Shopify SEO: Best Practices for Optimizing Stores

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September of 2023 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Global ecommerce sales reached $5.8 trillion in 2023 and are expected to hit the $8 trillion mark by 2027.

This means that while the opportunity for online retail businesses continues to grow, so does the level of competition.

Fortunately, as a Shopify store owner, you can carve out a strong online presence by adopting SEO best practices. Optimizing your store for search engines will help improve your rankings, attract more traffic, and ultimately bring in more paying customers.

In this post, we’ll cover the ins and outs of Shopify SEO and offer some strategies to maximize your store’s organic visibility in 2024.

What Is Shopify?

Shopify is a powerful ecommerce platform that allows business owners of all sizes to establish and manage their online stores across various channels.

For example, the platform lets you sell directly on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, integrate with major online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay, and conduct in-person sales through its point-of-sale (POS) system. 

Shopify also enables you to add ecommerce functionality to any website or blog via the Shopify Buy Button, making it easier to convert existing traffic into sales. 

Overall, Shopify is a good choice if you’re looking for an all-in-one ecommerce solution. Shopify plans include features like product catalogs, payment processing, shipping, inventory management, and even loans for some sellers.

What is Shopify SEO?

Shopify SEO refers to the process of maximizing your Shopify store’s organic search visibility with the aim of attracting more customers to your business. 

It means tweaking your website so it shows up higher in search results pages when people search for the type of products you sell.

This involves optimizing product descriptions with the right keywords, improving your site’s layout, ensuring your store works well on mobile devices, and enhancing your site’s loading speed. It also entails building quality backlinks to increase your site’s authority, creating relevant content to attract more visitors, and implementing structured data to make your products stand out in the search results.

Why Shopify a Good Option for SEO

Shopify comes equipped with a range of SEO-friendly features right out of the box, making it a solid choice for ecommerce businesses looking to enhance their online presence.

Some of these built-in SEO features include:

Automatic Sitemaps

Shopify automatically creates an XML sitemap for your online store. This makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index your web pages, allowing them to be displayed in the search results.

URL Structure Optimization

Shopify’s default URL structure organizes your site’s content into clear, hierarchical paths that are easy for both users and search engines to understand.

Meta Tags Support

Shopify makes it easy to customize your page titles and meta descriptions. These elements appear in the search results and play a key role in influencing click-through rates.

Canonical Tags

Shopify supports canonical tags that let you tell search engines which version of a page you want them to index. This is especially important for avoiding duplicate content issues on ecommerce platforms, where product pages can often be accessed through multiple paths.

SSL Certification

Shopify provides a free SSL certification for all Shopify stores. This security feature encrypts data transferred between the user’s browser and the website, protecting sensitive information such as customer details and payment information. 

Websites that are secured with SSL (indicated by HTTPS in the URL) may receive a ranking boost over those that aren’t secure (HTTP).

Schema Markup

Shopify also supports schema markup (also known as structured data), which can enhance the way your pages are displayed in search results through rich snippets. 

For example, you can add product details such as price, availability, reviews, and ratings that appear directly in the search results, making your listings more appealing to potential customers.

Mobile-Friendliness

In January 2024, mobile devices accounted for almost 60% of global internet traffic. And to keep up with this worldwide growth of mobile, Google now mainly uses the mobile version of a website’s content for indexing and ranking.

Fortunately, Shopify’s themes are responsive. This means they automatically adjust to fit the screen size of various devices, including smartphones and tablets. The platform also offers features like mobile-optimized checkout processes, which are essential for providing a seamless shopping experience and reducing cart abandonment rates on mobile devices.

Blogging Platform

Shopify includes a built-in blogging engine to support your SEO and content marketing efforts.

Regularly publishing high-quality, relevant content can help attract traffic, encourage backlinks, and position your site as an authority.

Site Speed Enhancements

Fast load times are essential for online stores. In fact, ecommerce conversion rates decrease by 0.3% for every additional second it takes your site to load.

Moreover, search engines like Google take page speed into account when deciding how to rank results. 

Shopify uses a global Content Delivery Network (CDN) and automatically optimizes images to ensure your store loads quickly.

Localization and International SEO

Shopify allows you to expand your global reach by tailoring your store for different regions and languages.

For example, you can set up dedicated URLs for various languages and countries, allowing search engines to index and present the most relevant version of your site to users based on their location and language preferences.

Shopify also supports local currencies and tax settings and includes integrated translation solutions.

SEO Apps and Integrations

In addition to Shopify’s default SEO features, the platform has a dedicated app store where you can find complementary SEO tools. 

Some of the popular Shopify SEO apps include: 

• Judge.me: Helps collect and display customer reviews and ratings 
• Avada SEO: Offers features to improve site speed and overall SEO
• Orbe: Uses geolocation to customize your store’s display based on the visitor’s location
• Outlink: Lets you add external links to your pages, which can be useful for affiliate marketing or directing users to external resources
• SEOAnt: Provides tools to detect and manage 404 errors, helping you maintain a clean site structure by redirecting broken links to relevant pages

The Downsides of Shopify SEO

Despite Shopify offering many built-in SEO features, it does have its limitations.

Understanding these downsides is crucial for developing a robust SEO strategy that mitigates potential issues.

Some SEO-related limitations of the platform include:

• Customization restrictions: Shopify’s template-driven approach limits the degree of customization available for SEO purposes
• Forced URL structure: Shopify imposes a specific URL structure that includes prefixes like ‘/collections/’ and ‘/products/’. This structure isn’t always ideal for SEO and can add unnecessary length to URLs.
• Duplicate content issues: Despite supporting canonical tags, Shopify’s handling of products in multiple locations can lead to duplicate content
• Limited blogging capabilities: Shopify’s blogging features are less robust compared to dedicated content management systems like WordPress
• Reliance on apps for advanced SEO features: Store owners often need to use third-party apps to overcome Shopify’s SEO limitations. This can increase costs and complicate site management.

With these challenges in mind, let’s walk through some Shopify SEO best practices that go beyond the platform’s default settings.

7 Shopify SEO Tips to Improve Rankings

1. Opt for a Custom Domain Name

When you set up a Shopify store, you’ll be given a ‘myshopify.com’ domain name by default.

However, custom domains are generally perceived as more professional and trustworthy by search engines and users, potentially leading to better click-through rates and search engine visibility.

You can purchase a custom domain directly through Shopify or from any reputable third-party domain registrar.

2. Connect with Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools

Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools play crucial roles in indexing and understanding your Shopify store’s web pages. By continuously scanning and indexing your site’s content, these platforms ensure your pages are easily discoverable in search results.

Moreover, these tools offer insights into your site’s traffic sources and performance metrics and identify SEO improvements through detailed search analytics. This data is instrumental in pinpointing the main drivers of your traffic and addressing any technical SEO issues that may arise.

Linking your Shopify store with these platforms tells Google and Bing that your store exists, making it accessible to a wider audience.

Start the process by submitting your automatically generated Shopify sitemap to both platforms. You can find the URL for your store’s sitemap at www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml.

3. Structure Your Site for Easy Navigation

A clear, logical site hierarchy isn’t just user-friendly—it’s also SEO-friendly. 

A well-organized site structure makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index your store, ensuring your pages are correctly presented in the search results in response to relevant queries. It also facilitates the distribution of link equity throughout your site.

Aim for a simple navigation trail that keeps the journey from your homepage to your product pages as direct as possible. 

Consider this Shopify-powered store, United By Blue.

The site features a clean, top-level navigation menu leading users from general categories (or “collections”) like ‘Bags & Accessories’ down to specific items within a few clicks. 

This “Homepage > Collections > Product Page” model lets customers easily find what they’re looking for. You can always add supplementary subcategories if you sell multiple variations of different products.

4. Research Keywords to Improve Search Engine Visibility

To maximize the chances that your product and category pages appear in search results for relevant queries, you’ll first need to identify which keywords to target.

There are several tools you can use to research the terms your ideal customers use when searching for the type of products you sell.

For example, Google’s free autosuggest feature is a straightforward way to discover common search queries. Searching for “Women Wrist Watches” might reveal valuable keywords and phrases to incorporate into your titles and meta descriptions or to use as topics for engaging blog content.

Google Trends offers insights into the popularity of a keyword over time, helping you identify rising search terms and seasonal shifts in demand. For example, here we see that the popularity of the term “men’s flannel shirt” increases in the USA during fall and winter.

For more comprehensive keyword research, your best bet is to use popular SEO tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz.

These tools provide detailed insights into keyword performance, including search volume, competition level, and potential traffic. They also offer competitive analysis features, allowing you to understand the keywords your competitors rank for and the gaps in their strategies you can exploit.

For example, take the keyword “makeup.” The Moz keyword tool provides a comprehensive breakdown of the term’s monthly volume, ranking difficulty, organic click-through rate, and current top-ranking domains. It even includes alternative keyword suggestions.

Once you’ve compiled a list of all the keywords (and keyword variations) you want to rank for, the next step is to integrate them into the relevant pages on your Shopify store. 

5. Stick to On-Page SEO Best Practices

On-page SEO refers to improvements you make directly on your website to maximize SEO performance. 

Here are some essential on-page SEO tips to help elevate your store’s rankings:

• Craft compelling title tags and meta descriptions: Ensure each product, category, and blog post has a unique title and meta description that incorporates your target keywords. These should be limited to 60 and 160 characters, respectively.
• Develop product descriptions that sell: Write engaging and keyword-rich descriptions to both inform and convert your visitors
• Optimize your images: Use descriptive file names and alt tags for all images to improve accessibility and SEO. You can also use Shopify apps like LoyaltyHarbour and TinyIMG to reduce image size
• Structure content with headers: Use header tags (H1, H2, H3) to organize content hierarchically and include keywords where appropriate
• Leverage internal linking: Connect your pages internally to spread link equity and help users (and search engines) navigate your site
• Add structured data: Implement schema markup to enhance your listings in search results with rich snippets
• Address duplicate content: Use canonical tags to specify the preferred version of content pages to search engines

6. Enhance Your Store’s Technical SEO 

While Shopify automatically takes care of many technical SEO considerations, there’s still room to optimize your site further for better functionality and search engine visibility.

• Maximize mobile-friendliness: All Shopify themes are mobile-friendly, but it’s crucial to test your store across various devices to ensure an optimal shopping experience. Use Shopify’s built-in mobile view preview and make adjustments as needed for images, menus, and checkout processes.
• Fix broken links: Broken links (404 errors) can hurt your rankings and user experience. Use tools like Google Search Console or Screaming Frog to scan your site for broken links and then redirect them to another page using Shopify’s URL redirect feature.
• Optimize your robots.txt file: Your robots.txt file tells search engines which pages on your website they should crawl and index. Shopify generates a default robots.txt file, but you can customize it to ensure optimal crawling efficiency. This may involve instructing search engines to ignore certain sections of your site so they can focus on your most important pages. If you’re unsure whether you need to edit your robots.txt file, consult with an SEO expert.

7. Invest in Off-Page SEO 

Off-page SEO refers to actions taken outside of your site to improve its rankings. 

The goal is to enhance your site’s authority and trustworthiness in the eyes of search engines, primarily through building backlinks from other reputable sites. Search engines view links from high-quality websites as endorsements of your content, which increases your likelihood of ranking highly.

Here are some off-page SEO best practices to consider:

• Active link-building: Aim to earn backlinks from other relevant, high-authority sites by guest posting, collaborating with influencers, and producing high-quality content that naturally attracts links
• Social media engagement: Use social media platforms to increase your store’s exposure. The increased visibility can lead to higher traffic and potential backlinks.
• Encourage customer reviews and testimonials: Positive reviews on third-party sites build trust among potential customers. And if your business also has a physical presence, make sure you optimize your Google Business Profile to maximize your visibility for local searches

Why You Should Hire an Agency with Shopify SEO Experience

We’ve seen that optimizing your Shopify store for maximum organic search visibility requires a solid understanding of various SEO best practices.

While you can certainly take on Shopify SEO yourself, working with an experienced SEO agency might be a more practical choice. After all, these agencies have the time, resources, and know-how to transform your store’s organic performance for the better.

If you’re looking for a suitable agency to help with your Shopify store, HigherVisibility is a safe bet.

Our team of SEO pros takes the guesswork out of Shopify optimization, allowing you to achieve your organic search goals more quickly and reliably. 
So, instead of taking it upon yourself to figure out what works and what doesn’t, request a free custom strategy from us today to see how we can help you build the website of your dreams.