While the function of Walmart and Google's search engine may seem the same, each has a unique way of populating their search results. With the right ecommerce strategy, it's possible to use the way Google & Walmart search works to ensure your pages are competitive on both sites.

To win on Walmart and Google, it's essential to correctly navigate the differences and similarities of each search engine. Let's take a look at what qualities each search engine is looking for, and learn how to use them in tandem to improve your ecommerce:

Walmart's Omnichannel Push

With Walmart's huge digital growth in 2020, the retailer has become even more focused on improving their omnichannel shopping experience and competing with Amazon online. As ecommerce becomes a more and more important part of the retail business model, Walmart is starting to require more content and attribution from suppliers to make product pages more transactable and discoverable.

What's Important for Ranking on Google

Google's search algorithms value fresh, unique content that is updated frequently. Even if a page makes it to the top of search results and performs well on Google, it will eventually be overtaken by other pages that are being updated more frequently.

The big implication of Google's "content over commerce" approach to rankings is that carbon copying your content across retailers makes that content irrelevant to Google. In order for your item to climb Google search rankings, it's important to update it with fresh, relevant, and unique content that can't be found anywhere else.

What's Important for Ranking on Walmart

Walmart has its own algorithms that determine search results on Walmart.com and Online Pickup & Delivery. To measure if a page's content is of a high enough standard to show to shoppers, Walmart uses a metric called Content Quality Score. This score measures an item page's content, including its title, description, photos, and more, on a scale of 1 to 100. The search engine also uses metrics like an item's price, sales, and shipping options to push it higher up the list, but item pages with a low Content Quality Score will always be hidden from search results.

Optimizing Content for Walmart AND Google

So, to recap: Walmart search algorithms are looking for content that matches the retailer's unique requirements like Content Quality Score. Google's algorithms are looking for fresh content that is updated frequently and can't be found anywhere else.

The upshot for Walmart suppliers is clear—by optimizing your content for Walmart.com (instead of simply syndicating the same content from other retailers), your page will get an SEO boost on Google for its unique content.

Selling items on Walmart isn't just set-it-and-forget-it, either. Staying competitive requires you to keep up with Walmart's Style Guide and Content Quality Score metrics. However, from a Google perspective, this is a good thing! Updating your item pages to match Walmart's best practices also improves its SEO, since Google prioritizes new and regularly updated pages.

The metrics that determine an item's Content Quality Score are frequently updated by Walmart, and can vary by the item's category or product type. To read more, click here.

Build the Right Walmart Content with SKU Ninja

Keeping your content fresh on Walmart.com doesn't mean you can't use your company's branded content! It's all about creating a unique page that meets Walmart's content requirements without just copy+pasting the content from your item pages on Amazon or other retailers.

As Walmart Connected Content Partners, our team spends a lot of time creating new ways to get best-in-class content onto your Walmart item pages. We built many of SKU Ninja's tools from the ground up to help Walmart suppliers keep their item pages up to date and optimized.

SKU Ninja's Content Comparison Tool lets you carefully control the written content and images published to your Walmart item pages:

• Audit the content live on their Walmart.com pages

• Import Walmart content into SKU Ninja's Content Management system

• Pick and choose which content you want to keep on your pages

SKU Ninja users can compare their existing Walmart content to new brand materials, and publish the content that meets Walmart's requirements to help search rank on Walmart and Google! This is an excellent way for a brand's Walmart team to stay competitive with teams for other retailers, and perfect for Amazon sellers just starting out on Walmart.

Get SKU Ninja's Content Center for just $5 a Month!

You can audit, edit, and publish the content on your Walmart item pages for just $5 per item, per month with SKU Ninja's Content Center package! Click here to read more.

Still have questions? Not sure if SKU Ninja is right for you? Contact us using the form at the bottom of this page or by emailing info@whytespyder. Our team can give you a demo of SKU Ninja, and even a free assessment to see if our tools can improve your pages' Content Quality Scores and more!

About SKU Ninja + WhyteSpyder: SKU Ninja + WhyteSpyder is a digital merchandising company and Walmart Connected Content Partner with more than a decade of experience helping brands win online. We combine years of ecommerce expertise with innovative and precise software to solve the unique problems facing omnichannel professionals today. For more information, a free Walmart Content Quality Score assessment, or to schedule a demo or call, email info@whytespyder.com.