How to do SEO for Shopify

by | Feb 16, 2023 | 0 comments

Do you know SEO of your Shopify store can help you to get more traffic and conversions?

SEO is an essential part of running a successful e-commerce store. For Shopify stores, it’s important to understand the fundamentals of ecommerce SEO and how to optimize your store for search engine visibility. With the right strategies in place, you can make sure that your Shopify store is getting found by potential customers and driving more traffic and sales.

SEO for Shopify is an important part of any successful digital marketing strategy. It can help you get more organic traffic to your website and improve your rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs).

However, optimizing a Shopify store for search engines can be a daunting task. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to make sure your Shopify store is optimized for SEO. These include optimizing titles and meta descriptions, creating content that resonates with your target audience, leveraging social media and other platforms to promote your products, and utilizing the right keywords in the right places.

You can follow these 10 steps, and ensure that your store gets the visibility it deserves and helps you reach more potential customers

SEO Optimization

1. Choose a descriptive and keyword-rich domain name

Your domain name is the first thing that search engines see when they crawl your website. Therefore, it is essential to choose a domain name that accurately describes your store and includes relevant keywords.

Choosing a descriptive and keyword-rich domain name for your Shopify store can greatly improve your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. The ideal domain name should:

  • Be concise and easy to remember
  • Reflect on the products or services you offer
  • Include relevant keywords

For example, if you sell organic beauty products, a good domain name could be “OrganicBeautyProducts.com” or “OrganicBeautySupply.com”. Another option could be to include a location-based keyword, such as “OrganicBeautySeattle.com” if you’re based in Seattle.

Remember to also keep the domain name short and memorable, as this can help improve click-through rates and customer engagement.

2. Optimize your title tags and meta descriptions

Title tags and meta descriptions are crucial for optimizing your Shopify pages for search engines. These elements provide a brief description of what your page is about and what users can expect to find when they click on your link. Make sure that your title tags and meta descriptions are keyword-rich, concise, and provide enough information to entice users to click through to your site.

Here’s how to optimize them for better SEO

Title tags

The title tag is the text that appears in the search engine results pages (SERPs) as the clickable link to your website. It should be no longer than 60 characters and include your target keywords.

For example: “Organic Beauty Products | Shop Now”.

Meta descriptions

The meta description is a summary of your page’s content that appears under the title tag in the SERPs. It should be no longer than 155 characters and include a clear and compelling description of your products or services.

For example

To edit your title tags and meta descriptions in Shopify, you can go to the Online Store > Pages section in your Shopify dashboard and select the page you want to optimize. From there, you can add or edit your title tag and meta description in the SEO section.

It’s important to note that having well-optimized title tags and meta descriptions can not only improve your visibility in the SERPs but also increase your chances of attracting clicks and visitors to your website.

3. Use header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.)

Header tags are used to structure the content on your page and make it easier for both users and search engines to understand. Use H1 tags for your page’s main title, H2 tags for subheadings, and H3 tags for sub-subheadings.

In the context of  Shopify, using header tags correctly can improve a store’s SEO by making the content easier to understand for both search engines and users. The H1 tag is typically used for the main heading of the page and should only appear once per page. H2 and H3 tags are used for subheadings and sub-subheadings, respectively, and can appear multiple times per page.

By using header tags to organize the content, a Shopify store can indicate to search engines the most important sections of a page and help improve the page’s relevance for specific keywords. Additionally, using header tags makes the content more readable and user-friendly, which can lead to a better user experience and potentially increase the time users spend on the site.

In summary, using header tags is a simple yet effective way for Shopify stores to improve their SEO and increase their chances of ranking higher in search results.

4. Utilize keywords throughout your website

SEO Optimization
Keywords are the words and phrases that describe what your site is about. Use relevant keywords in your title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and throughout your site’s content to help search engines understand what your site is about.

Keywords play a crucial role in optimizing a Shopify store for search engines. By strategically placing keywords throughout the website, a store can improve its visibility and relevance for specific search terms, making it easier for potential customers to find the store when searching for products or services related to what the store offers.

There are several ways to incorporate keywords into a Shopify store for SEO purposes

Page titles and meta descriptions

The page title and meta description are the snippets of text that appear in the search results and provide a brief overview of the page’s content. Including relevant keywords in these elements can help the page rank higher for those keywords.

Product and category descriptions

Product and category descriptions should be detailed and include keywords that accurately describe the products or services offered.

Image alt tags

Alt tags are descriptions of images that are displayed if the image fails to load. Including keywords in alt tags can help improve the store’s visibility for those keywords.

URLs

Including keywords in the URLs of pages and products can also help improve the store’s ranking for those keywords.

Content

Keywords should also be included in the body of the page or product description in a natural way that provides value to the user.

It’s important to note that keyword stuffing, or the practice of including excessive keywords in the content, is a black hat SEO technique and can negatively impact a store’s ranking. Instead, the focus should be on creating high-quality, relevant content that accurately reflects what the store offers and provides value to the user.

5. Optimize your product pages

Your product pages are the most important pages on your site as they are where users will be making their purchasing decisions. Optimize these pages by including product descriptions, images, and videos that are keyword-rich and provide a clear picture of what the product is, what it does, and how it benefits the user.

Here are some ways to optimize product pages on a Shopify store

Unique and descriptive product titles

Product titles should accurately describe the product and be unique to each product. Including relevant keywords in the product, and a title can help improve the product’s visibility in search results.

Product descriptions

Product descriptions should be detailed and include relevant keywords. The descriptions should provide value to the user by accurately describing the product and its features.

Product images

High-quality product images are important for both the user experience and SEO. Including descriptive file names and alt tags that include relevant keywords can help improve the product’s visibility in image search results.

Product categories and tags

Assigning products to relevant categories and using tags can help improve the visibility of the products in search results.

Product Reviews

Encouraging customers to leave reviews of the product can not only improve the user experience but also provide valuable content for search engines.

Product URLs

The URL for each product page should include relevant keywords and be easy to read and understand.

Schema markup

Adding schema markup to product pages can provide search engines with additional information about the product, such as its price, availability, and reviews.

6. Make use of alt tags for images

Alt tags are used to describe the images on your site. Search engines can’t see images, so the alt tags help them understand what the images are about. Make sure to include relevant keywords in your alt tags to help search engines understand the context of your images.

In Shopify, alt tags can be added to images when you upload them to the Shopify media library or when you insert them into pages and blog posts.

Here’s how to add alt tags to images in Shopify

Go to the Shopify admin panel.

Navigate to the “Products” or “Pages” section.

Find the image you want to add an alt tag to and click on it.

In the “Alt” text field, enter a brief and descriptive text description of the image.

Save your changes.

When adding alt tags, it’s important to keep the following best practices in mind

Use descriptive and concise text

Alt tags should provide a clear description of the image, using keywords relevant to it and the page it’s on.

Avoid using generic terms

Avoid using generic terms like “image” or “photo”. Instead, use specific descriptions that accurately describe the image.

Keep the alt tag short

Alt tags should be concise and limited to around 125 characters.

Use keyword-rich descriptions

Including relevant keywords in the alt tag can help improve the SEO of the page and increase the visibility of the website in search engine results.

7. Utilize internal linking

Internal linking is a powerful SEO tool that helps search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your site. Link related pages and products together to help users and search engines understand how your site is organized.

Here is a step-by-step guide to utilizing internal linking in Shopify for SEO

Identify the pages you want to link

Start by creating a list of your important pages on your Shopify site, such as product pages, categories, and blog posts. These are the pages you will want to link to from other pages on your site.

Plan your link structure

Decide which pages you want to link from and to, and the anchor text you want to use for the links. The anchor text is the text that is clickable and will lead to the linked page.

Add internal links

You can add internal links to your Shopify site in several ways, including using the WYSIWYG editor in your Shopify store, using liquid code in your theme, or using a plugin.

Use descriptive anchor text

When adding internal links, use descriptive anchor text that accurately describes the linked page. This will help search engines understand the context of the linked page, and also make it easier for users to understand what the link is about.

Check for broken links

Regularly check your internal links to ensure they are working and not leading to broken pages. Use a tool like Broken Link Checker to scan your site and identify any broken links.

Update internal links

As your site evolves, update your internal links to reflect changes in your content and structure. This will help maintain the quality of your internal linking and ensure that your site remains optimized for SEO.

8. Use schema markup

Schema markup is a type of code that you can add to your site to help search engines understand what your site is about. Shopify has a built-in schema markup tool that makes it easy to add schema to your site.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use schema markup in Shopify for SEO

Determine which type of schema markup to use

There are many different types of schema markup, including product, organization, and review. Choose the one that most accurately reflects the content of your website.

Add schema markup to your website

You can add schema markup to your Shopify website by using a Shopify app, such as JSON-LD for SEO, that automatically generates the code for you.

Verify your schema markup

Use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to verify that your schema markup is correctly implemented and to see if any errors need to be corrected.

Optimize product pages

For product pages, add relevant information to your schema markups, such as product name, description, price, availability, and image.

Monitor performance

Regularly monitor your website’s performance to ensure that your schema markup is having the desired effect on your search engine rankings and traffic.

9. Speed up your site

Site speed is an important ranking factor for search engines. The faster your site is, the better it will perform in search results. Shopify has many tools and plugins available to help you speed up your site.

Here’s what you can take to speed up your Shopify site

Compress images and reduce their file size to improve site speed.

Minimize the use of plugins and apps

Too many plugins and apps can slow down your site. Choose plugins and apps carefully and only use those that are essential for your site’s functionality.

10. Monitor your SEO performance

Regularly monitoring your SEO performance is essential to ensure that your efforts are paying off. Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track your site’s performance and make adjustments as needed.

Here are some steps you can follow to monitor  your  SEO performance in Shopify

Set up Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that provides valuable insights into your website’s performance in Google search results. Connect your Shopify site to Google Search Console to monitor your SEO performance.

Track keyword rankings

Use a keyword tracking tool to monitor your site’s rankings for important keywords. This will give you a sense of how your site is performing in search results and help you identify areas for improvement.

Monitor traffic and engagement metrics

Use Google Analytics or another analytics tool to monitor important metrics such as page views, bounce rate, and time on site. These metrics can give you an idea of how your site is performing and how users are engaging with your content.

Check for crawl errors

Use Google Search Console to check for crawl errors, such as broken links and missing images. These errors can negatively impact your site’s ranking and user experience, so it’s important to fix them promptly.

Monitor Backlinks

Use a backlink tracking tool to monitor the number and quality of backlinks to your site. Backlinks are an important factor in search engine ranking, so it’s important to monitor their growth and quality over time.

Use schema markup

Schema markup can help search engines understand your site’s content and provide more information to users in search results. Use schema markup in Shopify to monitor its impact on your SEO performance.

If you have any questions or queries please let us know in the comment section below. If you need help with Shopify e-commerce website development contact us now!

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