or using inappropriate memes can backfire and damage your brand’s reputation.
Top Stories Become More Relevant
With the rise of short-form videos, Google Web Stories are becoming more prominent in top stories, and looking like they might become an effective tool for e-commerce businesses to drive traffic and sales.
Consider using them to showcase your products and services in a visually appealing and engaging way to increase traffic and drive sales.
Key SEO Factors for Gen-Z’s
Gen-Z is a unique generation, and e-commerce brands must adopt specific methods to market to them successfully.
Be Mindful of Short Attention Spans
Focusing on producing scannable and visual content enables Gen Z members to comprehend the information briefly because they have the smallest attention spans – just eight seconds.
So, your content has to be able to compete with the latest Tiktok challenges. This could mean incorporating humour, creativity, and interactivity into your content and using social media to promote your brand and engage with your audience.
Windows Report
For example, Windows Report, a reputable UK-based online publication, faced declining web traffic.
Through a focused strategy of content redesign and SEO tactics, they revamped their content, fixed errors, optimized page titles, and integrated natural keywords.
From one of their top-ranking blogs, you can see that even though they’re ranking for SEO, they also cater to short attention spans.
Their content begins with short, snappy bullet points and immediately includes visuals to draw attention. They dive straight into the content, which is concise and easy to follow – no more wafly millennial & baby boomer intros.
The most important information is highlighted using bold for easy scanning and grasping of the main points. Complex sentences are avoided making them easy to read and understand.
For Windows Report, these methods result in a staggering influx of one million new organic users per month.
We’re so confident of these strategies that we utilise them at Digital Rainmaker: we’ve cut our introductions simply to the main points, delving headfirst into the content without a hint of fluff, and we bold the important information for easy scanning..
Improve Site Speed
Site speed is another critical consideration; 60% of Gen Z would not use an app or website that opens slowly. For e-commerce businesses to connect with Gen Z, they must concentrate on site speed.
Nobody wants to sit around twiddling their thumbs while your website takes its sweet time to load. So try these tricks!
- Compress your images
- Optimise and compress code (especially JS)
- Use a content delivery network (CDN) to spread your website all over the globe so it loads fast, regardless of where your visitors are coming from.
- Make sure you choose a hosting provider that offers fast and reliable servers.
By speeding things up, you’ll keep your visitors happy and engaged, and they’ll keep returning for more.
Long-Tail Search Focus
Gen Z has a deeper understanding of how search works, and they tend to use keywords in a different way than previous generations.
They are much more likely to opt for long-tail queries, which are more likely to produce specific and relevant results.
If you don’t know, they’re more specific search terms used to find niche or specific topics. For example, instead of “shoes,” Gen’Zers might search for “vegan-friendly running shoes with arch support.”
A great way to incorporate them is by setting up sub-category pages and optimising product pages with long-tail keywords.
But, be careful not to compete with your parent page, and ensure that each page has its own unique intent.
To create these posts, conduct in-depth keyword research to identify specific long-tail topics your target audience is searching for.
When setting up sub-category pages: let’s say your work clothes store sells a variety of jackets, including rigger jackets.
You could create a sub-category page specifically for rigger jackets, with options for both men and women.
You could feature products such as “Men’s Large Rigger Jacket” or “Women’s Waterproof Rigger Jacket” on separate pages.
By optimizing separate pages for long-tail keywords such as “men’s rigger jacket” or “waterproof rigger jacket,” you can attract targeted traffic to your site, depending on their specific queries.
ℹ️ Ensure you have sufficient product coverage (more than or close to the competition) for these longtail keywords subcategories. This way, you better manage the crawl budget and page rank.
Mobile Optimisation
Mobile optimisation is also crucial for businesses looking to connect with Gen Z. This is a cohort that has a heavy reliance on mobile devices, which is already reflected in Google’s shift to mobile-first indexing. According to a survey, 55% of Gen Z makes purchases on their mobile devices.
One key aspect of mobile optimisation is responsive design, which means that the website automatically adjusts to fit the screen size of the device being used.
Other important considerations include:
- Optimising page load times
- Minimising pop-ups and other intrusive elements
- Simplifying navigation menus for ease of use on smaller screens.
Businesses should also consider mobile-first content creation, which involves creating content specifically with mobile users in mind.
This includes using shorter paragraphs, and larger fonts and optimising images and videos for mobile viewing. It’s also essential to ensure that any forms or checkout processes are optimized for mobile users, as this can significantly impact conversion rates.
Diversify Your Platforms
According to studies, Gen Z is very price-conscious, and 74% of them use a mix of social media, shopping apps, and traditional media to compare goods and save money.
Businesses should consider a multi-channel approach beyond one channel, like SEO. This includes social media marketing, influencer marketing, email marketing, and even traditional advertising.
Personalisation and Cause Marketing
Personalisation is a critical trend in marketing to Gen Z. This generation expects a more tailored and personalised experience from brands, and they are willing to share their data to receive it.
74% of Gen Z consumers are willing to share personal data with brands if it means receiving a more personalised experience.
Brands offering a personalised experience through targeted messaging, product recommendations, and tailored content are more likely to win over Gen Z consumers.
Updates in Data Policy and How to Adapt
The update introduces new privacy features requiring apps to request user consent before tracking their data. This has made it harder for businesses to collect data and create effective marketing campaigns, as many users opt out of data tracking altogether.
While some companies may be slow to embrace this data-driven revolution, we propose a playful twist: use surveys, questionnaires, or even gamification software to gather valuable first-party data from your target audience.
You can ask about customer pain points/desires, favorite product types, or unique ways they use certain products. In exchange, customers receive a tailored product selection, often sweetened with a discount for email submission.
This approach not only helps businesses collect precious first-party data for crafting personalized and segmented email and marketing campaigns, but it also nurtures strong relationships with customers, who feel their voices resonate with the brand.
Final Thoughts
As Gen Z grows in influence and purchasing power, businesses that ignore this generation risk being left behind in the digital age. By understanding and adapting to the specific needs of Gen Z, businesses can not only drive sales and revenue, but can successfully capture their attention and build trust through personalised, cause-driven, and authentic marketing campaigns.
