One of the top e-commerce systems available today, Shopify enables many different companies all around. Gaining visitors from online stores requires sticking out in search engine results given the fierce competition among them.
Mastering search engine optimization (SEO) for your store requires strategizing and implementing external apps. But don’t worry – we’ll show you how to enhance your Shopify SEO, improve your search results ranking, and achieve online sales success.
Understanding SEO and Its Relevance
SEO boosts your website in search engines with the intent to achieve high rankings and gain organic traffic. Even unique stores compete with other pages for top results.
High ranking brings consistent, passive traffic. However, competitors with better page SEO might outsell you, as their sites appear first when users search.
SEO is a science and an art. Let’s cover its principle.
Basics of SEO
Use the right keywords that match your customer’s search engine result page (SERP) intent.
Let’s say your online business sells mugs with elephant images. Your product pages should appear in the results when someone searches for “mugs with elephants for sale” or simply “Elephant mugs” and similar terms.
However, if a user’s search intent is – how do I make mugs with elephant images? Your store might not be the best result. A how-to blog article would be the perfect match.
What Are Shopify’s Biggest SEO Pitfalls?
Shopify is a powerful platform for Google searches and provides SEO-friendly options. However, it has some downsides as a closed platform.
Whether you’re running Shopify clothing stores or selling other types of merchandise – these are some common issues users have encountered.
Limited Customization
There are limits to how you can customize your Shopify website. You can’t edit your sitemap, and there are restrictions on structured data and the site schema markup. This means Google can recognize a product’s name, description, and price but not attributes such as sizes or colors.
Duplicate Product Pages
There are flaws in how Shopify handles products with different variations, such as creating new pages with duplicate content. This means items can exist on multiple pages or URLs in the Shopify online store. If both pages rank for similar keywords, search engines get confused and don’t know which page to send the organic traffic to.
To solve this, Shopify has added canonical URLs. If two different URLs show the same product, choosing one by applying canonical tags will tell the search engines which product page to show in the search result.
Long URLs
Shopify’s page URL structure uses a subfolder-based system, making long and inconvenient URLs. Although Shopify is considering feedback, the best way to solve this issue still requires looking for URL shorteners or redirects.
8 Ways to Improve Your Shopify SEO and Sell More
Every eCommerce sales channel competes to appear on Bing and Google search pages. Whether it’s WooCommerce vs Shopify or BigCommerce vs Shopify, the battles ain’t easy.
However, you can add some Shopify SEO experts‘ tips to your checklist to ensure that your listings rank well.
1. Optimize Your Online Store’s Structure
Optimizing your content and eCommerce site structure is one of the most important steps. Pages need to be simple and easy to understand. Buyers have to be able to find everything they need and navigate the site with zero problems and confusion.
Structure
Create a structure with sense and order. Organize content in a few simple category pages and don’t lead customers too far from the home page. No one wants to get lost in a maze of links and sub-categories while looking for a single item.
We suggest a site structure with the Home Page > Category Page > Product Page. This will create a positive user experience and help search results rank product pages higher than competitors.
Internal Links
Add internal links to promote the most important pages of your online shop. Google uses links to rank content in search results for different Shopify sites – the more links a page has, the more it indicates to Google and other search engines the importance of the article.
Site owners can control internal linking and guide shoppers and search engines to the most essential pages. Link to a specific page using anchor words, choose compelling ones, and notify search engines of what the link will lead to. Shine among other Shopify store owners by linking to what’s important.
Navigation
Help users navigate your Shopify site with straightforward and recognizable terms, page names, and destinations. Buttons should clearly state where the click will lead them. List the most important pages and send customers directly where they need or want to be.
Also include a search bar, contact, and about us pages. Customer-friendly content will help build credibility and connections and rank the store higher in searches.
2. Research the Right Target Keywords
Search engine optimization is all about keywords. To rank high on a search engine’s index, specify a target keyword people are searching for and add it to your Shopify store. You’ll need to research and map keywords to gather the necessary information.
There are multiple resources, as well as paid and free tools, for researching and improving SEO for your Shopify store. Let’s look at some options and resources for keyword ideas and research:
- Buyer personas. Put yourself in the shoes of potential customers. Consider what search terms you’d type to find the products your eCommerce store sells. Ask your desired audience directly, discover related keywords, and gain inspiration for what to sell on Shopify.
- Social media. Use social media for the ultimate keyword research. Look for products similar to yours and explore the hashtags and terms used to describe them.
- Competitors. How do they attract customers and gain traffic? Learn from the keywords they use in their web pages, meta tags, page titles, and meta descriptions – find out what the ranking factor is for them.
- SEO tools. Search engines understand what keywords people look for the most. Use a keyword research tool like Google Trends, Google Analytics, and Bing Webmaster Tools. Or go for trustworthy paid services like Semrush to explore the current trends and searches worldwide.
3. Improve The User Experience
User experience is another important factor that determines the future success of your store. To increase brand awareness and draw more people to your website, sell not only your goods online but also highlight first-rate customer service and user experience.
To enhance the purchasing experience, make your online store appear fantastic on all devices—including phones, tablets, and PCs. Use paid or free Shopify themes to boost the time spent on your site – which Google regards for a higher ranking, thereby generating more traffic and conversions.
4. Improve Your Website’s Speed
When a customer visits a blog post or clicks on a website, they don’t want to wait ages for it to load. Frustration leads them to abandon a website, which is why it’s important to optimize your Shopify store speed.
Choose a highly optimized theme or build one according to your specifications.
Use small, optimized images that are lighter and will load quickly. Use image optimizers like Tiny SEO if necessary.
Install only the Shopify apps you need.
Avoid sliders if you notice they’re considerably affecting your page loading speed.
5. Have a Blog Section and Create Quality Content
Blog content is a great SEO booster for your Shopify store. Increase organic traffic on Google and enhance your Shopify marketing efforts with content and blog posts containing keywords. Shopify comes with a basic blogging engine that allows merchants to start writing with a few simple clicks. Go to your Online Store > Blog posts and get creative.
Content marketing can help stores reach a wide audience through search engines if the content is created around target keywords and adjusted to the specific niches of the business.
Come up with a good content strategy and optimize your website to the fullest. Determine the main goal of your Shopify blog, consider what type of content you want to share, and how it’ll attract new customers or strengthen your bond with existing ones.
6. Optimize Your Listings
Descriptions are your sales pitch – next to stunning product images and clear titles. They can make your items stand out, boost SEO rankings, and convert browsers into buyers.
Here’s what makes a winning listing.
- Focus on benefits, not features. Customers buy solutions, not specifications. Tell them how your product improves their lives. Is it a time-saver? Stress-reducer? Confidence booster? Highlight those benefits.
- Speak their language. Ditch the technical jargon. Write in a clear, conversational style that feels natural and engaging.
- Keep it concise. Attention spans are short online. Use bullet points, short paragraphs, and an active voice to deliver information efficiently.
- Social proof matters. Showcase customer reviews and ratings. Seeing positive feedback builds trust and encourages buying decisions.
- Utilize SEO. Sprinkle suitable keywords throughout your descriptions without sounding unnatural. This helps search engines showcase your product to potential customers actively looking for what you offer.
- Visual appeal is key. High-quality product images are crucial for gaining attention. Consider offering a zoom function and adhering to Shopify’s image size guidelines. Include multiple angles to give buyers a complete understanding of your product.
Your product descriptions are a conversation starter. Use them to connect with your customers, showcase your product’s value, and drive sales.
7. Write Engaging Page Titles and Meta Descriptions
The page title and meta description should be engaging and precise.
Shopify provides templates that automatically generate titles and descriptions. Still, you can edit those to your liking and boost your Shopify SEO, moving your store higher up on the search results with well-planned keywords.
Remember that meta titles and descriptions are only for the search engine listing preview results. They will differ from the regular ones that appear on your product page.
8. Get Backlinks
Backlinks are links posted on relevant websites that send users to your page.
They have a huge impact on the search ranking, as search engines use backlinks to determine how the wider audience values your Shopify site. They establish brand credibility and trustworthiness. Link building is not easy, but the effort is worth it.
How do you get links to your Shopify store?
- Publish strong content. Valuable content attracts backlinks since people prefer linking to interesting and reliable pieces.
- Publish guest posts. By publishing on high-ranking websites, you will automatically earn backlinks.
- Reach out. Contact bloggers, influencers, and review websites – ask them to review your products.
- Mentions. Maybe your store has already been mentioned without a backlink. Use mention.com to find possible mentions and email them asking for a link to your store.
- Manufacturer and supplier links. Established companies might have a policy for retailers to get a link – try emailing them and asking for it.
- Broken links. Search for broken links for products similar to yours. Reach out to the owner of the site with the damaged address and ask them to link to your store instead.
Conclusion
Optimization is important for every store owner, from Shopify to eBay, to Etsy. It helps bring in visitors, rank higher on search pages, and increase credibility, authority, and popularity among competitors.
While there are plenty of Shopify alternatives, there’s no need to ditch the platform if your listings aren’t performing well. Implement our Shopify SEO tips to boost your rankings, traffic, and overall performance.