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Last Updated July 10, 2024
Shopify SEO improves your online store’s search ranking for relevant queries. It helps drive qualified traffic. Follow this SEO checklist to optimize your Shopify store.
Shopify makes setting up your online store simple.
But it’s not the most agile platform for SEO — it has limitations.
For instance, it doesn’t allow you to customize your URL structure. So, creating a hierarchy to organize your products can be a challenge. However, you can use its default and add-on capabilities to boost your store’s search visibility.
In this article, we’ll provide a comprehensive SEO checklist for Shopify store owners. Follow it and position your ecommerce platform to dominate SERP.
Shopify SEO checklist
This general Shopify SEO checklist ensures you get the basics right so more people can find your online store through search results.
It helps your site’s visibility and accessibility to search bots.
- Get a custom domain
- Set up your web properties
- Submit your sitemap
- Install Google Analytics
- Invest in relevant Shopify SEO apps
Get a custom domain
When you create a new Shopify store, ‘your-store-name.myshopify.com’ is your default primary domain. You should replace it with a custom domain.
A custom domain like ‘yourstorename.com’ distinguishes your store and builds trust with potential customers and search engines.
You can buy a domain through Shopify for easy setup. Or choose providers like Namecheap.
If you purchased the domain from a third-party vendor, connect it to your Shopify site through the admin settings.
Using a custom domain enhances your brand’s professionalism. It boosts your organic visibility on the SERP, which makes it easier for potential customers to find you.
Set up your web properties
You can gain in-depth insights into how search engines view your store by setting up properties on Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
To connect your store, verify your site by adding a specific meta tag provided by these platforms to your Shopify store’s theme HTML. Or by uploading a verification file to your server.
This lets you monitor your site’s performance, pinpoint issues that may affect your search ranking, and better understand your online visibility — all crucial to optimize your store’s search presence.
Submit your sitemap
Submitting your sitemap helps search engines quickly find and index your store’s pages. Shopify automatically generates a sitemap for you. You can find it at “yourstorename.com/sitemap.xml.”
For example, here’s the Shopify XML sitemap of clothing brand Taylor Stitch:
You can submit this sitemap URL to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, which enables search engine crawlers to index your content easily. This ensures your products and pages show up in search results.
Install Google Analytics
Installing Google Analytics on your Shopify store lets you track who visits your store and how they interact with it. This helps you understand what attracts customers and what keeps them engaged.
To install, first sign up for Google Analytics and get a measurement ID. Here’s how to find measurement ID on Google Analytics 4:
Then, in your Shopify admin, go to the Preferences section and enter this ID in the Google Analytics field.
This setup lets you gather SEO data on your website traffic, user behavior, and other metrics. It enables you to make informed decisions to enhance your store’s performance, overall digital marketing strategy, and customer experience.
Invest in relevant Shopify SEO apps
Investing in relevant Shopify SEO apps can simplify and improve your store’s SEO efforts. These apps can help with everything from keyword research to optimizing your site’s structure.
Find apps in the Shopify App Store with high ratings and reviews that mention ease of use and effective results.
Once you choose an app, follow the installation instructions provided.
On-page SEO checklist
On-page SEO focuses on improving elements on your site.
This on-page SEO checklist for Shopify store owners enhances your site’s pages so search engines and people like them more.
- Conduct keyword research
- Optimize page titles and meta descriptions
- Improve URL structure
- Link pages internally
Conduct keyword research
Keyword research helps you understand what terms or phrases potential customers use to discover products like yours. It’s one of the core SEO principles.
Start by using Google Keyword Planner, Moz’s Keyword Explorer, or other keyword research tools. Type in phrases related to your products and see what suggestions come up.
Look for relevant keywords with a higher search volume but not too much competition.
These are the search terms you want to add throughout your site — on product pages, blog posts, and FAQs.
Including target keywords in your content makes your store more likely to appear in search results when people look for what you sell.
Optimize page titles and meta descriptions
Focus on creating concise page titles and engaging meta descriptions to improve your Shopify store’s search visibility and attract more visitors.
A good page title tag is clear, under 60 characters, and has relevant keywords while accurately describing what the page offers — be it a product’s name and its standout feature or a concise summary of your homepage.
Similarly, you want engaging meta descriptions that are under 160 characters, incorporate a keyword, and give a compelling reason to click through.
Done right, these elements make your pages more clickable and boost your site’s click-through rates in search results.
Improve URL structure
URLs should be straightforward, reflecting the hierarchy of your website and including keywords when possible.
For instance, a page URL like “yourstore.com/products/product-name” is both user and SEO-friendly. Avoid long strings of numbers or characters, and use hyphens to separate words. Here’s an example:
This makes URLs easier to read and understand — for visitors and search engines. It leads to better indexing and, ultimately, improved visibility in search results.
Link pages internally
Internal linking helps distribute page authority across your ecommerce site and improves navigation for users.
Use descriptive anchor texts (the clickable text in a hyperlink) to inform users and search engines about the linked page’s content.
For example, instead of “click here,” use “Silver Wave Cuff bracelet” to link to your bracelet page.
Internal linking enhances user experience by providing easy access to related content. It also strengthens your site’s SEO.
Google and Bing use internal links to discover new pages/URLs and understand the relationship between various pages on your site.
Further reading: How Does Internal Linking Help SEO?
SEO content checklist
Content is key to engaging users and ranking well on SERP. With search algorithms prioritizing semantic SEO wherein the page’s topic is more important than the keyword it includes, you need a comprehensive content-centric SEO strategy.
This checklist guides you in creating resourceful content for your audience and optimizing for search engines to drive targeted traffic.
Create a blogging strategy
Your Shopify store gains more visitors when your blog answers the questions they’re Googling. What do we mean?
For instance, if you’re selling vegan skincare products, potential customers may search for “benefits of vegan skincare.” A blog post on that topic can bring those searchers to your site.
The key is regularly publishing posts that tap into your customers’ interests and queries, using the specific keywords they search for.
So, use your keyword research (more specifically, use question-based keywords in your keyword research) as the basis for blog post topic ideas.
And based on those ideas, create a blog content calendar for your Shopify store. And publish high-quality blog posts.
A comprehensive, keyword-powered blogging strategy makes your store more visible in search engine results. It also builds your credibility as a trusted source in your niche.
Further reading:
- What is Quality Content? How to Create It + Free Checklist
- Top 10 Content Writing Agencies to Fuel Success in 2024
Optimize product descriptions
Clear, keyword-rich SEO product descriptions improve search rankings and convince shoppers to buy. Describing your products in a way that highlights how they address specific customer needs can enhance their appeal.
For example, instead of a generic description for a vegan moisturizer, detail how it combats dry skin using natural ingredients, making it ideal for sensitive skin types.
Including keywords like “vegan moisturizer for sensitive skin” helps customers find your product and also informs them why it’s their best choice, leading to better conversion rates.
Address duplicate content
Having the same content in multiple places on your Shopify store can hurt your page’s visibility.
Imagine selling scarves in your store’s “Winter Accessories” and “Gift Ideas” sections. If the product descriptions are the same, search engines may get confused and not know which page to prioritize, diluting your SEO efforts.
To tackle this, ensure each product has its own unique snippet, even if the differences are subtle.
When you can’t avoid having the same content on multiple pages, use a “canonical tag.” This is a way to tell search engines which page is the main one you want to show up in search results.
Here’s how it looks:
For example, if the same product appears in two categories, decide which category page is more important and use the canonical tag to direct search engines to it.
The simplest way to add a canonical tag in Shopify is by using an app. Canonical Tag URL Wizard is a popular app.
Further reading: What is an SEO Canonical Tag? How to Use It + Expert Tips
Technical SEO checklist
Technical SEO checklist for Shopify beginners fixes behind-the-scenes issues to make your site work better and faster.
It enhances your site’s backend structure and technology, which are key for search engines to crawl and index your site efficiently. Plus, it improves the user experience.
- Improve site speed
- Ensure mobile friendliness
- Fix broken links
- Use structured data
- Use alt text for images
Improve site speed
When your Shopify website loads quickly, visitors are likelier to stay and browse. Slow sites can turn customers away and lower your ranking in Google search results.
Making your site faster is the core of a well-rounded ecommerce website optimization strategy.
Start by decreasing the size of your images without losing quality. Apps like Crush pics in Shopify can help with this.
Also, check for any apps you’ve added to your store but don’t really need. They can slow things down.
Use Google PageSpeed Insights to see how fast your site loads and get tips on what to fix.
Quick loading times improve the shopping experience and help your store rank better on Google.
Ensure mobile friendliness
More people now shop from mobile phones than desktops, so your Shopify store must look good and perform well on these devices.
Many Shopify themes are typically designed to be mobile-friendly. But regularly check how your site looks on your phone.
Remember, it’s not just about width responsiveness. There are other elements of a site that contribute to a good mobile experience, including text legibility, navigation, and whitespace.
So, navigate through your site on mobile devices. Try the checkout process, jump from one page to another, and ensure everything is readable and clickable.
A mobile-friendly site provides a better experience for your visitors. It ranks higher in Google search results, leading to more traffic and sales.
Fix broken links
Broken links can frustrate your visitors and negatively affect your store’s ranking in search results.
They typically happen when a page is moved or deleted, but links to it are still out there.
Use SEO tools like Ahrefs’ Free Broken Link Checker to scan your site for broken links.
Once you find them, either update the links to point to the correct pages or remove them if they’re no longer relevant.
Keeping your site free of broken links ensures a smoother shopping experience for users, reduces bounce rate, and helps Google rank your site better.
Use structured data
Structured data (or schema markup) makes your site’s content easier to understand for search engines, which can improve how your products appear in search results.
It’s like giving Google a detailed card catalog of what’s in your ecommerce store, including prices, availability, and reviews, which can then be displayed directly in search results.
To implement structured data, use Shopify apps like JSON-LD for SEO (or other third-party paid or free tool) to simplify adding this information to your site.
This can lead to richer search results. Customers can see important product details right on Google, which can increase your click-through rates.
Use alt text for images
Alt text is a short description of an image on your website. It helps search engines learn what the image is about.
Alt text can improve your site’s SEO by making it more visible in image searches. It also aids accessibility, allowing visually impaired users to get a description of the images through screen readers.
To add alt text in Shopify, go to the image within your product details or blog posts and look for the alt text option.
Do this for all product images on your Shopify store. Describe them briefly, and try to include relevant keywords without overstuffing.
Off-page SEO checklist
Off-page SEO involves actions taken outside your own online store, like getting other websites to link to you.
This off-page SEO checklist for Shopify store owners helps boost your site’s authority and visibility.
Build quality backlinks
Quality backlinks (links from other reputable sites to your Shopify store) signal to search engines that your site is valuable and trustworthy. They are one of the most important search ranking factors.
There are various ways to build backlinks.
- Create compelling content others want to share or link to, such as detailed guides or unique product insights.
- Reach out to blogs or websites related to your niche and propose content ideas that include a link back to your site.
- Find online communities and forums related to your industry. Join conversations there to discover link-building opportunities.
Start by doing a backlink analysis of your online store. Find which websites are presently linking to you and where you stand.
Use Semrush’s Backlink Analytics to evaluate and track your site’s backlink profile.
Remember, you want to prioritize quality over quantity. Links from respected sites in your field are far more beneficial than many links from irrelevant or low-quality sources.
Guest blog on authority sites
Writing guest posts for authority sites in your industry can drive traffic to your Shopify store and improve your site’s SEO.
Identify websites or blogs that share your target audience and write content for them that their readers would appreciate.
Ensure your content is informative and aligns with the host site’s standards.
When you guest blog, you position yourself as an expert in your field and get the opportunity to include backlinks to your store, which enhances your site’s backlink profile.
Encourage customer reviews
Positive customer reviews build trust with potential buyers and can improve your Shopify store’s search visibility. They can be a highly effective part of your overall digital marketing for ecommerce, if used well on different channels as social proof.
They can influence organic search rankings by generating fresh, relevant content and increasing the likelihood of your products appearing in search results.
Encourage customers to post reviews on your product pages, collection pages, social media, or Google My Business listing. You can automate review requests after purchase through email or include a note in your packaging.
Showcasing these reviews on your site and responding to them highlights your commitment to customer satisfaction.
Here’s an example of how Gillette uses customer reviews on its product pages:
Further reading: 8 Effective Ways to Use Customer Reviews in Marketing
Local SEO checklist
Local SEO focuses on optimizing your presence to attract more customers from local searches.
This checklist makes it easier for local customers to find your brick-and-mortar or service-based business in a specific area.
Create a Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile (GBP) helps people find your Shopify store on Google Maps and local pack for location-relevant search queries.
Creating a GBP account is straightforward: sign up for free, fill in your store’s details (like where you are and when you’re open), and confirm you’re the owner.
Next, regularly update your profile with new photos and special offers to keep it engaging, informative, and optimized.
Note: Google Maps SEO and GBP optimization involve various other activities. Check out this article to learn more: 11 Expert Tips for Google Business Profile Optimization (+ Checklist)
Target local keywords
Enhance your site’s relevance for local searches by including long-tail keywords that reflect your location and what you sell.
If your store sells jewelry in Brooklyn, phrases like “jewelry store Brooklyn” should appear in your product descriptions, web page headings, blog posts, and About page.
This tactic connects your store with local shoppers looking for products like yours. You attract highly qualified traffic.
Create location-based landing pages
If your business operates in multiple locations, dedicate a page on your site to each.
These local SEO landing pages should detail each location’s specific offerings, hours, contact information, and unique descriptions that capture the local vibe.
Embedding a Google Map on each page can also enhance its usefulness to customers and search engines.
This makes it easier for customers to find the right location and helps search engines index your site for location-specific searches.
Creating multiple location-based landing pages can be resource-intensive. You can use programmatic SEO to produce content in bulk. Learn more about it here: What is Programmatic SEO? How to Use It + Proven Examples
Complete Shopify SEO checklist
Here’s a complete SEO checklist for Shopify beginners and power users:
General SEO checklist
- Get a custom domain
- Set up your web properties
- Submit your sitemap
- Install Google Analytics
- Invest in relevant Shopify SEO apps
On-page SEO checklist
- Conduct keyword research
- Optimize page titles and meta descriptions
- Improve URL structure
- Internal link pages
SEO content checklist
- Create a blogging strategy
- Optimize product descriptions
- Address duplicate content
Technical SEO checklist
- Improve site speed
- Ensure mobile friendliness
- Fix broken links
- Use structured data
- Use alt text for images
Off-page SEO checklist
- Build quality backlinks
- Guest blog on authority sites
- Encourage customer reviews
Local SEO checklist
- Create a Google Business Profile
- Target local keywords
- Create location-based landing pages
What is Shopify SEO?
Shopify SEO involves optimizing your online store to improve its visibility on SERP and draw in more customers from organic traffic.
This optimization involves strategically adjusting your site’s content, structure, and technical setup to increase its perceived value for search engines like Google and Bing.
It’s about fine-tuning your site so search engines can easily understand what you sell and present your store as a top choice to potential customers.
Let’s say you sell hand-made jewelry. Shopify SEO can ensure when someone searches for a query like “unique hand-crafted jewelry,” your store ranks prominently in the search results.
Effective Shopify search engine optimization can boost your store’s chance of appearing ahead of competitors in search results, leading to:
- Increased online visibility
- More traffic
- Higher sales potential
“Shopify and Shopify Plus SEO are about precision — aligning your store’s structure, content, and technical details with what search engines prioritize. It’s a detailed process essential to making your store visible, relevant, and compelling to your target audience. This is easier said than done. And this is where our end-to-end Shopify SEO services help store owners,” says Sam Yadegar, Co-founder and CEO of HawkSEM.
“Our approach is analytical yet creative, ensuring every part of your store is optimized for discovery and conversion. We’ve helped clients in ecommerce, including many who use Shopify, gain more online visibility, drive qualified traffic, and increase their online sales.”
Want professional Shopify SEO services? Book your free consultation today and talk to our experts.
The takeaway
Shopify is one of the best ecommerce platforms.
But your Shopify store won’t be optimized for search engines by default. Its SEO requires a lot of work, which demands expertise and hands-on experience.
This is why many Shopify store owners work with agencies instead of DIY’ing a Shopify ecommerce SEO checklist.
HawkSEM is a trusted Shopify SEO and content marketing agency. We help clients build a dominating online presence and drive higher sales through organic discovery. With a team of highly experienced ecommerce specialists, we work with brands like Nike, Microsoft, Direct TV, and Honda.
We helped Timbuk2, a San Francisco-based accessories brand that uses Shopify, increase average order value by 21% and YoY net revenue by 56%.
“Shopify sets the stage, but true SEO success comes from refining each detail to perfection. At HawkSEM, that’s exactly what we do,” says Yadegar.
“We rigorously optimize your store from the inside out, ensuring every aspect from your content to your site speed is built for success. Just look at Timbuk2 and other success stories. They showcase the potential we unlock in every Shopify store we work on. Beyond just organic visibility, we strive to make your store a preferred destination for your audience, transforming clicks into loyal customers.”