Halfords is the ‘most searched for UK bike retailer’

Halfords is the most searched-for UK bike retailer with 1.83m monthly searches, a new report has revealed.

The Bike Retailers Digital Insight Report, produced by digital marketing specialists Inside Online, ranks 30 of the leading websites within this competitive market according to their online performance. The annual study reveals the successes and shortcomings of each website, highlighting where there is room for improvement.

Rounding up the top five most searched-for bike retailers are Go Outdoors, Decathlon, Evans Cycles and Wiggle.

When it comes to the best performing brands on social media, it is Trek Bikes that comes in top, enjoying engagement across all its social channels. Chain Reaction Cycles, Wiggle, Canyon and Cannondale are other brands that perform particularly well socially.

Bike retailers that have grown significantly in SEO visibility YOY are Decathlon, Evans Cycles and Rutland Cycling. In contrast, those sites that have stagnated in the last year, seeing little to no online growth, include On-One and Source BMX.

Links are still one of the most important ranking factors in 2017, so consistently gaining new high-quality links can be great for business. But don’t lose focus on the high-quality part, as high link volumes without the quality could spell trouble ahead.

There are a number of sites with a low volume of high-quality links; these include On Your Bike, Federal Bikes and Dolan Bikes. These brands have the right link-building foundations in place, but need to work on scaling that activity in order to successfully compete in the marketplace.

Conversely, there are also sites with a high volume of poor quality links, such as Trek Bikes and Evans Cycles. Consistently gaining a high quantity of low-authority links highlights an urgent need to address your off-site reputation.