Shopify SEO Review: Get More Sales With These Simple Tips
Last updated: December 19 2024
Feeling frustrated that your Shopify store isn’t showing up in search results? You've poured time and effort into your products, but customers still struggle to find you. The good news is that straightforward SEO tricks can bring a steady flow of organic traffic to your store. And here’s the best part: you don’t need to be a tech expert to make it happen.
In this guide, I’m sharing the detailed steps I used to increase my store's visibility and boost sales—from optimizing product pages to choosing the right keywords and winning over Google’s algorithms. Ready to make SEO work for you and see actual results? Let’s get started!
Shopify SEO Review: An Overview
Shopify provides a strong foundation for SEO, offering tools and features that help your store rank better on search engines and reach more customers. From customizable title tags and meta descriptions to a clean URL structure and mobile responsiveness, Shopify makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index your site.
Additionally, Shopify apps like SEO Manager, Avada SEO Speed Image Optimize, and Smart SEO offer even more capabilities, allowing you to fine-tune your SEO strategy without extensive coding knowledge.
Is Shopify Good For SEO?
The ANSWER is Yes. Shopify is good for SEO and provides many features to help your store rank well on search engines. Shopify automatically handles important SEO tasks like mobile optimization, secure connections (SSL), and generating clean URLs without needing much technical knowledge.
However, while Shopify offers strong SEO basics, some limitations exist, especially if you want more control or advanced customization. Many users rely on additional apps to improve their SEO efforts further.
To get more insights into the benefits and drawbacks of Shopify for SEO, please continue reading.
Pros & Cons Of Shopify SEO
Shopify provides a solid SEO foundation with advantages and disadvantages. Here's a detailed look:
Pros | Cons |
- Mobile-friendly design: Responsive Shopify themes ensure your site displays well on mobile devices, increasing your Google rankings. - Fast page load speeds: Optimized Shopify servers deliver quick loading times. - Automatic SSL certificates: Free SSL certificates provide secure browsing. - User-friendly SEO settings: Easily edit meta tags, image alt text, and set up redirects without needing technical expertise. - Built-in SEO tools: Shopify generates sitemaps and manages essential SEO tasks like structured data for products automatically. | - Limited URL customization: Shopify enforces fixed URL structures (e.g., /products/, /collections/), restricting flexibility. - Dependency on apps: Advanced SEO features, like schema markup, often require paid third-party apps. - Duplicate content risks: Product filtering and categories can create duplicate pages, potentially impacting SEO. - Restricted robots.txt access: Limited control over this file restricts specific crawl instructions for search engines. - Reduced technical SEO control: Less backend access for advanced SEO adjustments compared to other platforms. |
Shopify is generally good for basic SEO, with easy-to-use features like mobile optimization and fast load times. However, it has limitations when customizing URLs and handling more advanced SEO tasks. You may need additional apps to get the best results.
Shopify SEO Key Features
Shopify offers a variety of built-in SEO features to help your store rank higher in search engines. Understanding and using these features can improve your site's visibility and drive more traffic. Below are some of the key Shopify SEO features explained in detail.
Meta Title and Meta Description
The meta title and meta description in Shopify play a crucial role in search rankings and user engagement. After optimizing these fields to include clear, relevant keywords, our click-through rate (CTR) increased considerably, as shown in Google Analytics.
For instance, switching from a generic title like “Store Page” to something specific, such as “Shopify Store | Best Organic Skincare Products,” helped draw more clicks by setting clear expectations for the user.
This change made our listing more attractive, with the meta description offering a quick, compelling summary of what the page offers, such as “Shop now for free shipping on eco-friendly skincare.” These concise, targeted details encourage users to click, making a real difference in visibility and engagement.
Custom URLs
Creating custom URLs is a standout feature in Shopify that greatly enhances readability and SEO. Instead of random strings like "/product12345," using descriptive URLs such as "/best-organic-skincare-lotion" made it easier for users and search engines to understand the page's content. This approach boosts SEO and builds trust, as clean URLs appear more professional.
Headings
Structured headings improve readability for users and signal importance to search engines. In Shopify, making the H1 tag the primary keyword, with supporting H2 and H3 tags, significantly helped organize our content.
For example, using “Top Organic Skincare Products” as an H1 and following with H2s like “Benefits of Organic Skincare” made our page easier to navigate and boosted SEO rankings.
Headings created a natural flow, improving user experience and search engine indexing. This structured layout directly contributed to users staying longer on the page, as observed in our session duration metrics.
Tips to write Headings for SEO:
- Use Primary Keywords in H1: Make the main heading relevant to the topic and include primary keywords.
- Organize Hierarchically: Structure H1, H2, and H3 headings logically for easy navigation.
- Keep It Concise: Write short, impactful headings that capture the section’s essence.
- Be Descriptive: Use specific headings to indicate each section’s content.
- Focus on User Intent: Align headings with common user questions or search intent.
- Use Action Words: Start with verbs like “Discover” or “Learn” to engage readers.
- Enhance Readability: Break long sections with subheadings for easy skimming.
- Highlight Benefits: Show value by emphasizing benefits in headings.
Image Alt Text
Alt text is crucial for image SEO, as it helps search engines understand what each image represents. Descriptive alt text, such as “organic skincare lotion in eco-friendly packaging,” improved our visibility in Google Image searches.
In Shopify, adding this text is straightforward, and we observed a rise in image-driven traffic, showing that a small alt text update can bring in new users who start from image search results.
Speed & Uptime
Page speed is a direct ranking factor for SEO. Using Shopify’s fast-loading themes and apps to compress images made a noticeable difference in our page load times. A faster site reduced bounce rates, allowing us to retain more visitors.
Shopify’s reliable hosting also ensured high uptime, which is essential for keeping the site accessible to users and search engines alike. This reliability directly correlated with more consistent traffic and smoother user experiences.
Mobile Friendliness
With mobile-first indexing a priority for Google, having a mobile-friendly store is essential. Shopify’s responsive themes automatically adjust the mobile layout, and after testing, we saw improved mobile user engagement. Pages optimized for mobile led to more frequent purchases, especially as a large percentage of our traffic comes from mobile users.
301 Redirects
When reorganizing or removing products, 301 redirects help keep traffic flowing to active pages. For instance, when we retired an old product, redirecting its URL to a similar new product page prevented users from encountering 404 errors. Shopify’s redirect feature preserved our SEO rankings, keeping both search engines and users on track without disruption.
SSL Encryption (HTTPS)
SSL encryption is vital for security and SEO, as Google prioritizes HTTPS sites. Shopify’s built-in SSL provides a secure experience for users and boosts trustworthiness. After activating HTTPS, we noticed a slight ranking improvement, reinforcing that secure browsing benefits both SEO and user confidence.
Sitemap and Google Search Console
Shopify automatically generates a sitemap and integrates easily with Google Search Console. Submitting our sitemap to Google made it easier for search engines to index our pages, and Search Console helped us monitor our performance and address SEO issues.
This setup meant our content was indexed more efficiently, helping new product pages appear in search results sooner.
Social Media Integration
Social media integration allows users to share products, indirectly boosting traffic and visibility. While social media itself doesn’t directly impact SEO, we observed a positive trend in traffic as more customers shared our products, signaling value to search engines. Shopify’s easy-to-use social media buttons simplified this process, helping our reach grow organically.
Canonical Tags
In cases of similar content across multiple pages, canonical tags help by designating the primary page, preventing duplicate content issues.
For instance, having product variations (like different colors) all point to a main product page allowed us to focus SEO efforts on one URL, avoiding any ranking issues due to duplication. Shopify’s support for canonical tags made this process straightforward.
Structured Data (Schema Markup)
Structured data, or schema markup, helps search engines better understand your content, which can enhance how your store appears in search results.
For example, adding structured data to your product pages allows search engines to display rich snippets like product ratings, prices, and availability directly in the SERP. Shopify supports JSON-LD, which simplifies adding schema markup to your store.
Each platform offers unique SEO tools and capabilities, but Shopify stands out with its seamless, built-in features that simplify optimization for store owners. Below is a comparison of Shopify’s SEO features with other popular platforms, WooCommerce and BigCommerce, helping you understand how powerful Shopify is:
Feature | Shopify | WooCommerce | BigCommerce |
Meta Tags | Built-in editor; real-time results in Google Analytics | Needs plugin; slower tracking | Integrated, similar to Shopify |
Custom URLs | Clean, keyword-friendly URLs | Customizable with plugin | Customizable |
Headings | Direct control in product page | Controlled by plugins/themes | Built-in heading structure |
Alt Text for Images | Easy alt text insertion | Plugin needed for optimization | Built-in |
Page Speed & Uptime | Fast, reliable hosting | Relies on external host | Built-in, reliable uptime |
Mobile Friendliness | Responsive themes included | Theme-dependent | Built-in responsive themes |
301 Redirects | Built-in, easy to manage | Requires plugins | Built-in |
SSL Encryption | Automatic SSL | Requires setup | Automatic SSL |
Sitemap Generation | Automatic, Google-friendly | Plugin-dependent | Automatic sitemap |
Social Media Sharing | Integrated buttons | Plugin needed | Integrated |
Canonical Tags | Auto-generated | Manual setup needed | Auto-generated |
Structured Data | JSON-LD, rich snippets | Plugin-dependent | JSON-LD, rich snippets |
Overall, Shopify’s strengths lie in its ease of use, especially in areas like custom URLs, automatic sitemap generation, and integrated structured data (JSON-LD), which makes it ideal for store owners seeking efficient, reliable SEO without complex customization.
Top 3 Shopify SEO Apps for Fast Loading Speed and Performance Improvements
Avada SEO Speed Image Optimize
Without technical headaches, Avada SEO speed image optimize provides a complete SEO solution, starting with a thorough audit to identify improvement areas and optimizing page speed with tools like image compression, lazy loading, and minification. The app covers all aspects of on-page and technical SEO, from meta titles, keyword research, and structured data to sitemaps, Robots.txt configuration, 404 error handling, and 301 redirects.
Key Features
- Page Speed Optimization: Boost loading times with image compression, lazy loading, and advanced caching.
- Automated SEO Audits: Apply a full SEO checklist across all pages, ensuring optimal performance.
- On-page SEO: Optimize meta titles, keywords, alt text, and build SEO-friendly links effortlessly.
- Technical SEO Management: Detect broken links, configure 404 pages, sitemaps, JSON-LD structured data, and Google-compliant schema for rich snippets.
- Detailed SEO Reporting: Track SEO health with audits, performance data, and monthly image optimizations.
SearchPie SEO & Speed optimize
SEARCH PIE is a powerful SEO app designed to improve Google visibility, site speed, and user experience for Shopify stores of all sizes. With a focus on enhancing Google rankings and local online visibility, SEARCH PIE provides essential SEO tools to optimize key performance factors while supporting users with 24/7 Free Helpchat for real-time assistance.
Key Features
- SEO Monitoring and Reporting: Stay informed of all SEO issues with real-time, up-to-date reports, including insights on SEO score, keyword analysis, and competitor comparisons.
- Bulk Meta and Alt Tag Editing: Easily update meta titles, descriptions, and alt text in bulk, allowing for consistent and efficient on-page optimization.
- Speed Optimization: Accelerate loading times with Instant Page features, AMP support, image compression, lazy loading, and preloading tools to keep users engaged and improve Google rankings.
- 404 Error Management: Automatically detect and manage 404 errors, improving user experience and building site trust by redirecting broken links to the right URLs.
- Rich Snippets and JSON-LD: Optimize your site’s visibility with Google-friendly structured data, making it easier for search engines to understand and rank your content effectively.
Sherpas: Smart SEO
Smart SEO is a robust, automation-focused SEO app to simplify the process of improving rankings, driving organic traffic, and increasing sales for Shopify stores. Equipped with AI-powered tools and automation features, Smart SEO addresses all critical SEO elements, making it easier to manage and boost your store’s visibility on search engines.
Key Features
- Automated Meta Tag Creation with AI: Generate optimized, compelling meta tags powered by ChatGPT-4 Turbo, enhancing search visibility and click-through rates.
- Image and Page Speed Optimization: Compress images and boost page speed, improving user experience and supporting higher rankings.
- Structured Data (JSON-LD) Integration: Add JSON-LD schema to improve search engines' understanding of your store, increasing the likelihood of rich snippets.
- Broken Link Repair and Redirects: Automatically detect and fix broken internal and external links, minimizing SEO losses and enhancing user navigation.
- Backlink Reporting: Receive a comprehensive backlinks report to guide your link-building strategy, helping to improve domain authority.
Related articles:
- 10 Best Shopify SEO Tips
- 10 Best Free Shopify SEO Apps in 2024
- Top 12+ Best Shopify SEO Apps FREE & Paid in 2024
5 Tips to Optimize Your Shopify Store
- Improve Page Load Speed: To enhance user experience and SEO, start by compressing images and limiting app usage. Additionally, opt for lightweight themes like Booster for faster performance, and use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to track your progress.
- Use High-Quality Product Images and Descriptions: Ensure images are clear, high-quality, and optimized for the web. Furthermore, write concise, benefit-focused product descriptions that address common customer questions. Including relevant keywords in descriptions and alt text will further improve your SEO.
- Simplify Checkout: A smooth checkout process helps reduce cart abandonment. For convenience, offer guest checkout and various payment options, such as PayPal or Shopify Payments. Plus, use Shopify’s abandoned cart recovery emails to bring back potential customers.
- Optimize for Mobile: Since most users shop via mobile, make sure your store is mobile-friendly. Test the mobile version for readability, button sizes, and image display using the Mobile-Friendly Test to ensure a seamless experience.
- Use Analytics to Track Performance: Use Google Analytics and Shopify’s built-in tools to track customer behavior. Monitor which products are performing well and where customers drop off, and adjust your strategies based on data insights.
Shopify SEO vs Competitors
When comparing Shopify’s SEO capabilities to platforms like WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Wix, several factors must be considered, including ease of use, SEO features, customization options, and performance. Each platform offers unique advantages, making it more suitable for different types of businesses.
Feature | Shopify | WooCommerce | BigCommerce | Wix |
Ease of Use for SEO | Very beginner-friendly | More technical, requires plugins like Yoast | Easy to use, but slightly steeper learning curve | Simplified, but limited customization |
SEO Tools | Solid built-in SEO (meta tags, alt text, redirects) | Extensive SEO control via WordPress plugins | Strong built-in SEO tools | Basic SEO, improving but not as advanced |
Mobile Optimization | Automatically mobile-optimized themes | Dependent on WordPress theme and hosting | Mobile-friendly by default | Mobile-optimized, slower than competitors |
Page Load Speed | Fast, but can slow with too many apps | Depends on hosting and setup | Excellent performance | Slower, impacts SEO |
Customization | Limited, but user-friendly | Full control over SEO and URL structures | Strong customization, but requires more effort | Limited in comparison to competitors |
SSL & Security | Free SSL included | SSL setup depends on hosting | Free SSL certificates included | SSL built-in, but speed issues may arise |
Structured Data | Limited support, requires apps | Extensive flexibility with WordPress plugins | Strong built-in structured data tools | Requires apps for more advanced usage |
My Verdict:
- Shopify is an excellent choice for beginners due to its user-friendly interface and built-in SEO tools, making optimizing basic SEO elements without technical expertise easy. However, customization options are limited, so advanced users may find it restrictive, especially with URL structures and structured data.
- WooCommerce offers more control over SEO settings and URL customization, making it ideal for users familiar with WordPress and willing to handle a more technical setup. It’s powerful but requires additional plugins, which can increase costs and complexity.
- BigCommerce is a solid middle ground, with strong built-in SEO capabilities and customization options. Though learning requires slightly more effort, its robust tools make it a good choice for stores that prioritize performance and scalability.
- Wix is beginner-friendly with basic SEO features but needs to catch up on customization and speed, which can impact SEO. It suits simple sites but may not support more complex SEO needs.
Bottom Line
I hope you found this post helpful in understanding Shopify's SEO capabilities. While Shopify offers easy-to-use features for SEO beginners, some limitations might require additional apps or external support for advanced SEO strategies. Focusing on the right tools and techniques can improve your store’s visibility and ranking.
Shopify SEO: FAQs
Can you do SEO on Shopify?
Yes, Shopify offers built-in SEO tools, including meta titles, descriptions, and alt text for images. These tools make it easy for store owners to improve their search engine rankings without technical expertise. You can also optimize site structure, create user-friendly URLs, and boost mobile performance, improving your Shopify store’s SEO.
How much does Shopify SEO cost?
Shopify SEO can be free if you handle it yourself using the platform's built-in features. However, if you hire an SEO expert or agency, costs can range from $1,000 to $30,000 per month, depending on your store's level of service and complexity. Additional costs may come from SEO apps or specialized services.
Are Shopify SEO apps worth it?
The answer is Yes. Shopify SEO apps can be worth it, but their value depends on your needs. Apps like Yoast SEO or JSON-LD for SEO can simplify tasks such as structured data implementation, page speed optimization, and automated meta tag generation. While some apps are free, premium apps can range from $20 to $400 per year.
Is Shopify more SEO-friendly than WooCommerce?
For beginners, Shopify is more SEO-friendly due to its ease of use and automated features. WooCommerce, while offering more advanced SEO control through plugins, requires more technical skills. Shopify handles many SEO basics automatically, whereas WooCommerce allows for deeper customization if you're more experienced with SEO.