Search Engine Optimisation
Shopify SEO Checklist: The Ultimate Ecommerce SEO Guide for Beginners
Are you running a Shopify store and looking to improve your visibility on search engines? This article will guide you through a step-by-step Shopify SEO process that’s perfect for beginners. Whether you’re just starting or want to optimise your Shopify store for better search engine rankings, this guide will provide practical tips and an easy-to-follow SEO checklist. By implementing these strategies, you’ll be able to target the right keywords, boost your product pages, and improve your chances of ranking higher on search engines like Google.
Why should you keep reading? Improving your Shopify SEO will not only increase your store’s visibility, but it will also enhance the user experience and lead to higher sales. Whether you run a small eCommerce store or an established Shopify business, mastering these SEO techniques is essential for long-term success.
Key Topics
What Exactly is Shopify SEO?
Shopify SEO refers to optimising your Shopify store to rank higher in search engine results. This process helps search engines like Google better understand your store’s content, making it easier for them to display your store in relevant searches.
SEO for Shopify covers a wide range of tactics, from using target keywords and writing compelling product descriptions to ensuring your site is technically sound. While Shopify offers some built-in SEO features, these are just the basics. To compete effectively, especially as your store grows, you’ll need a comprehensive approach.
Why is Shopify SEO Important?
Shopify SEO is super important because it helps people actually find your store online. Without good SEO, you’re relying too much on paid ads and missing out on free, organic traffic from search engines like Google. The average eCommerce conversion rate is around 2.5% to 3%, which is a solid goal to aim for. But did you know that the average Shopify store’s conversion rate is actually 1.4%? If yours is below 0.5%, there’s definitely room to grow, but if you’re hitting above 3.3%, you’re doing great and are in the top 20% of all Shopify stores!
Focusing on Shopify SEO helps bring in the right kind of traffic—people who are already searching for what you’re selling. This means they’re more likely to convert into paying customers. So, whether you’re aiming for that 2.5% conversion sweet spot or hoping to surpass it, strong SEO can seriously boost your store’s success.
Why Should You Care About Shopify SEO?
- Boost Organic Traffic: Shopify SEO helps your store show up higher in search results, which means more people finding and visiting your site without paying for ads.
- Save on Marketing Costs: Once you optimise your store, SEO brings in traffic organically, so you don’t need to keep spending money on paid ads.
- Better User Experience: Good SEO improves things like site speed and mobile usability, making your store easier to use—and more likely to convert visitors into customers.
- Stay Ahead of Competitors: With solid SEO, you can outrank competitors for important search terms, giving your store a real edge in the market.
- Long-Lasting Results: Unlike ads, SEO keeps working for you over time. Invest now, and enjoy ongoing traffic and sales in the long run.
How to Improve Shopify SEO
Improving Shopify SEO involves several strategies that work together to enhance your store’s visibility and search ranking. Here are key steps you can take:
Shopify Store Setup and Structure
1. Choose an SEO-Friendly Shopify Theme
Your Shopify theme is more than just a visual design; it can also impact your store’s SEO. Some themes are built with SEO best practices in mind, while others might slow down your site, hurting your rankings.
When choosing a theme, look for:
- Clean and responsive design: Mobile-friendliness is key for Shopify SEO as search engines like Google use mobile-first indexing.
- Fast loading speeds: A slow site affects your ranking and user experience. Shopify offers a range of themes designed for speed, which are good for SEO.
- Built-in SEO features: Choose a theme that includes SEO optimisation features like clean code, proper meta tags, and easy navigation.
Using an SEO-friendly theme sets a strong foundation for the rest of your SEO efforts.
2. Simplify Your Website Structure
A well-organised site structure is essential for both search engine optimisation and user experience. The simpler and more intuitive your navigation, the easier it is for both search engines and users to find and understand your content.
Here’s how to structure your Shopify store:
- Flat hierarchy: Ensure that users can reach any page on your site within three clicks. This helps search engines crawl and index your content more effectively.
- Logical categorisation: Organise your products into clearly defined categories and subcategories. For example, a fashion store might have categories like “Men’s Clothing” and “Accessories,” with further subcategories like “Jackets” or “Hats.”
- Internal linking: Use internal linking to connect related pages. For example, link from your blog posts to relevant product pages to help search engines understand the relationships between your content.
A simplified structure makes it easier for search engines to crawl your Shopify store and improves user navigation, boosting your store’s SEO. Here’s an example:
3. Use Descriptive URLs
Your URL structure plays an important role in on-page SEO. A clean, descriptive URL helps both search engines and users understand what a page is about.
Here are some tips for optimising your URLs:
- Keep them short and relevant: Instead of www.mystore.com/products/abc123, use www.mystore.com/mens-leather-jackets.
- Include target keywords: Use your relevant keywords in the URL. This helps search engines identify the content of your pages more easily.
- Avoid unnecessary parameters: Descriptive URLs with clear, concise text rank better than those with random numbers or symbols.
Having descriptive URLs is a simple yet effective way to improve SEO on Shopify.
4. Enable Breadcrumbs for Better Navigation
Breadcrumbs are a navigation aid that shows users their current location within the hierarchy of your site. They help with user experience by making it easier to navigate back to previous categories or pages, and they can also help search engines better understand your site’s structure.
To enable breadcrumbs:
- Use a Shopify app like “Category Breadcrumbs” to easily add this feature to your store.
- Breadcrumbs improve internal linking, providing search engines with more context about the relationship between different pages.
By enabling breadcrumbs, you enhance both the user experience and technical SEO for Shopify, leading to better rankings in search engine results.
5. Use Canonical Tags to Prevent Duplicate Content
Duplicate content can be a major SEO issue, especially for ecommerce stores like those on Shopify, where you might have similar products or product variations. Canonical tags tell search engines which version of a page is the “original,” helping to avoid duplicate content penalties.
Here’s how to implement canonical tags on Shopify:
- Shopify automatically includes canonical tags, but it’s worth checking if they’re set up correctly.
- Use canonical tags for similar product variations or duplicate content pages, ensuring search engines like Google focus on the original page.
By using canonical tags, you maintain the website’s SEO and prevent search engines from penalising your store for duplicate content.
6. Enable Lazy Loading for Images
Images are essential for your online store, but if they take too long to load, they can hurt your site’s SEO. Lazy loading ensures that images load only when users scroll to them, improving your page’s loading time and boosting SEO.
Benefits of lazy loading:
- Faster page load times: Search engines like Google prioritise fast-loading sites in their rankings.
- Reduced bandwidth: By only loading images as needed, you decrease the overall load on your server.
Lazy loading is a smart optimisation strategy to improve your Shopify store’s SEO performance while ensuring a smoother browsing experience for your visitors.
7. Implement Pagination for Product Listings
If your store has a large number of products, displaying them all on one page can slow down your site. Pagination divides your product listings across multiple pages, improving load times and making it easier for search engines to crawl your content.
Best practices for pagination:
- Use clear pagination links like “Next” and “Previous” to guide users.
- Ensure each page of product listings has unique title tags and meta descriptions to avoid duplicate content issues.
Implementing pagination enhances the user experience and helps search engines effectively index your product pages, improving your overall Shopify SEO.
8. Optimise for Local SEO
If your Shopify store caters to local customers or you have a physical shop, it’s crucial to optimise for local SEO. This will help your store appear in search results when users in your area search for relevant products.
Here’s how to optimise for local SEO:
- Add location keywords: Include your city or region in key places like title tags, meta descriptions, and product pages.
- Create a Google My Business listing: Ensure your business appears in local search results by creating and verifying your Google My Business profile.
- Include NAP: Add your business Name, Address, and Phone number to your Shopify store’s footer and relevant pages.
By focusing on local SEO, you can target customers in your area, driving more foot traffic to your physical store or offering local shipping options.
9. Set Up 301 Redirects for Removed Products
In ecommerce, it’s common to remove products that are no longer in stock or available. However, if these product pages still exist in search engine results, users will be directed to a 404 error page, which can harm your SEO. Setting up 301 redirects ensures that these outdated pages point to a relevant alternative.
Steps to set up 301 redirects:
- In the Shopify admin, go to “Navigation” and click on “URL Redirects.”
- Redirect removed products to a similar or related page to maintain the SEO value of the old link.
Setting up 301 redirects is an essential SEO strategy to prevent broken links, maintain your store’s SEO value, and keep users engaged with your store.
On-Page SEO Optimisation
When it comes to Shopify SEO, on-page SEO optimisation is a key factor that directly influences how well your store ranks in search engine results. By focusing on elements like title tags, meta descriptions, and internal linking, you’ll enhance the visibility of your store, improve your user experience, and drive more traffic.
10. Optimise Title Tags
The title tag is one of the most important on-page SEO elements because it tells both search engines and users what the page is about. A well-optimised title tag should include the target keyword and be compelling enough to encourage users to click.
Here’s how to optimise your title tags for better SEO:
- Include your main keyword: Make sure to place your most important keyword at the beginning of the title. For example, if you’re selling running shoes, a title tag like “Buy Running Shoes for Men – Free Shipping” works better than just “Running Shoes.”
- Keep it concise: Google typically displays the first 50-60 characters of a title. Keep your title within this range to ensure it appears fully in search results.
- Make it engaging: Use action words like “Shop,” “Buy,” or “Discover” to increase click-through rates. A well-crafted title can help your product page stand out in a crowded search engine results page (SERP).
Example: If you run an ecommerce store selling eco-friendly water bottles, an ideal title tag could be: “Eco-Friendly Water Bottles | Sustainable & Reusable – Shop Now.”
Remember, title tags are essential for on-page SEO, and optimising them can significantly improve your visibility in search engine results.
11. Write Unique Meta Descriptions
While meta descriptions don’t directly affect rankings, they play a crucial role in enticing users to click through to your site. A compelling meta description can improve click-through rates, which indirectly boosts SEO performance.
To write an effective meta description:
- Incorporate keywords: Use your target keyword naturally, but don’t stuff it. Keep it conversational and informative.
- Highlight benefits: Focus on what makes your product or store unique. For example, include offers like “free shipping” or “30-day returns.”
- Keep it concise: Stick to 155-160 characters so your meta description doesn’t get cut off in search results.
Example: “Shop our collection of eco-friendly water bottles. Reusable, BPA-free, and perfect for everyday use. Free shipping on orders over £50!”
Unique meta descriptions for each product page ensure that your store stands out in search results and enhances the overall user experience.
12. Avoid Duplicate Content
Duplicate content can confuse search engines and negatively impact your rankings. This issue often arises when you sell similar products or use the same description across multiple product pages.
Here’s how to avoid duplicate content:
- Create original descriptions for each product, even if they’re similar. You can focus on different features, uses, or benefits to differentiate each description.
- Use canonical tags: These tags tell search engines which version of a page is the original, preventing duplication issues. Shopify automatically includes canonical tags, but it’s worth ensuring they’re properly set up, especially for pages with similar content.
By addressing duplicate content, you help search engines understand your site better and improve the overall SEO of your Shopify store.
13. Create Unique Product Descriptions
Many Shopify store owners fall into the trap of using the same generic product descriptions provided by manufacturers. However, for better SEO, each product page needs its own unique description.
How to write SEO-friendly product descriptions:
- Incorporate relevant keywords naturally: Include your target keyword and related terms to help your page rank for multiple search queries.
- Highlight the benefits: Explain why your product is better than the competition. Focus on the customer’s needs and how your product solves their problems.
- Use bullet points for readability: Break down key features with bullet points so that users can easily scan through the content.
Example: Instead of using a manufacturer’s generic text like “This is a BPA-free water bottle,” try something more descriptive: “Our reusable water bottle is BPA-free, eco-friendly, and designed to keep drinks cold for up to 24 hours. Perfect for workouts, hikes, and everyday use.”
Unique product descriptions enhance your on-page SEO and improve the chances of your product pages ranking higher in search engine results.
14. Optimise Category Pages
Your category pages are just as important as your product pages when it comes to on-page SEO. Optimising category pages allows you to target broader keywords that can drive significant traffic to your online store.
Steps to optimise your category pages:
- Include target keywords: Add relevant keywords in the page title, meta description, and headings. This helps search engines understand what the category is about.
- Write unique content: Instead of simply listing products, provide a brief introduction that explains the category, highlights top products, and includes keywords.
- Use internal links: Link to popular or featured products within the category to drive traffic and help search engines crawl your site.
Optimising your category pages gives search engines more context about the products in that category, improving your store’s rankings.
15. Use Internal Linking
Internal linking refers to linking from one page on your site to another, helping both users and search engines navigate your site more easily. It also helps distribute page authority across your site, improving the SEO of your Shopify store.
How to use internal linking effectively:
- Link related products: On product pages, link to complementary products or other bestsellers to keep users engaged.
- Link to relevant blog posts: If you have a blog, link to related articles from your product and category pages. For example, if you’re selling skincare products, link to a blog post about skincare routines.
- Use descriptive anchor text: Instead of “click here,” use keywords related to the destination page, such as “shop men’s jackets” or “learn more about sustainable fashion.”
By optimising your internal linking, you improve the overall SEO performance of your store, while also enhancing user experience.
16. Add Reviews to Product Pages
Customer reviews provide valuable content that search engines can index and display in search results. Additionally, reviews act as social proof, increasing customer trust and improving conversions.
How reviews benefit SEO:
- Fresh content: Reviews are regularly updated, which signals to search engines that your product pages are active and relevant.
- Increased visibility: Reviews, especially when paired with star ratings, can appear in search engine results pages (SERPs), improving click-through rates.
- Keyword-rich content: Customers often use keywords in their reviews, which can boost the relevancy of your product pages in search results.
Encouraging customers to leave reviews can enhance both your SEO and your store’s credibility.
17. Use Rich Pins for Pinterest
If your Shopify store is active on Pinterest, using Rich Pins can boost your SEO and drive traffic. Rich Pins automatically pull product details like pricing, availability, and descriptions from your site, ensuring accurate and updated information.
How to implement Rich Pins:
- Install a Pinterest app from the Shopify app store to connect your store with Pinterest.
- Enable Rich Pins: This allows users to see detailed product information when they pin or share your products on Pinterest.
Rich Pins not only improve your visibility on Pinterest but also help with SEO by driving more traffic to your ecommerce site.
18. Update Your Content Regularly
Google and other search engines love fresh content. Regularly updating your product descriptions, blog posts, and category pages signals to search engines that your site is active and relevant.
Tips for updating content:
- Add new keywords: As you conduct ongoing keyword research, update your content with new target keywords to stay competitive.
- Refresh product descriptions: As trends change, make sure your descriptions reflect the latest information, offers, or features.
- Update blog posts: Ensure that your blog posts stay relevant by adding new information, images, or links to updated products.
Regular content updates not only improve your Shopify SEO but also keep your customers engaged and informed.
Technical SEO for Shopify
Technical SEO is the backbone of your Shopify store’s search engine visibility. While it might sound complicated, getting the technical elements right is essential for ensuring search engines like Google can crawl, index, and rank your site effectively. By optimising these areas, you’re setting the stage for long-term success.
19. Install an SEO App
While Shopify includes some basic SEO features, installing an SEO app can give your store the extra boost it needs to rank higher in search engine results. These apps are designed to simplify and automate SEO tasks that can often be time-consuming.
Here’s why you should use an SEO app:
- Automated meta tags and title tags: Apps like Plug in SEO or Smart SEO can help you generate and optimise your meta description and title tags, ensuring each product page is optimised with the right keywords.
- Fix SEO issues: Many SEO apps come with built-in SEO audit tools that scan your store for common issues like broken links, missing meta tags, or duplicate content.
- Save time: Instead of manually updating hundreds of product pages, an SEO app automates the process, making it easier to manage large ecommerce stores.
Tip: Check out the Shopify app store to find an SEO app that fits your needs. Apps like these can also track your SEO performance and provide valuable insights.
20. Submit a Sitemap to Search Engines
A sitemap is essentially a roadmap of your Shopify store that helps search engines like Google find and index all of your pages. Shopify automatically generates a sitemap, but submitting it to search engines manually ensures that your site is indexed faster and more effectively.
Steps to submit your sitemap:
- Find your sitemap: Shopify automatically generates a sitemap located at www.yourstore.com/sitemap.xml.
- Submit to Google Search Console: Log into your Google Search Console account, navigate to “Sitemaps,” and enter the URL of your sitemap.
- Submit to Bing Webmaster Tools: If you want to appear in Bing search results, submit your sitemap here as well.
By submitting your sitemap, you’re ensuring that search engines can crawl and index your pages more efficiently, improving your store’s visibility in search engine results.
21. Fix Broken Links
Broken links are a big no-no when it comes to technical SEO. They not only disrupt the user experience but also make it harder for search engines to crawl your site. A single broken link can negatively affect your entire site’s SEO, so it’s important to stay on top of this issue.
How to fix broken links:
- Use an SEO tool: Apps like Ahrefs or SEO Manager can automatically scan your store for broken links and provide a report on where they exist.
- Redirect broken links: If a page or product is no longer available, use a 301 redirect to point the broken link to a relevant, active page. Shopify makes it easy to set up these redirects directly in the Shopify admin.
- Check regularly: Run a site audit every month to ensure no new broken links have appeared on your store.
Fixing broken links ensures that both users and search engines can navigate your store smoothly, improving your SEO performance and keeping visitors engaged.
22. Implement Structured Data
Structured data, also known as schema markup, is a form of coding that helps search engines understand your site content better. It allows search engines to display “rich snippets” in search results, which can include additional information like prices, reviews, or product availability.
Here’s why structured data is important for Shopify SEO:
- Improved visibility: Rich snippets make your listings stand out in search engine results pages (SERPs), leading to higher click-through rates.
- Enhanced search results: With schema markup, Google can show product details like price, stock availability, and star ratings directly in the search results.
How to add structured data:
- Use a Shopify app: Apps like JSON-LD for SEO automatically implement structured data on your product and category pages.
- Manual implementation: If you have coding experience, you can manually add structured data by editing your store’s theme code. Shopify includes some schema markup by default, but it can always be enhanced for more specific content.
Implementing structured data is a must if you want to take full advantage of technical SEO for Shopify and drive more organic traffic to your store.
23. Use HTTPS for Secure Connections
Security is a major ranking factor in Google’s algorithm. Sites that use HTTPS are prioritised over those that don’t because HTTPS ensures that all data transmitted between your website and visitors is encrypted. Plus, it shows visitors that your site is trustworthy, which is especially important for ecommerce.
Why HTTPS is crucial for Shopify SEO:
- Trust signals: HTTPS improves user trust by showing a padlock icon in the browser bar, indicating that your online store is secure.
- SEO boost: Google favours HTTPS sites in its rankings. If you’re not using HTTPS, you risk falling behind competitors who are.
- Shopify includes HTTPS: Shopify automatically provides an SSL certificate, so you don’t need to worry about setting it up yourself. Just make sure that all your pages, including your product pages, are secured with HTTPS.
With HTTPS enabled, your Shopify store will rank better and provide a safer shopping experience for customers, which is good for SEO and customer trust.
24. Monitor SEO Performance with Google Analytics
Tracking your SEO efforts is just as important as implementing them. Google Analytics is a powerful tool that helps you monitor your site’s SEO performance by providing insights into traffic, user behaviour, and conversion rates.
Why you should use Google Analytics on your Shopify store:
- Track organic traffic: See how much traffic is coming from search engines and which keywords are driving the most visitors.
- Identify problem areas: Google Analytics can highlight pages with high bounce rates, slow load times, or low engagement, helping you identify where you need to improve.
- Measure SEO success: By tracking your goals and conversions, you can measure how well your SEO strategies are performing over time.
Setting up Google Analytics on your Shopify store is easy, and it gives you invaluable data to fine-tune your SEO and user experience strategies.
25. Set Up Google Search Console
Google Search Console is another essential tool for monitoring and improving your Shopify SEO. It gives you direct insights into how Google views your site, including any issues that could prevent you from ranking higher in search results.
How Google Search Console helps with Shopify SEO:
- Submit your sitemap: As mentioned earlier, submitting your sitemap ensures that all your pages are indexed.
- Monitor search performance: Get detailed reports on which keywords your site is ranking for, how often people click on your links, and which pages perform best in search engine results.
- Identify SEO issues: Google Search Console alerts you to any SEO issues like mobile usability problems, crawl errors, or manual penalties that could hurt your rankings.
Regularly reviewing your Google Search Console reports is a critical part of any SEO checklist. It helps you stay on top of issues and continuously optimise your site for better performance.
Speed and Mobile Optimisation for Shopify
When it comes to Shopify SEO, speed and mobile optimisation play a critical role in determining how well your store performs in search engine results. Google and other search engines prioritise fast-loading, mobile-friendly sites, meaning if your store isn’t optimised for speed and mobile users, you risk losing both traffic and rankings.
26. Reduce Image Sizes for Faster Loading
Images are one of the largest elements on any Shopify store and can significantly slow down your site if not optimised. Large, high-resolution images may look great, but they can drastically affect page load times, especially on mobile devices. To improve your Shopify SEO and ensure your site runs smoothly, reducing image sizes is a must.
Here’s how to optimise your images:
- Compress images: Use tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim to compress image files without sacrificing quality. This reduces the file size and speeds up your page load times.
- Use the right format: JPEG is often better for photographs, while PNG works well for graphics with fewer colours. Shopify automatically serves WebP, a modern image format good for SEO, where supported.
- Lazy loading: Lazy loading defers the loading of images until they’re visible on the screen. This improves the initial page load time and is beneficial for mobile users.
By reducing your image sizes, you not only optimise your store for faster loading but also improve user experience, which is great for ecommerce SEO and conversions.
27. Enable Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)
Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) are lightweight, stripped-down versions of your web pages that load faster on mobile devices. With the growing number of mobile shoppers, enabling AMP can significantly improve your Shopify store’s mobile experience and, as a result, boost its rankings in mobile search results.
Why AMP matters for Shopify SEO:
- Faster load times: AMP pages load almost instantly, which is essential for keeping mobile users engaged and reducing bounce rates.
- Mobile-first indexing: Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning the mobile version of your store is what Google primarily uses for ranking. AMP ensures your mobile pages are fast and well-optimised.
- Better user experience: Faster pages mean happier users, which can lead to higher conversion rates and better engagement metrics.
To enable AMP on your Shopify store, you can use a Shopify app like AMP by Shop Sheriff. This app automatically generates AMP versions of your product pages and blog posts, helping you deliver a faster mobile experience and improving your store’s overall SEO.
28. Optimise for Mobile Users
More than half of online shoppers browse and make purchases from their mobile devices. If your Shopify store isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re likely losing traffic and sales. Google’s mobile-first indexing means that optimizing your Shopify store for mobile users is essential for SEO.
Here’s how to optimise your Shopify store for mobile:
- Choose a responsive theme: Shopify offers a variety of mobile-responsive themes that automatically adjust to different screen sizes. Make sure your theme looks great and functions well on mobile devices.
- Use larger buttons and readable fonts: Ensure that buttons are easy to tap and that text is readable without zooming. A poor user experience on mobile can lead to higher bounce rates, which can hurt your rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs).
- Test on multiple devices: Use tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test or manually test your store on different devices and screen sizes to ensure a smooth user experience.
By focusing on mobile optimisation, you’ll not only improve your store’s SEO but also enhance the user experience, which can increase customer satisfaction and sales.
29. Reduce Page Load Times
Fast-loading pages are critical for both technical SEO and user satisfaction. According to Google, 53% of mobile users will abandon a website if it takes more than three seconds to load. Slow page load times hurt your SEO performance, and worse, they can drive potential customers away.
Tips to reduce page load times:
- Minimise app usage: Too many apps running in the background can slow down your store. Disable or remove unnecessary apps that aren’t essential to your store’s performance.
- Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): Shopify automatically uses a global CDN to deliver your content faster to users, no matter where they are. This helps reduce latency and ensures faster load times globally.
- Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML: Minification removes unnecessary code and reduces the file size of your site’s resources, speeding up load times.
By focusing on reducing page load times, you’re not only improving your Shopify SEO, but you’re also providing a seamless browsing experience that keeps users engaged and more likely to make a purchase.
30. Focus on User Experience (UX)
The overall user experience (UX) is a crucial factor that impacts both SEO and conversions. Google takes user engagement metrics like bounce rate, time on page, and page speed into account when ranking sites. A smooth and enjoyable experience can help your store climb higher in search engine results.
How to improve user experience:
- Simplify navigation: Make it easy for users to find what they’re looking for. Clear menus, intuitive category structures, and effective internal linking all contribute to a better UX.
- Streamline checkout: Reduce friction in the checkout process by allowing guest checkout, offering multiple payment options, and keeping forms simple. A smooth checkout process leads to higher conversion rates.
- Optimise for accessibility: Make sure your store is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. This involves using alt text for images, making your text readable, and ensuring navigation is accessible via keyboard shortcuts.
Focusing on UX not only keeps customers happy but also helps improve important metrics like bounce rate and time on site, both of which are good for Shopify SEO.
Keyword Research and Targeting for Shopify SEO
Effective keyword research is the cornerstone of any successful Shopify SEO strategy. It helps you understand what your potential customers are searching for and how to position your products and content to capture that search traffic.
Whether you’re aiming to optimise your store for traditional search, blog content, or the growing trend of voice search, the right keyword strategy can make all the difference in driving organic traffic to your Shopify store.
31. Conduct Comprehensive Keyword Research
The foundation of a successful Shopify SEO strategy is comprehensive keyword research. Understanding the keywords your audience uses to search for products or services helps you create content that meets their needs and drives traffic to your store.
Here’s how to conduct effective keyword research:
- Use SEO tools: Start with tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or Ahrefs to find keywords related to your products. These tools will help you discover high-volume search terms and assess the level of competition for each keyword.
- Focus on buyer intent: It’s essential to target keywords that indicate purchase intent. For example, a keyword like “buy leather jackets” suggests a higher likelihood of conversion than a general term like “leather jackets.”
- Analyse competitors: Look at what keywords your competitors are ranking for. Tools like SEMrush can help you find out which keywords are driving traffic to their stores. This can provide insights into keywords you may not have considered.
Make sure to include a variety of keywords—both broad and specific—that align with your product pages, category pages, and other key areas of your Shopify website.
32. Target Long-Tail Keywords in Blog Posts
While broad keywords (like “shoes” or “t-shirts”) can drive traffic, they’re highly competitive. That’s where long-tail keywords come in. Long-tail keywords are more specific search phrases, often containing three or more words, and they are easier to rank for because they face less competition. Targeting these can help you attract a more specific and relevant audience.
Why long-tail keywords are essential:
- Less competition: Long-tail keywords, such as “best running shoes for flat feet,” are less competitive than broader terms like “running shoes,” meaning you have a better chance of ranking in search engine results.
- Higher conversion rates: These keywords are typically used by customers who are further along in the buying process and know exactly what they want. For example, someone searching “buy waterproof running shoes in London” is more likely to make a purchase than someone searching “shoes.”
- Great for blog posts: Blog content is a powerful tool for attracting organic traffic. Write posts that address questions or problems your audience is facing, using long-tail keywords to attract those specific queries.
How to implement long-tail keywords in your blog posts:
- Research relevant questions: Use tools like Answer the Public or Google’s “People Also Ask” feature to find questions your target audience is asking. You can use these as topics for blog posts, optimising for long-tail keywords.
- Optimise your blog content: Ensure your long-tail keyword appears naturally in the title, headers, and body of your post. Avoid keyword stuffing—focus on writing valuable content that answers the user’s query.
By targeting long-tail keywords, especially in your blog posts, you’ll drive targeted traffic to your Shopify store and improve your chances of converting visitors into customers.
33. Optimise Your Shopify Store for Voice Search
With the rise of voice assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa, voice search is becoming a significant factor in SEO for Shopify websites. Voice search queries tend to be more conversational and longer than traditional typed searches, often beginning with phrases like “how,” “what,” or “where.” Optimising for voice search can give you a competitive edge as this search trend continues to grow.
Why voice search matters:
- Changing search behaviour: Voice search queries are often phrased as full sentences or questions. For example, instead of typing “best vegan shoes,” a voice search user might ask, “What are the best vegan shoes for running?”
- Increased local search: Many voice searches are local, such as “Where can I buy vegan shoes near me?” If you run a local ecommerce store, optimising for voice search can help you capture local traffic.
How to optimise your Shopify store for voice search:
- Use natural, conversational language: When optimising for voice search, think about how people speak. Focus on creating content that mimics conversational language. For instance, on your product pages, include detailed FAQs or descriptions that answer common questions voice search users might ask.
- Optimise for questions: Voice searches often start with questions like “how” or “what.” Incorporate these types of phrases into your content. For example, if you sell skincare products, you could include questions like, “What is the best skincare routine for dry skin?” and provide a detailed answer within your product descriptions or blog content.
- Focus on local SEO: If you run a local business, make sure your store is optimised for local search by including your location, hours, and contact information on key pages. Voice search users frequently search for local businesses, so having this information readily available can boost your visibility.
By optimising for voice search, you’re tapping into a growing trend that will continue to shape how customers discover and shop for products. Incorporating natural language and focusing on question-based queries will give you an edge in voice-driven search results.
Off-Page SEO and Backlink Building for Shopify
When it comes to Shopify SEO, on-page optimisation is only half the battle. Off-page SEO, particularly backlink building, is equally important in establishing your store’s authority and improving your rankings in search engine results.
34. Build Backlinks from Authoritative Websites
Backlinks are one of the most critical elements of off-page SEO. However, not all backlinks are created equal. Links from high-authority websites carry more weight and can significantly boost your store’s rankings. A backlink from a trusted source in your niche signals to search engines that your Shopify store is also trustworthy and worth ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Here’s how to build backlinks from authoritative websites:
- Create high-quality, shareable content: One of the best ways to attract backlinks is by creating content that people want to share and reference. This could be a comprehensive guide, an infographic, or original research. If your content is valuable, authoritative websites are more likely to link to it.
- Guest blogging: Reach out to relevant blogs or websites in your niche and offer to write guest posts. In return, you can include a backlink to your store. For example, if you sell organic skincare products, writing a blog post for a health or beauty website with a link to your product page can attract new customers and boost your SEO.
- Use broken link building: Identify broken links on authoritative websites and suggest your content as a replacement. Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to find broken links on high-authority sites related to your niche. Reach out to the site owner, inform them about the broken link, and offer your content as a replacement.
By building backlinks from authoritative websites, you strengthen your store’s domain authority, which can lead to higher rankings and increased traffic.
35. Monitor Your Competitors
Keeping an eye on your competitors can provide valuable insights into their backlink building strategies. By understanding where they’re getting their backlinks, you can identify new opportunities for your own store. Competitor analysis is an essential part of SEO for Shopify websites, as it helps you stay competitive and uncover untapped opportunities.
How to monitor your competitors for backlink opportunities:
- Use SEO tools: Tools like Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush allow you to analyse your competitors’ backlinks. You can see which websites are linking to them, what types of content are earning the most links, and how frequently they’re acquiring new backlinks.
- Find common link sources: Look for websites that are linking to multiple competitors. These sites are more likely to link to you if they’re already linking to others in your industry.
- Replicate their strategy: If your competitor is consistently getting backlinks through guest posts, press releases, or influencer partnerships, consider adopting a similar strategy. However, always strive to create better, more valuable content to stand out.
By monitoring your competitors, you can discover new backlink opportunities and develop a stronger off-page SEO strategy that keeps your Shopify store competitive in the marketplace.
36. Encourage Social Sharing
Social sharing may not directly impact your Shopify SEO, but it plays a significant role in increasing your brand visibility and generating traffic. The more people share your content on social platforms, the more likely it is that other websites will link to it, which can lead to valuable backlinks.
How to encourage social sharing:
- Create shareable content: Content that solves problems, offers valuable insights, or entertains is more likely to be shared. For example, if you sell eco-friendly products, create a blog post on “10 Easy Ways to Live a More Sustainable Lifestyle” and make it shareable across social platforms.
- Add social sharing buttons: Make it easy for users to share your content by adding social sharing buttons to your blog posts and product pages. Apps like AddThis or ShareThis can help integrate social sharing buttons into your Shopify store.
- Run social media contests: Encourage followers to share your products or content by offering giveaways or contests. For example, offer a free product or discount code in exchange for sharing your post or tagging friends.
When users share your content, it increases its visibility and potential to attract backlinks, boosting your off-page SEO and driving more traffic to your store.
37. Leverage Influencers for Backlink Building
Partnering with influencers is another powerful way to build backlinks and improve your Shopify SEO. Influencers, particularly those with large followings, can amplify your store’s reach by sharing your products or content with their audience. In return, you gain backlinks from their blogs, social media profiles, or other platforms, which can help increase your store’s authority in search engine results.
Here’s how to leverage influencers for backlink building:
- Identify relevant influencers: Look for influencers who align with your brand’s values and target audience. For instance, if you sell eco-friendly home goods, you’ll want to partner with influencers who focus on sustainability and green living.
- Offer free products or exclusive deals: Reach out to influencers and offer them free products or exclusive discounts in exchange for a review or feature on their blog or social media. In their review, they’ll likely include a backlink to your store, driving traffic and improving your SEO.
- Collaborate on content: You can also co-create content with influencers, such as a guide, video, or blog post. In these collaborations, the influencer will typically link back to your store as a partner, providing you with a high-quality backlink.
Influencer partnerships are a win-win: you gain exposure to a larger audience, and the influencer’s content provides valuable backlinks that boost your off-page SEO.
Ready to Unlock the Full Potential of your Shopify Store?
Optimising your Shopify SEO is key to boosting organic traffic and making your store more visible online. But let’s be real—it can be a bit overwhelming. Shopify SEO isn’t just about adding keywords; there are a lot of technical details involved, like technical SEO optimisation and getting your content just right. If you’re only relying on Shopify’s built-in features, it can be tough to compete with stores that are doing full-blown, proper SEO.
Feeling stuck or unsure where to start? Don’t worry, we’re here to help! Our professional SEO services can give your store the boost it needs to stand out and attract more traffic. Let’s work together to improve your store’s SEO and get your Shopify site the attention it deserves – contact us here!
