Survey finds that poor on-site search prompts shoppers to leave online retailers, highlighting an opportunity for SEO professionals to help retailers improve conversions.
Utah, UT (PRUnderground) October 26th, 2026
Certified SEO, a search engine marketing training and certification program led by search engine optimization industry veteran Damon Burton, highlights findings from a current Nosto poll of American and British shoppers that point to a problem for online retailers. Among those surveyed, 59% reported often leaving e-commerce sites due to a poor search experience. Another 40% said AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude are already more helpful to shoppers than many retailers' on-site search tools. For SEO professionals serving e-commerce clients, the findings point to an opportunity to look beyond search rankings and examine what happens when shoppers arrive at a website.
A strong ranking can bring shoppers to a retailer's site, but it doesn't guarantee they'll find the products they want. Complicated navigation, poorly organized categories, and an ineffective internal search function can frustrate visitors before they reach a product page or complete a purchase. Professionals who learn SEO across the full customer journey can bring a broader perspective to client engagements, identifying usability and site structure problems that a rankings report alone won't reveal.
The survey findings offer further insight into opportunities awaiting SEO professionals. 70% of respondents said they needed to enter very specific terms to get useful results from on-site search. Another 64% said the results weren't relevant to their searches. These frustrations give SEO practitioners concrete areas to investigate when assessing an e-commerce client's website. Reviewing search functionality, product categorization, and navigation can help practitioners identify obstacles that prevent shoppers from finding relevant products.
"Most e-commerce SEO conversations start and end at rankings," said Damon Burton, Founder of Certified SEO. "But getting people to a website is only part of the job. If shoppers can't find the products they're looking for, retailers can lose potential sales even when their pages are visible in search results." Burton said Certified SEO teaches practitioners to look beyond traffic metrics and assess how well a website supports the customer journey. That broader skill set is part of what the program aims to develop in certified SEO professionals.
Readers wanting more information about the Certified SEO training program, including its curriculum, certification requirements, and enrollment, can visit CertifiedSEO.com.
