SEO for Shopify – 5 top tips to make it work for you
Ursula Somers - 27 July 2021
In need of some SEO tips to make Shopify work for you? We’re here to help you out.
Whether you’re new to Shopify and need some help getting to grips with the platform, or you’ve used Shopify for a while now and are looking for advice on how to get the most of this platform for your business, we’ve come up with five top tips to make Shopify work for you.
1. Keywords are your best friend
Google loves a keyword and so does Shopify. Doing some keyword research will help to make sure your pages are optimised based on the search terms your customers are using. By doing this, Google gets an idea of what your store actually is and attracts searchers who are ready to buy.
Worried that you’re not an SEO expert and can’t do keyword research? Don’t worry. Start by jotting down some phrases and terms that are relevant to your product or service pages.
If you need some inspiration for some potential keywords, check out Google’s ‘people also search for’ and ‘people also asked’ boxes. Whilst you’re searching for terms, keep an eye out for the autofill suggestions in Google’s search bar too.
Don’t forget that there are loads of useful keyword research tools out there which can identify some of the best performing keywords that have high searches but low competition. Research tools such as KW finder can also provide you with URLs to relevant articles and competitors too – doing a competitor analysis is definitely worth doing to check out the keywords they’re using.
2. Adding title tags and meta descriptions
Once you’ve done your keyword research, you can start to include these terms into your title tags and meta descriptions.
Optimising your meta data allows Google to quickly identify what your product or service page is about. Thanks to this, Google can then determine whether your pages are relevant to the user’s search query; if you’ve done your keyword correctly, you’ll reach your target audience straight away.
3. Optimise your images
Typically, Shopify stores are very visual which means getting your images right is essential. Not only are images a great way to engage visitors to your Shopify store, they can also help to optimise your page.
Alt text is a form of metadata that offers text descriptions of web images for search engines and acts as a screen reader for the visually impaired. By adding your keywords to your image alt text, you’ll boost the chances of your page ranking higher and attract more visitors to your Shopify store.
4. Get technical with SEO
SEO isn’t just about content though; technical SEO refers to any Search Engine Optimisation elements outside of content. Here a few things we recommend having in place to make sure your site functions properly:
- Set up a google analytics account – this is a great way to see how your page is performing and identify areas that need improvement.
- Make sure the site has a sitemap in place – makes it easier for crawlers to get access to all of your website
- Using tools such as the SEMrush Site Audit bot can provide you with a breakdown of your site’s speed performance.
- Stay on top of crawling errors and redirect issues – the last thing you want is to find out your page isn’t accessible because of these. Having 301 redirects in place keeps visitors on your site rather than leaving after a page doesn’t load properly.
5. Keep your users’ experience in mind
Using the likes of google analytics and SEMrush will allow you to track bounce rates and the site speeds of your Shopify pages. Sites with lower bounce rates perform really well in search engines; this means improving your customers’ experience is vital for how long they stay on your site for.
Shoppers are now exploring sites on their mobile devices. As a result, it’s so important to make sure your site is coded in the right way so it appears properly on mobiles – otherwise, you might be losing a lot of potential customers.
Hopefully, you now have an idea of how to make Shopify work for you. By following these five simple tips, you’re sure to find yourself on the right track in no time.
