Featured on Content Mingle: A Hard Lesson in E-Commerce Strategy
At Willis Candle Shop, we’re proud to say we’re not just selling candles—we’re building a brand rooted in resilience, reinvention, and real-life lessons. I recently had the honor of being featured on Content Mingle, where I opened up about one of the most painful mistakes I made when launching my online business: neglecting my website development while focusing only on product quality.
In the piece, I shared what every new entrepreneur should hear: You can make the best soy candles in the world, but if your candle site can’t be found in Google search results, you're invisible.
From FBI Agent to Candle Maker—And Everything I Learned the Hard Way
After retiring from the FBI and the Marine Corps, I threw myself into building a candle company from the ground up. I focused for six months on crafting non-toxic candles, experimenting with soy wax candles, glass candles, and tin candles, and refining my homemade candles into what I now believe are some of the most great smelling candles out there.
What I didn’t do was build a website with any SEO value. I had zero Google visibility when I launched in December 2024. And I learned quickly that even if you're making handmade candles that burn clean, smell incredible, and have a strong emotional backstory, it won’t matter without search engine traffic.
The SEO Rebuild: Keywords, Authority & Visibility
Since that painful realization, I’ve built out a 12-month strategy focused on increasing my domain authority score, maximizing aroma candle content, and optimizing every aspect of my product listings—from the candle options to meta descriptions and alt text for product images. I now factor in SEO keyword difficulty, long-tail keyword phrases, and ongoing backlink building with verified vendors.
Candle Variety That Supports the Strategy
You’ll now find vanilla candles, patchouli candles, chocolate candles, teakwood candles, and even coffee candles throughout my store. My goal? To make sure every fragrance candle I sell is tied to an optimized, searchable, and properly linked page.
Why Internal Linking Is a Must-Have for E-Commerce Growth
Let’s talk about internal linking—one of the most overlooked tactics in e-commerce SEO.
What Internal Links Actually Do
When you link from one page on your site to another (like from a blog post to a product page), you’re helping:
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✅ Search engines crawl and index your full site more efficiently
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✅ Google understand the hierarchy and structure of your content
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✅ Increase the time visitors spend on your site by offering relevant pathways
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✅ Spread authority from high-ranking pages to product listings and blog posts
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✅ Boost your organic visibility for more than one keyword group
I’ve built a clear internal linking strategy into every blog post and product page, including this one. Here’s an example of a link that supports SEO growth while helping customers find one of our top collections:
🔗 Wood Wick Candle Barrel Collection | Willis Candle Shop
That’s the kind of romantic candle and long burning candle experience I believe customers are really searching for—and now they’ll find it easier.
Final Thoughts: Your Candle Shop Needs More Than Scent
Whether you're selling cheap candles or luxury unique candles, building a strong digital foundation is everything. Skip it, and you’ll find yourself buried on page five of Google. Learn from my mistake, and build your candle shop with SEO at the core.
And if you're here for a little inspiration or just want to support a veteran-owned business with some nice candles—I'm always just a click away at WillisCandleShop.com.
https://williscandleshop.com
