Shopify SEO Checklist: The Ultimate Guide (2023)

Follow this ultimate Shopify SEO checklist to rank higher in the organic search results, drive more prospects, and increase sales to your online store.

When we talk about driving a more targeted audience to your Shopify store, nothing works better than SEO or Search Engine Optimization.

For online store owners, taking out time to make sure that your web pages are optimized properly can help increase organic traffic to your online business, which implies that there will be more customers browsing your products or services.

Unlike PPC or Social Media Marketing, SEO strategies for your e-commerce website can drive traffic that sustains for a long period and brings better results.

What is Shopify SEO?

Shopify SEO is the process of optimizing an online store (obviously, built on Shopify) to perform better in search engines.

While SEO can be used on any website, the main focus of Shopify SEO is to help e-commerce business owners earn more rankings and traffic in organic results.

What are the challenges for Shopify Stores?

In general, Shopify stores aka e-commerce websites are more likely to face challenges that can put a negative effect on their performance in search engine results.

Some of the common SEO challenges for Shopify websites are:

• Thin Content: There’s no doubt that search engines love detailed and long-form content. Because product pages contain thin content, it can prove to be a challenging task for Shopify stores to gain rankings in search results.
• Duplicate Content: Since there are many product pages on the e-commerce website, there could be duplicate content issues.
• Not Utilizing Schema: Applying product schema helps search engine bots understand the products and promote them according to the search queries. Not using schema for your Shopify store is a mistake that can result in poor results.
• Poor Site Architecture: Search engines appreciate an optimized site structure that makes it easy for the users to navigate. With lots of product pages on the website, Shopify store owners suffer from poor site architecture.

Can you do SEO on your Shopify Store?

While a Shopify store comes with many SEO features, it can also cause SEO issues on the site such as thin and duplicate content, duplicate URLs, missing or duplicate page titles, and more. But, with Shopify SEO, you can implement certain practices that can help you improve rankings on the SERPs.

We will go through a detailed Shopify SEO checklist that will help you learn SEO on Shopify easily. Using this Shopify SEO checklist for an e-commerce website, you can increase organic traffic to your online store as quickly as possible.

Ultimate Shopify SEO Checklist: Increase Rankings Quickly

So, what does an ultimate Shopify SEO checklist look like? Well, to make it easy for you, we’re dividing it into a division of five different checklists. Those are:

• Basic SEO Checklist: Here we’re going to talk about the very basic stuff that you need to get started with the Shopify store.
• On-page SEO Checklist: In this, we’ll focus on some on-page elements that include making adjustments to your pages.
• Off-page SEO Checklist: Here we’re going to look at some link-building SEO strategies that can get you traffic from other websites as well.
• Technical SEO Checklist: This checklist comprises some elements that can rule out errors and warnings from your Shopify store.
• Local SEO Checklist: Here we’ll discuss some strategies that can help your local customers find your business and discover where your offline store is at.

Let’s get started!

1. BASIC SHOPIFY SEO CHECKLIST

Let’s begin with the basics! It actually includes setting up your online store. Well, it doesn’t only mean buying a domain and getting the design ready. It’s much more than that!

• • • • Purchase a Custom Domain
        You need to go for a Shopify domain such that it has its own identity in the market. Moreover, it helps build trust with prospective customers.
        Ensure that you choose a domain name that’s related to your business niche since it will help you rank higher in the search results. Its configuration and setup are automated on Shopify.
      • Set Up Google Analytics
        To set up your Google Analytics, click on “Start for Free”. Set up your account and a tracking code such that Google can collect the site’s data.
        Next, connect Google Analytics to your Shopify store. Let’s learn how to connect your store to Google Analytics in Shopify Help Centre.
      • Set up Google Search Console
        Shopify automatically generates a sitemap file for all online stores. Submit that to Google through your Webmaster tools. Sitemaps tell search engines about your site’s organization.
        You can use Google webmaster tools for checking any crawling issues on your Shopify store. If you’re alerted about any issues or issues, fix them immediately such that your customers get a seamless shopping experience on your Shopify store.
      • Consider SEO Tools
        Shopify has in-built tools that can optimize your store’s content for SEO. Some things are taken care of automatically, but you need to add other SEO apps to your store such that it gets better rankings on SERPs.
        Some of the most recommended Shopify SEO tools that you must consider using are:
        • • Ahrefs –SEO tool for audits, research, tracking, and more.
        • • Keyword.io – for free keyword suggestions
        • • Moz –for an in-depth SEO marketing suite
        • • Screaming Frog –to discover crawl & index errors on your site.

  2. ON-PAGE SEO CHECKLIST

• Getting your web pages ready to obtain better rankings requires effort and time. It’s important to outstand your competitors on SERPs. So, let’s follow the on-page Shopify SEO checklist to ensure that product page optimization takes place properly.
  • Conduct Keyword Research
    Use keyword research tools like Google Adwords, Moz, Keyword.io, and more to get keyword ideas related to your business niche. Keep in mind that you finalize keywords that are high in volume and low in competition.
    Alternatively, know that individual product pages rank for different keywords. Thus, broaden your search related to the products. Also, discover long-tail keywords such that they can be used in the content.
  • Optimize your Webpages
    Below are some important things that you need to mind while optimizing your web pages:
    • Make sure that you use only one H1 tag on a page.
      
    • Keep the page titles under 60 characters only, do not exceed beyond it.
      
    • Keep your meta descriptions under 150 characters and include call-to-actions.
      
    • Try to add a keyword to your page’s URL.
      
    • Ensure that the images have good alt tags and filenames.
      
    • Add schema markup to your product pages.
  • Create a Content Marketing Strategy
    
    • Here are some tips that you can take advantage of while creating a content marketing strategy:
      
    • Consider the questions that customers may ask and include that in your content.
      
    • Add finalized keywords to the content.
      
    • Ensure you write original and detailed product descriptions.
      
    • Add product reviews to your product pages.
      
    • Aim to write informational blog posts related to your industry.

  3. OFF-PAGE SEO CHECKLIST

• 
• Link building helps build your domain authority in the eyes of search engines. It is a key factor that decides how competitive your e-commerce website is when trying to gain ranking for a particular keyword. Have a look at what you need to follow while doing off-page SEO for your Shopify store!
  • Plan a Link Building Strategy
    Search engines use the number, quality, and relevancy of links as ranking factors. It helps establish trust from the search engine’s perspective.
    According to SEO experts, you must approach publishers or other sites in your industry to build backlinks to your site. You can ask them to add links to their site and thus add value to your site.
  • Analyze Your Competitor’s Links
    With the help of SEO tools like Moz and Ahrefs, you can discover what sites and pages are linking to your competitors.
    Finding out these can help you come up with exciting ideas to work on. This will also help you earn a high-quality link to your site.

  4. TECHNICAL SEO CHECKLIST

  

Technical SEO ensures that your Shopify store works well in this competitive world. So, let’s get to know what is included in the technical Shopify SEO checklist for your Shopify store.

• Check its Mobile-Friendliness
  If your store pages load slowly or the site isn’t mobile-responsive, the search engines don’t rank them higher in the search engine rankings.
  Thus, check if your store is mobile-friendly and loads quickly on all devices. If you aren’t sure if your site is mobile-friendly, use the Mobile-Friendly Test to judge that!
• Ensure Your Store Loads Fast
  No doubt, search engines use speed as a ranking factor.
  Check your site through PageSpeed Insights to know if your site’s speed is good. Moreover, you’ll get Google’s recommendations on how you can improve your site’s speed.
• Fix Duplicate Content
  Duplicate content means similar content on two different URLs. It creates difficulty for search engines to prioritize a page for ranking. Product and collection pages are the most common pages where duplicate content can be found.
  If you have duplicate content, either you can create unique content for a page or use a canonical URL. It can help Google know which page should be prioritized.
• Optimize the URLs
  URLs play an important role in SEO. That’s because it tells search engines what your page is about. And because both search engines and customers go through your URL, thus, you must follow certain practices:
  
  • Ensure the URLs are readable
    
  • Use hyphens for separating words not underscores
    
  • Include targeted keywords in the URLs

5. LOCAL SEO CHECKLIST

If you’re running a brick-and-mortar store along with a Shopify store, local SEO plays a huge part in your optimization strategy. That’s because it helps customers in your area discover your business and know where your physical store is located.

• Set up Google My Business
  For local businesses, Google My Business is an excellent SEO tool. Using it, you can let your customers discover your store across Google search and Maps.
  Head up to the Sign-Up page and enter basic information about your business such as Name, Category, Location, and Contact Details.
• Fill Contact Page Thoroughly
  For local businesses, the Contact page plays an important role in building trust and credibility amongst customers.
  Ensure that your Contact Us page provides visitors with important information such as name, address, email, visiting hours, and phone number.
• Create City-Specific Landing Pages
  If you run physical businesses in various cities, create city-specific landing pages for each city. This makes it easier to get ranked on SERPs without having to build a different website for each location. 

Best Shopify SEO Apps

The app market is filled with fantastic Shopify SEO applications, each of which has a unique combination of capabilities and advantages. Here are a few of the best:

1. SEO Manager

SEO Manager is a powerful SEO tool that can help you improve your Shopify store’s ranking in search engines. It is easy to use and offers a variety of features that can help you improve your store’s SEO.

Here are some of the unique features of SEO Manager:

• Real-Time Performance Scan: The SEO Manager scans your store in real-time and provides actionable suggestions for improvement.
• Page Templates: SEO Manager allows you to create page templates that automate the title, description, and image alt text for your pages.
• Automatic Schema Markup: SEO Manager automatically adds schema markup to your pages to improve their visibility in search results.
• Integration with Google Search Console: Google Search Console and SEO Manager have been integrated to give you more thorough information about the SEO performance of your store.

SEO Manager

2. Plug In SEO

For Shopify merchants searching for a complete and user-friendly SEO solution, Plug In SEO is a fantastic choice. It has a number of tools that you can use to boost your store’s SEO and draw in more visitors from search engines.

Here are some of the unique features of Plug In SEO:

• Automatic SEO Recommendations: Plug In SEO automatically scans your store and provides actionable suggestions for improvement.
• Local SEO: Plug In SEO helps you optimize your store for local search results. By doing this, you may be able to draw in more local company searchers as clients.
• Google Analytics Integration: Plug In SEO integrates with Google Analytics to provide you with more detailed insights into your store’s SEO performance.

Plug In SEO

3. Smart SEO

Smart SEO is designed to help e-commerce businesses optimize their online stores for search engines. It helps reduce the amount of time you spend on SEO tasks by automatically generating relevant meta tags for product, collection, blog, and article pages in your Shopify store.

Here are some of the unique features of the Smart SEO app:

• Automatic Meta Tag Generation: Smart SEO can automatically generate meta tags for your products, pages, and collections. This can save you a lot of time and effort, and it can help you ensure that your meta tags are optimized for search engines.
• Image Optimization: Smart SEO can optimize your product images for search engines. This includes things like adding alt text and optimizing file sizes.
• Broken Link Detection: Smart SEO can detect broken links on your store. This can help you improve your store’s user experience and prevent potential SEO penalties.
• Sitemap Generation: Smart SEO can generate a sitemap for your store. This can help search engines index your store’s pages more quickly.
• Google Analytics Integration: Smart SEO can integrate with Google Analytics. This can help you track your store’s SEO performance and identify areas where you can improve.

Smart SEO

4. SEO Product Optimizer

For Shopify merchants searching for a complete and user-friendly SEO solution for their items, SEO Product Optimizer is a wonderful choice. It provides a range of tools that can assist you in enhancing the SEO of your products and bringing in more search engine traffic.

Here are some of the unique features of SEO Product Optimizer:

• Bulk Optimization: SEO Product Optimizer allows you to optimize multiple products at once. This can save you a lot of time and effort.
• Automatic Keyword Suggestions: SEO Product Optimizer automatically suggests keywords for your products. This can help you find the right keywords to target and avoid keyword stuffing.
• Real-Time Performance Tracking: SEO Product Optimizer tracks your store’s SEO performance in real-time. This allows you to see how your changes are affecting your ranking and make adjustments as needed.
• Integration with Google Search Console: SEO Product Optimizer integrates with Google Search Console to provide you with more detailed insights into your store’s SEO performance.

SEO Product Optimizer

5. SEO King

SEO King offers a wide range of customizable tools for managing SEO, product images, keyword research, and translation. It is a paid app, but it offers a free trial. The price of the app varies depending on the number of products you have in your store.

Here are some of the unique features of SEO King:

• Real-Time Performance Scan: SEO King scans your store in real time and provides actionable suggestions for improvement.
• Page Templates: SEO King allows you to create page templates that automate the title, description, and image alt text for your pages.
• Automatic Schema Markup: SEO King automatically adds schema markup to your pages to improve their visibility in search results.
• Integration with Google Search Console: SEO King integrates with Google Search Console to provide you with more detailed insights into your store’s SEO performance.
• Bulk Editing: SEO King allows you to bulk edit your store’s SEO settings, including title tags, meta descriptions, and image alt text.
• Translation: SEO King can translate your store’s SEO settings into multiple languages.
• AI Optimization: SEO King uses AI to optimize your store’s SEO settings for maximum performance.

SEO King

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, SEO offers an outstanding way of cutting down customer acquisition costs. Thus, it is always suggested that you learn and follow the basics of Shopify SEO since it can help outperform your competitors.

SEO Optimization on your Shopify store can drive more organic traffic and revenue. Also, it will help improve user experience in your store, which will result in enhanced rankings for your Shopify store in SERPs.

To get the most out of your Shopify store, follow this Shopify SEO checklist religiously. Through this, your store will be rewarded by search engines and get more traffic and ROI.

If you’re facing issues while following this checklist, let us know in the comments below. Our Shopify SEO professionals will get back to you as soon as possible.

Your next read?

Want to know how you can optimize your product pages on Shopify? Check out our blog!

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