No one can deny that SEO has many benefits for your Shopify online store. This is especially the case for older stores, as they already established domain names, website authority, and backlinks.
If you have just set up a shop, you can enjoy better visibility on search engines by capitalizing on SEO. Landing on the first page of Google can help you generate sales even without spending a single penny on paid advertising.
To help you, in this article, we will discuss the Shopify SEO checklist to drive organic traffic.
1. Maintain Blog
Publishing informative content can keep your customers glued to your website. It also makes you an authority in your niche. This trust, of course, can lead to better search engine rankings and more Shopify revenue.
What’s great about Shopify is that its blog is already integrated into the platform. It’s essential to use the trending keywords you have previously researched.
2. Site Speed
Site speed is an important ranking factor. The good thing about Shopify is that it has a content delivery network that hastens the load time. You can also use tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to give you an idea of what slows down your website.
3. Research Keywords That Sell
Users type in keywords in search engines every day. If you want to attract consumers, you need to use well-researched keywords consistently.
You can use the following keyword research tools to help you get the best keywords for your business. Though most of them come with a fee, they also have free versions you can maximize:
- Google AdWords – Keyword Planner
- SEMRush
- Ahrefs
- KWFinder
- LongTail Pro
Once you have decided on the keywords, make sure to add them naturally to the following:
- Page title
- Meta description
- Image alt tags
- Headers
- Webpage content and blogs
4. Add Sitemap to Google Search Console
Search engines use sitemaps to crawl websites. It lists the pages, files, and media, as well as their relations within your online store. Your sitemap is automatically generated by Shopify and can be found in the store’s root directory.
To improve your SEO, submit this sitemap to Google Search Console for indexing. Once you do, make sure to disable the website’s password protection.
If you fail to do this, the Google crawlers cannot crawl your site. SEO specialists often recommend adding Sitemap to Google Search Console for fast indexing.
5. Improve Online Store Navigation
A search engine can better understand your website if it’s well organized. So, when you set up your site’s navigation, make sure to remember these things:
- Menu titles should outline the content body.
- The item’s link text should describe and complement the page it leads to.
- Your online store’s navigation page should bear a link for each product.
- Your product should not be a great distance from your home page. If possible, keep it just three clicks away.
6. Showcase Customer Reviews
Product reviews do more in increasing store sales. They can benefit your website’s search traffic as well. After all, reviews bring fresh, user-generated content that is appealing to Google crawlers. It can also increase social sharing, which could help you generate more backlinks.
Your review can also be reflected in your Google search result, and as such, could invite more buyers in the long run.
7. Build Links
Getting links from trusted websites can significantly help your rankings. This makes crawlers know that your website is a popular and trustworthy one.
If you want to generate better quality links and rank better, you should:
- List your Shopify store on other commercial websites.
- Ask for links from your supplier or manufacturer.
- Build rapport with another website or store owner to get a link back to your site.
- Create engaging content that will earn shares from readers.
8. Make Your Shopify Store Secure
Security is especially important for your Shopify store. After all, your website processes sensitive data like customer details, credit card details, and shipping addresses.
Fortunately, Shopify offers SSL certificates. That means the website encrypts the data between your store and your buyers. Again, this aspect will help you rank better in search results.
9. Redirect Old Pages to New Ones
Say your SEO techniques have already borne fruit, and now you’re getting more organic search traffic than usual. Should one of your stocks run out, you need to have a 301-redirect ready.
This is particularly useful if you don’t know when your stocks will be replenished. Remember, you don’t want your client to stumble upon a 404 page. This is not only bad for your sales, but it may also harm your search engine rankings.
Conclusion:
Though Shopify is already considered as an SEO-friendly platform, ensuring that you have these Shopify SEO essentials down to the letter can help you climb the SERP ranks.
